Drinkable. Fishable. Swimmable. We fight for clean water.

Russian Riverkeeper represents our river community’s interest in clean water by providing science-based advocacy and by influencing policy to better protect our watershed. We hold our government officials accountable for enforcing our bedrock environmental protection laws and stopping polluters.

Russian River Watershed’s watchdog.

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.

As a Waterkeeper, advocacy is our DNA.

Russian Riverkeeper coordinates closely with California Coastkeeper Alliance,  Waterkeeper Alliance and other local Waterkeepers, and partners to strengthen water policies at the state and federal levels.

We tackle tough issues.

For water quality concerns or other environmental harms in the watershed, email us at: advocacy@russianriverkeeper.org.

Protect Flows & Water Reliability.

Big Goal:
Ensure adequate flows and water quality to sustain the river ecosystem and improve water supply reliability in the face of climate change.

Actions to Achieve Goal:

• Support a continued Eel River diversion that bolsters salmon recovery in the Eel River
• Protect groundwater resources from unrestricted pumping
• Prevent overpumping of stream flows by holding users accountable
• Implement proactive demand reductions in water use to extend storage supplies further into a dry period and before emergency actions are taken
• Adopt permanent demand management programs for agricultural water use
• Increase water capture during high-flow events for on-site surface storage and groundwater recharge projects
• Evaluate raising Coyote Dam at Lake Mendocino for storage

How We Do It:

• 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
• Produce report evaluating how proactive demand management could have reduced the need for curtailments in 2020-2022 drought in the Upper Russian River
• Work with CA Coastkeeper and SWRCB to revise regulations for groundwater recharge to reduce barriers
• Work with local landowners to develop groundwater recharge projects
• 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
• 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