Friends of Gualala River Protecting the Gualala River watershed and the species living within it

Introduction The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is proposing to develop a new water quality permit that will apply to landowners with rural roads in the Gualala River Watershed. The permit, also referred to as “order” or “project” in this Initial Study, will require landowners to maintain their roads to reduce erosion and sediment discharges to watercourses. Landowners …

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. China Gulch culvert, west side of Highway 1, …

In 1994, the entire Gualala River watershed was listed on section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act as impaired for excessive sedimentation / siltation. Excessive sediment in the Gualala River watershed impairs Beneficial Uses associated with the Gualala River’s salmonid fishery and habitat. In 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for …

Download a pdf version of this presentation Staff Presentation Project Goals, History, and Timeline Purpose of CEQA Scoping Meeting Project Location: Gualala River Watershed Overview Gualala River Sediment Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) What is a TMDL? Problem Statement Water Quality Objectives Source Analysis Load Allocations Existing Programs of Implementation Potential Additional Implementation Actions Public Comments: CEQA Scoping of Possible …

Download a pdf version of the main TMDL document This Gualala River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for sediment is prepared as part of a Clean Water Act program to assure that State water quality standards are achieved and beneficial uses protected. Protection of cold water fish such as coho and steelhead from human caused erosion of sediment is the …

Vineyards in the Gualala River watershed Download a high resolution version of this map

Timber Harvest Plans in the Gualala River Watershed which completed logging 1997 – 2023 Download a high resolution version of this map

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 …

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 …

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.

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/

Re-posting this vital message from the summer of 2012, by Jeanne Jackson and Peter Baye Friends don’t let friends drive in the Gualala River. The Gualala River, now closed to the Pacific Ocean by a huge sandbar, is a coastal treasure. Creatures big and small make it their home. Care must be taken to protect them and this beautiful wild …

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 …

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 …

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

After days of steady rain          Photos courtesy of Jeanne Jackson

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …