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Petaluma River Watershed
Pleasants Creek Watershed
Ulatis Creek Watershed
Garcia River Watershed
Eel River Watershed
Las Trampas Creek Watershed
Pope Valley/Pope Creek Watershed
Petaluma River Watershed
The Petaluma River drains 146 square miles in Sonoma and Marin counties and includes the City of Petaluma.
Petaluma River |
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Certified Sites:
Spring Hill Vineyards
Chris and Karen London manage this 29-acre site northwest of Petaluma with cover crops and careful site management to protect water quality.
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Pleasants Creek Watershed
Pleasants Creek is a tributary of the Putah Creek drainage into the Sacramento River watershed.
Certified Sites:
England Shaw Vineyards
This 20-acre vineyard along Pleasants Creek is managed by Ken Shaw, who uses IPM practices to minimize his use of pesticides and other chemicals. FFF program staff are working with Ken to revegetate the riparian corridor of Pleasants Creek.
Enrolled Sites:
Shaw Ranch
The manager is working with FFF program staff on this 38-acre site to install filter strips designed to create a natural buffer between the vineyards and the small seasonal creeks on the property, minimizing sediment delivery to the creeks.
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Ulatis Creek Watershed
Ulatis Creek drains the eastern side of the Vaca Mountains and runs through the center of Vacaville before being channeled into Cache Slough and the Sacramento River system.
Certified Sites:
- Girl on the Hill Vineyard
Girl on the Hill Vineyard
Denise Revel grows organic lavender and winegrapes on this 48-acre property on the ridgetop of the Vaca Mountains. She minimizes water and chemical use and only the 4 acres of vineyard are fenced with deer-friendly fencing. The ephemeral creeks on her property, all headwaters of Ulatis Creek, retain their natural vegetation. Visit www.girlonthehill.com.
View facing east from Girl on the Hill Vineyard.
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Garcia River Watershed
The Garcia River watershed covers approximately 114 square miles in southwest Mendocino County and supports a wide variety of anadromous fish, including steelhead trout, Coho salmon, and Chinook salmon.
Insert Garcia river photo with caption: Garcia River
Enrolled Sites:
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| Mariah Vineyards |
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Eel River Watershed
The Eel River watershed is one of the largest river systems in California. The drainage basins of the three forks of the river cover portions of Lake, Glenn, Mendocino, Trinity, and Humboldt counties before emptying into the Pacific Ocean.
A summer day on the Eel River
Enrolled Sites:
- Alder Springs Vineyards
- McKay Ranch
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Las Trampas Creek Watershed
Las Trampas Creek is a tributary of the Walnut Creek watershed, which drains into Suisun Bay near Carquinez Strait.
Insert creek photo
Enrolled Sites:
- Chateau de Joseph Vineyards
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Pope Valley/Pope Creek Watershed
East of Napa Valley lies Pope Valley, drained by Pope Creek, a tributary to Putah Creek which flows into Lake Berryessa. Lake Berryessa was created in 1963 by the Monticello Dam, named for the valley it drowned. Pope Valley was named for Julian Pope, the first white settler to receive a Mexican land grant for the valley in 1836. Additional settlers arrived in 1843 and developed cattle and sheep ranches.
“Quicksilver mining in the hills northwest of Pope Valley was a big industry starting in the early 1860's. The first quicksilver mine was discovered by accident. A fire broke out in the hills, and Tom Newman, figuring that the animals would come running out of the woods, took his gun and went out in hopes of killing a dear. While crossing a burned area he noticed some cinnabar. He contacted J. M. Hamilton and the Phoenix Mine was opened, named for the mythological Phoenix bird that rose from the ashes. This mine proved to be very rich and other mines in the vicinity were discovered. The Oat Hill Mine was an active producing mine for more than fifty years, producing more quicksilver than any other mine in the world. George Fellows located the Aetna Springs Quicksilver Mine in 1897 which proved rich in ore but excessive heat in the mine prevented from being worked extensively. In 1877, Aetna Springs Resort was built becoming a favorite watering spot and retreat for San Francisco socialites” (excerpted from Pope Valley Winery History; visit www.popevalleywinery.com/history.htm for more information).
The first winery was constructed in 1897 by the Haus family, using timber from the Oat Hill Quicksilver Mine. The winery was a three-story, gravitational flow winery. The hand-dug cave took over nine years to dig.
Today, vineyards dot the Pope Valley area, intermixed with grey pine forest and chaparral.
Aetna Springs Resort |
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Julian Pope arrived in the valley in 1836 |
Oak savannah covers the summer drylands of Pope Valley |
Haus Family and their lands |
Haus Family and their lands |
Certified Sites
Enrolled Sites
- Duckhorn Wine Company – Candlestick Ridge
- Nord Vineyards - Jonquil Vineyards
- Hall Wines – Hardester Vineyard
- Lamborn Family Vineyards
- The Hess Collection – Allomi Vineyard
- Usibelli Vineyards – Pope Valley Vineyard
Certified Sites:
Clark-Claudon Vineyards
Tom Clark and his family manage the 18 acres of vineyard on this 154-acre site. Several un-named creeks flow through the property and have well-vegetated riparian corridors. The vineyards are managed with no-till practices and low chemical inputs. Visit www.clarkclaudon.com.
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Heitz Wine Cellars-Valley Oak Vineyard
This 184-acre site is dotted with large valley oaks and small creeks. Organic methods are employed. Visit www.heitzcellar.com
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Enrolled Sites:
Nord Vineyards - Jonquil Vineyards
This 109-acre site was once a cattle ranch. In 2001, Nord Vineyards developed 66 acres into vineyards while preserving a Native American cultural site and establishing a natural wetland site to support waterfowl. No-till practices reduce erosion and enrich the soil. On a tributary creek to Burton Creek, Nord Vineyards has cooperated with the Napa County Resource Conservation District on three bank stabilization and revegetation projects including bank set-backs, willow wall and rock revetments, and revegetation with native plants. Visit www.nordvineyards.com/vineyards/jonquil.html.
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