Since its founding in 1984, the Sacramento River Preservation Trust (Trust)
has been dedicated to protecting and preserving the natural values of the
Sacramento River ecosystem. In support of that mission, the Trust has
convened a series of state of the river conferences over the years, starting
in 1988. The intervening years have been full of activity, including the
birth of several non-profits with missions that compliment the work of the
Trust. As a consequence, the 6th State of the Sacramento River Watershed
Conference is the product of a joint effort this time around. A snapshot of
our partners in this endeavor follows:
Sacramento River Watershed Program
The Sacramento River Watershed Program (SRWP) is an effort to bring stakeholders together to share information and resources and address all water-related issues within the Sacramento River watershed. The SRWP was initiated in February 1996 at a meeting attended by nearly 150 people, with several subcommittees formed to promote environmental protection and collaboration. After numerous collaborative meetings involving a wide range of stakeholder interests, the subcommittees identified important parameters and developed a water quality monitoring program. The SRWP
began monitoring the Sacramento River in May 1998.
The SRWP was certified in 2002 as a California not-for-profit corporation, and received 501(c)(3) status. The SRWP is overseen by a 21-member Board of Trustees and functions through several committees and workgroups-all are open to any who wish to participate.
The mission of the SRWP is to ensure that current and potential uses of the watershed's resources are sustained, restored, and where possible, enhanced, while promoting the long-term social and economic vitality of the region.
The SRWP provides a network for building a basin-wide context to improve watershed health. It operates through consensus-based collaborative partnerships, coordination of research and monitoring, and enhancing mutual education among the stakeholders of the Sacramento River watershed. The program works to support and preserve the integrity of local efforts. It strives to resolve watershed issues with local participation and a watershed-wide perspective. The SRWP also helps disseminate information about the watershed and conducts monitoring activities to continually assess water quality and other indicators of watershed health.
Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum
The Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum (SRCAF) evolved
from state legislation in1986 that called for a management plan to protect,
restore, and enhance both the fisheries and riparian habitat of the
Sacramento River.
The SRCAF held its first Board meeting in May 2000. The diverse group of stakeholders making up the Board of Directors works cooperatively to ensure that riparian habitat management addresses not only the dynamics of riparian ecosystems but also the realities of local agricultural and recreational issues.
Since its inception the SRCAF has coordinated or helped facilitate several multi-purpose activities including: a US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) Feasibility Study for Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration at Hamilton City; short and long term solutions to the gravel bar intrusion at the M & T/ Llano Seco Ranches pumping plant that also provides water for state and federal refuges and fish flows in Butte Creek; a conservation easement acquisition of rights along several miles of Battle Creek and the Sacramento River that will retain valuable agricultural land and protect and restore habitat; the development of a Public Use and Recreation Plan for the area between Red Bluff and Colusa; the restoration of hundreds of acres of flood and erosion prone areas near the river, and; sub-reach planning efforts at Chico Landing, Beehive Bend, and Colusa. Future efforts include a balanced ecosystem and erosion prevention project by the COE at Woodson Bridge, and the development of a comprehensive incentive program that provides incidental take for landowners through a Safe Harbor Agreement that would encourage landowners to provide habitat benefits on their land.
The SRCAF is continually working with the California Department of Water Resources and the Geographical Information Center at CSU, Chico on an interactive website with a project tracker to provide information about public access, recreational facilities and acquisition/restoration projects along the river. One of the most important functions of the SRCAF is to ensure local involvement in such activities.
It has now been four years since our last conference. A great deal has changed, yet much remains the same. We invite you to join us once
again as we address both the current state of the river and the
possibilities that lie ahead.
