North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council

THE NORTH COAST RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, DOING BUSINESS AS THE NON-PROFIT CONSERVATION WORKS, WILL FURTHER DEVELOP THE RUSSIAN RIVER CONFLUENCE COLLABORATIVE. THE COLLABORATIVE REPRESENTS A DIVERSE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS WHICH INCLUDES PUBLIC AGENCIES, NONPROFITS, INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, TRIBAL PARTNERS, GROUPS, AND INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COLLABORATIVES AREA OF FOCUS IS THE RUSSIAN RIVER WATERSHED, AN AREA LOCATED NORTH OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE COLLABORATIVES PURPOSE IS TO DRIVE COMMUNITY ACTION TOWARDS A HEALTHY, RESILIENT AND REGENERATIVE RUSSIAN RIVER WATERSHED. THE ENTIRE WATERSHED AREA SPANS 1,485 SQUARE MILES FROM ITS HEADWATERS IN A REMOTE MOUNTAIN SOURCE IN NORTHERN MENDOCINO COUNTY DRAINING SOUTHERLY THROUGH SONOMA COUNTY TO WIND WESTWARD TO ITS MOUTH AT JENNER WHERE IT ENTERS THE PACIFIC OCEAN IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE WATERSHED PROVIDES DRINKING WATER TO OVER A HALF MILLION PEOPLE, SUPPORTS HUNDREDS OF VINEYARDS, DAIRIES, AND OTHER FARMS, AND CONTAINS CRITICAL HABITAT FOR ENDANGERED SALMONIDS AND OTHER NATIVE SPECIES. THIS WATERSHED FACES A COMPLEX ARRAY OF LARGE-SCALE CHALLENGES, STEMMING FROM A MIX OF NATURAL AND HUMAN-INDUCED FACTORS.PRESSURES FROM DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS ARE INCREASING THE INCIDENCE OF DAMAGING DROUGHTS, WILDFIRES AND FLOODS. THESE IMPACTS FURTHER EXACERBATE COMPETING NEEDS FOR WATER, INCLUDING PROVIDING DRINKING WATER, SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE, AND PROVIDING HABITAT FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES. THE COLLABORATIVE WILL FOCUS ON INITIATING ENDURING COLLABORATION BETWEEN STAKEHOLDERS TO HELP COORDINATE PROJECTS AND ACTION PLANS WITHIN THE WATERSHED. THE COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT THE COLLABORATIVE AS IT DEVELOPS A PROGRAM CHARTER CREATES A 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN CONDUCTS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH HELPS ALIGN PARTNERS WEBSITES ON WATERSHED INFORMATION, HOSTS THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE STATE OF THE RUSSIAN RIVER WATERSHED CONFERENCE AND HELPS FOSTER USER-FRIENDLY ACCESS TO EXISTING WATERSHED DATA AND SCIENCE-BASED REPORTS. THE GOALS OVER THE 3-YEAR PLANNING PERIOD ARE TO CREATE AN ENDURING FRAMEWORK FOR COLLABORATIVE FUNCTION FOR INFORMING AND INSPIRING COLLECTIVE ACTION IN ADDRESSING WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY ISSUES AND HABITAT DEGRADATION. THE CONTINUING OUTREACH FROM THE COLLABORATIVE BEYOND THE LIFE OF THIS PROJECT IS INTENDED TO SUSTAIN THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE WATERSHED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AND DECISION-MAKERS ON ONGOING AND EMERGING ISSUES ALONG WITH POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS.

RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT