Eel River Salmon Restoration Project

Eel River Salmon Restoration Project
November 15, 2006


The Eel River Salmon Restoration Project is anticipating the coming winter rainfall in bringing back the salmon to our local creeks. And thanks to the Trees Foundation Donor Advised Cereus Fund Grant, we will once again be able to provide local school children the opportunity to raise salmon and steelhead in their classrooms.

In addition to the financial support offered through the Cereus Grant, we have secured funding from the Humboldt County Fish and Game Commission, Save the Redwoods League, and the California Department of Fish and Game for our fisheries education program. The program provides students with lessons in the classroom and by the creek. We are also confident that we will receive permission from the National Marine Fisheries Service to allow us to set our weirs and fish trap on Redwood Creek to obtain local wild chinook eggs for Southern Humboldt classrooms. This would supplement the steelhead eggs provided to Northern Humboldt classrooms by Mad River Hatchery.

Harry Vaughn, of ERSRP, out in the field planting trees. Photo: Bill Eastwood

Along with the rain, the moisture levels will soon rise in the upper soil horizons, and tree-planting season will begin. Working Assets, a telephone services provider, has once again provided financial support that allowed us to place the tree seedling order for the coming winter. In addition, we will also be cutting willow stakes to be incorporated into the diverse plantings we continue to experiment with. On the "Blue Goo Slide" near Briceland, the willows planted in the sediment ponds years ago have now developed into a willow orchard. We subsequently inter-planted this willow orchard with redwood trees, and when we cut the willow stakes this winter to use in the landslide area, we anticipate the release of a vigorously growing redwood grove.

So as the rain begins to fall, streams begin to rise, salmon begin to move, and trees begin to be planted, we look forward to the coming of winter. Each season brings changes to our local watersheds, and educating our youth creates a greater appreciation of the gifts the Earth provides to us all, if treated with respect and through seeking a greater understanding of where we live.

For more information please contact Harry Vaughn at (707) 943-3233.



This article can be found online at www.treesfoundation.org/publications/article-255

Forest & River News is produced by Trees Foundation. For more information contact:
Eel River Salmon Restoration Project
PO Box 589
Miranda CA 95553
Phone: (707) 923-9109