Russian River Valley

Region:

The Russian River Valley extends from Healdsburg to the Wohler Narrows, a set of large rocks which mark the entrance to the lower river canyon. This eight-mile long valley has been an agricultural area for many years, supporting hops, orchards, and vineyards. Winegrapes are the primary crop now.

The Russian River channel in this valley has undergone significant alteration due to deep pit-mining in the 1970s. A vast amount of gravel and cobble has been removed, resulting in the river channel bottom dropping 22 feet. This significant environmental impact continues to affect aquatic habitat, riparian forest, and tributary streams. Tributary creeks include West Slough, Lower Windsor, Pool, Pistol, Dry, Lower Mark West, Storey, and Porter Creeks.