The most important reason for this organization to exist, the point where the rubber meets the road, is the work itself. What do we accomplish? What can we show in terms of results? Well, let's take a look. The North Bay Chapter is proud of it's accomplishments.

Our principal project, for the past several years, has been restoration of Coho salmon in Lagunitas Creek. A dam was built across the stream, to provide irrigation for local agriculture in the 1920's. In the 50's, a fish ladder was erected - and had since  fallen into poor condition. Water flowed through leaks in the bottom of a cell, the salmon were misled to the base of the dam face - and injured themselves trying to leap over the dam. This led to national television coverage in 1997 and 1998.


It became necessary to re-establish the base of the ladder, reduce the height of the dam, armor the sides of the stream (with boulders) where a tree had fallen, and when all that was done - cut off part of the apron below the dam and build a weir. Whew, that was a few days of hard work!

During that project, we had the distinct honor of being visited by Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt. Here is the Secretary helping to get the good work done! Take the dam down, Mr. Secretary!!!  Show us how it is done, please!!!

This project could not have been completed without the support of so many.  Thanks to Mark Warner (Performance Excavators) and his heavy equipment operators, to Ted Van Midde (Van Midde and Son Concrete) and his concrete crew, and to Bob Chamberlain - words are not enough...  Our deepest appreciation goes out to the volunteers who went home each night with sore backs and aching muscles; to all the various local, state and federal agencies who supported us; to San Geronimo Golf Course; and of course all our friends at S.P.A.W.N. - the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network.