Chapter 9 of “Our Watershed Stories,” is a journey to the coastal hills of western Sonoma County to meet Brock Dolman.
Dolman lives and works at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, near the very top of the Dutch Bill watershed. “And Dutch Bill Creek happens to be one of the few watersheds left in the Russian River basin that has a remnant population of coho,” adds Dolman.
The Dutch Bill Creek watershed is one place where coho salmon are staging a comeback.
“If their population lacks resiliency,” he explains, “then it is really an indicator about the land use in that place.”
With Brock’s leadership, people here have come together to care for this fragile Northern California habitat. “The community of Camp Meeker all got together to develop a plan,” he says. “And all of the pre-identified fish passage barriers in this watershed have all been modified, ameliorated, or removed.
“I personally care about coho because I care about people; because I care about life. Because I’m a biologist: one who studies life.
“And redwood trees, and oak trees, and bunch grasses, and elk, and coho, and turkey vultures, and humans—they’re all part of the web of life. And we, as humans, are dependent on the integrity of the web of life!”
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Imagine the Petaluma River Watershed as a massive bowl—Wick and Rogers live on opposite rims. From their perspective, they see first-hand what their actions have on the river downstream.
The lower Petaluma isn’t really a river, but rather, a tidal estuary. In fact much of the Bay Area’s shoreline once looked a lot like the Petaluma River estuary, where 12 miles of tidal sloughs still twist and turn through scenic places like Shollenberger Park.
Bill Long, a longtime resident of Novato, has studied the history of the region. “The creek was the central feature of this valley,” he says. “It’s where the Native Americans gathered and it’s where wildlife gathered. When the area was developed, much of the creek ended up in people’s back yards”
“After World War II,” notes Chris DeGabrielle, “Novato was growing rapidly, and the well water supply couldn’t keep up.” That’s one reason why, in 1951, Stafford Lake was formed behind a dam constructed on the creek.
“This dam was put here to alleviate severe flooding on dry creek,” says Peter LaCivita, a Fisheries Biologist with the 
“The adults will run upstream to where they were born,” explains Brett Wilson, the Senior Hatchery Supervisor for the 
But not if they can’t find their way home in the first place.
“They’re ultimately going to have 6 miles returned to it’s natural habitat,” adds Don Wallace, a partner in Dry Creek Vineyard & Winery, says, “I think that’s a great legacy.” Among Wallis’s accolades, he was awarded a 2011 “
Meanwhile, the 
fish to return to these streams as spawning adults, and to re-establish a self-sustaining run of coho salmon.”