The Russian River Watershed encompasses 1,500 square miles of forests, agricultural lands, and urban areas within Sonoma and Mendocino Counties; 95% of the watershed is in private ownership. The Russian River is about 110 miles long and flows from its headwaters near Redwood and Potter Valleys into the Pacific Ocean near the town of Jenner on the Sonoma Coast.

The Russian River is a vital resource in Northern California providing water for residential and agricultural use (the river supplies drinking water to over 500,000 area residents in Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties), a popular summer vacation destination, one of the most heavily used rivers for canoeing in the nation during summer months , and habitat for thirty-four species of fish including three endangered salmonid species.