The Napa River is One of the Largest Rivers Draining to San Francisco Bay

A U.S. EPA Region 9 competitive grant program is helping implement TMDLs to improve water quality, protect wetlands, and advance green development planning throughout the Bay Area.

The Napa River Sediment TMDL was approved by EPA in 2011 to restore steelhead and Chinook salmon populations which have suffered declines as a result of high concentrations of fine sediment. Four categories of human-caused sediment sources were identified and will be addressed by this grant: channel incision/bank erosion, vineyards, rangelands, and roads.

Grantee: Napa County
Funding: $3,265,000 = $1.5 million (EPA grant) + $1,765,000 (Napa County match+leverage).
Expected project completion date: June 2014

Projects	Partners	Funding
Rutherford Reach Restoration Restore 0.9 miles of the Napa River to improve salmonid habitat and water quality by constructing a widened riparian corridor and removing vineyards to enlarge the floodplain, followed by three years of revegetation to stabilize stream banks. Develop a plan to monitor physical, water quality and geomorphic changes and fish habitat conditions that will then be implemented with landowner funds.	Napa County, Rutherford Reach Dust Restoration Team	$1,680,000 = $450,000 (EPA grant) + $1,230,000 (Napa County)
Oakville - Oak Knoll Reach Restoration Design Complete restoration design along 3.9 miles of this river reach, including pursuing landowner agreements to allow restoration to occur. (May 2012-January 2014) Achieve habitat enhancement through removal of Arundo, an invasive plant, as its eradication progresses through the Napa River. (January 2012-June 2014) Eradicate 5 acres of invasive non-native Giant Reed and plant native riparian trees	Napa County, California Land Stewardship Institute	$720,000 = $395,000 (EPA grant) + $325,000 (Napa County)
Ranch Water Quality Plans Conduct outreach and education to ranchers to incorporate BMPs into ranch plans to foster implementation on 80% of Napa watershed grazing lands.  Activities will include site evaluations and workshops.	Napa Resource Conservation District, UC Cooperative Extension	$225,000 = $155,000 (EPA grant) + $70,000 (Napa County)
Rural Roads Assessment Assess, prioritize, and implement BMPs to reduce sediment runoff from rural roads and stream crossings per the TMDL's 50% sediment delivery reduction goal. Update the County Roads Maintenance Manual with improved BMPs to guide these future road improvement projects.	Napa County, Napa Resource Conservation District, Contractors	$420,000 = $200,000 (EPA grant) + $120,000 (Napa County)
TMDL Tracking & Accounting System Develop a TMDL tracking system.  Identify tools to prioritize implementation to advance water quality improvements through increased accountability and improve ability to make cost-effective decisions.	Napa County, Contractors	$220,000 = $200,000 (EPA grant) + $20,000 (Napa County)

Environmental Results

• Sediment load reduction of approximately 3,000 tons/year equal to 16% of the total annual TMDL target reduction for channel erosion in the Napa River watershed
• Repair of approximately 1,800 feet of eroding banks in the Rutherford Reach
• Riparian habitat enhancement with eradication of 5 acres of Arundo
• Rancher BMP implementation to control sediment and pathogens on 80% of grazing lands in the Napa River