Austin Creek

Austin Creek – Cazadero, CA

Austin Creek topo map
Austin Creek watershed. Click to enlarge.

The Austin Creek Alliance is a citizen’s group of residents around Austin Creek and the surrounding neighborhood which formed to exchange information regarding neighborhood issues. The Association has a particular interest in monitoring and protecting their watershed. CCWI is supporting the Austin Creek Alliance in conducting citizen monitoring on Austin Creek.

The focus of this project is to identify pollution sources and problems in water quality, and use data collected to develop fact sheets and educational materials for the general public highlighting best management practices and strategies for reducing pollution. Of particular interest on Austin Creek are recent timber harvests on Kohute Gulch and ongoing gravel mining in the main stem’s lower reaches. The project’s orientation and initial sampling date was July 25, 2002.

Factsheet | 2004 Data Summary Report | 2002 Data Report | 2004 Data Report


Citizen Monitors: John Pendegraft, Robert Feuer

Sample Sites
AUS030: Cazadero bakery, just upstream from 4th bridge
AUS020: On Austin Creek Rd. near 2nd bridge
KOH010: Kohute Gulch, ~40 feet upstream of large culvert.
AUS010: First Bridge, near confluence of Austin Creek and Russian River

The monitoring program is intended to develop baseline characterization data, document water and habitat quality changes over time and to help establish a scientific basis for land use decisions. Sites and parameters were chosen after discussions with local residents.