Archive Events

Saturday June 6th

Continuing drought and probable flow reductions in the Russian River have left us in the middle of a "water crisis!"

Lack of water will greatly affect our drinking water supplies and endangered salmon such as Coho.

Come learn how to test stream flow at The First Saturday Cleanup on June 6th at the Pierson Street Bridge on Santa Rosa Creek at 10 am! So we can keep ourselves and local government aware of exactly how our watersheds are doing! This information will help guide our daily water use and will help agencies make informed decisions regarding water policy. Great skill to learn for anyone interested in green and water focused jobs!

This training is part of First Saturday Cleanup (FSC), which is a great mentoring and stewardship program where youth of Chops Teen Center work with the community in cleaning up Santa Rosa Creek. The teens and supervising adults pick up trash, plant native vegetation, and remove graffiti. We will conclude the training and cleanup with a potluck lunch, so bring your favorite dish to share. For more info about FSC visit http://www.firstsaturdaycleanup.org/index.php

This will be the first of many presentations and workshops hosted by Community Clean Water Institute thanks to the Royal Bank of Canada's Blue Water Project! Check them out at http://www.rbc.com/donations/blue-water.html

Wednesday, May 13

6:30 pm
Special Program: Green New Deal for the North Bay

NEW LOCATION!
For this meeting only.

Special Guests:
Lisa Maldonado, Exec. Director North Bay Labor Council
Norman Solomon, author, media critic, Co-Chair Healthcare Not Warfare

Topic: Green New Deal for the North Bay,
Bringing Green Jobs to the North Bay & Info about the County-wide Green New Deal Forums coming up!

May 13 Location:

Cotati Veterans Memorial Building
8505 Park Avenue
Cotati, CA

Suggested Donation: $5-$15 sliding scale
Forum Co-sponsors - Redwood Empire Environmental Center, Community Clean Water Institute.
Pizza! - Bake Sale! - Silent Auction -- Progressive Democrats Sonoma County

World Water Monitoring Day: October 18, 2006

"World Water Monitoring Day offers communities around the world a chance to positively impact the health of rivers, lakes, estuaries, and other waterbodies. Water Environment Federation and its primary international partner, the International Water Association (IWA), are inviting citizens and organizations from around the globe to share in this unique experience of water quality monitoring. Volunteer monitoring groups, water quality agencies, students, and the general public are invited to test four key indicators of water quality: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity." Read more at www.worldwatermonitoringday.com.

CCWI will enter all sites tested between September 18th and October 18th into the World Water Monitoring Day Database. Anyone is welcome to gather data from other sites and input the information yourself online or have CCWI do it for you.

Sonoma County Water Forum

2006 California Coastal Cleanup Day

Coastwalk is coordinating this year's 22nd Annual California Coast Cleanup Day on Saturday, Septembver 16th. Cleanup activities are occuring throughout the county along the coast and inland on our creeks. Cleanup occurs in the morning, then participants are invited to Doran Beach State Park for a BBQ celebration complete with Sand Sculpture and Most Unusual Litter contests. Visit Coastwalk's website at for more information and to sign up www.coastwalk.org.

Climate, Water & Creativity: Experimental, eco-spiritual & visionary paintings, drawings & prints by artists Antonia Gottesman, Paul Nicholson, and Sandy Eastoak. Friday & Saturday, 11-5, September 8 & 9, 540 DuFranc Ave (off Healdsburg Ave) Sebastopol. Reduced prices! Proceeds shared with Climate Protection Campaign and Community Clean Water Institute. Refreshments, music & surprise guests. Info: 824-8189 www.skymetrics.us; www.nicholsonartworks.net; www.sandyeastoak.com.

"An Inconvenient Truth"- A documentary movie about climate change featuring Al Gore, who travels across America describing the threat of global warming and how to address it. The film starts the weekend of June 2nd and runs through June 8th at the Rialto theater in Santa Rosa. Visit the information table on opening weekend sponsored by the Climate Protection Campaign and CCWI. Community Clean Water Institute, the Climate Protection Campaign, the Sierra Club, and Solar Sebastopol will have a table in the lobby after the film, where you can learn more about what we are doing locally to reduce green house gas emissions and take action, including endorsing Sonoma's community target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 25% below 1990 levels by 2015. For more information, check www.climatecrisis.net.
For more information on local showings contact the Rialto Cinemas Lakeside 707-539-9771 at 551 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa.

