This past March, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our River Monitoring volunteers, the River Monitoring program held a smooth transition back into community driven water quality monitoring of Yuba waters after essentially a year hiatus! Details
Water Quality
To become a River Monitor, we encourage you to attend our virtual orientation on Thursday, February 25, 2021 from 6–7pm, where we’ll cover what the river monitoring program. We will also offer a required field training day where volunteers can learn how to conduct river monitoring (may take place in early March, but remains COVID-dependent).
In August 2020, the Jones Fire ignited in the South Yuba River canyon and burned 705 acres along Rush Creek, a tributary to our Wild and Scenic South Yuba River. Anticipating that fire retardant used to contain the fire would make its way into Rush Creek and the South Yuba, SYRCL conducted first flush storm sampling during rain events in November to examine potential impacts. Details
Last year marked the 20th anniversary of our River Monitoring program. Kicking off as it typically does in March with a committed group of volunteers who monitor 35 sites around the watershed, it abruptly transitioned to a solely staff-led venture. Covering the monthly work of more than 40 trained River Monitors is a time consuming task for just a couple of people; however, dedicated SYRCL staff successfully completed the season. Details
A hearing before the Nevada County Planning Commission has been scheduled for March 7 to discuss the adequacy of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Van Norden Dam Spillway Modification Project. The public and stakeholders are encouraged to attend. Details
Since 2014, SYRCL has been working to inspire our community to engage in sustainable and ecologically sound cannabis cultivation in the Yuba watershed. SYRCL recently collaborated with local farmers to produce videos that highlight environmentally friendly, best management practices for cannabis cultivation. Details
SYRCL is seeking enthusiastic, conservation-minded people, willing to commit a year of service in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern California, to protect the beautiful natural resources of the Yuba River watershed and to help build sustainable river communities. Deadline to apply is July 25. Details
Melinda Booth and SYRCL, along with nine other California Coastkeeper groups, are featured in the most recent edition of Vanity Fair. Details
SYRCL works alongside Tahoe National Forest staff members to restore meadows, assess legacy mine impacts, monitor water quality, manage forest health, plan fish habitat restoration projects, and provide input on dam re-licensing. Over the last four years, SYRCL has raised over $1.7 million to implement projects on the Tahoe National Forest which covers much of the Yuba watershed. Details
Each spring, volunteers are trained to collect scientifically credible data for water quality parameters such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, conductivity and the presence of invasive and sensitive species for locations throughout the Yuba watershed. Thanks to the help of our diligent volunteers, data is collected each month from March to November, allowing SYRCL to monitor the health of the watershed over time. Details