Vineyards in the Gualala River watershed Download a high resolution version of this map
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Map of logging in the Gualala River watershed 1997 – 2023
Timber Harvest Plans in the Gualala River Watershed which completed logging 1997 – 2023 Download a high resolution version of this map
Read More »China Gulch culvert replacement: Pre-construction investigation begins
The China Gulch culvert under Highway 1 at the intersection of Old State Highway in Gualala is failing, causing a sinkhole to form at the intersection, and so it needs to be replaced promptly. CalTrans has approved $9.9M for emergency repair, and hopes to complete repairs by the end of November, 2025. For more information, see: Sinkholes and Salmon May …
Read More »Section 23 THP
The Section 23 timber harvest plan (THP 1-25-00052-MEN) was filed by Gualala Redwood Timber (GRT) on April 16, 2025. The plan calls for logging redwood and Douglas fir trees in 71 acres near Elk Prairie, adjacent to the confluence of the North Fork and Little North Fork Gualala River. CalFire rejected the initial filing on April 24, after reviewers (from …
Read More »Treating salmon-killing tire chemicals
Research by King County, WA scientists on how to reduce the toxicity of stormwater runoff is showing promising results and could offer new solutions to the longstanding problem of coho salmon dying from exposure to pollution before they can spawn.
Read More »New Water Quality Permit for Gualala River Watershed Landowners
Download a pdf version of this flyer: New Water Quality Permit for Gualala River Watershed Landowners For more information, visit the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/northcoast/water_issues/programs/waru/
Read More »Endangered California coho salmon experience record-breaking spawning season on Mendocino Coast
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA Fisheries News March 5, 2025 [excerpt:] Last winter, Central California Coast coho salmon returned to Mendocino Coast rivers in the highest numbers since monitoring began. The overall numbers remain low compared to the species’ past abundance, but NOAA scientists are excited by the results. Juvenile CCC Coho salmon collected during monitoring. Credit: CDFW Last …
Read More »Sinkholes and Salmon
The ever-changing pothole / sinkhole at the convergence of Old State Highway and Highway One is generated by a decaying culvert far underground. If you read the paper two weeks ago or have felt the bump in your car, you know about the sinkhole at the bottom of Old State Highway. The 4ft x 4ft pothole, caused by a failing …
Read More »Ever-changing estuary & mouth of the Gualala River
Mouth of the Gualala River after heavy rain – Feb. 14, 2025 Storm waves overtop the barrier beach of the Gualala River – Feb. 14, 2025 Mouth of the Gualala River after a quieter week – Feb. 21, 2025 Gualala River estuary turns ‘steelhead green’ – Feb. 21, 2025 Photos courtesy of Jeanne Jackson
Read More »Feb. 7, 2025: Gualala River mouth is wide open
After days of steady rain Photos courtesy of Jeanne Jackson
Read More »WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE . . .
Introduction to Friends of Gualala River’s Annual Newsletter 2024 November 22nd, 2024. The mouth of the Gualala River opens while thousands of gulls ride out the atmospheric river on the bar. Photographer Laura Baker Winter arrived November 20th with an atmospheric river that swept over the coast, bringing record rainfalls to the Mendonoma area. Overnight, the airborne river fell across …
Read More »Note from the President
FoGR Newsletter, December, 2024 As I sit down to write this year’s newsletter, I find myself reflecting on the essence of our organization and our collective impact on the Gualala River watershed. It’s a complex and ever-evolving landscape, requiring our constant attention and dedication. Gualala River lagoon after the rain, Nov. 15, 2024, photo by Jeanne Jackson How can we …
Read More »Meet Our New Conservation Analyst
Dylan Freebairn-Smith receives his B.A in Environmental Sciences from UC Santa Barbara, 2024. Photo by UCSB. My name is Dylan Freebairn-Smith, and I am FoGR’s new Conservation Analyst. I grew up in Gualala, spending my first 18 years exploring our magnificent Southern Mendocino Coast. In June of 2024, I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a degree …
Read More »How excess sediment is being addressed in the Gualala River: the TMDL program
by Dylan Freebairn-Smith, Conservation Analyst One of the first projects that Dylan has tackled is analyzing the TMDL program for the Gualala. Summary The Gualala River has been listed as impaired under the federal Clean Water Act due to elevated sediment levels since 1993 and has exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of sediment since 2001. …
Read More »How Local Citizens Play A Role in Monitoring Our River Water
by Laura Baker, Board Member Three years ago the non-profit, The Stream Team, landed a Whale Tail grant from the State Coastal Conservancy, to monitor water quality in the Gualala estuary. Friends of Gualala River and the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy have partnered with The Stream Team to teach local citizens how to collect and test water from 4 different …
Read More »What’s In Our Stormwater?
by Laura Baker, Board Member In 2021 FoGR learned of a chemical found in tire grit that pollutes stormwater and kills a number of different aquatic species. It is especially toxic to coho salmon— 40 parts per billion in a quart of stormwater kills juvenile coho. Information has been pouring out of the State of Washington where the effects of …
Read More »2024 Report from FoGR’s Treasurer
By Jeanne Jackson, Treasurer We Would Love to Have Your Support For nearly 30 years FoGR has relied solely on the hard work of volunteers who donated their time for the day-to-day operation of our organization. As mentioned above, we’ve now hired a part-time staff person to carry out the work of the TMDL program, among other projects. That program …
Read More »Estuary mouth wide open as atmospheric river pours down rain – Nov. 21, 2024
Gualala River mouth after atmospheric river pours down rain for 36 hours, Nov. 21, 2024, photo by Thomas Wolbarst, used with permission. Note: When the river mouth is closed by the sandbar, the lower part of the river is called a lagoon. When the mouth is open to the ocean, it is called an estuary.
Read More »Lagoon full after the rain – Nov. 15, 2024
Gualala River lagoon after the rain, Nov. 15, 2024, photo by Jeanne Jackson, used with permission. Note: When the river mouth is closed by the sandbar, the lower part of the river is called a lagoon. When the mouth is open to the ocean, it is called an estuary.
Read More »Buck Swimming in Gualala River lagoon
Video by David Lichtman, October, 2024, used with permission
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