The Russian River Big Spring Clean Up. Saturday, May 6th - Saturday, May 13th, 2006. This is a major community-wide effort. After the big rains, the Russian River could use some Spring Cleaning. Wear clothes that can get dirty, if you have rain boots wear them so you can get in the creek to remove litter. Bring your family and we will supply everything else! CCWI is partnering with REI to host a litter cleanup of Fife Creek in Guerneville, which flooded over 3 times this year. Please join us on Saturday, May 13th at 1:00 PM to support this county's precious resource and our favorite river community. Meet at Coffee Bazaar in Guerneville at 1PM, located on Armstrong Woods Rd, just north of Main Street. Directions: Take River Rd west for 15 miles, go right on Armstrong Woods Rd, Coffee Bazaar is on the right.

Political Comedy Night- April 2, 2006 at 6:30PM at the Sebastopol Community Center.
Featuring the SF Mime Troupe's Amos Glick as Dubya and Ed Holmes as Dick. www.dickndubya.us
Also with stand up comedian Johnny Steele. Hilarious political satire and more!
A fundraiser for Town Hall Coalition and CCWI.
For more information www.townhallcoalition.org.

Saturday, December 10th- Dinner to Defend the Commons with Keynote Speaker Jonathan Rowe from the Tomales Bay Institute. At the Sebastopol Community Center. The theme of the evening is “Defending the Commons.” The Commons are the shared wealth of our community including public schools, national parks, public libraries, national forests, Social security, Medicare, clean air and water, and all of the collectively held public properties and social programs that benefit the common good. Author and journalist Jonathan Rowe was the keynote speaker. Jonathan Rowe is the founder of Tomales Bay Institute and the author of “The Common Good: An argument for asserting our rights to quiet, community, a drink of pure water, and a breath of fresh air”, and an expert on the importance of protecting the commons. His articles have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Christian Science Monitor, Yes Magazine, Utne Reader, and more and he has been a contributing editor to the Washington Monthly. You can read his most recent article in the Sierra Club Magazine online: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200507/commongood.asp.

Sunday, September 25- 8th ANNUAL PROGRESSIVE FESTIVAL
11am - 6pm, Walnut Park, Petaluma Blvd. South and "D" St., Petaluma

September 15- Learn to Test Water Quality. Steelhead Beach. Community Clean Water Institute presents a hands-on citizen monitoring training program. Learn how to test the water quality of your rivers and streams, and how to become a citizen monitor. 5:15 PM, Steelhead Beach, 9000 River Road, Forestville.

August 23- Board of Supervisors consider Timberland Conversion regulation in the General Plan Update. Environmental groups have advocated for Option 3, the best option to protect our forests. CCWI believes the No Net Loss Provision of Option 5 is a misnomer, and should be replaced by science-based performance standards. Please show up, provide public comment, and show your support for healthy forests and watersheds. Our message to the Board of Supervisors is: Support Option 3, which offers the best protection for 194,000 acres of forestland from conversions to vineyards. And remove the “No Net Loss” provision from Option 5. “No Net Loss” is a misnomer and a loophole which would allow conversions and habitat destruction. For more information, check www.townhallcoalition.org.

August 18- Forest Slide Show and Skit in preparation for August 23 Forest Conversion meeting. At 6:30PM at Coffee Catz, Sebastopol.

August 4, 2005 - 7PM- The San Francisco Mime Troupe- "Doing Good"
Sebastopol Vets Building, 282 High St. Sebastopol
Political Comedy Theatre at its best! Oil, coup d'etats, dams and roads from the TET Offensive to the fall of the Shah, the Mime Troupe traces history and asks, what price do we pay for affluence? With humor and original music, you will leave the play with renewed energy for change. Join us at this year's hilarious political comedy satire "Doing Good".

July 30- Citizen Monitor Picnic. Have lunch with other citizen water quality monitors at Armstrong Redwood State Park. 12-3 PM. Featured speaker is Alistair Bleifuss of the City of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County Water Agency Creek Stewardship Program.

June 30-Movie Night "Coastal Clash" presented in cooperation with Coast Walk
6:30PM at Coffee Katz, Gravenstein Station Hwy 12 Sebastopol
Redwood Empire Environmental Center, Town Hall Coalition and Community Clean Water Institute present Progressive Film nights: Whose coast is it, anyway? Coastal Clash, a one-hour, high-definition documentary produced by KQED Public Television, takes an in-depth look at the many sides of the struggle for California's shores. From the passage of the Coastal Act in 1976 and the subsequent creation of the California Coastal Commission and California Coastal Conservancy to the current intense pressure for development or for the politics that plague the operations of the California Coastal Commission. Guest speaker: County Supervisor and Coastal Commissioner Mike Reilly.

