Battle Creek is considered to be the watershed with the highest potential for restoring salmon and steelhead in the Sacramento River Watershed for a number of reasons, including: historic and current land uses, private stewardship of much of the land, and the minimal development of most of the watershed. The rural landscape, which is highly valued by the residents of the watershed, includes ranches owned by generations of the same family, timberlands, and higher alpine areas, which are economically and historically valuable.

In 1997, a stakeholder-based Battle Creek Working Group (BCWG) was formed to accelerate salmon and steelhead restoration in the watershed based on the AFRP. The BCWG includes stakeholder representatives from the State and federal resource agencies, and fishery, environmental, local, agricultural, power, and urban stakeholders communities. Also in 1997, the Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy (BCWC) was formed to provide representation for landowners, stakeholders, and residents of the watershed. Its purpose was to look beyond efforts to simply "fix" the creek, but to consider the long-term health of the entire watershed.

An opportunity exists for the landowners and residents of the Battle Creek watershed to retain their rural landscape and lifestyle while at the same time working to restore Battle Creek and its surroundings to a healthy environment for both fish and other wildlife. Preserving the rural lifestyle, agricultural heritage, and existing land uses of the Battle Creek watershed is recognized as essential for the resurgence of the anadromous fish populations. It is becoming widely recognized and accepted that maintaining farmland saves wildlife, including anadromous fish. The intent of this document is to provide watershed residents with the framework for continued responsible stewardship through effective management practices.

STRATEGY SUMMARY

The Battle Creek Watershed Community Strategy is the framework for future watershed restoration and education activities in the Battle Creek Watershed. It was developed in response to the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program (AFRP) led by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which saw an opportunity to increase natural production of anadromous fish by augmenting and assisting restoration efforts presently conducted by local watershed workgroups. The program emphasizes strategies and actions to support the restoration of large runs of chinook salmon to Battle Creek and the continuation of a healthy, fully functioning watershed. Recognizing the stewardship responsibilities all landowners assume within the watershed, the strategies emphasize on-the-ground actions and best management practices to ensure the future continued health of the watershed.

The most significant part of this document consists of thirteen strategies and related recommendations to achieve the goal of the Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy: "To preserve the environmental and economic resources of the Battle Creek watershed through responsible stewardship, liaison, cooperation, and education."

The strategy was developed with information gathered during numerous community meetings held throughout the watershed during the past ten years (1997-2007). Many of the meetings were sponsored by the Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy, or were jointly sponsored by both the Conservancy and the Battle Creek Watershed Project. The Conservancy also sponsored a series of six meetings from March-April 1999 to provide residents of the watershed communities with the opportunity to review the strategy document draft and to make comments and recommendations. The resulting document reflects the input received from stakeholders at the community meetings. It also reflects comments and recommendations made by current and past BCWC Board members.

This community strategy is a living, adaptive management document and planning guide that will reflect new resource management issues and also guide implementation priorities. It provides us with the framework for continued responsible stewardship through effective management practices.

We look forward to working with our many stakeholders to provide the improvements necessary to protect and enhance our watershed, one of the most unique in California.