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
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).
2023 Public Policy Facilitating Committee Meeting on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Sonoma Water Education Center, 9703 Wohler Rd, Healdsburg
2022 PPFC Meeting
- Russian River Biological Assessment Update
- Environmental Resource Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring
- Drought and Fisheries Monitoring
- Dry Creek Ecosystem Restoration Federal Project Update
- Dry Creek Habitat Projects: 2022 PPFC Update
- Russian River Watershed Conditions and Instream Flow Changes
2021 PPFC Meeting
2020 PPFC Meeting Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Health Orders
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
2017 PPFC Meeting
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)
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
Biological Opinion Community Meetings
2019 Estuary Community Meeting, 8/28/19
2018 Estuary Community Meeting, 5/31/18
2017 Estuary Community Meeting, 5/17/17
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
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
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
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