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Environment   /   Russian River Biological Opinion   /   Biological Opinion - Public Outreach

Russian River Biological Opinion - Public Outreach

The below resources provide some background on the Russian River Biological Opinion planning and implementation process. 

Biological Opinion Annual Reports

Sonoma Water is required to annually report all the activities, studies and monitoring mandated by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in the Russian River Biological Opinion. Some of these activities take place every year, like water quality monitoring in the estuary and counting and measuring young steelhead and coho salmon at various points in the Russian River and Dry Creek. Others are one-time activities, like the Dry Creek Current Conditions Inventory.

Sonoma Water has elected to coalesce the reports from each year's activities into an Annual Report. The annual report is written for technical purposes for NMFS and summarizes all the activities in detail.

view Annual Reports



Biological Opinion Community Meetings


2019 Estuary Community Meeting, 8/28/19

  • 8/28/19 Estuary Community Meeting Agenda
  • 8/28/19 Estuary Community Meeting Presentations

2018 Estuary Community Meeting, 5/31/18

  • 5/31/18 Estuary Community Meeting Agenda
  • 5/31/18 Estuary Community Meeting Presentation

2017 Estuary Community Meeting, 5/17/17

  • 5/15/17 Estuary Community Meeting Agenda
  • 5/15/17 Estuary Community Meeting Presentation

Estuary Community Meeting, 4/20/16

  • 4/20/16 Community Meeting Agenda
  • Presentation: NOAA Sea Rise Study
  • Presentation: 2016 Summer Plans
  • Presentation: Water Quality Monitoring
  • Presentation: Goat Rock Beach Jetty Feasibility Study

Estuary Community Meeting, 6/11/15

  • Press Release about 6/11/15 Community Meeting
  • 6/11/15 Community Meeting Agenda
  • Presentation: Conservation and Outreach
  • Presentation: 2015 Summer Plans
  • Presentation: Water Quality Monitoring
  • Presentation: Goat Rock Beach Jetty Feasibility Study
  • Presentation: 2015 flows

June 2014 Annual Dry Creek Meeting

  • Meeting Presentation

June 2013 Annual Dry Creek Meeting

  • Meeting Agenda
  • Meeting Notes
  • Presentation on Coho and Steelhead Habitat Enhancement in Dry Creek
  • Presentation on Dry Creek Demonstration Project

June 6, 2013 Community Meeting on Flows at Sweetwater Springs Water District Board

  • Presentation

May 16, 2013 Community Meeting on the Estuary

  • Agenda
  • 2013 Summer Plans
  • Fisheries Monitoring: What are we learning?
  • Pinniped Monitoring
  • Water Quality Monitoring: Presentation1, Presentation 2
  • Jetty Feasibility Study: History of Jetty and its Interactions
  • Q&A on Reservoir Storage

February 18, 2010 Santa Rosa Board of Public Utilities Hearing on the Dry Creek Pipeline Feasibility Study

  • Pipeline Feasiblity Presentation

June 19, 2010 Jenner Community Scoping Meeting

  • Agenda
  • Marine Mammal Protection Act Presentation
  • Marine Mammal Protection Act Permit
  • ESA Presentation on Estuary Project and Process
  • Notes from the Jenner Community Meeting

January 27, 2010 Dry Creek Meeting on Habitat Studies

  • January 27, 2010 Public Meeting
  • View Video of the January 27 Public Meeting Presentations
  • Dry Creek Current Conditions Inventory Report
  • Presentation: Grape Creek Project
  • Presentation: Dry Creek Current Conditions Report
  • Presentation: 2009 Dry Creek Fisheries Monitoring 

June 22nd, 2009 Jenner Meeting on the Estuary

  • June 22, 2009 Public Meeting, Agenda
  • Dr. William Hearn (NMFS) Presentation
  • Monica DeAnglis (NMFS) Presentation
  • Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods Presentation
  • Jessica Martini-Lamb Presentation (Sonoma Water)

November 2008

  • Adaptive Management of the Russian River Estuary – NMFS
  • Dry Creek Habitat Enhancements
  • Dry Creek Projects
  • Future Changes to Instream Flows
  • Presentation on the RRIFR Public Participation Plan



Public Policy Facilitating Committee Meeting

The Public Policy Facilitating Committee (PPFC) meets annually to serve as a forum on implementation of the biological opinion. The PPFC provides an opportunity for involved agencies and the public to learn whether milestones have been reached and what challenges lay ahead. Created in 1998, the original purpose of the PPFC was to provide a forum for disseminating information about the Section 7 consultation (which ultimately led to the issuance of the Russian River Biological Opinion).


