WE MAKE CALIFORNIA NORTHSTATE’S RIVERS HEALTHIER – JOIN US!
Since the year 2000, the Feather River Chapter has been working to care for and recover rivers and fisheries in Northern California. Most of our work focuses on the cold trout streams in our area, including Feather River, Yuba River, and Upper Truckee River, and the tributaries that flow into them.
Beyond our home waters, we collaborate with TU staff and partners in our Priority Waters, advocating for our rivers, restoring stream habitats, planting native trees, and helping connect kids to the outdoors, among other initiatives.
Our conservation and restoration work relies on volunteers and supporters to be successful, and thanks to all of you, we can:
- Clean up trash along local rivers and streams
- Plant native trees and shrubs to keep rivers cool and prevent erosion
- Restore degraded habitat through in-stream projects
- Support TU’s national network of Priority Waters through advocacy, volunteerism, and contributions
Support our river restoration work today! As an all-volunteer organization, we need your time, expertise, and donations to continue our great work!
Protect, Reconnect, Restore & Sustain
Our river restoration work uses Trout Unlimited’s “landscape approach” to conservation to address the many issues impacting the health of our rivers, streams, and the watersheds in which they flow. It is not enough to simply plant trees along a river to reduce erosion, shade, and cool the water. Nor is it adequate to just focus on removing dams and culverts that block fish migration. And just reducing the volume of polluted stormwater runoff flowing into streams – while positive – on its own is not enough to turn the tide.
To truly restore our local rivers, we must do all of the above – and more – so that the entire ecosystem is brought back into balance.
Not only are we working to repair the damage caused by historic activities such as logging, agriculture, industry and development, but now we are also driving to build resilience into our rivers and streams so they can withstand the coming pressures of man-made climate change and the expected increase in droughts, floods, temperature and volatility in the coming years and decades.
Current and ongoing monitoring projects with the Feather River Chapter
The Feather River Chapter is involved with several partners assessing the health of our rivers and the fish that live in them.
The Upper Feather River Basin Wide Fish Assessment is an assessment of Rainbow Trout distribution and habitat condition that was conducted for the Feather River watershed upstream of Lake Oroville.
Whirling Disease in the Upper Feather River. The Upper Feather River Basin Fisheries Assessment and Restoration Strategy (Rogers et al., 2018) identified M. cerebralis management as a priority concern. This Management Plan, hereafter referred to as “The Plan”, summarizes the research findings and recommendations of a Technical Advisory Group convened to address the pathogen in the Upper Feather River Basin (the Basin).
Little Truckee River Watershed Assessment. In the Spring of 2011, Feather River Trout Unlimited applied for a $40,000 grant to do a watershed assessment for the Little Truckee River from the diversion structure downstream to the Stampede Reservoir delta. Feather River TU was awarded the grant, and the study was implemented in 2013. The assessment results were presented in 2014.
Conservation and Restoration Activities with all of you summarized in Blog Posts
- Susan River Public Lands Day 2025
Feather River TU pitched in with the Lassen Land and Trails Trust, the Bureau of Land Management, and Keep California Beautiful on Susanville Public Lands Day on September 27, 2025. Over 50 volunteers took care of the Bizz Johnson Trail, a former railroad grade running along the Susan River. Projects improved river access and reduced - SODA CREEK RESTORATION AND FISH LADDER
Feather River TU volunteers assisted Plumas National Forest with cleaning rubble and sediment from the Soda Creek fish ladder. This ladder enables trout to access the cold water of Soda Creek from the East Branch of the North Fork Feather River, a formerly famous trout fishery which now often becomes too warm for trout in - PAIUTE CREEK RESTORATION
Trout Unlimited partnered with Symbiotic Restoration, Keep California Beautiful, and the Honey Lake Valley Resource Conservation District to restore Paiute Creek in Susanville Ranch Park on October 13, 2024. About 30 volunteers helped with planting willows and augmenting artificial beaver dams to moderate stream flows and reduce erosion. Thanks to all who turned out! - Middle Fork Feather River Cleanup
Thanks to folks that helped with the cleanup of the Middle Fork of the Feather River on September 21, 2024. About 15 members and other volunteers turned out to pick up trash from the old Blairsden bridge to the highway 89 bridge. We’re happy to say there was not a huge amount of trash, but