Our March eNewsletter has been released and you won’t want to miss this issue! In this newsletter: schoolyard habitat + salmon in Dry Creek, we’re hiring, NACD video: Past, Present and Future of Conservation Districts, and opportunities to get involved!
Schoolyard habitat + salmon
in the Dry Creek watershed
“West Side School has a long tradition of environmental education and land stewardship. The Project, completed in June, will be a significant addition to the science curriculum and provide teachers with an amazing opportunity to expand students’ direct experience with sustainable practices in water conservation.”
Rhonda Bellmer, Past Principal
West Side School
West Side School Rainwater Catchment Project is officially complete! The RCD team is pleased to announce that the final touches to this exciting project have been made. Last month, we installed a interpretive sign in front of the rainwater catchment system to share information about the project and the overall partnership effort to provide water security and protect salmonid habitat in the Mill Creek watershed.
The West Side School Rainwater Catchment system will allow 30,000 gallons of fresh water to remain in the Mill Creek watershed during the most critical time of the year for juvenile coho salmon. The system harvests rainwater from the classroom rooftop, stores it in the six tank system waiting for use in garden irrigation during the dry summer and fall months and is pumped out by energy captured through solar panels for irrigation use. This system can help improve streamflow by reducing the amount of groundwater that is extracted, allowing the watershed to retain more water when it needs it most.
West Side School sits along Felta Creek, a tributary to Mill Creek which ultimately feeds Dry Creek and the Russian River. The Mill Creek watershed is home to schools, rural residences, vineyards and wineries, gardens and orchards, grazing livestock, oak woodlands and conifer forests. This watershed is also home to endangered coho salmon, and has been the focus of many collaborative efforts aimed at restoring coho populations while maintaining the beautiful rural quality of life in Mill Creek. To learn more about the Mill Creek watershed, please visit
our website .
Read this story and others here!
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