Protect the Lower Klamath Basin and other great places in California

The Nature Conservancy and a Shasta Valley rancher have found common ground in their desire to protect both an important salmon nursery and a ranching lifestyle long cherished by local residents.
 

The mighty Klamath River carves a wide path from the mountains of southern Oregon through California’s northern tier before emptying into the Pacific. Until the last century, the river and its tributaries supported one of the greatest concentrations of salmon and steelhead on the Pacific Coast. Tales from the Old West evoke a time when salmon were so numerous that locals claimed they could cross the river on their backs.

However, since those old days things have changed. Many aspects of the local economy, particularly ranching and agriculture, rely on the same water that fish do. With so many demands on limited water supplies, issues related to water rights, water quality and distribution have made local and national headlines in recent years.

In the Klamath Basin, which extends from southern Oregon into northern California, The Nature Conservancy’s California Program is focusing its efforts on the Shasta River and its tributaries, which give life to the Lower Klamath’s expansive Shasta Valley. Driven by snowmelt from 14,162-foot Mount Shasta, the Shasta River’s cold flows create one of the most important spawning tributaries, or nurseries, for Chinook salmon in the entire Klamath Basin.

In 2005 The Nature Conservancy and its partners made an investment in the beautiful Shasta Valley with the purchase of the 1,700-acre Nelson Ranch, which includes five miles of the Shasta River. This is the first time a private conservation group has purchased a property of this size in the valley, and it represents an important step in the Conservancy's effort to find common ground between conservationists and the local community.

The Conservancy purchased the Nelson Ranch for $3.375 million through a partnership with Stillwater Development, a conservation-minded investment company. The Nelson family, longtime ranchers and residents in Shasta Valley, had moved out of the area and leased the property to a local rancher. Chuck Nelson, acting on behalf of the Nelson family, began working with Stillwater Development to sell the ranch, but he wanted to be sure that its natural beauty and ranching lifestyle would be preserved for future generations.

Nelson began working with Stillwater Development to find a suitable buyer for the ranch; Stillwater then approached The Nature Conservancy. Together, Stillwater Development, the Nelson family and The Nature Conservancy concluded that the best way to keep the ranch and its fragile natural areas intact would be for the Conservancy to acquire the ranch and for conservation-compatible grazing to continue.

As a result, the ranch will continue to support the local agricultural economy and contribute to the county tax rolls. Simultaneously, the Conservancy will conduct an inventory of natural resources on the property, investigate salmon and steelhead issues, and learn about water use in the region as it relates to private landowners.

Safeguarding the Nelson Ranch marks the beginning of the Conservancy’s efforts to restore the Shasta River. We will apply sound science, collaborate with partners, identify values we share with the local community, and seek positive, innovative solutions to key conservation issues. Our goal is to develop and implement strategies that benefit both nature and humans and provide lasting protection for this remarkable place.