Good Roads, Clear Creeks
Beginning in 2001 and lasting over a decade, The Good Roads Clear Creeks Program surveyed and improved miles of roads, replaced failing culverts and installed bridges on key tributaries of Mattole River to reduced sediment loads and improve salmonid habitat. This remains our largest program to date and ended after all accessible roads were treated. As of 2023, the MRC is partnering with other non-profits to explore opportunities to revamp this important program.
We are currently not implementing any new Good Roads, Clear Creeks projects, but will pursue project funding when projects are identified and as funding becomes available.
The goal of the Good Roads, Clear Creeks program is to promote healthy streams and salmonid recovery by reducing erosion and stream sedimentation in the following ways:
- Work with private landowners, the Bureau of Land Management and California State Parks, as well as other governmental agencies, to treat selected sediment sources on their lands within the Mattole watershed
- Integrate the latest Department of Fish & Wildlife design criteria into all projects where appropriate
- Design and implement road related sediment reduction projects that include road upgrades, storm proofing, and road de-commissioning
- Monitor project effectiveness though turbidity monitoring
- Investigate the possibilities for sediment modeling