It's been a while since you've heard from us. We've been busy! Our season of fire recovery work came to a close in early April. We are so grateful we had the opportunity to help our community and watershed heal from the Walbridge and Glass Fires. At our peak, we had 7 [...]
From Don McEnhill, Executive Director I remember the 1976-77 drought as if it was a year ago. My Dad set up five 55-gallon drums on stands outside the laundry room and we pumped water to the bathrooms through holes drilled in the roof to flush our toilets to save a bit of water for the [...]
Russian Riverkeeper is pleased to announce the exciting plans we have in store for the 35th annual Russian River Watershed Cleanup on Saturday, September 18th 2021. We’re looking forward to gathering again with you to show the river some love after last year’s Covid-caused hiatus. The September cleanup is our largest of the year and [...]
The Russian River watershed is in severe drought and the hottest days of summer are still to come. Scant rainfall and alarmingly low reservoirs mean there simply isn't enough water to go around. The State Water Board is considering passing emergency measures to address dire water shortages in the Russian River watershed. These proposed regulations [...]
Rights of Nature is is a growing international movement that recognizes natural systems not simply as resources for humans to use, but as living entities with rights of their own. It has the potential to transform American law and protect watersheds like the Russian River. Traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous peoples refined over thousands of [...]
With half of Sonoma County adults fully vaccinated for Covid-19, summertime fun has already begun on the Russian River. Unfortunately, these outings mean more coolers, more dogs, more trash, and a greater risk of fire. We all need to do our part to love the river without loving it to death. Here are some ways [...]
After removing 1.5M pounds of trash, Chris Brokate is moving on to his well-deserved semi-retirement in real estate in Ecuador. Though we bet he’ll be taking his garbage picker with him, or maybe enough for 20 volunteers! “It has been an amazing 6 1/2 years doing this project here on the Russian River and I [...]
The “new normal” is a phrase we have heard a lot since COVID lockdowns started over a year ago. Now it is time to repurpose that phrase for the next crisis we are facing in our watershed—drought. Historically, California has been known for its Mediterranean climate with drier summers and mild, wet winters. On occasion [...]
This past Sunday, while out on the River, we observed the clearest waters we can remember seeing in over 50 years. With 25+ feet of visibility, we could see the bottom of some of the deepest pools—from Geyserville to Healdsburg at Diggers Bend and Warnecke Ranch—it was incredible! Normally, we would be lucky to have [...]