U.S. EPA Announces Funding for Napa River Restoration

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Napa County, Calif., announced the details of nearly $3.3 million in federal, state and local funding aimed at restoring water quality and riparian and aquatic habitats in the Napa River watershed. As part of two major restoration efforts covering 15 miles of the Napa River, more than 40 landowners have committed to converting nearly 135 acres of farmland to wildlife habitat.

High concentrations of fine sediment in the Napa River, which clouds spawning gravel, have decreased regional steelhead and Chinook salmon populations. In-stream erosion has also degraded the channel, reducing rearing habitat for fish species. The river, which runs 55 miles from Mount St. Helena to the San Pablo Bay, is also prone to seasonal flooding from November to April.

“The Napa River represents one of the most important watersheds within the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary for the recovery of regional steelhead populations,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This $1.5 million EPA grant will help manage erosion, improve spawning gravel and create habitat for critically endangered salmon.”

The Napa River is up to three times deeper than it once was, creating vertical stream banks up to 30 ft high. In some locations the banks have become unstable and subject to collapse. The river channel is also much narrower than before, making flows more erosive.

“[This] announcement is a win for our environment, wildlife, and economy,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson. “We are reducing erosion and sediment runoff, we are improving steelhead and Chinook salmon habitat, and we are strengthening the Napa River which is at the heart of our economy, giving life to agriculture and our thriving wine industry that pumps more than $61 billion into our economy every year. I thank the grape growers and landowners for their partnership and commitment to this restoration process.”

The EPA grant will help restore Napa River water quality by implementing several priority actions of the Napa River sediment total maximum daily load (TMDL) and habitat enhancement plan, such as:

• Complete restoration design along 3.9 miles of the Napa River in Oakville, Calif., and eradicate 5 acres of invasive non-native Giant Reed and plant native riparian trees;
• Assist ranchers to reduce erosion on 80% of Napa watershed grazing lands in the watershed;
• Implement BMPs to reduce sediment runoff from rural roads and stream crossings throughout the watershed; and
• Establish a tracking system to advance water quality improvements through increased accountability.

Source: U.S. EPA