Fall will officially be here on Sept. 21st, signaling one of the best times of the year to visit the River. With mild Indian summer days the marshes are turning colors, migratory birds begin to visit, and high tides around the equinox make great opportunities for marsh exploration. Of course fall also brings back to school activities and seasonal community events. There have been some major happenings in the watershed since our last newsletter. For all of the news from the sloughs read on…Cheers; Capt. Dave Yearsley

Oil spill on the River:

Ch. 2's Janet Katsuyama reporting on the oil spill

On Labor Day morning Sept. 6 2010 a spill of 200 – 400 gal. of heavy oil was released into the River by an East Bay company that was demolishing an old tug boat in McNear Channel. Immediate response by the Petaluma Fire Dept. and follow-up actions by the Ca. Dept. of Fish and Game’s Oil Spill Response unit helped to contain the spill and resulted in relatively little damage to wildlife. Effects of the spill on the River’s vegetation, fish and sediment have yet to be determined. An investigation of the spill’s cause and effects will be undertaken by the DFG and any citations or penalties will follow. It was not clear how the perpetrator gained access to the Pomeroy property, where they have been doing demolition of watercraft all summer.

Brian Swedberg points out an oil sheen along the shore of McNear Channe

Upon learning about the incident Friends took immediate action by surveying the River on land and by boat with the help of Port Sonoma harbor master and Friend’s advisor Brian Swedberg. We alerted the DFG response team about lingering hot spots in McNear Channel. The spill also brought regional attention to the River. We were contacted and interviewed by KTVU Ch 2’s Janet Katsuyama, who did a great job of reporting on the story over a period of several days following the incident.

The Argus Courier also published a story and posted photos of the event. For photos of Friends spill related activities, visit our Flickr site.

Help the River on Coastal Cleanup / Estuary Day:

Join us on Sept. 25 for a River and Creek clean-up sponsored by the So. Sonoma County Resource Conservation District (RCD). This is an excellent way to become a solution to pollution and help the River heal in the aftermath of the recent oil spill. Form a team or come alone and help get debris out of the upper Petaluma before it is disbursed by fall storms. Sept. 25th is also national Estuary Day and since the Petaluma River is an estuary for most of its length we will honor that fact and bring attention to the important role estuaries play in cleansing tidewater and nurturing wildlife. To learn more about tidal estuaries visit www.estuaries.gov.

Location: Meet at Friends of the Petaluma River’s office, 260H North Water Street for cleanup assignments

Time: 8:30am – Noon

Contact: Jason Sweeney, So. Sonoma County Resource Conservation District, 794-1242, ext. 126. (If interested, contact Jason to coordinate your own neighborhood cleanup event site.)

Email: events@sscrcd.org

Note: Preferred registration method: Please go to the SSCRCD website to sign up on their mailing list. Once on the mailing list registration page, check the box to be added to the Petaluma Fall Trash Cleanup Event list. Otherwise, email at events@sscrcd.org.

Read more about this event and download the flyer.

Friends assists RCD with upper River inspection:

Survey team (from L): Susan Hayden, Wendy Gjestland, and Jason Sweeney

On Sept. 8th the So. Sonoma Co Resource Conservation District watershed coordinator Jason Sweeney led a trip to the upper reaches of the Petaluma to inspect for foliage that might block fish passage and/or promote flooding. Friends assisted by providing canoes and guidance. The RCD has been working to clear brush from the River’s upper reaches. Photos of the outing can be found at our Flickr site.

Big doings on the Petaloo: Exciting upcoming events:

5th Annual Wine Country Rowing Classic
Come Watch Rowers Race! Free to the public.
Sunday, October 3rd – 9 am-2 pm
Along the River @ Petaluma Marina; 781 Baywood Dr.

Since 1983, Petaluma has been home to the North Bay Rowing Club (NBRC), a friendly group of human-powered boaters who also compete around the Bay Area and beyond. Since 2006, NBRC has hosted the Wine Country Rowing Classic on the first Sunday in October. WCRC is a US Rowing Association event that each year has attracted larger and larger groups of athletes. Nearly 600 competed last year. NBRC is making a concerted effort to get the larger community involved too–as spectators!

