California Watershed Network, Salmonid Restoration Federation, and theSacramento River Watershed Program are hosting the 5th Annual Watershed Education Day which provides a forum for watershed practitioners to meet with their Legislators and let them know that it pays to invest in community-based watershed programs. The event will take place:

Wednesday, May 10, 2006
CalEPA Building
1001 I Street – Byron Sher Auditorium
Sacramento, CA                  
The agenda and online registration are all online! at www.watershednetwork.org

2006 Central Coast Field School:
Culvert and Road Drainage Practices to Protect and Benefit Salmon and Steelhead
In the Central Coast Region
 
May 16-18, 2006
Arroyo Grande, California

Central Coast Salmon Enhancement and the Salmonid Restoration Federation are hosting a Field School on May 15-17 in Arroyo Grande, California.  Course Instructors, Bill Weaver and Danny Hagans of Pacific Watershed Associates will present - Culvert and Road Drainage Practices to Protect and Benefit Salmon and Steelhead in the Central Coast Region.
 
The three day course will include classroom material as well as several sessions in the field.  The following topics will be covered in the course:
1)   Proper ditch relief and stream crossing culvert installation, with and without downspouts, flared inlets, trash racks, etc.
2)   Proper installation of critical rolling dips or measures to eliminate stream diversions,
3)   Classroom and field methods to determine appropriate culvert sizing for peak stream flows, sediment and woody debris in transport,
4)   Proper approaches for addressing potential road fill and landing failures, as well as spoil disposal techniques,
5)   Illustrate a variety of road bed and ditch drainage approaches.  These include when, where and how to convert insloped and ditched roads to outsloped roads with or without a ditch, when, where and how to construct rolling dips with and without rock, and when, where and how to dispose of berms along roads,
6)   How to properly excavate a stream crossing fill to minimize post excavation erosion and sediment delivery to streams, and
7)   How to reduce roadbed width on excessively wide segments of road.
 
Class is limited to 30 students. Cost is $100 and includes meals, lodging and materials. Scholarships are available. Contact Connie O’Henley at Central Coast Salmon Enhancement – 805-473-8221 for more information or to register for the class.

Check out the SRF web site to download a registration form http://www.calsalmon.org/training/ccfs06.htm

Spring-Run Chinook Watershed Gathering in Butte Creek July 27-29

Butte Creek contains one of the last self-sustaining populations of Spring-Run Chinook in California. SRF will offer a three-day symposium for property owners, local restorationists, and agency biologists and staff to participate in workshops on fish monitoring and identification techniques, to tour and understand restoration projects, and to increase their capacity to positively impact the recovery of Spring Run Chinook in California.
To download a registration form, please click here: http://www.calsalmon.org/pdf/BioRegForm06.pdf

9th Annual Coho Confab at Point Reyes National Seashore August 25-27

Salmonid Restoration Federation, Trees Foundation and Salmon Protection and Watershed Network will Host the 9^th Annual Coho Confab August 25-27, 2006 at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County
 
Salmonid Restoration Federation, Trees Foundation and Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN) will sponsor the 9th annual Coho Confab August 25-27, 2006 at the Clem Miller Education Facility in the beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County. The Confab is a hands-on symposium focused on exploring the restoration of our local watersheds and learning techniques to enhance the recovery of critically endangered salmon and steelhead and their habitats.
 
The Confab brings together community members, landowners, activists, scientists, students, and restoration ecologists for a weekend of innovative skills-building workshops, hands-on tours of restoration projects, community networking, and fun.
 
Participants will learn an array of cutting-edge restoration techniques, including road decommissioning, biotechnical streambank stabilization, water quality monitoring, native plant propagation, underwater fish identification, and more.
 
Workshops include:

• Underwater fish identification in Lagunitas Creek with Eric Ettlinger who is an Aquatic Ecologist with Marin's Municipal Water District.
• Maureen Roche from the Mattole River offering her popular workshop entitled, “Tales from a Hidden World,” where participants will have a chance to snorkel and see coho salmon.
• Jim Harrington, aquatic bioassessment pioneer, will teach how macro-invertebrate sampling can be used as a tool for assessing creek health.
• Native plant collection and propagation with Circuit Riders Productions Inc.
• Fish rescue and relocation with SPAWN.
• Brannon Ketchum from Point Reyes National Seashore will lead a tour of the new Giacommini Wetlands restoration project where participants will learn about andassist with invasive species removal.
• The Confab will also include a Bioengineering workshop where participants will have an opportunity to build organic structures with native materials to help stabilize eroding banks led by the local RCD.
• Jim Locke, a local geology professor from Marin College will teach “Salmon Population Response to Geologic Factors.”
• David Lewis from UC Cooperative Extension will lead a Tomales Bay Watershed Management workshop and sustainable farm tour that addresses water quality priorities and techniques.
• Bird response to riparian restoration with Point Reyes Bird Observatory.