Hi Tamara. As the year winds down, the Russian River watershed is anything but quiet. Cold weather (and tule fog) is setting the tone for the season, salmon are on the move, and communities from Potter Valley to Jenner are gearing up for a season of stewardship. At the Russian River Confluence, we’re closing out 2025 with deep gratitude for the partners, land stewards, tribes, nonprofits, and neighbors who make this watershed resilient. This month’s newsletter highlights the projects, collaborations, and local voices shaping a healthier, more connected Russian River, and the momentum we’re carrying into 2026.

In this issue:

• Rain Catchers in Your Neighborhood: Bringing Water Back to our Streams

• Artist Spotlight: Richard McDaniel

• Join the Movement: Respect Russian River Campaign.

• Local river stewardship opportunities and community events

Do These 5,000-Gallon Tanks Really Make a Difference?

While 5,000 gallons may not seem like a lot to some, these tanks collectively play a significant role. Human water demand is highest when stream flows are lowest, meaning even small reductions in diversion matter.

Through Rain Catchers in Your Neighborhood, more than 500,000 gallons of new off-stream water storage have been added across the Russian River and Navarro River watersheds. Maintaining higher summer flows supports natural flow regimes and directly benefits salmon and steelhead by improving dissolved oxygen, reconnecting pool habitat, and providing thermal refugia. As Lily notes, the most important factor in healthy streams for our native salmonids is simply more water!

What Lily Hopes Participants Take Away

Most of our water use happens outdoors, especially through irrigation. Lily hopes that after learning about the endangered salmonids living in their local creeks, participants become more aware of how individual actions influence the entire watershed.

Looking toward project completion in 2026, she hopes this work encourages people to be more mindful of their daily activities and inspires long-term water conservation in these key watersheds.

Want to Save Water But Can’t Install a Full System?

There are still plenty of ways to participate in watershed stewardship:

• Install a smaller rain tank or barrel

• Design a rain garden

• Set up a greywater system

• Replace water-loving plants with California natives

• Reduce indoor water use (shorter showers, handwashing dishes, flushing less often)

If you have a roof, you have a place to catch the rain. Any amount of stored water helps.

From 2016 to 2020, Santa Rosa resident Richard McDaniel traveled the length of the Russian River watershed, capturing the river from its Mendocino headwaters all the way to the Pacific Ocean. With support from Sonoma Land Trust and Sonoma Water, McDaniel published the book “The Russian River and its Watershed” which pairs his paintings with essays by local authors, offering a layered look at the river’s ecological, cultural, and agricultural significance.

The project unfolded during a period of major wildfires that reshaped both the landscape and the community, underscoring just how much the river and the people who depend on it had to recover. When COVID-19 cancelled the planned in-person book release and exhibition, the project adapted: a virtual launch brought the work to the community, and the limited-edition books ultimately sold out.

The series set out to tell the river’s full story including its scale, its character, and the places that often go unnoticed. By following the river’s entire journey, McDaniel’s paintings invite viewers to slow down and see the watershed as a connected whole. The full collection can be viewed on McDaniel’s website.

The Respect Russian River Campaign is live! Together we will not only help protect salmon, clean water, and local wildlife, but we’ll also give you insider access to the best events, fun activities, and gift ideas around the watershed. It’s like being part of a secret river club…minus the secrecy.

We’re in the early days and actively looking for retail partners who want to help bring the campaign into their communities—more to come soon. In the meantime, Respect Russian River stickers, totes, and hats are available for bulk ordering for your business, organization, or group. Reach out to info@russianriverconfluence.org for more info.

Did you miss this? ➡️ Hear from naturalist Suki Waters on how we can collectively work to sustain our home, the Russian River.

How do you #RespectRussianRiver? Join the movement on Instagram and Facebook .

Events and Opportunities