June 5- "Getting the Truth Out in the Media" William Rivers Pitt speaks on media consolidation and censorship of progressive viewpoints, including pro-environment and anti-war perspectives. Co-sponsored with Town Hall Coalition and numerous other groups. 2-5PM in Santa Rosa.

June 4- Pepperweed project workday at Sebastopol's Laguna Park, and World Environment Day in San Francisco

May 19- Movie Night- "Oil on Ice." A documentary on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and U.S. energy policy. Movie will be followed by a discussion: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. What is to be done? How to reshape environmentalism to bring in more people, engage the mainstream, and get past retrograde policies? at 6:30PM at Coffee Catz, Sebastopol.

May 14- Ocean Song Earth Day, Sonoma Earth Day. www.earthdaysonoma.org

May 5th- Restoration Day at Riverfront Park, off Eastside Road near Windsor, in partnership with LandPaths and Windsor High School.

April 29- Pepperweed project Kick-off party and workday! This Saturday, April 30th, Join with City Council members and the Laguna Lovers at The Sebastopol Community Center on Morris St in Sebastopol. We are excited to use a hands-on, walk lightly, pesticide free approach to managing the invasive plant pepperweed. Bring your gardening gloves, clippers, fingerfood to share, and musical instruments. Early Birds arrive at 8am for first work crew, speakers, music and potluck starting at 11, second work crew at 1 o'clock. Remember to Mark your calendars for Saturday April 30th and join this exciting community project at The Sebastopol Community Center! Information on the Pepperweed Project at 824-1394

April 16- Citizen Monitoring Training Workshop- 10AM -2PM at the Koret Club Monte Rio. Learn how to monitor water quality in the Lower Russian River. Introduction to Citizen Monitoring, Technical Training, and What can we learn from the data collected over the past 3 years?

March 24- City of Santa Rosa Climate Conference.

March 25- George Lakoff in Sonoma, sponsored by the Praxis Peace Institute.

March 10- "Participatory Democracy and Voter Security," Movie Night and Discussion with Eve Roberson, former elections supervisor at 7:30PM at Coffee Catz, Sebastopol. Call for more info. (707) 824-4370.

March 4- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in San Rafael. This event was sponsored by WaterWebs and Sustainable Marin. CCWI co-sponsored a gathering of elected officials to discuss North Bay Water and Energy Sustainability before the event called "The Green Room Event." About 40 progressive elected officials and opinion makers from Marin and Sonoma Counties spent an intense two hours discussing elements of their current agendas for sustainable practices and policies, particularly in the areas of water, energy and climate. Prominent experts in these areas were also there, for example, Gary Wolff, Pacific Institute; Paul Fenn, Local Power, Ned Orrett, water conservation expert, Randy Hayes, Oakland's Sustainability Coordinator, and Sym Van Der Ryn, prominent green architect. The program was facilitated by Mike Sandler, Community Clean Water Institute.

Feb 16- Sushi Night to celebrate the Kyoto Protocol taking effect. CCWI was at Kabuki Sushi in downtown Petaluma.

Feb 10- George Lakoff DVD and book discussion- at 7:30PM at Coffee Catz, Sebastopol.
Call for more info. (707) 824-4370.

The Redwood Empire Environmental Center presents: Post-Election Political Comedy Night
Saturday, January 29, 2005- 7:30 PM
at the Sebastopol Community Center.
Featuring: Amos Glick and Ed Holmes from the San Francisco Mime Troupe as Dubya and Cheney
With live music, raffle, silent auction, and awards for grassroots peace and environmental activists: Pocket Canyon Protection Group, Coffee Lane Alliance, Coastal Forest Alliance, Healdsburg Peace Project.

December 10- CCWI office warming holiday party in Sebastopol
Wine, food, and conversation and celebrate the opening of the Redwood Empire Environmental Center, a new hub of activism in protecting our forests, water, climate, and democracy. Located in Gravenstein Station, 6741 Sebastopol Ave. Ste. 140, next to New Dawn Day Spa across from Coffee Catz.
Our new phone number is (707) 824-4370.