2022 Public Policy Facilitating Committee Meeting Wednesday, May 4, 2-4:30 p.m. via Zoom

Please mark your calendars for the annual Public Policy Facilitating Committee (PPFC) scheduled for Wednesday, May 4. 

The meeting will take place from 2-4:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Click here to register in advance for this webinar

 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

 This year we will be combining the PPFC meeting will provide updates on:

· Biological Assessment

· Drought and Fisheries Monitoring

· USACE/Warm Springs Hatchery

· Dry Creek Habitat

· Status of Russian River Minimum Flow Changes

2021 PPFC Meeting - March 9, 2021

  • View Meeting Agenda
  • Virtual Meeting Registration

2020 PPFC Meeting - March 12, 2020 - Sorry, Meeting Has Been Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Health Orders

  • View Meeting Agenda

2019 PPFC Meeting

  • View Meeting Agenda
  • Presentation: Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement - Effectiveness Monitoring and Evaluation (PDF)
  • Presentation: Russian River Estuary Management Project (PDF)
  • Presentation: Fish Habitat Flows and Water Rights Project (PDF)

2018 PPFC Meeting

  • Meeting agenda

2017 PPFC Meeting

  • Meeting agenda

2016 PPFC Meeting

  • Meeting Presentation - 3/3/16
  • A Landowner’s guide to Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement “Safe Harbor” Agreement

2015 PPFC Meeting

  • View a copy of the Prezi presentation here.
  • View the agenda here.
  • Watch public comments presented at the PPFC meeting.

2014 PPFC Meeting

  • 1-17-14 PPFC Agenda
  • 1-17-14 PPFC Meeting Press Release
  • 1-17-14 PPFC Estuary Presentation
  • 1-17-14 PPFC Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement and Fisheries Monitoring Presentation
  • 1-17-14 PPFC Year 6 Focus Presentation
    • 2013 Pinniped Monitoring Report
    • 2012-2013 Biological Opinion Annual Report (includes data on fisheries monitoring)
      • Appendix A, 1-7
      • Appendix B, 1-3

December 20, 2012 PPFC Meeting

  • 12-20-12 PPFC Agenda
  • Major Milestones Years 4 & 5
  • CDFG Coho Broodstock Program Presentation
  • Dry Creek Habitat Restoration Presentation
  • Biological Opinion Progress Presentation
  • Sonoma Water - Jetty Study Presentation
  • US Army Corps of Engineers Presentation
  • Sonoma Water - Fisheries Monitoring Presentation

February 9, 2012 PPFC Meeting

  • February 9 2012 Public Policy Facilitating Committee Meeting Agenda
  • Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement, Feb. 9, 2012
  • USACOE Restoration & Fish Hatchery, Feb. 9, 2012
  • CDFG coho broodstock program update, Feb. 9, 2012
  • Fish Flow Project update, Feb. 9, 2012
  • Estuary update, Feb. 9, 2012
  • Biological Opinion Progress Update, Feb. 9, 2012

December 13, 2010 PPFC Meeting

  • 12-13-10 PPFC Meeting Agenda
  • Milestones: Years 2 & 3
  • National Marine Fisheries Service Overview
  • Fish Flows Project Update
  • Dry Creek Update
  • Fish Hatchery/Coho Broodstock Program Update
  • US Army Corps of Engineers Update
  • Estuary Update
  • Transcript of PPFC Meeting, 2010

October 29, 2009 PPFC Meeting

  • Major Milestones Years 1 and 2
  • PPFC Agenda, 10/29/09
  • Biological Opinion update, Bill Hearn
  • Decision 1610, Pam Jeane
  • Dry Creek Studies, David Manning
  • Russian River Estuary, Jessica Martini-Lamb
  • Public Outreach, Ann DuBay
  • Transcript of PPFC Meeting, 2009

September 24, 2008 PPFC Meeting

  • Transcript of Meeting, September 24 ,2008


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