Napa County Resource Conservation District
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Napa River Watershed
Volunteer Monitoring Program

Introduction

Thoughtful management of a watershed is based on an understanding of the natural system at work in that watershed. The Napa River watershed Volunteer Monitoring Program is designed to educate and involve citizens in the collection of information about the watershed.

Little is known about the Napa River watershed and its 48 tributaries, each of which is a watershed in its own right. Natural systems are complex and dynamic, with many variables contributing to overall system health. Through volunteer monitoring, it is possible to gather information on parts of the watershed system at one point in time, and then re-visit (monitor) those parts at later dates. By looking at the trends of data collected over a period of time, we can begin to understand the watershed and make management decisions based more on fact than on theory.

The importance of the role of individuals in protecting and improving the health of our creeks and watershed cannot be overstated. Human beings are an especially influential parameter in the mix of elements that comprise a watershed system. Through increased awareness of our individual roles in watershed balance, we can learn how to positively influence the health of our watershed.

Click here to view a map of RCD's water quality, rain gauges, and wetland monitoring sites.
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