Our Mission…
…is to restore the Eel River and all her tributaries to a natural state of abundance, wild and free. Our immediate goal is to remove two antiquated dams that block hundreds of miles of prime spawning grounds.
Our Accomplishments
Friends of the Eel River has been acknowledged and praised for its devotion to the monitoring, defense and advocacy of the Eel River watershed. Through the education and support of the Humboldt County inhabitants and neighbors, of this third largest watershed in California, we have been able to uplift our status as a small fish in a large pond, to a formidable challenger of large corporations and agencies in the interest of preserving our north coast public trust resources. We are over 2200 members strong, are blessed with a solid volunteer base, and twice yearly publish Eel River Reporter which is the main source of reliable information on water issues facing north coastal California. We are also supported by a large contingent of scientists and fisheries experts, sport fishing alliances, river recreationalists, and concerned citizens who help us to meet new challenges to our watershed integrity. The entire mission of Friends of the Eel River is backed by an enormously dedicated and enthusiastic Executive Director, an active, diverse and top notch Board of Directors, a superb legal council which has helped us rewrite California water law, and the generosity of members and friends of the Eel River.
In addition to legal interventions and victories we have allied with advocates of the Russian River watershed to halt the construction of an enlarged water delivery pipeline to Marin County from the Russian River as Eel River water is diverted to the Russian River. As a result, the Marin Municipal Water District is looking to use desalination and conservation to meet future water needs. Through this alliance Friends of the Eel highlights the need for bio-regions to work together for the benefit of watershed integrity; forest, soil, fish, wildlife, air, river health are all of our concern.