The American River Watershed Group was founded in 1996 after a call for collaboration in resource management issues in the North and Middle Forks American River. ARWG interests are centered around five themes:
1) Safety of life, property and resources;
2) Healthy forests;
3) Abundant and high quality water;
4) Sustainable economics;
5) Education.
ARWG operates under a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) that signatories voluntarily participate using a process of consensus around member issues. Committees are formed to shepherd work from the initial concept phase through implementation. Signatories organize themselves in pursuit of grants and other opportunities to advance ARWG interests. ARWG has been successful in knitting together the agency, business, education, non-profit and citizen communities.
Since ARWG is a fiscal non-entity, a member steps into a leadership role. Successful projects include:
Placer County's lead in support of Proposition 204 when Bay Delta water quality was protected from sediment by fuel-load reduction in support of fire prevention.
Placer County Resource Conservation District is taking the lead on a Category 3 Watershed Stewardship Strategy? effort.