November 12- CCWI presents the film "THIRST" (about citizen struggles against water privatization) as part of the Sustainable Petaluma Film Series. THIRST focuses on what a major source of conflict in the 21st Century: Who has the right to water? Is water part of a shared “commons”, a human right for all people? Or is it a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded in the global marketplace? THIRST reveals dramatic confrontations over these fundamental questions in Bolivia, India and the United States. This groundbreaking film reveals how efforts by powerful corporations to commodify the world’s water supplies have become the catalyst for community resistance to globalization. A groundbreaking film that portrays the conflict between public stewardship and private profit.

November 2, 2004- Get out and vote for candidates who support clean water and healthy watersheds.

October 10, 2004- Humboldt Bay First Flush Monitoring Site Visits.
Learn about the upcoming First Flush Monitoring of Humboldt Bay at site visits with teams on Sunday, October 10th.
At the site visit, you can get a sense for site accessibility, and we will practice collecting samples and testing for pH, Conductivity, and temperature. The tentative schedule for site visits on Sunday October 10th is:
In Eureka: Cooper Gulch and 14th St. at 1PM; Martin Slough/ Fairway/ upstream of Golf Course at 2PM
In Arcata: Jolly Giant at Samoa at 3:30 PM; Grotzman Creek just down stream of Samoa at 4:30 PM

Sunday October 3: North Bay EcoFest-- Panel on Ground Water in Sonoma County
Sebastopol Community Center: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm
Mike Sandler- Community Clean Water Institute
Liza Prunuske -- Prunuske and Chatham Inc.,
Jane Nielson -- SWiG - Sebastopol Water Information Group --
Steve Carle -- OWL Foundation --
Richard Ely -- Registered Geologist , Ed Clark and Associates --

September 17, 2004- CCWI Citizen Monitoring Training, as part of the Russsian River Celebration. Community Clean Water Institute presents a hands-on citizen monitoring training program. Learn how to test the water quality of your rivers and streams, and how to become a citizen monitor. Steelhead Beach, 9000 River Road, Forestville. http://russianrivercelebration.org

September 19-20, 2004- Humboldt Bay First Flush Monitoring Training. Learn about the upcoming First Flush Monitoring of Humboldt Bay at a workshop in Eureka.

August 21, 2004- Russian River Beer Revival
A benefit for the Pocket Canyon Protection Group and Town Hall Coalition.
Stumptown Brewery, 15045 River Road, Guerneville. 1-5 PM. Music, food, beverages, and lotsof fun.
For more information, check www.pocketcanyon.org.

August 5, 2004- San Francisco Mime Troupe at Analy High School in Sebastopol. For more information contact Town Hall Coalition.

July 21- Volunteer Monitoring Orientation for Willow Creek and the Lower Russian River-
Where: Jenner Community Center
When: July 21, 2004 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Agenda includes:
An introduction to Citizen Monitoring, protecting our watersheds for salmonids, the restoration of Willow Creek, and water quality in the Lower Russian River.
Presented by: Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods , Community Clean Water Institute, LandPaths

April 21- Earth Day at Valley of the Moon Boys and Girls Club in the Town of Sonoma.

April 18- Whole Foods Earth Day in Sebastopol. On the Plaza in Sebastopol.

April 17- Kick off Event and Citizen Monitoring Training for the Lower Russian River Water Quality Monitoring Project-
April 17th from 10AM-2PM at Anderson Hall in Camp Meeker.
Learn how to become a citizen monitor, what’s new with CCWI’s citizen monitoring program, and how to get involved at this kick-off event and citizen monitoring training.
Agenda:
-Introduction to Citizen Monitoring and Community Clean Water Institute’s Citizen Monitoring Program
-The Lower Russian River Water Quality Monitoring Project
-Technical Training: Coliform testing, Nutrients (Nitrate, Phosphate) testing, Winkler method for DO
-Lunch/ Discussion: Suggestions for Citizen Monitoring in the Russian River
-Basic Data Quality Management (DQM) for citizen monitors
- What is DQM?: Accuracy and Precision, Instruments and Calibration to achieve “data of known quality”/ “defensible data”, Repeated measurements- Replicates and Duplicates
-Finally, what you’ve all been waiting for: The Unveiling of CCWI’s 2003 Data

This event is free and open to the public. Bring $5 for lunch. This project is funded a grant from the State Water Resources Control Board. For more information email mike@ccwi.org.

April 16- Famed Civil Rights Attorney Tony Serra at the Veterans Memorial Building in Sebastopol. For more information, contact Town Hall Coalition.

