Sustaining Instream Flows for Fish and People
It's early August and the Mattole River presents itself as a long grey ribbon of dry gravel running through a tunnel of green leafy banks as seen from a small wooden bridge near its headwaters on the Mendocino-Humboldt County line. (read more)


Motivating Personal Action
(read more)


An Integrated Approach To Expanding Salmon Populations
The Eel River Salmon Restoration Project has focused on maintaining and expanding salmon and steelhead populations in the South Fork of the Eel River, the watershed that we call home. Beginning in the early 1980's, our initial work was supported in large part through funding provided by California commercial salmon fishermen and fisherwomen by way of the Salmon Stamp Program. This funding allowed us to develop a small-scale hatchery program, utilizing native coho salmon and Chinook salmon eggs obtained from a fyke entrance trap fished on a weir near the mouth of Redwood Creek, which flows through the small community of Briceland. Efforts were made to maintain as diverse a genetic base as possible by splitting egg lots and fertilizing the eggs of each female with numerous males of different age. The natal fish were planted back into their natal watershed. Planted fish were tagged or marked to allow us to both track their survival and better protect the genetics by limiting in-breeding of our "hatchery" fish, thusly minimizing our hatchery influence. (read more)


Regional Salmon Update: The state of imperiled fishes and community efforts at recovery
As once abundant salmonids have suffered due to cumulative anthropogenic impacts, restoring watersheds has become a priority for North Coast residents. The grassroots movement to recover salmon has often been the difference between existence and extirpation for these unique and esteemed creatures. (read more)


Salmon Trapped In A Blocked Estuary
The Mattole estuary is the gateway through which all Mattole salmonid populations pass to enter and leave the river. Historically, the estuary likely functioned as a nursery where juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon thrived in deep pools, a well-developed slough system, and complex, shaded streambank habitats. These conditions once nurtured thousands of juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead. They spent their first summers in the lagoon's protected and productive waters until autumn rains forced the mouth open. (read more)


Grassroots Activism and the Stand for Central California's Wild Coho Salmon
It can be safely said that without the grassroots action that has characterized Marin County's environmental movement over many decades, salmon would already be long gone from the Lagunitas Creek Watershed. (read more)


Eel River Salmon Restoration Project
The Eel River Salmon Restoration Project has monitored portions of the South Fork Eel River since 1983. Our survey work focused mainly on salmon and steelhead populations. Walking the creeks during spawning season (November through March) and counting fish and redds (fish nests) is one way to track adult population trends. As well, we used various "downstream migrant" (DSM) fish-trap designs, allowing us to monitor natural production of salmon and steelhead in their native habitats. In addition, the DSM trap allows us to study "nongame" species (fish, amphibians, reptiles and crayfish) as well. From 1983 to 2005 we operated a fyke-entrance adult fish trap and weir system on Redwood Creek. This adult trap site allowed us to gather measurements from steelhead, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and chum salmon returning to spawn. This fish trap allowed us to take fertilized eggs for our small-scale natal conservation hatchery and enabled us to supply fertilized salmon eggs to local school children for educational purposes. Sadly, due to recent government policy decisions, we are no longer operating the adult fish trap to collect data and provide salmon eggs to local area school children. (read more)


Salmon River Restoration Council: Please Welcome Our New Partner
The Salmon River watershed is 751 square miles and 98.7% federally owned. It is one of the most biologically intact sub-basins of the Klamath River Basin and is entirely within Karuk Ancestral Territory. The Salmon River is known for its high-value fisheries as well as boasting one of the richest regions of species diversity in the temperate zones. It is the largest cold-water contributor to the Klamath River of any tributary in the system. It is home to several species of fish at risk of extinction: summer and winter runs of wild Klamath Mountains Province Steelhead, spring and fall Chinook salmon, and coho salmon. (read more)


26th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference
The 26th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference will be held March 5-8, 2008, in the northern San Joaquin Valley. The conference will feature all-day field tours of Tuolumne and Stanislaus River restoration projects, a Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Systems Tour, a Fisheries Monitoring and Management tour, and half-day workshops and tours of fish-friendly vineyards and the Cosumnes River Preserve. Workshops will include Fins and Zins: Sustainable Agriculture and Watershed Management; Fish Passage: Managing Flows on Regulated Rivers and Streams; Floodplain Restoration; and Invasive Species. (read more)


Toxic Legacy in Humboldt Bay
A report released in April 2007 by Simpson Timber Company confirms extensive dioxin contamination at the site of the former Simpson Plywood Mill on Waterfront Drive in Eureka. Simpson and a previous owner used dioxin-laden wood preservative pentachlorophenol (penta) at the site from the 1950's to 1968. Those chemicals are still present at highly toxic levels beneath the old sawmill, in adjacent drainage ditches, and in Humboldt Bay sediments. (read more)


The Eel River Salmon Restoration Project
The Salmon in the Classroom Program is once again up and running in 63 classrooms throughout Humboldt County. K-12 students will learn about salmonid life histories and the habitat qualities that salmon and steelhead need to survive and thrive in our local watersheds. The steelhead eggs will come from the Mad River Hatchery. Prior to their release back into the natal stream, the Mad River, each steelhead will be marked with an adipose fin clip. This is the same mark that all Mad River Hatchery steelhead receive before release. (read more)


Mattole Salmon Group: State of the Mattole Steelhead
The 11th Annual Summer Steelhead Dive in the Mattole River watershed was held on July 14-15, 2006. Forty-seven local fish enthusiasts donned their wetsuits and snorkeled throughout 24 reaches of the Mattole River to find the elusive summer steelhead. Thank you to divers from the MSG, MRC, Mattole community, USFWS, NMFS, Nick's Interns, and Americorps who contributed their time and expertise to make the 2006 dives a success. (read more)


Eel River Salmon Restoration Project
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. (read more)


Mattole Salmon Group: Looking Beneath the Surface
Working in and around rivers and streams comes naturally to the Mattole Salmon Group (MSG). And with the help of local landowners, state and federal agencies, and volunteers during 2006, we marked the 25th consecutive year of fish monitoring performed throughout the Mattole River watershed by the MSG. (read more)


Salmon Protection And Watershed Network: SPAWN
After years of collecting local genetic-stock native plants and then having them grown for us at commercial nurseries and various volunteers' homes, SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network) now has its own nursery site! Complete with a small greenhouse and a larger shade-house, SPAWN will now be able to close the cycle from collection to out-planting for its restoration projects. We also hope to be able to distribute some plants to local landowners, encouraging our neighbors to plant more natives in their landscaping. (read more)