On April 28, 2021 the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board of Directors declared a drought emergency for their service area. Two weeks later Governor Newson expanded the State’s drought emergency to cover 41 of California’s 58 counties. Nevada County has been categorized within the two most extreme tiers for drought by NOAA. As water levels read more >>
With more than 1.2 million cubic yards of goldrush-era mining sediment removed, historic floodplain habitat has been exposed for Chinook salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon. Today, miles of seasonal and perennial side channel habitats were carefully engineered to provide additional rearing habitat for native salmonids like Chinook salmon. Details
Join SYRCL scientist and Bear Yuba Land Trust for the 2021 Scotch Broom Challenge on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11th from 10am-2pm. SYRCL is looking for 4-8 volunteers each day to help remove invasive species in the Yuba Watershed. Details
Through this Biodiversity Conservation Grant, SYRCL will be able to provide hands-on meadow restoration experience to high schoolers. Students will help in restoration efforts while learning about field monitoring techniques, aspen ecology, and current threats. Details
Forests of the Sierra Nevada have evolved with fire, as is evident in Sierran tree species characteristics, landscape scale fire histories, and the cultural history of these forests. Now, these same forests face the consequences of over a century of fire suppression that has resulted in a buildup of fuels and, in the worst cases, high-intensity wildfires that burn tens of thousands of acres. With great effort, decision-makers and stewards of the land are working to restore fire to the landscape in a way that supports fire resilient ecosystems and reduces the risk of high-intensity wildfire. Details
In the Sierra Nevada, a diversity of meadow and wetland types offer the opportunity to admire beautiful and fascinating plants from spring through fall. Learn more about how the geomorphology and hydrology support that diversity. Details
California State Parks Foundation announced today that it has awarded $135,000 in grants to 15 parks and park partners to help parks recover from the devastating 2020 wildfires. Details
SYRCL and Friends of the River recently sent a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service to compel the agency to craft a watershed-wide solution to save the threatened species native to the Yuba Watershed, including Spring-run Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and green sturgeon. The letter demands a new biological opinion, presenting compelling evidence that harm caused by the Corps’ dams, compounded by increased harm from climate change, is responsible for the dramatic decrease in Yuba River fish populations. Details
Rivers Lab, SYRCL’s monthly scientific report book club, will return on February 25th and will occur on the fourth Thursday of each month through June. We will continue to meet online via Zoom until it is safe to convene in the SYRCL conference room. Details
Aaron Zettler-Mann recently stepped into the role of Watershed Science Director, taking the helm of our science department and its many projects throughout the watershed. Learn more about Aaron and if you see him around town, please offer him a warm welcome (from a safe distance). Details
