Summer is here! From music and art to cleanups and stewardship, there’s something for everyone:

Thursdays, ongoing (next: July 23) - Friends of Fife Creek Volunteer Day, 2 p.m. - More info

Last Saturday of every month (next: July 25) - Land Stewardship Saturdays with the Wildlife Conservancy / Jenner, 9:30 a.m. - More info

1st Sunday of every month (next: Aug 2) - Cloverdale Russian River Cleanup, 9 a.m. - More info

Saturdays & Sundays, ongoing (next: July 25, 26) - Free Guided walks through Armstrong Redwoods / Guerneville, 10 a.m. - More info

July 25 - Fort Ross Festival / Fort Ross State Historic Park, 10 a.m. - More info

July 26 - Slow Drought Ecology Journey / Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, 4 p.m. - More info

July 26 - SC Regional Parks — Volunteer Grab Bag: Litter Pick up & More / Spring Lake Regional Park, 10 a.m. - More info

July 31 - Cloverdale Friday Night Live Street Fair / Downtown Cloverdale Plaza, 6 p.m. - More info

Aug 1 - Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” at Bees N Blooms Lavender Labrinth / Santa Rosa, 6:15 p.m. - More info

Aug 1 - LandPaths — Self Guided Adventure / Rancho Mark West, 9 a.m. - More info

Aug 5 - Peacetown Summer Concert Series / Sebastopol, 5 p.m. - More info

Aug 15 - LandPaths — Our True Nature Outdoor Festival / Bohemia Ecological Preserve, 11 a.m. - More info

Oct. 26 - Save the Date: Russian Riverkeeper’s Ripp’n River Bash

It's July, and the Russian River is doing what it has always done this time of year: filling up with people looking for relief. Costco-sourced tubes drift under the Hacienda Bridge. Kids wade into the water trying to catch an elusive coastal roach. Someone's dog makes a joyful, haphazard launch into the water that sends a family of ducklings scattering for the far bank. On the surface, nothing about these afternoons has changed in decades. But the primary reasons people show up may be shifting.

The Russian River watershed is already showing signs of chronic warming, not just isolated heat waves. Days above 100°F are more common now than in past decades, and most of the ten hottest July-through-September stretches on record have happened in just the last 20 years, according to the California Department of Insurance. These numbers track the same warming pattern already showing up in the fire seasons and dry summers this region has grown used to.

As that heat builds, water becomes one of the only real ways to cool down outdoors. The river corridor, with its riparian shade and cooling current, may matter more to how this region handles heat in the years ahead.

That cuts both ways. More people leaning on the river for relief means more pressure on a system already working hard to stay healthy. Warmer water holds less oxygen. Low summer flows concentrate whatever nutrients and bacteria are already there. The conditions that make a swimming area appealing on a 105-degree day often make life harder for fish and the ecosystem beneath the surface. And that's before accounting for the strain from a few thousand more people showing up on the same stretch of river on any given weekend: trampled plants and banks, litter, noise, and disturbed wildlife. The river offers refuge to us while carrying a heavier load underneath.

That also raises a question about who has access to that refuge in the first place. Most of the river's well-known swimming beaches sit in Sonoma County, in towns built around a century of river tourism. Head upriver into Mendocino County, and the river often runs alongside a road or behind a stand of trees, mostly invisible to the people who live closest to it. You can drive Highway 101 through Ukiah on a scorching hot afternoon and never know there's a river a few hundred yards away. As heat becomes a real health concern for more people, that gap in visible, safe river access between the two counties is worth talking about, and doing it well means Mendocino County getting the same attention and investment that has shaped a century of river access downstream, without degrading the ecosystem further with overtourism and human impacts.

This is exactly the kind of work the Confluence exists to connect. The Russian River Regional Monitoring Program (R3MP) is working to track water temperature, oxygen levels, and pathogen data across the watershed, giving us a better idea of what's happening beneath the surface of a summer afternoon. The Confluence's job is to help that information reach the people who love this river, and to help the organizations doing the on-the-ground work, in both counties, stay coordinated as the pressures on the river shift with the climate.

So this summer, when you're floating past Monte Rio or letting the kids splash at Johnson's Beach, that moment is part of the same work as keeping the river healthy. It's also a reminder that the same relief should reach upstream.

Local Highlight: George Zastrow at the Russian River Art Gallery

Art has a unique way of helping us connect with the places we love. This month, we are highlighting the Russian River Art Gallery in Guerneville, a community gallery featuring local artists whose work celebrates the beauty, culture, and landscapes of the Russian River region.

One featured artist is photographer George Zastrow, who has lived in the Russian River area for many years. Zastrow takes photos in Sonoma County and spends the rest of the year in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Through his lens, he captures the beauty of the watershed, with familiar local scenes and stunning natural landscapes. His photography reflects a deep appreciation for the places we call home and reminds us why they're worth protecting.

If you're exploring Guerneville this summer, consider stopping by the Russian River Art Gallery. Supporting local artists is another way to celebrate the watershed and our community.

Seasonal Spotlight: Wildfire Season

While fire is a natural part of California's landscape, larger and more frequent wildfires can affect the health of the Russian River watershed.

When a wildfire burns, it can leave the ground more exposed. Later, when rain returns, ash and loose soil can wash into creeks and the Russian River, impacting water quality and the plants and animals that call the watershed home.

And these impacts can last far longer than people expect. A 2025 study, published in Nature, looked at more than 500 watersheds across the western U.S. and found that sediment and turbidity can stay elevated for up to eight years after a fire, with the worst effects often triggered by storms that hit years later. Closer to home, wildfire is increasingly seen as one of the biggest long-term threats to salmon-bearing watersheds on the North Coast. After a fire, winter storms can send eroded soil and debris into streams, burying the gravel beds that coho and steelhead need to spawn.

That's why healthy forests, native plants, and restored streambanks are so important. They help protect the river before and after a fire.

There are simple ways you can help this summer: stay up to date on local fire conditions, follow fire restrictions, fully extinguish campfires, and create defensible space around your home if you live in a fire-prone area. You can also support local restoration projects and volunteer efforts that help keep our forests and waterways healthy.

The Russian River has always been resilient, and so are the communities that care for it. Every small action helps protect this watershed for all of us.

Russian River Stewardship Calendar: Restore!

Keep up with our stewardship calendar! This month, we are focusing on restoration. Summer is a great time to roll up your sleeves and help restore the Russian River watershed. Across the region, volunteers are removing invasive plants, restoring native habitat, collecting litter, and caring for the forests, creeks, and riverbanks that support wildlife and clean water. These hands-on efforts help improve ecosystem health, reduce wildfire risk, and create more resilient landscapes for future generations.

The Russian River Confluence supports restoration by connecting communities, organizations, and resources across the watershed. Through collaborative efforts like the Russian River Regional Monitoring Program, partners collect data on water quality and stream health to better understand where restoration is needed most and measure the impact of ongoing projects. Together, stewardship and science help ensure restoration efforts are guided by the needs of the watershed.

This summer, think about spending a simple hour to pull invasive plants, join a local cleanup, or volunteer at a habitat restoration event. Every restored creek, healthy forest, and thriving riverbank brings us closer to a healthier Russian River.

Respecting the Russian River is part of everyday life in the watershed. These monthly stewardship tips highlight simple, practical ways to care for the river and the places we all share throughout the year.

Questions or Comments? Reach out to info@russianriverconfluence.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @RussianRiverConfluence!