We provide a means for interested people in the community to work together for natural resource conservation on a voluntary, cooperative basis throughout Mendocino County. We offer support through technical assistance and grant development for projects which control erosion, improve water quality, and restore fisheries and wildlife habitat. For planning purposes, watersheds are grouped into three priority basins.
Coastal Basin
The Coastal Basin Covers Approximately 900,000 acres and the following major river watersheds (north to south): Ten Mile River, Noyo River, Big River, Albion River, Navarro River, and the Garcia River. The major land use in this zone is timber production. Agricultural and recreation (beaches, parks, rivers, wetlands) are also important land uses.
Russian River Basin
The Russian River basin covers approximately 330,000 acres in the southeastern corner of the County. This drainage covers the lower elevation interior valleys, which include (north to south): Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Ukiah Valley, and Sanel and McDowell Valleys near Hopland. The major land use in this zone is agriculture. The valley bottoms are used for: vineyards, fruit and nut orchards, irrigated pasture, and hayland. The major uses of upland areas are livestock grazing and isolated vineyards.
Eel River Basin
The Eel River basin covers approximately 1 million acres in the northeastern and north central portion of the County. This zone includes (north to south): Leggett Valley, Round Valley, Long Valley, Sherwood Valley, and Little Lake Valley. The major uses in the basin are range management, timber harvesting, recreation, and rural residence.
History
The Willits Soil Conservation District was formally organized on May 28,1945, taking in 146,700 acres in the central part of Mendocino Country. Thirteen years later, in 1958, after several additions had made this District practically county-wide, its name was changed to Mendocino County Soil Conservation District, and in 1974 became the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, which now covers 84% of the 2,246,400 acres in the county.
Contact
206 Mason St, Suite F, Ukiah CA 95482
Phone: (707) 462-3664
Fax: (707) 462-5549
Email: info@mcrcd.org