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• Advancing habitat restoration in Mark West 
• Welcome, Steven!
• Winter broom removal in Mill Creek and Mark West Creek
• Level Up spring measurements
• Career Exploration: FARMS Advanced
• Staff support local Adobe Creek Baylands vision
• Now Accepting Proposals for Habitat Kit Program
• Calling all farmers: submit your Crop Report Data by April 1
• Attend our Ag Heritage Series: Balletto Vineyards 
• Transhumance Festival, Earth Day, and Leasing Your Land to Speciality Crop Farmers events
• Groundwater Well User Manual & Ag Survey results
• Zero Foodprint Restore grant

Advancing habitat restoration in Mark West

A $1.5 million grant will fund Sonoma County Regional Parks' efforts to restore wetlands, streams and spawning habitat for coho, Chinook and steelhead at Mark West Creek Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. Developed in partnership with the Sonoma RCD and Trout Unlimited, this project funding is critical for advancing habitat restoration in a key tributary of the Russian River watershed.

Mark West Creek is one of the few streams in the Russian River watershed that continues to flow during the dry summer months. However, declining water levels and changes to the creek channel threaten its ability to support fish and healthy stream habitat. This project will restore more natural conditions by installing structures that mimic beaver dams, place large logs in streams, restore small channels and wetlands and modify or remove old concrete dams that block fish movement. These efforts will spread water across the landscape, improve wetland habitat, and reopen several miles of creek habitat for native salmon and steelhead.

“Through our long-standing partnership with Sonoma County Regional Parks and Trout Unlimited, we are creating critical habitat for salmon and steelhead while improving stream function, restoring headwaters, and building watershed resilience,” said Christine Kuehn, Executive Director for the Sonoma RCD. “This collaborative project demonstrates how process-based restoration can deliver lasting ecological and community benefits."

Welcome, Steven!

We are very excited to welcome Steven Fry as our new watershed restoration program manager. Steven will lead the planning, development, and implementation of watershed health, habitat restoration, and water resiliency initiatives across the District.

Originally from Seattle by way of Indiana, Steven has a Bachelor’s in Economics from Santa Clara University and a Master’s in Applied International Relations from the University of Washington, where he focused on the intersection of wetland protection and economic development. He started his career managing stormwater flows in the Seattle Area using green infrastructure to aid the protection of nearshore ecosystems for salmon habitat. Before coming to the RCD, Steven worked on headwater wetlands and riparian zones restoration in the Rio Grande and Colorado River Basins of New Mexico. He also worked on beaver restoration and coexistence measures to alleviate issues on private land. In his free time, he can be found biking in the neighboring mountains or exploring California’s coasts and rivers with his wife and rescue dog. He is also a soccer and chess enthusiast.

Steven shared, “I am beyond excited to join this dynamic team and leverage my experience with stream and riparian restoration to make a meaningful impact in this community and protect some of California's most scenic and valuable watersheds.” Welcome to the team, Steven!

Winter broom removal in Mill Creek and Mark West Creek 

As shared in our February eNews, managing invasive species requires sustained effort — and this winter marked an important milestone. Our Water Resources Team wrapped up the first round of invasive broom removal on two Sonoma County properties, treating a total of 15 acres in the Mill Creek watershed and 10 acres along Mark West Creek at Rancho Mark West, a LandPaths property. 

Working with local contractors and dedicated landowners, crews spent approximately 40 days removing dense broom stands using hand-pulling and other low-impact methods. Winter is an ideal time for this work because broom has not yet gone to seed. At Rancho Mark West, removed broom was pile-burned; in Mill Creek, it was used as a mulch layer to help suppress regrowth. Additionally, 80 native plants were installed and irrigated at Rancho Mark West to support ecosystem restoration. 

Because broom seeds can remain viable in the soil for years, follow-up treatment is essential. Crews will return this spring and summer to target new sprouts, while we continue providing long-term technical support to landowners. Their commitment to stewardship is critical to restoring these sites and preventing further spread throughout the watershed. We are also working with regional partners to develop long-term management strategies — a reminder that restoration is truly a collective effort. 

Level Up spring measurements

With April right around the corner, we are quickly approaching our fourth season of well monitoring as part of the Level Up program. If you are currently enrolled in the program, you should have received an email reminder with a link to check out the well sounder and submit data. If you haven’t received the email, please reach out. If you are interested in joining, it isn’t too late – you can begin the enrollment process using the button below.

