With funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, SRF and Stillwater Sciences have been exploring the feasibility of various streamflow enhancement opportunities in Redwood Creek. After much research and reconnaissance, the SRF and Stillwater project team determined that the greatest opportunity to improve streamflows was to work cooperatively with the Marshall Ranch, the largest private parcel in the watershed that has been stewarded by the Marshall family since the 1800s and is now fully protected under conservation easement.
The proposed Marshall Ranch Flow Enhancement Project is being designed to significantly improve Redwood Creek dry-season conditions. A 15.5 million gallon off-channel pond is proposed to store winter runoff and release approximately 50 gpm of cool clean water into 5.5 miles of Redwood Creek during the five-month dry season. This water input is expected to have a significant and measurable benefit to salmonids and other aquatic habitat in Redwood Creek. A fire suppression component is also being designed into the project.
To learn more about this exciting streamflow enhancement project, please visit the project webpage and explore some of the project frequently asked questions.