By Don McEnhill, Russian Riverkeeper My love for the Russian River has taken me places I never thought I’d go, like homeless camps. An estimated 1,148 people live in homeless camps along the Russian River — which flows south through Mendocino and Sonoma Counties in northern California — and along its tributaries. We realized that [...]
#SaveIt Challenge Here in California, we all know that we need to make water conservation a way of life. Using less water makes sense for the environment and for our bank accounts. As climate change brings increasing periods of scorching heat, you can do your part for a healthy flowing river by committing to [...]
Sonoma Water has slashed river flow to 50 cfs above Healdsburg and 60 cfs in the lower river. If river flow is cut that deeply, hot summer weather will likely trigger harmful algae blooms and recreation will come to a halt. We need to save today so we can play tomorrow. Our river economy is [...]
The question Russian Riverkeeper is asked most is: “Is it safe to swim in the river?” The simple answer is yes for most people most of the time. Hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors swim in the Russian River each summer without any problems, although we have heard of people reporting illness after [...]
We're proud to partner with the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce on its county-wide Mike Hauser Academy. The Mike Hauser Academy convenes students, businesses and teachers, empowering our future workforce to become leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This three-week summer school program provides incoming 9th grade English Language Learner students and students [...]
The Russian River supports a great diversity of life including macroinvertebrates, which are just big enough to see without magnification and have no backbone. These tiny creatures live in the gravel and mud, also called benthic habitat, at the bottom of the river. They're a key source of nutrition for steelhead and salmon and a [...]
This month, we worked with Clear Heart Drilling and Luhdorff Scalmanini Consulting Engineers to install new groundwater monitoring wells so we can gather data from up to 60 feet deep. Groundwater monitoring will ensure that the restoration doesn't impact drinking water supplies and will tell us more about the state of our aquifers. Restoring [...]
If you want to wander among native trees and grasses, watch birds or gaze at the river, Riverkeeper Stewardship Park welcomes you. The address is 16153 Main Street, Guerneville, although the park is not visible from the street. The property is along the Northwest bank of the Russian River, and stretches from under the old [...]
Harry and Maggie Wetzel Native Plant Garden On May 26th, 2012 the Wetzel Native Plant Garden public park held its Grand Opening ceremony with the Wetzel Family pictured below. The Wetzel Native Plant Garden is one of the most unique parks in the city and showcases over 90 varieties of local native plants arranged by [...]
In June, Sonoma Water announced that it is seeking to reduce river flow to 50 cfs above Healdsburg and 60 cfs in the lower river. If river flow is cut that deeply, hot summer weather will likely trigger harmful algae blooms and recreation will come to a halt. Look for a message from us soon [...]