The rise and surprisingly rapid fall of fly fishing on the Russian and other northern California rivers is told in a new documentary film, Rivers of a Lost Coast.

As a boy, Justin Coupe, co-director of Rivers of a Lost Coast, was taught fly fishing by his father, a lifelong angler.   So after finishing college, with an eye toward making a film about that subculture, he returned to the Russian and other northern California rivers to reacquaint himself with his subject. Doing so, he says, reaffirmed his determination to capture this slice of regional history while the first-person participants were still on hand to talk about it.

One of the unexpected stories within Rivers of A Lost Coast involves the long and bitter rivalry between two of the region's most accomplished fishermen, Bill Schaadt left) and Tom Linden.

 See the trailer for Rivers of a Lost Coast:

 

A bitter battle is being fought over logging plans for one of the least visited corners of western Sonoma County.

The Bohemian Club has owned the Grove for over a century, but John Hooper says that the history of logging there dates back only 20-odd years.

In this 2-minute video, John Hooper questions the Bohemian Club's rationale for seeking a long-term timber harvesting permit.

 

Even though Bohemian Grove is privately owned and operated, Hopper says the effects of what happens within it will be felt directly in the surrounding watersheds and the Russian River.

This satellite photograph of the Bohemian Gove has been marked to show areas where previous logging has scarred the landscape. Click on the image to see additional maps.

 The Bohemian Club's annual summer "encampment" at the Grove is chronicled in a lengthy feature story in the current issue of Vanity Fair which also discusses the logging issue.

For a more detailed analysis of the logging issues specifically, see this deep background story, published, ironically, in the North Bay Bohemian.

You can find updates about the Bohemian Grove logging issue, and a link to submit your commnents about it directly to the Califpornia Department of Forestry at John Hooper's Save Bohemain Grove website.

Eco-tourism may draw some visitors to the North Bay, but some forward-looking groups are betting that even more travelers can be enticed through the broader approach called Geo-tourism.

 Anyone wanting a broader understanding of Geotourism in general or the North Coast initiative specifically can find a wealth of background information here.

You can click here to access the online nomination form for places and other resources to be included in the region's geotourism map. Multiple nominations are encouraged.

Coastwalk is among the local and regional groups who are submitting their activities  to be included in the interactive geotourism map.  Click here to see what they've got planned  in the coming months, including the annual trek along the Mendocino County "lost coast" seen below.

With rainfall again filling our area's creeks and rivers, it is possible to conduct precise measurements of the changes in water quality in those streams.

Dutch Bill Creek is relatively short, beginning in the hills above Occidental, and flowing northerly downslope through Camp Meeker and on to the Russian River. This is the waterway that was dammed to create the old Camp Meeker swimming area many years ago. Here's a map of the entire Dutch Bill Creek watershed.

 The close up map below shows the locations where the Community Clean WaterInstitute has set up water sample collection points along Dutch Bill Creek (DBC).  DBC 005 is closest to the creek's outfall into the Russian River, while DBC 060 is near the stream's beginning.

The water quality testing conducted in Dutch Bill Creek is done primarily by local volunteers, with training ad assistance from CCWI staff. Find out more about volunteering here.