The Mariposa County Resource Conservation District established the Upper Merced River Watershed Council through a watershed coordinator grant in 2001 and provides administrative support needed to continue its work.
Watershed partners are vital to the Council and include many stakeholders: agencies (Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, National Forest Service,); organizations (Sierra Nevada Alliance, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Yosemite Area Audubon, California Native Plant Society, Mariposa Mountain Riders); and individuals. The Council is guided by an Executive Committee comprised of representatives from many of these groups.
What has been accomplished?
Stakeholders have identified shared objectives and formulated a Watershed Plan.
Baseline water quality and streamside habitat data for the watershed have been gathered over the past four years. Continued monitoring will contribute to a better understanding of the processes and functions of the watershed, and alert the Council to any changes or problems that need to be addressed.
Education and outreach at local schools involves students in outdoor hands-on learning activities that teach watershed stewardship.
Invasive weed eradication is well underway to help restore natural habitat and conserve water.
Indoor and outdoor educational presentations have been made to the community in conjunction with partner organizations.
Work has begun to educate people about fish biodiversity in the watershed.
Five miles of trail restoration along the south fork of the Merced River has made the area more accessible and will help mitigate the impact of river recreation.
For more details on work completed between January 2005 and March 2008, through a grant from the California State Water Resources Control Board, please view the final report for that project.