Conserved: A Cold-Water Savings Vault in the Dolores River Headwaters
Dolores River
fter more than five years of work, Western Rivers Conservancy and the San Juan National Forest have successfully conserved Dunton Meadows, an essential high-altitude wetland complex that delivers clean, cold water to Meadow and Coal creeks, two headwater tributaries of the Dolores River. Spanning 160 acres, this alpine meadow stores enough rain and snowmelt during the wetter months to deliver an
outsized benefit to these streams in the form of reliable seeps during warmer weather. This ankle-numbing cold water is a lifeline for fish in the upper reaches of the famed Dolores River. We conveyed the property to the National Forest in late October. Surrounded by National Forest lands and flanking the southern edge of Colorado’s Lizard Head Wilderness, Dunton Meadows has long been a conservation priority for both
This Issue:
Dolores River, CO
Conserving a critical wetland meadow complex at the headwaters of the Dolores River
Little Sur River, CA
WRC is poised to protect steelhead habitat and oldgrowth redwoods in partnership with the Esselen Tribe
Trinity River, CA
WRC and the BLM wrap up conservation of a half-mile stretch of this Klamath River tributary
Wrights Creek, OR
A new effort to conserve habitat, open space and water in the Rogue River Basin
Estero de San Antonio, CA
Celebrating a recent conservation success at Dillon Beach
Colorado A hiker explores Dunton Meadows, a 160-acre wetland meadow outside of Telluride that delivers essential cold water to alpine streams in the headwaters of the Dolores River.
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A Win for Steelhead, Redwoods and the Esselen Tribe
Little Sur River
California
In the heart of Big Sur, California, WRC and the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County are on the cusp of conserving 1.3 miles of the Little Sur River and one of the largest stands of old-growth redwoods on the Central Coast—all by returning 327 acres of ancestral lands to the Esselen people.
A true hidden gem, the Pico Blanco property is so densely forested that tree canopy is nearly all that can be seen from a bird’s eye view. The coastal refuge is home to numerous imperiled animals and plants, and the sunlight-dappled stretch of the Little Sur that runs through the property provides rare river access within a highly incised canyon. Because of its outstanding resource values and unique river access, the property was used by the Esselen for millennia prior to European contact. Reconnecting the tribe with this land will be a big step forward for fish, wildlife and ancient redwoods. Located just over a mile upstream from the Eagle Peak/Adler Ranch property that WRC and the Esselen conserved in 2020, Pico Blanco contains
another critical reach of the Little Sur, the Central Coast’s most important and pristine spawning stream for threatened South-Central California Coast steelhead. Tens of thousands of steelhead used to return to this stretch of the California coast. Today, it is likely that fewer than 100 fish return to the Little Sur each year. Combined, our efforts at Pico Blanco and Eagle Peak will conserve 2.3 miles of vitally important habitat for this precious species.
One of the jewels of the Pico Blanco property is its majestic stands of oldgrowth redwood—the iconic state tree of California and one of the oldest living things on earth, which now remain in just 5% of their original area. The ancient redwoods of the Big Sur Coast, the world’s southernmost naturally occurring redwoods, are especially important. They may be genetically adapted to the area’s warm, dry climate, making them vital to future efforts to save redwoods in an era of climate change.
For endangered wildlife like California condor, marbled murrelet
and northern spotted owl, Pico Blanco’s redwoods provide crucial nesting habitat. Several endangered plant species— including the only known undisturbed population of Dudley’s lousewort and the rare umbrella larkspur—have also been found on the property.
The historic property, spread between two parcels, makes up the undeveloped land that was formerly part of a Boy Scouts camp and was once owned by the newspaper giant William Randolph Hearst. WRC has been working with the Esselen to conserve Pico Blanco since 2019. We have now secured funding and are poised to purchase and convey the property to the tribe in December 2024.
Under the Esselen’s stewardship, Pico Blanco will remain intact and be managed for the benefit of fish and wildlife. The Tribe will be able to reconnect with sacred ancestral lands and once again gather on the banks of the Little Sur River, a cool, redwood-shaded lifeline on the undeniably magical Big Sur Coast. g
Jana Nason, Esselen Tribal Administrator and Secretary, visits a stretch of the Little Sur River that flows through the Pico Blanco property that WRC and the Esselen Tribe are working to conserve.
On the Trinity River, Conservation Lays Groundwork for Restoration
Trinity River California
In the remote Klamath Mountains of Northern California, Western Rivers Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management just protected a vital property along a half mile of the Trinity River, downstream of Junction City. The acquisition ushers in a critical next phase of a multi-decade restoration project aimed at reviving one of the great salmon and steelhead streams of California.
The Trinity River drains more than 3,000 square miles of steep, rugged, densely forested mountains that are home to some of the greatest biological diversity on Earth. It is the largest tributary to the Klamath River and historically produced more salmon, steelhead and cold water than any other river in the Klamath system.
But the Trinity was put through the wringer for over a century, first by gold mining and logging and later by two hydroelectric projects that diverted nearly all the Trinity’s water to California’s Central Valley. Today, the great salmon and steelhead runs of the Klamath’s largest artery are a fraction of their historic numbers.