2003

November 12- Watergy Workshop.
When you use less water, you also use less energy. CCWI is promoting water and energy efficiency and conservation to water agencies and municipalities. "Watergy" (website www.watergy.org) is a program of the Alliance to Save Energy, based in Washington, DC. There will be a Watergy workshop for Sonoma and Marin water agency staff and board members on November 12. Thank you to co-sponsors: Sonoma County Water Agency, Marin Municipal Water District,City of Santa Rosa Public Utilities Department, Sonoma County Climate Protection Campaign, Alliance to Save Energy, and others. Call the CCWI office for more information email mike@ccwi.org.

November 6th Community Forum: Forests and Climate Change
Learn about specific threats to the world's largest trees and the impacts of global climate change on our coastal redwood forests and watersheds. Slideshow Presentation by Dr. Reese Halter of Global Forest Society. Dr. Halter is President and founder of Global Forest Society (www.globalforestscience.org) which is conducting studies of forests around the world and the effects of climate change and other factors impacting their health and survival.
When: Thursday, November 6th at 7 PM
Where: Occidental Community Center (corner of Bohemian Hwy and Graton Rd. in Occidental. Across from Harmony School) Sponsored by CCWI and Town Hall Coalition.

Russian River Celebration
September 13 -21 http://russianrivercelebration.org

June 20th- Climate Change Movie Night. 7PM at the Petaluma Coffee Company, Petaluma. Featured movies include: The Cost of Cool, and the Future is Wild. For more information, check www.sustainablepetaluma.org

May 28th- HSU Student Presentations on Clean Water in Fortuna- Sponsored by Community Clean Water Institute, the Fortuna Creeks Project, and Friends of the Van Duzen. Three HSU students presented the results of their semester-long research projects in Fortuna on May 28th at 7PM at the library at Fortuna Union High School.
When: Wednesday, May 28th from 7 to 9:30PM.
Where: Fortuna Union High School, Library, 379 12th Street, Fortuna
Presenters:
Jennifer Fuller, Environmental Engineering- "Energy efficiency in the City of Fortuna's wastewater treatment plant"
Jennifer Cole, Fisheries Department- "Evaluation of water quality monitoring on urban streams in Fortuna, California from 1997 to 2003."
Tyler Brandenburg, Geography- "Aquatic Classroom Ecosystems and Earth Science Systems for High School Curriculums."

May 17- Coastal Snapshot Day. Call the CCWI office for details on how you can participate.

May 17- West County Watershed Day. CCWI will have a table at Salmon Creek Middle School, Bohemian Highway, Occidental. See you there.

2002

Monday, December 9, 2002 Water Bags Teach-In:
Alliance for Democracy, Town Hall Coalition, Community Clean Water Institute, and World Stewardship Institute host a discussion of the Gualala Water Bags Issue.
Sonoma County Public Library, Santa Rosa
Featuring: Nancy Price, National Co-chair, Alliance for Democracy
Juliette Beck, Public Citizen, Water For All Campaign
Michael Warburton, Public Trust Alliance

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2002 Community Forum on Gualala and Albion Water Bags, Water Rights, Privatization, and the Public Trust.
Discussing a plan by Alaska Water Exports, Inc. to fill giant plastic bags with water from the Gualala and Albion Rivers via underground pipes, and transport them down the coast to sell to San Diego for a (private) profit. (No joke!)
At the Sebastopol United Methodist Church, and featuring: Ursula Jones and Don Kemp- Friends of the Gualala River; Assemblymember Patricia Wiggins;Antonia Juhasz- International Forum on Globalization. Co-sponsored by the Town Hall Coalition.

October 18th-National Water Monitoring Day
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, organizations nationwide will be monitoring water quality on October 18th, 2002 or close to that date. CCWI will be coordinating a monitoring of several sites in Sonoma County. This National Water Monitoring Day is a part of the Year Of Clean Water activities. More information can be found at www.yearofcleanwater.org

CCWI Citizen Monitor Orientation at the 2002 Russian River Watershed Celebration
Wed., Sept. 18, 5PM, Steelhead Beach, River Rd., Forestville. Learn how to do simple water quality tests to preserve the water quality in rivers and streams.
http://www.russianrivercelebration.org/

Russian River Appreciation Festival- Sept. 15, 2002 3-6 PM, Hop Kiln Winery, 6050 Westside Road, Healdsburg

Progressive Festival- Sept- 29, 2002 11 AM-6 PM, Walnut Park, D St., Petaluma

Citizen Monitoring Orientation- June 10th, June 13th, 2002
Please join us at a new citizen monitor orientation June 10th in Sebastopol, and June 13th in Santa Rosa. You can learn how to do simple water quality tests to preserve the water quality in rivers and streams.