If you need support with enrollment or measuring your well, our staff is here to help. Please reach out to groundwater@sonomarcd.org to speak with a staff member and schedule a technical visit. 

Career Exploration: FARMS Advanced

March marks the fifth month of our 2025-26 FARMS Advanced program. This year's cohort includes two students from Casa Grande High School, one from Rancho Cotate High School, and one from Ridgway High School. Each student has a unique interest in agriculture and resource management, which has shaped each of our site visits.  

So far, students have visited Windsor Town Green, LandPaths' Ocean-Song Myers Preserve, Sonoma County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures, Forestree Collective’s woodshop in Penngrove, Sonoma Water's Education Center, Clover Headquarters, and McClelland Dairy.

It has been a joy to work with partners throughout Sonoma County to support these students in exploring career paths within various industries. We are excited for our upcoming spring trips and for students’ final presentations in May.

These field trips are made possible by Sonoma County taxpayers, who fund the work of Ag+ Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax. This program furthers Ag + Open Space’s mission by directly connecting Sonoma County communities with the working and natural lands they have invested in conserving. 

Staff support local Adobe Creek Baylands vision

We are pleased to share that Colin Nicol, our Water Resource Project Manager, supported the recently published Restoring Sediment Pathways: A Resilient Landscape Vision for the Adobe Creek Baylands.

This Vision reflects the collective input, expertise, and collaboration of project partners, community members, Tribal leaders, regulators, and stakeholders who helped shape a shared path forward for the lower Adobe Creek Baylands. The report outlines opportunities to advance ecological restoration, ecosystem resilience, community benefits, and long-term stewardship in the project area. The work was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through Region IX’s Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) grant, as part of the larger Sediment Solutions effort.

We invite you to read the report and share it widely within your networks to help spread the word and support continued dialogue around this multi-benefit restoration effort. 

Now accepting proposals for Habitat Kit Program

The Xerces Society is excited to announce it is accepting project proposals for its 2026 California Habitat Kit season. If you are interested in receiving free, high-quality native plant materials for your pollinator conservation projects, you are encouraged to apply. Kits are intended for the creation or enhancement of monarch and pollinator habitats on the following land types: working, public, tribal, private/non-working lands recovering from wildfires.

Project proposals will be accepted until April 10th. You can complete the project proposal form here. 

Calling all farmers: submit your Crop Report Data by April 1

The Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures is conducting our annual survey for the Sonoma County Agricultural Crop Report. If you are an agricultural producer, it is important that we receive your production figures because the accuracy of our report depends on your participation. We need your help to arrive at meaningful totals for value and production. All information you provide is kept strictly confidential, and only grand totals are made public. The Sonoma County Agricultural Crop Report promotes the value and importance of our County’s agricultural industry.

We encourage all producers – regardless of size – to submit your data. All data is strictly confidential and only aggregated numbers are kept. This is a good opportunity to capture the importance of agriculture within the county, especially with the beginning of the County General Plan update. The deadline to submit data is tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. 

Leasing Your Land to a Speciality Crop Farmer

Friday, April 17th

9:30 am - 1:30 pm

FREE

Red Hill Ranch, Petaluma

Kitchen Table Advisors and UCCE

Whether you are a landowner curious about leasing your land, already in conversation with prospective farmers, or a TA provider supporting that work, this field day is an opportunity to learn from real examples, ask candid questions, and connect with others across the Marin agricultural community.

Groundwater Well User Manual

The Groundwater Well User Manual was recently published. The resource can support well owners navigate well maintenance and groundwater stewardship.

The manual has sections on well permitting requirements, well construction, well maintenance, water quality sampling and testing, water conservation, and how to participate in groundwater sustainability– all tailored specifically for well owners in Sonoma County.

Groundwater Ag Survey Results

Between August and December 2025, we supported the GSAs in conducting a joint survey of agricultural groundwater users to better understand priorities, concerns, and opportunities related to groundwater sustainability. The results from the survey were analyzed and recently publicized. See the summary below. Thanks to all who took the time to share their feedback!

Zero Foodprint: Restore Grants

Grant applications for the Zero Foodprint’s Restore Grants are open! Farmers and ranchers in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington will be eligible to receive up to $25k to implement farm practices that sequester carbon. Learn more about eligible practices and the application process.

Reach out to info@sonomarcd.org to learn how to have the RCD listed as your TA provider.

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