Dry Creek residents and all those interested in the progress of the Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement Project are invited to attend the annual Dry Creek Community Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 22, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Milt Brandt Visitors Center at Lake Sonoma.
The annual gathering provides an update on the Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement Project, which is a joint effort by the Sonoma County Water Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and private property owners in the Dry Creek Valley. When completed, the project will enhance six miles of the creek to improve conditions for endangered coho salmon and threatened steelhead in the Russian River watershed.
The meeting is hosted by Sonoma County Water Agency Director James Gore (also the Fourth District County Supervisor), the water agency, the Corps of Engineers, the Dry Creek Valley Association and the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley.
“I always look forward to hearing an update on the habitat enhancement project and receiving input from property owners and stakeholders in the Dry Creek Valley,” said Gore. “The cooperation of landowners and the participation of the land stewards are essential elements to this project’s success.”
The annual meeting will include an update on the status of the project and a description of the construction schedule for 2018. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session with representatives of the water agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Corps.
The Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement Project is creating habitat features to improve conditions for endangered coho salmon and threatened steelhead. Those features are designed to slow the cold, but fast-moving, water that flows out of Lake Sonoma. While salmon and steelhead prefer cold water, young fish don’t thrive when the water moves too quickly.
Last summer, approximately 0.4 of a mile of features were constructed, and several features underwent repairs following the high flows that occurred during the winter of 2016-17. Habitat enhancement features are designed in consultation with property owners to minimize the effect on existing vineyard operations.
Since property along nearly all of the 14 miles of Dry Creek is privately owned, the Habitat Enhancement Project is dependent on partnerships with landowners. Access to the creek will be necessary for several years to maintain, and monitor the enhancement features. “The success of this project is completely dependent upon the partnership with Dry Creek landowners and stewards,” said Gore.
Dry Creek carries water from Lake Sonoma to the Russian River and is a component of the water agency’s water transmission system that serves more than 600,000 residents in Sonoma and portions of Marin counties. To learn more about the Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement Project, visit www.sonomacountywater.org/drycreek.
— submitted by the Sonoma County Water Agency