The Wine Country Rowing Classic begins and ends at the Petaluma Marina (Sheraton), but it’s Shollenberger Park that gives WCRC one of the best viewing environments on the West Coast. Bring a bike or a pair of walking shoes, come down to the Marina or the entrance to Shollenberger and walk along the river, watching Juniors, Collegiate and Masters crews and scullers compete for medals and a team trophy! Food (paella and the fare of the Marina Bean) and face painting will be available in the Marina parking lot, as well as event T-shirts, rowing-related jewelry hand-crafted out of vintage rowing medals and antique beads, and NBRC’s “classic rowing rooster” T-shirts and other rowing attire. Everyone is welcome to this celebration of our beloved slough as a community resource.

For more information, visit the events page of northbayrowing.org or contact Maggie Hohle at maggietext@comcast.net or 707-658-1365. Families welcome!

Petaluma River Heritage Days; October 8-10

Alma arrives in Petaluma for River Heritage Day 2009

The historic scow schooner Alma & replica shrimp junk Grace will extend their visit to Petaluma this year and offer special programs to school children and the public. On Thu. Oct 8th the boats will be located at the Petaluma Marina to offer school groups cruises and shore-side displays. The cultural history and commercial uses of the River will be featured as well as exhibits describing some of the aquatic resources of S.F. Bay.

Grace Quan in the Petaluma turning basin

Friends of the Petaluma River will be hosting River Heritage Day on Oct. 9th. We invite our members and the community to join us for day and evening events and activities in the downtown turning basin and at the Petaluma River Heritage Center. The 2 historic boats will be open to the public and Friends will be working with the museum staff to build a classic “tule splitter” duck boat at Cavanaugh Landing Park.

Classic "tule splitter"

Beautiful handcrafted boats from the Traditional Small Craft Assn. and the Maritime Museum’s collection will be present at the festivities and may offer rides. On Sunday Oct. 10th the Alma will offer a public sail from the Marina 12:30 – 3:30. The cost is $40 for adults, $30 for seniors (62+), $20 for children 6-15, under 6 is free. Advanced reservations are suggested and credit cards can be accepted. Contact Mariah Gardner at the Maritime National Park Association; (415) 292-6664.

Fall River tours on the Delphinus:

The Delphinus

Friend’s River tours are now fully booked for 2010 but you can still get out for a wonderful River cruise. The folks at Dolphin Charters are returning to Petaluma on the weekends of Oct. 16 –17 & 30 –31 and offering both morning and afternoon trips aboard the beautiful Delphinus. For more information and reservations contact them at: 510-527-9622 or Dolphin Charters’ website or pick up the Sept. issue of the Petaluma Post – a free monthly reader.

Friends in the community:

Friends of the Petaluma River was recently awarded a $10,000 performance grant through the Pacific States Marine fisheries Commission and Ca. Dept. of Fish and Game for Petaluma Watershed Salmonid Habitat Enhancement and Outreach. As part of this grant we will undertake activities to educate a broad spectrum of stakeholders and increase community awareness and concern for the habitats and stewardship of Steelhead Trout and Chinook Salmon in the Petaluma River, Marsh, and Watershed. Look for our displays in The River Heritage Center and at various community events. We will also be giving boat tours to stakeholders and decision makers to sites of interest and initiating habitat enhancement projects.

Visit us at the Petaluma Farmer’s Market Sat. Oct. 2nd 1-5PM where we will be joining the Two Rock 4-H Club for 4-H National Youth Science Day. As part of 4-H2O their members will be giving demonstrations about the effects of CO2 on the aquatic environment. Click for more information.

Dates to remember:

Sept. 25th:
Estuary Day River Clean-up – 8:30 to 12 – Friend’s Hq.; 260 H N. Water St.
Oct. 2nd:
Petaluma Farmer’s Mkt. 1 – 5 for 4-H – 4-H2O Walnut Park 4th & D St. Petaluma
Oct. 3rd:
Wine Country Classic 9am – 2pm rowing event- Petaluma Marina Shollenberger Park
Oct. 9th:
Petaluma River Heritage Day – All day – Downtown turning basin and RHC
Oct. 17-18 & 30-31:
Dolphin Charter River Tours – Sat. & Sun. morning and afternoon

Visit our Flickr site to see all of our action packed photos online.