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The Rutherford Dust Restoration
Team's (RDRT or "Our Dirt") Napa River Restoration
Project is a study in landowner responsibility. In 2002,
faced with an impaired river and watershed in their backyard,
the Rutherford Dust Society (RDS) voted unanimously to initiate
a plan to manage and restore the four-mile reach of the
Napa River through the appellation. Rather than wait for
government funding, RDS created the RDRT subcommittee and
looked to the region's landowners to fund the initial phase
of the project.
"To repair the main stem of the Napa River, to restore
habitat, we need owner commitment, a holistic approach and
supportive government agencies," said John Williams,
president of Frog's Leap Winery and RDRT co-chair. "So
far, we have all three."
After six months of landowner-initiated
meetings in the spring and summer of 2002, the initial phase
of the project was announced November 2002. The goal was
to produce a master plan based on a comprehensive analysis
of the overall health of the Napa River as it flows through
Rutherford fitting into the framework of the overall Napa
River watershed.
 Research
included understanding the river's channel and path, noting
fish habitat for threatened steelhead and Chinook salmon,
cataloguing bank erosion, understanding the area’s
ecological history, mapping the prevalence of native and
non-native plant species and Pierce’s Disease host
species, measuring flood potential, and initiating the grant
application process for this ambitious project. Landowners
provided advanced funding of $38,000 and access rights during
the first phase. In addition, the Rutherford Dust Society
and the Department of Fish and Game provided funding.
One year later, the group completed
the Conceptual Plan and presented it to Rutherford and Napa
Valley winery owners, growers, landowners and local government
officials in December 2003. Directed by Ellie Insley of
Ellie Insley & Associates, the Conceptual Plan identifies
the areas that require restoration, how the restoration
will affect and protect vineyard lands and recommended restoration
approaches.
During the December 1, 2003
presentation of the Conceptual Plan, Andy Beckstoffer announced
the creation of the Rutherford River Rats, a group of wineries
and landowners committed to donate funds to the restoration
project Together with Beaulieu Vineyards, Niebaum-Coppola
and Sutter Home Winery, Beckstoffer and the River Rats continued
the private fundraising efforts with a collective $15,000
donation. "It is not enough to make great wine. We
need to keep the momentum of this wonderful restoration
project going. It’s good for the environment and good
for business," said Beckstoffer.
 Vineyard
owners are often discouraged from pursuing their own restoration
programs by the high cost and time required to coordinate
with the multiple government agencies that oversee such
programs. RDRT aggregates all these projects under one umbrella,
which allows the group to coordinate work and funds more
efficiently and less expensively than any individual land
owner could acting independently.
In 2004, armed with the Conceptual
Plan and the support of landowners, the group began seeking
additional funding from local, regional and state agencies
that have monies earmarked for projects such as the RDRT.
More than 90% of the riverside landowners are participating,
covering 98% of the land on both sides of the river.
Since the establishment of RDRT,
the scope of the project has extended beyond the initial
four-mile stretch of the Napa River to include a half-mile
portion of the river in the Oakville District. "Growers
in the Oakville District have agreed to join the Rutherford
growers and their participation greatly improves the long-term
viability and efficiency of the project," said Insley.
Additionally, the group intends to extend the project up
the tributaries to include the entire watershed.
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