Conservation Highlights

Imperiled Fish Get Help on Journey Home

red-legged frog

Things are tough for California fish.

In 2009 alone, fewer than 70,000 endangered salmon paddled their way beneath the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge to spawn in the Bay-Delta river system. It was the most dismal homecoming on record. While recent returns have improved slightly, 2009 was the second consecutive time California's commercial salmon season was canceled outright - another sobering first for the state.

A number of compounding factors contributed to the crash, including the loss of streamside forests, pollution, water diversions and barriers to spawning grounds. The unintended consequences of well-intentioned regulations have also made it difficult for many willing landowners to restore the health of waterways - and the wildlife that depends on them - flowing through their properties. Faced with numerous hurdles, the number of landowners engaged in restoration, like the state's imperiled fish, has dwindled.

That's where the power of Sustainable Conservation's popular Partners in Restoration program shines.

Launched in 1998, Partners in Restoration makes it faster, easier and cheaper for stewardship-minded landowners to provide imperiled fish greater access to vital habitat, clear up murky water, and keep farmland and ranchland from eroding into waterways. More than a decade later, we're witnessing big payoffs.

Partners in Restoration now covers 50 watersheds throughout California, nearly 4.4 million acres and hundreds of miles of critical waterways. With the help of committed landowners, hundreds of erosion control and habitat enhancement projects have been completed along almost 40 miles of rivers and streams, preventing over 200,000 tons of sediment from washing downstream each year.

Program Impact

  • Launched in 1998. By 2011, Partners in Restoration will cover nearly 4.4 million acres of farmland and ranchland, and hundreds of miles of rivers and streams across California.
  • More than 200 projects implemented, and over 200,000 tons of sediment kept out of waterways and fish habitat.
  • Established or in development in nine counties and 50 key watersheds from Mendocino to Santa Barbara.
  • Received the 2004 Governor's environmental and economic Leadership Award for effectiveness in enhancing watersheds and working landscapes.

Giving Fish a Fighting Chance: Case Studies