Despite these challenges, the Trinity remains one of the West’s most
important steelhead rivers. It has also long been a premier whitewater destination, and over 200 miles of the mainstem, North Fork and South Fork have been designated Wild and Scenic. Given the caliber of this river, in 2000, the Department of the Interior signed off on a massive interagency, inter-tribal restoration project to restore the anadromous fish runs of the Trinity. That effort has been underway for over two decades, and recently, a major component of the project hinged on getting a single property called Benjamin Flats into public hands.
WRC has been working for two years to get Benjamin Flats into BLM hands and successfully facilitated the agency’s purchase of the property this month. The hard work has paid off, and now a half mile of the Trinity has been permanently conserved for the fish and wildlife that depend on it. Stream restoration is already underway, and the BLM is now exploring the best way to blend restoration and public access along this important stretch of the Wild and Scenic Trinity River. g
Oregon
Watershed Moment in Rogue Headwaters
On the outskirts of Ashland, Oregon, WRC has set out to protect a 1,974-acre property along a mile of Wright’s Creek, a small tributary to Bear Creek in the headwaters of the legendary Rogue River. Visible from downtown Ashland, the Madrone Ridge property lies in and adjacent to the Ashland Creek watershed, the source of the city’s drinking water and some of the community’s most treasured open space. It is also in the source-water protection area for the City of Gold Hill. With the Mediterranean climate of southern Oregon, even the small amount of water rights on the property are important: If dedicated in-stream, they could increase base flows for spawning salmon, steelhead and lamprey in Bear Creek. The property is also the largest private holding adjacent to both watersheds, and conserving it will provide a greater layer of protection, especially from fire, for the cities’ drinking water.
The landscape of Madrone Ridge is diverse, from lower oak woodlands to towering stands of mature conifers. For Jackson County residents, the property is also a barrier between the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and downtown Ashland. By conveying the property to the city, we can significantly improve access between the bustling community and these nearby quiet woods. Our efforts will also protect habitat for several imperiled species, and what could be the area’s most significant grove of mature Pacific madrone.
When Madrone Ridge landed on the open market, its future became immediately uncertain. Now, we are laying the groundwork to keep this critical property intact, protecting its habitat, open space and the water passing through it on the way to Bear Creek, the Rogue River and beyond. g
Getting Benjamin Flats into BLM ownership is a significant win for the Trinity River because it keeps a massive fish habitat restoration effort in motion and conserves a half mile of the river.
the Forest Service and WRC. At 10,000 feet in elevation, this is classic Colorado high country, with three iconic “fourteeners” (mountains over 14,000 feet) visible from the property. One of the most notable beneficiaries of the meadow’s output is the Colorado River cutthroat trout, a state-designated species of special concern that inhabits creeks downstream.
It is also breathtaking alpine scenery up here, with sweeping panoramas framed by the stark peaks of Mount Wilson and the highest points of the San Miguel Mountains. The perennially wet, sheltered alpine bowl also serves as high-nutrient summer habitat for Rocky Mountain elk, black bear, mule deer and various species of songbirds. Dunton Meadows also finds itself within a Canada lynx recovery management unit and provides refuge for the American marten, also a state species of special concern. Rare sightings of boreal owl have been documented nearby, no doubt due in part to the surrounding healthy stands of spruce and fir.
For Coloradans, conservation of Dunton Meadows means that cherished views of the snow-capped San Juan Mountains, a classic sight for many on their way to highcountry trails, will remain intact. Just 26 miles from Telluride, Dunton Meadows is bisected by a county gravel road that provides ready access to the Lizard Head Wilderness via the popular Navajo Lake and Kilpacker Basin trailheads. Formerly a summer-season basecamp for a local sheep ranching family, Dunton Meadows was put up for sale in 2019, and WRC bought it in 2023. After working to secure funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, WRC was able to deliver a new conservation future for the meadow, transferring it to the San Juan National Forest and conserving it as an invaluable wetland and coldwater win for southwest Colorado’s fish and wildlife. g
Celebrating a Conservation Land-Back Success at Dillon Beach
In October, WRC joined the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria to celebrate our conservation of Dillon Beach Ranch, a 466-acre property on a broad, windswept bluff above the Pacific Ocean, with frontage along Stemple Creek and the Estero de San Antonio, roughly 45 miles northwest of San Francisco. It was a spectacular fall day that began with tribal citizens, supporters and local media touring the property and ended with a celebration at the nearby Tomales Town Hall.
WRC purchased the ranch in late 2023 and conveyed it to the Graton Rancheria this summer. Ancestors of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo communities who make up the Graton Rancheria were the area’s traditional inhabitants. The Graton Rancheria will now manage the property for the benefit of its fish and wildlife and to preserve its unique cultural heritage. The ranch provides habitat for several threatened or endangered species, including the northern tidewater goby, California red-legged frog and Myrtle’s silverspot butterfly.
Tribal Chairman Greg Sarris, California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Congressman Jared Huffman, WRC Interim President Nelson Mathews and others spoke at the event.
“All of us are part of this story now,” said Chairman Sarris, “and once again we can create a future where we use our knowledge together for something that will remain for those who come after us.”
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.
Dolores River
From left to right: WRC Calif. Program Director Peter Colby; FIGR Vice Chair Patricia Miraz; WRC Interim President Nelson Mathews; FIGR Tribal Chairman Greg Sarris; Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni; FIGR Council Member Lawrence Stafford; Marin County Supervisor Mary Sackett; Congressman Jared Huffman; Calif. Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis; Assemblymember Damon Connolly; CDFW Director Chuck Bonham.
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