WATERSHED RESTORATION

healthy watersheds

sustain healthy forest

Watersheds:
The Life
Support System of Forests

redwood logomark

watershed history

The Usal Redwood Forest spans 50,000 acres of interconnected watersheds that flow to both the South Fork Eel River and the Pacific Ocean. These streams support critical habitat for salmon and steelhead—and play a vital role in the ecological health of California’s North Coast.

50,000  ACRES
450+ MILES
OF STREAMS
3 KEY SALMON SPECIES SUPPORTED

watersheds:
the watershed's PROBLEMs

redwood logomark

watershed 's problem

Decades of aggressive industrial logging left many of these watersheds deeply impaired—fragmented by roads, overloaded with sediment, and disconnected from their natural floodplains. While some damage cannot be undone, much of the degradation is repairable with time, planning, and sustained investment.

RFF approaches watershed restoration with a long-term view, guided by ecological science and practical implementation. Our work begins with watershed-wide evaluation, followed by targeted restoration prescriptions that are incrementally applied across the forest.This integrated approach supports not only fish recovery, but broader forest resilience, water quality, wildlife habitat, and community benefit.

watershed:
restoration & impacts

redwood logomark

Restoration Impact

RFF’s watershed restoration work at the Usal Redwood Forest addresses legacy impacts from historic road networks, altered drainage patterns, and degraded stream channels. Initial efforts focused on identifying high-risk road segments and stream crossings that contributed excess sediment to Class I and II streams. To date, more than nine miles of roads have been decommissioned, stream crossings have been removed or upgraded, and natural drainage patterns have been reestablished.

9+ Miles
of roads decommissioned
and streams reconnected
$5M+
& leveraged for watershed restoration
2+ Watersheds
South Fork Eel River and coastal drainages

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Usal redwood Co

We, at Redwood Forest Foundation, acknowledge that the land we refer to as Usal Redwood Forest is located on ancestral and unceded lands of the Wailaki, Cahto, Sinkiyone and Coast Yuki peoples, who stewarded this land for generations. We believe that the voices of community must be integral in the management, governance and utilization of Usal Redwood Forest. We are committed to creating meaningful relationships with Native peoples and supporting the preservation, protection and renewal of their cultural heritage and practices. We are taking action to fulfil that intent and encourage you to be part of that endeavor.