- What We Do
- Climate Action
Climate Action & Legal Compliance
Russian Riverkeeper advocates for clean, healthy waters using science-backed facts and collaboration to drive stronger, transparent policies and lasting solutions.
Advocacy
Water Supply and Streamflow Solutions for People and Wildlife
We hold our government and regulatory officials accountable by using the law to enforce our bedrock environmental laws and stop polluters. From the Clean Water Act and the Public Trust Doctrine to the Endangered Species Act and California Water Rights Law, we use every tool at our disposal to advance the health of our watershed for the benefit of local communities and the ecosystems that make this place home.
Our advocacy program actively reviews regulatory permits including development proposals, stormwater pollution control permits, water flow levels and other issues that affect the health of the River. We partner with other local organizations, hire expert scientists and attorneys, and engage our members in speaking out and advocating for a healthy Russian River.
Our Advocacy Program
Climate change is making the existing challenges in the Russian River watershed even worse. If we don’t take action now, it could soon be too late to fix the damage.
Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns are putting more stress on our watershed. These shifts disrupt the natural flow and timing of water—affecting fish, wildlife, farms, and local water supplies.
Without smart, forward-thinking solutions like better water management and habitat restoration, the health of our waterways will continue to decline.
Fighting climate change isn’t just about protecting the environment—it’s essential for long-term water security and the health of our entire ecosystem.
After more than a hundred years of gravel mining in the Russian River, the watershed’s ecological systems and habitats were significantly damaged and in need of help. Suffering from a loss of more than 80% of the functional floodplains, reduced groundwater recharge, and elimination of key salmon habitat the river system was in distress. Recognizing this critical tipping point in the health of our watershed, Russian Riverkeeper’s founders stepped up to the plate and started the good fight in 1993. Finally, after years of legal battles and community advocacy, we were able to end harmful river gravel mining permanently in 2012.
Since then, Russian Riverkeeper has continued to grow its advocacy efforts to respond to the ever-changing climate and other new harms facing our watershed on a daily basis. From diminished water availability and inefficient water accounting practices to human-induced water quality impairments, the health of the Russian River watershed and its sensitive habitats continue to need strong advocates and we help fill that role. (drop down)
Through strong advocacy we hope to achieve healthy flows and water quality to restore our river ecosystem and improve water supply reliability in the face of climate change. We are committed to leading advocacy efforts that strengthen protections against today’s challenges and tomorrow’s threats, ensuring the well-being of future generations and the resiliency of our unique ecosystems.
Policy
Where we Stand Today & Future Steps
- Expand storage and recharge capabilities within the watershed before PVP change to wet season diversion
- Evaluate raising Coyote Dam at Lake Mendocino for storage
- Participate in the Potter Valley Project decommissioning process and support efforts to fund activities to advance a run of river winter diversion when excess Eel River flows are available
Use improved water use accounting methods to establish an overall water availability budget that can be used to reduce the depletion of Lake Mendocino and inform necessary actions.
- Protect groundwater resources from unrestricted pumping
- Work with CA Coastkeeper and SWRCB to revise regulations for groundwater recharge to reduce barriers
- Work with local landowners to develop groundwater recharge projects
- Support efforts to better understand interconnected surface waters
- Encourage holistic management of water supplies instead viewing as separate resources FAQ
- Support a continued Eel River diversion that bolsters salmon recovery in the Eel River
- Prevent over pumping of stream flows by holding users accountable
- Support management practices that consider groundwater and surface water holistically, as a joint resource
- Increase water capture during high-flow events for on-site surface storage and groundwater recharge projects
- Protect Public Trust Resources
- Help establish permit regulating sediment pollution sourced from vineyard operations
- Ensure municipal stormwater systems are maintained and permitting terms are complied with
- Help connect the reality of upstream activities on downstream beneficial uses, including impacts that contribute to ocean acidification and warming
- Ensure State trash requirements are incorporated into necessary permitting structures and best practices are required of local contracts
- Provide oversight on regional industries and their permitting schemes to ensure harmful pollutants are not entering our waterways
- Communicate with varied stakeholders throughout the watershed, from Tribal communities to agricultural and urban interests, to ensure that actions are in the best interest of our watershed and those that rely on it
- Educate our community on the importance of different actions and how they can help engage in protecting the future of our watershed
As a Waterkeeper, advocacy is our DNA
We coordinate closely with California Coastkeeper Alliance, Waterkeeper Alliance and other local Waterkeepers, and partners to strengthen water policies at the state and federal levels.
-
- Advocacy
- Climate Change
Understanding the 2025 Biological Opinion: What’s Changing and What’s Still at Stake
NOAA Fisheries recently released a new, no-jeopardy Biological Opinion (BO) governing operations on the Russian River, Dry Creek, and related […]
-
- Advocacy
- Education
- Environmental Justice
Protecting the Russian River Watershed
Understanding Biological Opinions and Their Role in Protecting the Russian River Watershed The Russian River Watershed, spanning Sonoma and Mendocino […]
-
- Advocacy
Sonoma County Well Ordinance FAQ
Dear Supporter, We wanted to take a moment to update you on the latest developments in the ongoing Sonoma County […]