Following a record-breaking winter, South Yuba River Citizen League (SYRCL) scientists were eager to check in on the success of the restoration completed in 2022 during Phase 1 of the Van Norden Meadow Restoration Project! Van Norden meadow (Yayalu Itdeh in Washoe), an important 485-acre meadow at the headwaters of the South Yuba River, is […]
South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL)
SYRCL’s Community Dog Walk on September 9
The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) is calling all dog owners and nature enthusiasts! Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 9th, from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, as we come together for a fun and purposeful event aimed at preserving the beauty of our local waterways. You and your leashed dog can join SYRCL […]
Aaron Zettler-Mann Promoted to SYRCL Executive Director
The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) proudly announces the appointment of Aaron Zettler-Mann as its new Executive Director, marking a significant step in the organization’s ongoing commitment to the preservation and restoration of the Yuba River watershed. George Olive, SYRCL’s Board President, announced the board’s decision after a rigorous nationwide search. Aaron Zettler-Mann has […]
SYRCL’s Yuba River Cleanup: Volunteer Registration Now Open
The South Yuba River Citizens League’s Annual River Cleanup is turning 26 this year and registration to participate is open at www.yubariver.org. Each September since 1997, as part of a larger cleanup effort called California Coastal Cleanup Day, SYRCL has organized an annual Yuba River Cleanup event uniting the community to remove the trash that […]
Rotary Screw Traps are coming to the North Yuba
Rotary Screw Traps (RSTs) are specially designed sampling devices used to capture downstream migrating juvenile fish such as salmon and steelhead. They are large, cylindrical traps that float on pontoons. This October, two RSTs will be installed on the North Yuba River, one at Rocky Rest Campground at RM 25.6 and the other along Old […]
The Role of SYRCL’s Annual Yuba River Cleanup in Pollution Prevention
The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range encompasses around 400 miles in California, housing an extensive network of rivers and streams that converge and flow through the Central Valley into the Pacific Ocean. The Sierra is also rich in natural resources, producing 60% of California’s water supply and supplying the state with 50% of its hydroelectric energy. […]
SYRCL’s Aspen Volunteer Days July 14-15 at Loney Meadow
The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) has been involved in aspen restoration for over 6 years now, with a Yuba River watershed-wide aspen assessment completed last year. To involve our community with the work we do, we are hosting Aspen Volunteer Days on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15 at 10 am at […]
SYRCL’s River Ambassadors: What We Learned Over Memorial Weekend
Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the start of the “river season” in Nevada County, where locals and out-of-towners alike descend upon the Yuba River in droves, looking to cool down and enjoy the unparalleled beauty of area. For this reason, Memorial Day weekend is also the start of the South Yuba River Citizens League and […]
SYRCL: Mixed Reactions to the Closed-Door Yuba River Negotiations
On May 16th , Governor Newsom, along with Yuba Water Agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) held a press conference announcing efforts to build a fish passage canal around Daguerre Point Dam and begin a reintroduction trap-and- haul effort around New Bullards Bar Dam. The […]
SYRCL’s River Ambassador Program Seeks Outdoor Enthusiasts to be Part of the Solution
Living in Nevada County, you’ve probably realized that our beloved Yuba River has been “discovered”. With an estimated 800,000+ people visiting the South Yuba River State Park every year, the South Yuba River Citizens League’s River Ambassador program was developed in 2012 in partnership between SYRCL and State Parks to ensure that the Yuba River […]
SYRCL Brings Back Wild for the Yuba
Nevada City –The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) invites the community to Wild for the Yuba – a special Dinner & Auction – on Saturday June 3, 2023, from 6:00-9:30pm at the beautiful grounds of the Wheelhouse Event Center in Nevada City. Wild for the Yuba is SYRCL’s party for the river featuring a […]
Op-Ed | SYRCL: California can’t afford the Idaho-Maryland Mine
In 2019, Rise Gold Corp., a private company based out of Canada, submitted plans to the Nevada County Planning Department outlining a proposal to reopen the long-abandoned Idaho-Maryland Mine – hidden away beneath the vibrant community of Grass Valley, an archive of toxic mine waste and an intricate underground tunnel system dating back to the […]
STATE of the YUBA Invites the Community to Take Action for the River
Join the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) on Wednesday, April 26 at the annual State of the Yuba address at Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley. State of the Yuba is SYRCL’s free, open to the public report to the watershed community. It’s also an invitation to take action for the river. Hear from […]
Yuba Is The Heart, SYRCL’s 40th Anniversary Film, available to watch online
Forty years ago, the South Yuba River Citizens League began caring for the South Yuba River by advocating for dam removal and gaining Wild and Scenic protection. Today, their work encompasses the entire Yuba River watershed – from the Sierra crest to the valley floor. To celebrate SYRCL’s fortieth anniversary, they commissioned a film from […]
Op-Ed | SYRCL Action – Say No To The Idaho-Maryland Mine
Nevada City, CA — In November 2019, Rise Gold submitted a project description to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine with the hope of extracting gold on the 119-acre New Brunswick site. SYRCL has been researching the project since then. We have concluded that the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine poses a significant threat to our […]
SYRCL’s Annual Quiz Night Is Back
Started in 2002, Quiz Night is the annual spring fundraiser for the South Yuba River Citizens League’s (SYRCL) Youth Environmentalist of the Year scholarship and its year-round River Education programs. Each year, SYRCL awards a $4,000 scholarship to support a local college-bound student who has demonstrated a commitment to the environment and is on their […]
Applications open for SYRCL’s 2023 Environmentalist of the Year Award
Nevada City, CA — Since 2002, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) has offered a $4,000 scholarship to a graduating senior pursuing a degree in the environmental field (science, advocacy, education, art, communication, technology, sustainability, etc.). This year the deadline for students to apply is February 24, 2023. In order to be eligible for […]
Cannabis Cultivation in the Yuba Watershed Workshop: Clarifying Common Misconceptions
Nevada City, CA – Through Growing Green for the Yuba, SYRCL’s goal is to inspire the community to engage in sustainable and ecologically sound cannabis cultivation in the Yuba River watershed. On January 11th from 5:30 to 6:45, join SYRCL, with guest speakers from the Nevada County Cannabis Alliance, at Nevada County Media at 355 […]
Help shape the course of Fish Passage on the Lower Yuba River
Nevada City, CA – The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and the University of California, Santa Cruz are looking for community input on issues surrounding river health, fisheries, and fish passage at Daguerre Point Dam on the lower Yuba River. SYRCL is exploring ways to restore access to habitat for salmon and other native […]
SYRCL Holding Volunteer Open House December 8th
Nevada City, CA – Do you want to do more to help protect the place that you love? Do you want to do some hands-on activism for a cause you believe in? The South Yuba River Citizens League is always looking for dedicated and engaged volunteers to help us protect and preserve the Yuba River […]