PROJECTS
FOCUS OF OUR PROJECTS:
- Education for watershed residents and local school children about creek care, stewardship, endangered species, and habitat restoration
- Training for watershed residents on water well monitoring, standardized data collection, and environmental quality standards.
- Resource management planning and land use management training including permaculture, low water use agriculture, reduction of pesticides and herbicides, and animal waste management
- Raising awareness about the unique nature of Blucher Creek by posting signs where the road goes over the creek and where the watershed begins and ends, and monitoring and recording wildlife populations.
- Natural disaster preparedness planning and neighborhood support in the event of a landslide, earthquake, flood, or fire.
- Annual community potluck picnic and Blucher Valley welcome basket for new residents.
- Collaboration with other watershed groups.
CURRENT COUNCIL PROJECTS:
Well Monitoring(content updated May 2006)
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The Blucher Creek Watershed Council is conducting a long-term study to chart and assess the fluctuations of the water table in our area. The purpose of this study is to learn more about and increase our understanding of the source and availability of our local groundwater. |
In many parts of Sonoma County, people are reporting falling water levels or dry wells. Some studies have shown depleting groundwater trends in the southern Santa Rosa Plain, formerly one of the most “water rich” areas. The Blucher Creek Watershed may directly connect to the Santa Rosa Plain groundwater basin.
In 2002, the Blucher Creek Watershed Council began to measure static water levels in private wells located in our watershed. One of the purposes was to track the local groundwater supply over time to find out whether water levels are generally dropping or staying steady.
In 2005 BCWC voted to ally with the Sebastopol Water Information Group’s (SWiG) well monitoring in south Sebastopol. The troubling trend of water wells going dry became noticeable in 2001. SWiG and Openspace Water & Land (OWL) both contribute well monitoring volunteers and equipment, and SWiG provides computerized data analysis. We hope that the combined information will help all of us to better understand water conditions across the area and perhaps affect local water policy.
If you are participating in our well monitoring program (or would like to), please:
- submit your permissions form, if you haven't already
- provide us with any historical data on your well, if you have it ~ it could be useful to the project.
Thank you! |
BCWC members are invited to participate in one of two well monitoring projects! Download the information sheet on our two well monitoring program options as a PDF here.
Read the 2006 BCWC-SWiG well monitoring agreement between BCWC and SWiG in PDF format here.
Read this 2005 article about our well monitoring program:
Blucher Creek watershed group gathers preliminary well data (Feb. 2005)
Erosion Repair & Prevention
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In a study done by Prunuske Chatham in 2003, erosion problems along Blucher Creek were identified as "urgent" in certain areas of the watershed. Creek restoration would prevent further erosion in areas where landowners have been loosing land, and would also have the added benefit of enhancing property values. Blucher Creek empties into the Laguna and reduction of sedimentation deposits from the creek is vital. |
In May 2004, BCWC members reviewed and reaffirmed the Council's mission statement and prioritized the actions we hope to take in 2005 to carry out our goals.
At their meeting on May 20, 2004, the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District approved a partnership with the Blucher Creek Watershed Council. This enables BCWC to apply to the Coastal Conservancy, the Dept. of Fish and Game and other agencies for grants to design and implement creek erosion repair and restoration. The GRRCD has similar partnerships with Salmon Creek and the Estero Americano.
You may read a shortened version of the study by clicking on the following: "Erosion Survey of the Blucher Creek Watershed" by Prunuske Chatham, Inc., April, 2003.
Grant information
Working in partnership with the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, BCWC is in the process of applying for grants to carry out the creek restoration as recommended in the Prunuske Chatham, Inc report: "Erosion Survey of the Blucher Creek Watershed".
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