A Special Stretch of the Sacramento River Protected and Open to All
Sacramento River
In Northern California, Western Rivers Conservancy successfully conserved nearly a mile of the Sacramento River, protecting precious stands of cottonwoods, valley oaks and sycamores—forests like those of centuries past that are now rare along the river. The project was a partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, which now stewards the 288-acre Jelly’s Ferry property that WRC conveyed to the agency in December. The property sits between the towns of Redding and Red Bluff, just upstream from the Jelly’s Ferry Bridge.
Conservation of the Jelly’s Ferry parcel will allow the BLM to restore riparian and side-channel habitats that will benefit Chinook salmon, green sturgeon, winter steelhead and Pacific lamprey, all imperiled fish that once thrived in the Sacramento. Western monarch butterflies, which rely on the abundant milkweed found on the property, as well as black-tailed deer, ringtail cat, Swainson’s hawk, yellow-billed cuckoo and other wildlife, all stand to benefit from our efforts. The project is also a big gain for people. With the property now under BLM
Sacramento River, CA
Conserving a stretch of CA’s largest river and setting the stage for habitat restoration
WRC News
Western Rivers Conservancy’s Board of Directors makes Nelson Mathews new President
Michigan Creek, CO
Another win for fish, wildlife and public access in the South Platte River Basin
Little Deschutes River, OR WRC purchases confluence lands with prime habitat for Oregon spotted frog, mule deer and elk
Birch Creek, OR
Two efforts aimed at upping the odds for Umatilla River salmon and steelhead
California Western Rivers Conservancy and the BLM conserved 288 acres along the Sacramento River, including habitat for salmon and steelhead and rare old-growth riparian forest.
TEDDY MILLER
Western Rivers Conservancy
Nelson Mathews Now President of WRC
We are very excited to share the news that Nelson Mathews is now President of Western Rivers Conservancy. Nelson stepped into the role of Interim President in the summer of last year, following the retirement of WRC’s cofounder and former President, Sue Doroff. For five years before that, Nelson served as WRC’s Vice President and head of the WRC lands team, overseeing the numerous conservation acquisitions and conveyances that the organization undertook during that time.
Nelson’s passion for conservation is rooted in a lifelong love of rivers. He is an avid fly angler and river runner who grew up trout fishing in the Sierras and Siskiyous of California and working as a whitewater guide in the Sierra Foothills. After earning a law degree from UCLA and practicing law for a stint, he followed his passion for rivers by going to work for The Trust for Public Land. There, he managed the organization’s river conservation efforts in California and later its overall land conservation work in the Northwest. During his 27-year tenure with TPL, he negotiated, executed or oversaw the conservation of many thousands of acres of land with recreational, historic and environmental significance. He joined WRC as Vice President in 2018.
Soon after Nelson accepted the role of Interim President last year, it became clear that his experience in conservation real estate and his innate abilities as a leader and dealmaker (and river guide in a pinch) was exactly what WRC needed. In February of this year, WRC’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to make Nelson the organization’s President. With Nelson at the oars, we look forward to WRC’s next chapter of conserving the great rivers of the West. g
Another Win for Habitat and Public Access in South Park
Michigan Creek Colorado
On Colorado’s Front Range, just upstream from Tarryall Reservoir in South Park, Western Rivers Conservancy has protected a superb stretch of Michigan Creek, a principal tributary of Tarryall Creek and the South Platte River. This is our second project in the South Platte Basin, where in March 2024 we conserved five miles of the iconic trout stream Tarryall Creek by creating the Collard Ranch State Wildlife Area with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Michigan Creek flows into Tarryall Creek just a few miles downstream of the new state wildlife area and is a small but productive fishing stream in its own right. The 120-acre property we conserved lies along a quarter mile of Michigan Creek on a stretch defined by dramatic outcroppings of granite that tower over the winding stream. Above these cliffs, grassy uplands provide forage for deer and elk migrating between the low mountains of the Lost Creek Wilderness to the east and the wintering grounds of South Park’s open grasslands.
The Michigan Creek property was donated to WRC in 2023 by a lifelong conservationist who wanted to see this special place protected. In late 2024,
we placed a conservation easement on the property with Colorado Open Lands, permanently conserving a crucial stretch of the creek. Finally, this month, we conveyed the lands to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Thanks to this generous donation and our partnership with CPW and COL, the property’s fish and wildlife habitat will remain intact, and new public access for anglers, hunters and wildlife viewers has been permanently secured. Much of Michigan Creek flows through private land, so moving this property into public hands provides people the rare opportunity to explore a lesser-known South Park gem just over an hour’s drive from Denver.
Combined with our efforts at Collard Ranch, WRC has now created more than five miles of recreational access on two key tributaries to the South Platte. Most importantly, we have protected 1,980 acres of prime habitat for Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, pronghorn and other charismatic wildlife in an area that provides some of the Front Range’s best and most beloved access to the great outdoors. g
Watching for wildlife during a recent site visit to Michigan Creek, where WRC just conserved one of the most scenic stretches of this South Platte tributary.
CHRISTI BODE
Big Gains Coming for the Little Deschutes
Little Deschutes River
Oregon
s the world was getting ready to ring in the New Year, Western Rivers Conservancy purchased a second property along the Little Deschutes River in our effort to tee up what will be a win for frogs, deer and outdoor enthusiasts. We purchased the first and larger of the two properties in June, 2024. The combined 674-acre Paulina Meadows property has a diverse mix of meadow, forest, wetland and riparian habitat, including nearly two miles of the Little Deschutes River and the lowermost 2.3 miles of Paulina Creek, which flows into the “Little D.” Set against the snow-blanketed backdrop of the Three Sisters—three of the five highest peaks in Oregon—this stunning property between Bend and La Pine will soon be protected and open for all to enjoy.
