The Legacy of the Confluence: A View from 2066

A vision by Don McEnhill and Julian Cohen

The Legacy of the Confluence: A View from 2066

Let’s step forty years into the future to see what happens when a group of disparate voices decides to speak as one.

The Setting: Summer Solstice, 2066

The morning mist is lifting off the water near Geyserville Bridge. The air is cool, smelling of damp earth and Coyote Mint. A solar-powered shuttle drops off a family of four. Maya (34) and David (35) are unloading two lightweight, recycled-composite kayaks. Their children, Leo (10) and Sasha (7), are already at the water’s edge, watching a school of steelhead dart through the crystal-clear shallows.

The Conversation

Sasha: "Mom, did the river always look like this? Like a big park that never ends?"

Maya: (Smiling) "No, sweetie. When I was your age, the river was 'hidden.' There were fences everywhere, and thick, scratchy plants called Arundo that blocked the view. You couldn’t even see the water in most places."

Leo: "But Grandpa said there used to be farms right where we’re standing. Why would they give up their land for a flood zone?"

David: "That’s the amazing part, Leo. About forty years ago, a group called The Confluence started a new conversation. They didn't see 'farmers versus fish' or 'tribes versus cities.' They saw one system. They worked with the vineyards and the dairies to move the crops back from the rivers edge, allowing the river to meander and flood naturally again. It didn't happen overnight, but they realized that a healthy river protected everyone from the big fires and the droughts.”

Sasha: "Who was in the Confluence? Was it the government?"

Maya: "It was everyone. It was the Pomo and Coast Miwok leaders who taught us how to listen to the land. It was scientists, engineers, and even the people who run the water pipes. They stopped fighting over their own small pieces of the map and started looking at the whole watershed as a living thing."

Leo: (Pointing to a soaring osprey) "So they’re the reason there are so many fish now?"

David: "Exactly. They pulled out the invasive weeds, replanted the shade trees to keep the water cool, and started seeing the river as the solution not the problem. Because they had a forty-year vision, they weren't just thinking about the next election or the next harvest—they were thinking about you."

Sasha: "I’m glad they did that. I like it better this way."

Maya: "Me too, Sasha. Let’s get on the water."

Our Shared Vision (from Don and Julian)

1. Reciprocal Stewardship (Tribal & Community Partnership) We move beyond "consultation" to "collaboration." We integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with modern science, ensuring that the original stewards of this land—the Pomo, Coast Miwok, and Wappo peoples—co-lead the way in healing the water and the soil.

2. Room for the River (Hydrological Resilience) We recognize the river as a living system that requires space to breathe. We commit to a long-term strategy of "reconnecting the floodplain"—working with agricultural and private landowners to transition low-lying areas back to natural flood cycles, reduce disaster risk, and recharge our aquifers.

3. The "Whole-System" Economy We reject the myth that the environment and the economy are at odds. We support a watershed where vineyards, farms, and businesses thrive because the ecosystem is healthy. We invest in "green infrastructure" that provides clean water, carbon sequestration, and wildfire resilience.

4. Radical Accessibility The river belongs to the life it sustains and the people who cherish it. We pledge to remove physical and social barriers, creating a contiguous corridor of public access that fosters a culture of "river-people" who will protect the watershed for generations.

What is needed to help realize this 40-year vision?

17th Annual Steelhead Festival

Inspiring the Next Generation at Lake Sonoma

Earlier this month, the Russian River Confluence hosted a booth at the Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival, where festival-goers tested their senses in our interactive “Smell Your Way Home” challenge. The game introduces visitors to one of nature’s most remarkable journeys: the life cycle of steelhead.

Steelhead are born in freshwater creeks like those in the Russian River watershed. As juveniles, they migrate to the Pacific Ocean, where they grow and mature. Years later, they return upstream to spawn in the very same streams where they hatched. Scientists believe this extraordinary homing ability is guided by olfactory imprinting. When steelhead are young, they memorize the unique chemical signature of their home waters. Later, their powerful sense of smell helps guide them back.

Science facts are fun, but the real magic at the booth was the curiosity. Watching kids realize that fish can travel across the ocean and still find their way home sparks a sense of wonder that sticks with them. Moments like these matter because the future of rivers like the Russian depends on people who understand them and care about them. Today’s curious kids may grow up to become the scientists, restoration practitioners, water managers, and community leaders who will steward our watershed in the decades ahead.

And sometimes, that curiosity starts with a simple question:

Could you smell your way home?

March: Russian River Stewardship Calendar

Planting for the Watershed: Native Pollinator Habitat Takes Root at Rancho Mark West

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