California Sea Grant's Russian River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring Program conducts numerous research and monitoring projects in support of species recovery efforts in the Russian River basin and nearby watersheds.
Conservation hatchery program
We monitor coho salmon in the stream environment at life stages to help determine the effectiveness of, and to inform strategies for, the Russian River Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program. This conservation hatchery program is a collaborative partnership that is working to build a self-sustaining coho population within the watershed.
Salmonid status and trends
We partner with Sonoma Water to document status and trends of all salmonid species throughout the Russian River basin as part of the Coastal Monitoring Program, a program created by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to support salmonid status and trend monitoring throughout all of coastal California using standardized methods.
Streamflow and drought
Insufficient streamflow is a significant limiting factor to the recovery of Russian River coho salmon and steelhead populations--one that is growing progressively worse as drought becomes more frequent and intense. For more than a decade, we have been engaged in efforts to better understand the habitat needs and flow requirements for rearing salmon, and to estimate the impact of flow impairment on juvenile salmonids in order to support streamflow enhancement efforts.
Habitat enhancement monitoring
Our work identifies limiting factors to salmonids and helps to inform restoration priorities. We also conduct biological and environmental monitoring before and after habitat enhancement projects in order to document project effectiveness.