The Little Deschutes, which is the crown jewel of the property, carves a sinuous path through grasses and willows as it flows towards its namesake river, the legendary Deschutes. Over centuries, the meandering river channel has reshaped itself and left behind oxbows, creating unique habitat for many species. The most notable oxbow dweller is the Oregon spotted frog. These federally threatened amphibians hide out and then breed in the warm, protected shallows that the oxbows provide.
A 2023 Little Deschutes River survey found that Oregon spotted frogs love Paulina Meadows as much as we do. Researchers discovered that the property had the highest density of frogs in the entire 40 miles of the lower Little Deschutes, highlighting the importance of acquiring this piece of habitat.
Away from the river, Paulina Meadows’ uplands fit within a larger framework of undeveloped land that is critical for one of the West’s iconic species: mule deer. Oregon’s Crescent Herd of mule deer makes the longest migration in Oregon and passes through the property. Moving with the seasons to find forage, mule deer have perfected migratory routes generation after generation. By keeping this habitat intact, we will guarantee the Crescent
Herd can continue to utilize Paulina Meadows as a corridor for their annual journeys between summer and winter feeding grounds. The property also hosts a large herd of Rocky Mountain elk.
As we worked to purchase the first Paulina Meadows property in mid-2024, a neighboring landowner learned about the mission of WRC and decided they, too, wanted to see their property protected. We purchased this parcel in December and are now working to secure long-term funding to conserve them both in perpetuity. In the process, we will also secure permanent public access so people can hike, fish, picnic and float while listening for the distinct song of the Oregon spotted frog along the Little Deschutes. g
The 674-acre Paulina Meadows property lies at the confluence of the Little Deschutes River (pictured) and Paulina Creek. TYLER
An angler casts a line on the Little Deschutes River, where WRC is conserving a scenic property in the shadow of the snowcapped Three Sisters.
management, the agency plans to open significant new recreational access to this stretch of the river, which is part of a larger area that is extremely popular among anglers, equestrians, hunters, hikers, boaters and others. The Jelly’s Ferry parcel lies adjacent to the Oak Slough Trailhead and is surrounded by the 20,000-acre Sacramento River Bend Area, both managed by the BLM. The agency is now working on a management plan that will prioritize habitat restoration on the property while preparing it for public access.
The Jelly’s Ferry parcel lies within a 56-mile river corridor of largely intact habitat between Redding and Red Bluff and will play an important role in broader recovery efforts for anadromous fish in the Sacramento River. The BLM has already conducted extensive off-channel habitat restoration just north of the property, including rehabilitation of a large historic slough and other habitats throughout the floodplain. Restoring this historically vibrant latticework of water and plants that were part of these old-growth forests will help reconnect vital ecological linkages for everything from juvenile fish and neotropical songbirds to pollinators and black-tailed deer from the East Tehama Deer Herd. The biggest beneficiary of this effort, though, is the Sacramento River itself. The longest and largest river in
California, the Sacramento flows nearly 400 miles from Mount Shasta to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. The lower river especially has been dramatically altered by human activity—except for this rare stretch. It remains the only reach of the river below Shasta Dam that persists in a relatively natural condition, much as the river was long ago. WRC’s efforts at Jelly’s Ferry protect a critical stretch of this part of the Sacramento and will help ensure the area remains a haven for fish, wildlife and people for generations. g
New Future for Umatilla River and Birch Creek
WRC just took two major steps in our efforts to breathe new life into the Umatilla River in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), Bonneville Power Administration and local landowners. The Umatilla River was once one of the mid-Columbia’s major producers of salmon and steelhead, but decades of water withdrawals and
other habitat impacts devastated the Umatilla’s fish runs. CTUIR has led the charge to restore these runs for years.
In January, we secured transfer of a conservation easement on the 943-acre UmaBirch Floodplain property to the Blue Mountain Land Trust. The property lies at the confluence of the Umatilla River and its most important steelhead tributary, Birch Creek. This transfer followed close on the heels of our October purchase of the 100-acre Birch Creek Ranch upstream.
On the UmaBirch Floodplain property, the CTUIR are now undertaking the largest floodplain restoration effort in the Umatilla basin, which hinged upon WRC and the BMLT’s ability to protect the property with a conservation easement. The Tribes will restore 317 acres of floodplain habitat, reconnect side channels and reestablish riparian forests, while two miles of the Umatilla and 1.5 miles of Birch Creek will be conserved by the easement itself. The property’s significant senior water rights will also be returned in-stream, greatly enhancing aquatic habitat for fish.
Upstream, we are now working to convey Birch Creek Ranch to the CTUIR so they can undertake more floodplain and stream restoration. Birch Creek Ranch also contains significant senior water rights that the CTUIR will dedicate back in-stream, nourishing the creek and the floodplain below. Together, these projects are a one-two punch for habitat, water, fish and wildlife that will dramatically improve the odds that steelhead and salmon will thrive again in the Umatilla system. g
Making a gift to WRC from a donor-advised fund, appreciated stock, or a charitable distribution from your IRA is a smart, permanent investment in the great rivers of the West. To learn more, please visit westernrivers.org/give or contact our main office in Portland, Oregon at 503-241-0151.
Western monarch butterflies rely on the abundant milkweed found on the Jelly’s Ferry property.
WRC’s work on the Umatilla River and Birch Creek (pictured) will help restore once-thriving populations of salmon and steelhead. TYLER ROEMER Oregon