Russian River Regional Monitoring Program

The Russian River Regional Monitoring Program (R3MP) was established in 2019 to provide the scientific information necessary for successful long-term management of Russian River watershed health, in the context of climate change, land use change, and population growth. The R3MP is envisioned as an integral part of a scientific enterprise centered on the watershed.  The R3MP is governed by a Steering Committee (SC) composed of fifteen member agencies and organizations that manage activities in Mendocino and Sonoma counties affecting the health of people and wildlife. The R3MP Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was established in 2021 and tasked with addressing the technical aspects of the science and technology of the R3MP. The TAC includes experts from numerous disciplines, with representatives from agencies, municipalities, academic institutions, nonprofits, and the private sector. 

The R3MP is being developed in phases. During Phase 1 (completed in 2019) the SC was convened and the governance structure and guiding science questions were established. Aligned with the overarching goal of assessing watershed health, the R3MP SC identified three overarching guiding science questions: 

1. What is the baseline health status of the Russian River watershed

2. What are the trends in watershed health, and  

3. How can the health of the watershed be improved? 

Phase 2 of program development includes establishing the science framework, conceptual models, and specific monitoring questions that will initially guide the implementation of the program's coordinated monitoring efforts. This phase includes drafting an initial coordinated monitoring plan, outlining guiding principles and data management processes for the program, and identifying criteria for selecting the R3MP's implementing entity.  

Phase III (not yet funded) will mark the implementation of coordinated monitoring efforts to assess the overall health of streams in the Russian River watershed. 

Anticipated functions and  benefits of the R3MP include, but are not limited to:

• Improved protection of aquatic resources and their beneficial uses;

• Coordinated, inter‐agency adaptive watershed management;

• Maximized value and minimized costs of environmental data;

• Robust assessment of baseline conditions and trends;

• Evaluation of project and program effectiveness;

• Improved data access and visualization;

• Improved public outreach and reporting.

This calendar features:

• Steering Committee meetings

• Technical Advisory Committee meetings

• Topic Specific Workgroup meetings

Related Programs and Initiatives

• • Healthy Lands & Healthy Economies

  • Russian River Confluence