Story and photos by Nathan Wright
Staff Writer
David Katz stepped carefully through the swollen waters of
Duvoul Creek, walking along slick rocks and damp roots up to the
waterfall of Bohemia Ranch. He waded out into the pool at the base
of the falls and pointed upward, a gesture illustrating just how
high the ledge-top was above.
Katz, the former executive director of the Sonoma Land Trust,
now represents the owner of Bohemia Ranch in negotiations that
would turn the 862-acre property three miles outside of Occidental
into a public park. He calls the falls “a treasured resource in the
community” and hopes the public will soon have access to it.
Waterfalls are somewhat a rarity in Sonoma County. Some of the
handful—like the falls at Bohemia Ranch and another at Bouverie
Preserve—are on private land and lack established trails for
access. Both are off-limits to the general public. Others, like one
at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and two others at Salt Point State
Park, are open to the public but only flow during the rainy
seasons.
Each year Sugarloaf ranger Robyn Ishimatsu sees the hikers come
to see the falls on Canyon Trail, a spectacle that draws hikers
even during the winter months. “When it is falling it’s about a
25-foot waterfall, and it’s easily accessible,” she said. “It’s
always nice to hear the rush of a waterfall in an area that’s so
lush and green. It’s certainly a beautiful feature.”
The allure of waterfalls are enough for some curious hikers to
trespass, a problem the current owner of Bohemia Ranch has worked
to prevent over the past decade. Katz said the former owner didn’t
do enough to discourage the public from using the land for their
own entertainment.
“There used to be a really big problem with trespassing,” he
said. “Illegal camping, trash, four-wheeling, partying. It had
quite the reputation.”
That changed when San Francisco businessman Ted Swindells bought
the property in 1999. According to Katz, the new owner invested
millions in cleaning up the property and posted no trespassing
signs. “If you get caught trespassing, you’re going to get cited,”
said Katz.
Katz hopes the trespassing signs will soon be a thing of the
past. Swindells has lowered his asking price and added a few
incentives to make a multi-million dollar deal easier to bear in
the ongoing recession. “The property has been appraised at $5
million and the owner has agreed to sell it for $3.5 million with a
two-year option to put the deal together,” he said. “Money is tight
right now and it’ll take some time.”
Sonoma Land Trust Conservation Director Wendy Eliot believes the
deal is getting “closer” but said that some state dollars have been
frozen due to the ongoing fiscal crisis. She said the two-year
option will help the organization buy time to finish a deal.
“There are lots of bargains out there right now, and no money,”
she said. “It’s a frustrating time.”
If a deal is finished she expects Bohemia Ranch will become a
valuable addition to the county’s parklands.
“This, we all think, would make a fabulous West County regional
park,” she said. “It has some pretty amazing natural resources, and
not just the waterfall. There are lots of really interesting and
rare plant communities.”
Documents on Bohemia Ranch state that the property is home to
many rare and endangered plants and animals, including the Northern
California spotted owl, the ringtail cat, mountain lions,
black-shouldered kites, foothill yellow-legged frogs, red-legged
frogs and the California salamander. Duvoul Creek, along with its
waterfall, is also home to coho, steelhead and Russian River tule
perch. The creek flows directly into Dutch Bill Creek, a tributary
of the Russian River.
Katz said a deal would help protect the property in the
long-term and avoid any future development. While negotiations
continue he will provide tours to the general public. Those
interested can call him at 707.484.6283.
