RESOURCES
*LOCAL RESOURCES*
AGVWC's Informational Trifold
Hazards of Toxic Insecticides, Herbicides, & Fungicides & Safer Alternatives
The Watershed at a Glance The Atascadero / Green Valley Watershed stretches across western Sonoma County, feeding creeks, wetlands, and groundwater that support farms, wildlife, and communities. It provides habitat for a wide variety of mammals, threatened steelhead trout, coho salmon, amphibians, raptors, and pollinators. As a critical source of clean water, the watershed is highly vulnerable to pollution from land management practices. Toxic compounds designed to kill living things, collectively “biocides,” pose threats to healthy ecosystems.
Hazards of Biocides Biocide use puts the Atascadero / Green Valley Watershed and all who depend on it at risk. By choosing safe, non-toxic alternatives, property owners and managers can protect pollinators, restore ecosystem balance, and help ensure a thriving watershed for generations to come.
💧 Water Contamination
Property owners and managers in the watershed can protect water, wildlife, and people by adopting non-toxic land care practices:
For Weed Control
✔️ Choose non-toxic methods first – chemicals last (if ever)
✔️ Support soil and water health with composting and organic land care
✔️ Educate neighbors and others about watershed-friendly practices
✔️ Advocate for toxic-free zones near schools, trails, and waterways
📌 More Resources:
SHaRP Report: Salmonid Restoration Plan for Lower Russian River
Goldridge Resource Conservation District
Green Valley Road Flooding Conditions Livestream
Daily Acts: Water-Wise Living - Assessing your own landscape
from Daily Acts:
For folks interested in passive rain water harvesting (storing water in the soil and ground):
For those folks wanting more information on plant design:
Salmon Creek Watershed Council
*STATEWIDE AND GLOBAL RESOURCES*
Restoration Organizations
NOAA Fisheries: responsible for the stewardship of the nation's ocean resources and their habitat
Firewise
*MEDIA*
Beavers as Engineers - PBS article
AGVWC's Informational Trifold
Hazards of Toxic Insecticides, Herbicides, & Fungicides & Safer Alternatives
The Watershed at a Glance The Atascadero / Green Valley Watershed stretches across western Sonoma County, feeding creeks, wetlands, and groundwater that support farms, wildlife, and communities. It provides habitat for a wide variety of mammals, threatened steelhead trout, coho salmon, amphibians, raptors, and pollinators. As a critical source of clean water, the watershed is highly vulnerable to pollution from land management practices. Toxic compounds designed to kill living things, collectively “biocides,” pose threats to healthy ecosystems.
Hazards of Biocides Biocide use puts the Atascadero / Green Valley Watershed and all who depend on it at risk. By choosing safe, non-toxic alternatives, property owners and managers can protect pollinators, restore ecosystem balance, and help ensure a thriving watershed for generations to come.
💧 Water Contamination
- Rain and irrigation carry chemicals into creeks and groundwater
- Toxic residues can persist in soil and leach into drinking water sources
- Herbicides and pesticides disrupt fish development, reduce oxygen in streams, and kill aquatic invertebrates that fish rely on for food
- Amphibians such as frogs and salamanders are especially sensitive, with some herbicides linked to deformities and population decline
- Neonicotinoids, glyphosate, and other chemicals harm bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects essential for farming and native plants
- Linked to cancers, hormone disruption, and neurological damage
- Children, pregnant people, and pets are most vulnerable to exposure
- Toxic chemicals weaken soil health, reduce biodiversity, and make the watershed less resilient to droughts, floods, and climate changeer, Non-toxic Alternatives
Property owners and managers in the watershed can protect water, wildlife, and people by adopting non-toxic land care practices:
For Weed Control
- Mulching (wood chips, straw, or leaf litter) to suppress weeds and conserve moisture
- Hand weeding & hoeing for targeted, chemical-free removal
- Cover crops (such as clover or vetch) to enrich soil and compete with weeds
- Managed grazing with goats or sheep in larger parcels
- Habitat planting: Create hedgerows, riparian buffers, and pollinator gardens with native species
- Beneficial insects: Encourage lady beetles, lacewings, and predatory wasps
- Botanical sprays: Use neem oil, insecticidal soap, or horticultural oils instead of synthetics
- Biological controls: Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for caterpillars instead of broad-spectrum insecticides
- OMRI-certified alternatives: any alternative certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (https://www.omri.org/)
- Avoid spraying during bloom to protect bees and butterflies
- Plant native wildflowers and grasses to provide year-round food sources
- Establish no-spray buffer zones along streams, wetlands, and ditches
✔️ Choose non-toxic methods first – chemicals last (if ever)
✔️ Support soil and water health with composting and organic land care
✔️ Educate neighbors and others about watershed-friendly practices
✔️ Advocate for toxic-free zones near schools, trails, and waterways
📌 More Resources:
- Atascadero / Green Valley Watershed Council: https://www.agvwc.org/
- Beyond Pesticides: https://www.beyondpesticides.org/
- California Native Plant Society, Milo Baker Chapter: https://chapters.cnps.org/milobaker/
- Gold Ridge Resource Conservation Dist.: https://goldridgercd.org/programs/watersheds/
- Pesticide Action Network: https://www.panna.org/
- Sonoma Safe Ag Safe Schools: https://www.sonomasass.org/
- USGS Pesticides and Water Quality: www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/pesticides-and-water-quality
- Xerces Society – Pollinator-friendly practices: https://xerces.org/
SHaRP Report: Salmonid Restoration Plan for Lower Russian River
Goldridge Resource Conservation District
- Green Valley Creek Watershed Management Plan, 2021
- Upper Green Valley Creek Streamflow Improvement Plan, 2019
- The Upper Green Valley Creek Watershed Management Plan, 2014
Green Valley Road Flooding Conditions Livestream
Daily Acts: Water-Wise Living - Assessing your own landscape
from Daily Acts:
For folks interested in passive rain water harvesting (storing water in the soil and ground):
- Swales 101 and Rain Gardens 101
- Rain Garden Webinar
- Daily Acts' Rain Garden at the Petaluma Library.
- Design Guide to Rain Gardens.
- Swales on Contour (Using swales as a solution for flooding while slowing and sinking water on a steep slope).
For those folks wanting more information on plant design:
- Climate Appropriate Planting Design Template
- Master Gardeners Garden Sense Program
- Water Smart Landscape Design Templates from Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership
- Calscapes Native Plant Lists
Salmon Creek Watershed Council
*STATEWIDE AND GLOBAL RESOURCES*
Restoration Organizations
NOAA Fisheries: responsible for the stewardship of the nation's ocean resources and their habitat
Firewise
*MEDIA*
Beavers as Engineers - PBS article
Images are links to larger files online
"Our Watershed" Map
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Aerial Photo of Atascadero Wetlands 2010
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Click on image to full size map
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