COAST RANGE WATERSHED INSTITUTE

Conserving and sustaining water supplies for human use while maintaining in-stream flows for aquatic habitat in the face of increasing water demands and the uncertainties of climate change is a significant challenge.  Survival of coho salmon in coastal watersheds depends on management of water resources throughout tributary stream channel networks. To navigate these challenges we advocate a holistic approach that considers all the significant hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecologic factors that affect streamflow.

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There is scientific consensus that groundwater and surface water resources are inextricably linked.  Better understanding of this linkage over time and space in a watershed can inform the management of water resources.  Surface water in streams is better quantified and has been regulated by the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Water Rights for many decades.  California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act will eventually result in improved knowledge of groundwater conditions and improved groundwater management in many of the State’s largest and most intensively managed groundwater basins.

A large proportion of tributary watersheds that provide critical habitat for endangered species such as coho salmon remain outside the jurisdiction of SGMA, and groundwater resources in these upland watersheds are not well quantified or understood. Projects proposing to use groundwater are typically evaluated on a project-by-project basis by County government. Cumulative effects of all water uses in a given watershed are rarely analyzed comprehensively. Habitat restoration practitioners working in these watersheds seek to enhance and restore habitat conditions; however, the underlying hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological factors driving streamflow and habitat are often poorly understood.  CRWI is an advocate for improved understanding of groundwater recharge processes, surface water/groundwater interactions, and holistic determination of sustainable management of groundwater and surface water that maintains adequate streamflow to support recovery of endangered species and aquatic ecosystems. The California Water Action Plan has similar goals and objectives.   

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CRWI seeks to contribute to watershed and regional hydrogeomorphic and hydrogeologic studies to support objective water resources management and habitat enhancement and restoration. CRWI advocates for water resources management that is sensitive to both site-specific and watershed conditions and hydrologic processes.

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Matt O’Connor, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

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Sara Press, Secretary - Sara has worked to protect land and water in Sonoma County since 2008, first at the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District and then at Sonoma Land Trust. She led the land use and biodiversity team at the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere in southwest Scotland, then returned to Sonoma County to serve as Senior Manager of Land Protection for Save the Redwoods League. Sara holds a B.A. from Sonoma State University, an M.A. in geography from the University of Oregon, and professional certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Sara joined the Board in October 2021.

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Sarah Nossaman Pierce, Treasurer - Sarah has supported salmon recovery in California's central coast region for over 25 years by engaging with professional partners and local communities to conduct broad-scale monitoring, research and watershed restoration through her work with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the University of California Cooperative Extension, California Sea Grant, the Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership, and in her current position with NOAA Fisheries Restoration Center. She is passionate about preserving our keystone salmon, enhancing ecosystem health and climate resiliency, protecting our freshwater resources, strengthening collaborative partnerships and employing nature-based solutions to meet the complex challenges facing us. Sarah joined the Board in October 2021.

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Elizabeth Ruiz - Elizabeth (they/she/he) saw their first adult salmon during a spawning ground survey on Lagunitas Creek in Marin County in 2015 and has been a fisheries biologist ever since.  They spent the last seven years in the Russian River watershed, supporting the recovery of coho salmon and steelhead with California Sea Grant and CA Department of Fish and Wildlife. They are especially interested in the impacts of drought on habitat availability and suitability for juvenile fish, and are dreaming of a future where rivers, creeks, salmon and communities are resilient to climate change. In their current role as an Environmental Scientist with the CA State Water Resources Control Board, they are learning the regulatory framework that underpins water management and quality in California. It is with pleasure that they have served on the Board since April 2024.

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Many thanks to our previous Board members!

 

• Mark Nolan, Environmental Educator, County of San Mateo

• Mariska Obedzinski, Fisheries Biologist, California Sea Grant Extension Specialist

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