West County Watershed Day- May 18th, 2002
CCWI will have a table at West County Watershed Day on May 18th, at Salmon Creek School in Occidental. Bohemian Highway between Freestone and Occidental.
10 AM - 4 PM. See you there! West County Watershed Day is a collaborative community event sponsored by West County Watershed Network (WCW Network).

For more information, check: http://www.sonic.net/~abadella/

Youth Activist Convergence

CCWI co-sponsored the Youth Activist Convergence, and hosted a workshop on Youth Efforts for Clean Water.

On April 12-14, 2002 CCWI co-sponsored the Youth Activist Convergence to be held at the Community Center and Teen Center, in Sebastopol, CA. The Convergence is a youth-inspired and youth-driven conference that will bring hundreds of young activists and concerned citizens together for a weekend of workshops, speakers, demonstrations, creative presentations, and skills training along with live music, films, and other entertainment.

Sonoma County Water Action Forum

CCWI co-sponsored the Sonoma County Water Action Forum on Saturday, February 9, 2002.

The Forum was the first event put on by the North Coast Water Coalition. The Coalition is forming around issues common to water activists in the North Coast. The event successfully promoted interaction between legal, political, and watershed groups, who can collaborate on promoting clean water, and sustainable water policy and stewardship.

Protecting water quantity and quality is probably the most important issue facing the Northern California Coast. Successfully managing our watersheds for a potable water supply in perpetuity must address all of our issues - fisheries, timber, gravel mining, agriculture, urbanization, wastewater, pollution, habitats, land use planning, and governance.

People working on water issues in Sonoma County share much in common. Often we find ourselves concentrating on our own area of expertise or interest. However, in order to really effect change we need to broaden our base and network with other groups. We all face the same challenges finding good candidates to run for the Board of Supervisors, City Councils; and Water, School and Park and Recreation Boards and getting them elected to office. By working together, we can create a countywide influence that cannot be ignored.

If you're concerned about changing the direction of politics, policy and legal action regarding safe and healthy water in Sonoma County, please come and join the North Coast Water Coalition.

For more information visit www.sonomaconnection.com/ncwc

Activists build coalition to protect North Coast Water
By Anna Oberthur
Russian River Monthly, March 1, 2002 p.4

In the cities or Medieval Europe the water supplies were so contaminated that people were forced to drink wine instead.

Today, huge portions of the world's population still lack access to safe drinking water.

And while clean water may seem plentiful in peaceful hamlets of the Redwood Empire, water conservationists and activists say the North Coast's supply is in danger - and the time to save it is now or never.

Some 150 community organizers gathered February 9 at the Santa Rosa Veteran's Building to discuss water issues and to establish a coalition that can efficiently work to protect the North Coast's water supply.

The free, daylong event was sponsored by the North Coast Water Coalition, an umbrella organization of about 20 groups working to protect water resources in the region. Titled the "Sonoma County Water Action Forum," it was the coalition's first big meeting.

"It was very, very successful," said Lynn Hamilton, one of the principle organizers. "As issues come up, we'll be working together. We'll be able to give support and information and expertise."

Hamilton is a board member of the Town Coalition, one of the groups that sponsored the forum.

The event featured panelists from around the North Coast who outlined major water issues, including gravel mining in the Russian River, overall watershed health, forestry practices and wastewater. Their comments focused on the importance of maintaining the health of the Russian River and the entire watershed, acknowledging the North Coast Water Coalition's motto: "A river runs through us."

"Water is a central issue," Christina Carpenter of Sustainable Sonoma County said. "It touches all of our lives and it is threatened to a degree that very few people are aware of."

The event focused on three areas: political action, legal action, and protection of watersheds.

Organizers hope that a tightly woven coalition will be able to tackle water issues with efficiency and speed. They believe that through the coalition, activist groups can better represent all parties involved - because everyone needs clean water.

"The walls and borders between organizations have got to disappear if we are going to succeed." Panelist Larry Barnett of the Sonoma City Council told the crowd. "The problem is everybody is fighting their own battles as if they are separate."

A second, larger forum is being planned for some time in the next few months. Hamilton said it will focus on water costs, public health, the Clean Water Act and water rights. It will be open to the public, and according to Hamilton, could draw as many as 500 people.

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