Over the last four years Save Napa Valley Foundation has, in collaboration with Water Audit California, developed a watershed wide program of watercourse optimization, using proven scientific techniques applied by adaptive management. The program has consisted of a sequence of logically related projects. The fundamental principle that “we manage what we measure” was introduced to the community at our first Forum in January 2020. A subsequent survey, nominated The Refugia Project, surveyed, and reported on all fish bearing watercourses.

Funds from the Rose Foundation are supporting a critical need to install real time monitoring for flow, temperature, and other metrics in Suscol Creek, an important tributary of the Napa River. Due to its long-term association with Water Audit California (Water Audit) and its uniquely qualified academics and field experts, Save Napa Valley Foundation (SNVF) is implementing this monitoring program.

This project seeks to facilitate the remediation of Suscol Creek by removing stream obstructions and repairing habitat to improve connectivity to tidewater of over 8 miles of this important tributary to the Napa River. The specific purpose for this project funding is to install, maintain and analyze real-time remote reporting monitoring, both as demonstrative project of good practice, and to inform potential remediation of the culvert under Highway 29, an unfortunately un-remediated vestigial of the interchange project.

Suscol Creek was ranked as high priority for restoration due to its density of steelhead, amount of habitat available, presence of high priority barriers, riparian disfunction, and presence of exotics. Suscol Creek, a perennial stream, has historically been home to spawning adult steelhead in the winter months and juveniles throughout the year. In 2006, a survey in the subject Reaches found that steelhead trout are present, although at lower numbers than in the upper reaches, an indication of disconnection.
The Suscol Creek Remediation Project seeks to remediate Reach 1, 2, and 3 of Suscol Creek in accordance with the 2009 Southern Napa River Watershed Restoration Study Plan. The proposed monitoring is an essential component of the Project. Collected data will be published on the web, to be used for researchers and future remediation efforts.

Without the substantial donation from the Rose Foundation, Save Napa Valley Foundation would have been unable to purchase and install the ongoing measurement system which continues to inform the Soscol remediation project.