Watershed Information

The Navarro Watershed Boundaries. View larger image

Watershed Boundaries

The Navarro River watershed is located in southern Mendocino County in Northern California. It drains runoff from the Pacific Coast Mountain Range and surrounding ridges, through streams and their sub- basins into one large basin that forms the Anderson Valley. These streams and sub basins flow into each other to become the Navarro River, then the Navarro Estuary, which empties into the Pacific Ocean just south of Albion Village. The Anderson Valley region of the Navarro River watershed is located approximately 120 miles north of San Francisco and 30 miles west of Ukiah. The Navarro watershed encompasses 315 square miles, the largest coastal basin in Mendocino County, and drains in a northwesterly direction. Its neighboring watersheds include the Russian River to the north and east, Salmon Creek and Albion River watersheds to the northwest and Greenwood Creek basin and the Garcia River watershed to the south. There are 5 major drainage sub basins that come together to form the Navarro River Watershed; Rancheria Creek, Anderson Creek and Indian Creek come together to form the Mainstem Navarro, with the North Fork Navarro coming in further downstream. It is easy to remember as RAIN, Rancheria creek merges with Anderson which mergers with Indian Creek which all come together to form the Navarro River. The headwaters for the Navarro is the confluence where these three streams come together. It is just south of the town of Philo. The population of the Navarro watershed is about 4500 with most people living in and around the towns of Boonville and Philo. Land use in the watershed includes forestland (70%) rangeland (25%) and agriculture (5%) with a small percentage devoted to rural residential development. Historically land use has mostly consisted of timber production, livestock grazing, and other agriculture (including prune plums, apples, hops, etc.) Today commercial timber production, viticulture, orchards, grazing and tourism are the principle economic enterprises. The Navarro River watershed is also home to Steelhead trout (onchorynkis mykiss) and Coho salmon (onchorynkis kitsuch) which link Mendocino County to the Pacific Northwest through their annual migrations to colder, nutrient rich waters sometimes as far north as Canada and Alaska.

Watershed Restoration Plan

Project Goals, Objectives and Scope

At the outset of the planning process in the spring of 1995, the Navarro Watershed Restoration Plan Community Advisory Group (AG) established the following goals for this plan:

1. Restore the water quality, salmon fishery, and former abundance of other renewable resources within the Navarro watershed.
2. Sustain a diverse, viable local economy that is in balance with a natural environment rich in diversity of native species and habitats.
3. Enhance the efforts of those who live and work in the Navarro Watershed in taking personal responsibility for managing their land and activities in order to minimize negative impacts on the health of the watershed, respecting both the rights and responsibilities of private property.
4. Facilitate cooperation between government agencies and landowners so that government regulations help, and do not hinder, efforts to restore and maintain the health of the watershed.

Download the complete Watershed Restoration Plan (in PDF format 5MB)

Anderson Valley Land Trust

Anderson Valley Land Trust (AVLT) was founded in 1991 and holds conservation easements on more than 1000 acres in the Navarro River watershed. Hundreds more acres will come under protection in 2008. Conservation easements provide permanent, legally binding protection for whole properties or parts of properties deemed to offer conservation value. In the Navarro River watershed, those values include wildlife habitat (specifically including species of concern such as listed fish), native forest and grasslands, stewardship of agricultural land, and views. AVLT was instrumental in organizing and publishing the Navarro Watershed Restoration Plan, which resulted in a comprehensive set of scientifically-based recommendations to improve water quality and restore salmon habitat across our 300-square-mile basin. This 1998 plan in turn attracted major funding for restoration projects that continue today. AVLT maintains a standing committee for community outreach, ensuring that citizens of the watershed are informed about local conservation and restoration activities via newsletters and events. The AVLT board currently includes Susan Addison, Karen Altaras, Kathy Bailey, Bill Chambers, Thom Elkjer, Barbara Goodell, Patrick Miller, Alan Porter and Lee Serrie. For more information call (707) 895-3150.