River Partners is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization that has been working for over 15 years throughout California to restore over 8,000 acres of riparian habitat for the benefit of wildlife and people. The organization’s unique approach combines restoration science with modern agriculture practices to design and implement large-scale (100+ acres) habitat restoration and mitigation projects. This approach allows River Partners to work with a diverse group of funders, partners, and clients to create projects that not only restore ecological processes and habitats for wildlife, but also improve flood safety and water quality, help address climate change, and increase opportunities for outdoor recreation and education.

With offices in Chico and Modesto, the majority of River Partners’ restoration projects have been located along major rivers in California’s Great Central Valley. In 2009, River Partners ventured further south to San Diego County – a unique region for many reasons, especially because it harbors more threatened and endangered wildlife species than any other county in the United States. San Diego’s rich biodiversity is threatened by many things, including wildfires, flooding, and habitat conversion via agricultural and urban development. Since opening an office in San Diego, River Partners has teamed up with organizations including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department (PUD), the California Conservation Corps, the County of San Diego Urban Corps, the Otay Valley Regional Park, and WILDCOAST to restore over 425 acres of wildlife habitat throughout the county.

River Partners restoration efforts in San Diego County began in the Otay River Watershed, located in the southwestern portion of the county. River Partners designed and implemented a 55 acre riparian restoration project along the delta of the Otay River within the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The project is restoring a riparian forest on former agricultural fields, which has increased habitat for the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo and other Neotropical migratory birds. The project also includes hiking and biking trails that connect to San Diego’s Bayshore Bikeway and the trail system of the Otay Valley Regional Park. Since planting in fall 2012, River Partners biologists have teamed up with the USFWS to conduct bird surveys and monitor responses to the restoration. These surveys have found at least two territorial male Least Bell’s Vireos occupying the site, with one of them confirmed to be paired with a female. In addition to the vireos, biologists identified 45 other bird species using the site in the spring of 2014 including Yellow-breasted Chat, Swainson’s Thrush, and Plumbeous Vireo.

River Partners second project in San Diego County is located on CDFW’s Rancho Jamul Ecological Preserve and the Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Management Area. This 178 acre project includes the restoration of southern coast live oak woodlands as well as coastal sage scrub habitats. The goal is to restore habitat that was lost due to multiple wildfires and create a wildlife corridor connecting CDFW’s existing open space preserves with the Bureau of Land Management’s Otay Mountain Wildlife Area to the south, and the Cleveland National Forest to the east. This corridor restoration will enhance habitat for multiple threatened and endangered species within the watershed and help reduce the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation.

Currently, River Partners is working with the City of San Diego PUD on two projects to restore approximately 200 additional acres of riparian and upland habitat within the Otay River and San Dieguito River Watersheds. These projects, which are currently in their planning phases, focus on restoring habitat for multiple threatened and endangered species, protecting source water for two of the City’s reservoirs, and increasing recreational opportunities for local communities.

All of these projects (and more to come!) have been made possible by the partnerships that River Partners has formed over the past 15 years, including multiple new partners in San Diego. Specifically, River Partners would like to thank our funders including the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the California Department of Water Resources, the California Natural Resource Agency, CalTrans, the San Diego Foundation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Resource Legacy Fund.

To learn more about the work of River Partners in southern California, contact Heyo Tjarks.