photo credit: Flickr

Sonoma County and the Russian River Confluence launched a revitalization project to improve the health of the river this summer. The idea is to collaborate with organizations, businesses, residents and visitors to all be good stewards of the beloved river.

District 5 Field Representative Elise Weiland says the program was granted $160,000 from the state after the 2019 flood. The program was inspired by the long-standing Keep Tahoe Blue organization.

"That concept of creating an iconic image and tagline that provides a pride of place, and at the same time expresses the vulnerability of the river so that people want to care for it, rather than just trash it," Weiland said.

Weiland said now is an important time for this project to begin, while the river's flow is at historic lows due to extreme drought.

"The river is the lifeblood of this area and this community and the health of the river is reflected in the health of the Communities,"Weiland said. "And so, only if we have a fishable, drinkable, swimmable river, will the entire ecosystem thrive."

The initial phase of the project involves interviewing businesses, residents and visitors on how they want to care for the river this summer and beyond.