Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN)

SPAWN’s mission is to protect endangered salmon and their habitat in the Lagunitas Creek watershed in Marin County, California. This area is home to many local species of fish, frogs and turtles, and is a beautiful treasure of the Bay Area’s natural heritage. While this unique place provides a view of the Bay region’s past, like so many precious wild places, encroaching roads and poorly planned housing developments have subjected this vital habitat to toxic levels of pollution and degradation. Destruction of historic floodplains and addition of roads, roofs and other hard surfaces have changed the natural flow of the creek, creating dangerous flooding in winter and unnatural dry spells every summer.

Critically, Lagunitas Creek is also one of the last spawning areas for wild, endangered coho salmon in Central California. Nearly 20% of the state’s remaining coho salmon return each year to spawn in this creek. The annual population of spawning salmon here has dramatically declined, from 6,000 salmon in the 1950s to only 100 per year during the past three drought seasons. The dangers to Lagunitas Creek’s coho salmon, steelhead trout, Pacific lampreys, red-legged frogs and western pond turtles are a warning to us. As we destroy the habitat that is critical for coho salmon to spawn and survive, we destroy the natural treasures and sources of freshwater that have been entrusted to our care for future generations.

SPAWN volunteers have saved over 20,000 juvenile salmon and steelhead trout from certain death in creeks that go dry in the summer. SPAWN’s advocacy and legal work have spurred Marin County to adopt policies that protect salmon and creeks from the shortsighted impacts of imprudent creekside development. SPAWN’s growing restoration efforts provide ongoing opportunities for students and volunteers of all ages to engage in satisfying, hands-on work that produces measurable results.

SPAWN’s impact reaches far beyond the banks of the Lagunitas Creek. In addition to making direct impacts on salmon populations, SPAWN teaches community members to live more sustainably through practical techniques for water conservation, landscaping, waste management and green building methods. SPAWN’s science-based community model of action has been recognized with many awards, and SPAWN regularly consults and helps other watershed groups to become more effective.

Had the San Geronimo Valley listed as a Priority Conservation Area by the Association of Bay Area Governments, considered to be in urgent need of protection because of its importance as a natural resource.

Initiated a Stormwater Catchment & Water Conservation Initiative for Marin County residences and businesses, with funding from the Marin Community Foundation.

Received the Peter Behar Memorial Award from the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin and Marin Conservation League’s 2008 Ted Wellman Award.