Save Our Salmon

The Salmon Creek Habitat Rehabilitation Program
Phase I

Photo courtesy of Brock Dolman

Coho salmon were once common in central and northern California, spawning in large numbers in most coastal streams, including Salmon Creek and its tributaries. Populations declined steeply during the 20th century, however, and the coho disappeared completely from their namesake watershed in the late 1990s. With the decline of the coho came the crash of the local fishing industry, which was an important part of the west Sonoma County economy.

The coho and other salmonids have been the focus of watershed restoration efforts designed to improve habitat condi- tions for the fish and assist in their long-term survival in coastal California. In Salmon Creek, the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District has been an important part of these efforts, conducting assessments of watershed and habitat conditions, working with local landowners on stream protection and restoration projects, and helping to inform the public about the ecological and economic importance of coho. Efforts to restore the fish in Salmon Creek were given a huge boost last December, when the California Department of Fish and Game planted over 300 adult coho in the stream.

Crews from Prunuske Chatham working on the agricultural pilot site for the SOS Program.

Habitat improvement work must continue if the coho are to thrive in Salmon Creek. Working with our partner, Prunuske Chatham, Inc., of Sebastopol, the RCD has secured a $1.5 million federal stimulus grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to fund the Save Our Salmon Program (SOS). This program has two purposes: to implement restoration and resource protection projects to improve habitat conditions in Salmon Creek, and to create jobs and stimulate the west county economy.

SOS is a cooperative effort, with local landowners and resource and construction professionals working with the RCD to design and build projects that will benefit both fish and people in the Salmon Creek watershed. The SOS program will help to stimulate the west county economy in the short term by providing employment in designing and building these projects. The training and experience these workers gain in restoration and resource protection will be invaluable in the emerging green economy. The program will assist local agricultural operators and other landowners in securing a more reliable and diverse water supply without drawing down the creek during the dry season. By building on ongoing stewardship efforts, it will enhance west county agriculture's reputation for a strong commitment to the environment. And in the long term, we hope the restoration of healthy populations of coho to Salmon Creek will help to revive the fishing industry in Sonoma County.

For more information, please contact John Green, Lead Scientist/Project Manager at the RCD: (707) 874-2907 or john@goldridgercd.org.

News:
District to Recieve $1.5 Million in Stimulus Funding from NOAA Fisheries to Improve Salmon Habitat in Salmon Creek