Western Rivers Conservancy

08/26/2026

Yesterday, an exciting conservation project came to fruition when WRC conveyed Park Ranch on the East Fork Carson River to Alpine County! The project has outstanding habitat with so many benefits for fish, wildlife and people. Here, WRC project manager Susanna Danner explains how we helped improve some of that habitat during our ownership.

Earlier this summer, WRC, the USFWS and volunteers from Patagonia spent the day removing and modifying fencing to make the property more wildlife friendly.

Alpine County is excited to welcome the public to the property once a comprehensive management plan has been established to guide public access and the long-term stewardship of the land.

Huge thanks to Alpine County and WCB for helping us bring this project to life.

08/25/2026

CONSERVED: 1,688 acres and 1.6 miles of the East Fork Carson River near Markleeville, California.

Western Rivers Conservancy just conveyed Park Ranch and its stunning stretch of the East Fork Carson to Alpine County, thanks to support from the WCB! The effort protects a vital reach of one of the few undammed major rivers in the Eastern Sierra along with nearly 3 additional miles of tributaries—Markleeville Creek, Pleasant Valley Creek and Hot Springs Creek.

The property’s cottonwood and willow stands, mixed conifer forests, sagebrush-steppe and mountain meadows support an exceptional diversity of native fish, including federally threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout, as well as Paiute sculpin, mountain whitefish, speckled dace and more. For wildlife, Park Ranch is a critical link in a migratory corridor for mule deer, Sierra Nevada red fox, and western monarch butterfly.

Now under county stewardship, the ranch connects public access between the Markleeville Campground and Hangman’s Bridge, unlocking new opportunities for angling, hiking and the feisty Class II-III whitewater the East Fork is known for. Compatible grazing will continue, supporting both habitat health and wildfire fuels reduction for the Markleeville community.

This is a tremendous accomplishment for California’s fish, wildlife, recreationists and ranching heritage alike. Head to the link in our bio to learn more.

The 184-mile-long Carson River is a lifeline for communities across two states, carrying snowpack from California’s High Sierra through lush meadows, wide valleys, craggy canyons and high-desert sagebrush plateaus to where it empties into Nevada’s Carson Sink. The largest of the Carson’s tribu...

08/20/2026

We’re still energized by our recent conservation success on California’s Fall River! In 2025, WRC partnered with the Pit River Tribe to conserve the 270-acre Pope Jensen Ranch, protecting nearly 3 miles of this legendary spring-fed river—one of the largest in North America.

The Fall River rises from ancient lava beds southeast of Mount Shasta, staying cold and clean even in the heat of summer, making it a haven for wild trout—including some of the biggest rainbows in the Lower 48. Its wetlands are also a critical stop along the Pacific Flyway for migratory birds like sandhill cranes, long-billed curlew and willet.

These lands are now back in the hands of the Pit River Tribe—a win for fish, birds, and tribal resiliency alike.

08/06/2026

River of the Month is here! This month, we’re heading to a Colorado gem: the Dolores River.

Winding 240 miles from alpine headwaters to its confluence with the Colorado River, near Moab, Utah, the Dolores carves stunning canyons rich with ancient archaeology and feisty class II and III whitewater. It’s also home to four fish species that are native to the Colorado River Basin and found nowhere else on Earth.

Tap the link in our bio to explore this unique western river and learn how WRC protected the headwater meadows that keep it cold and clean.

07/22/2026

Exciting news from the slopes of Mount Hood, Oregon! Near the Salmon-Sandy confluence, Western Rivers Conservancy has officially set out to protect 283 acres along Sixes Creek, a small but critical tributary of the Salmon River (Oregon’s Salmon River—not to be confused with Idaho’s.) Sixes Creek has one of the highest densities of spawning coho salmon in the entire Sandy River system, and the property includes 1.5 miles of this pristine creek flowing through maturing forests.

Our goal is to convey the property the Bureau of Land Management and enhance the popular Wildwood Recreation Site. The timing couldn’t be better—the BLM just completed major restoration work at the mouth of Sixes Creek, reconnecting the creek’s floodplain to the Wild and Scenic Salmon River. By conserving this property, we’ll protect the source flows that feed these restored wetlands and keep vital spawning and rearing habitat intact for salmon and steelhead.

Head to the link in our bio to learn more!

Photos: Sixes Creek and Salmon River by Dan Cronin

07/14/2026

And the winner is... Justin B. from Utah! 🎣

Thank you to everyone who entered our ultimate summer fly fishing package giveaway—the response was a testament to the passion you all have for rivers.

Justin will be headed to the river outfitted with a Sage R8 Core rod and Shift LT reel, Rio Elite Gold XP line, Skwala RS waders and boots, Fishpond gear, a lifetime TroutRoutes PRO subscription, and WRC custom gear to match.

To our new followers and newsletter subscribers: Welcome! We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll stick around to learn more about WRC’s efforts to protect habitat and create public access to the great rivers of the West.

A huge thank you to our partners for making this giveaway possible:

Sage Fly Fishing Fishpond Skwala Fishing TroutRoutes RIO Products

Here’s to more time on the water this summer!

07/06/2026

Last day to enter our summer fly fishing package giveaway!

One lucky angler wins:
— Skwala waders and boots
— Sage rod and reel and Rio line
— Fishpond duffel and net
— Lifetime TroutRoutes PRO subscription
— WRC sun hoodie, hat, tee, water bottle and stickers

Winner contacted by email tomorrow! Make sure you’ve followed all tagged partners, signed up for the WRC newsletter (link in bio), liked this post, and tagged a friend.

Extra entry opportunity! Sign up for our partners’ newsletters, too, and you’ll get an additional entry for each.

Skwala Fishing
Sage Fly Fishing
TroutRoutes
Fishpond
TroutRoutes
RIO Products

07/01/2026

Just 5 more days left to enter to win the ultimate summer fishing package!

Thanks to our generous partners we’re giving away: a Fishpond Thunderhead Submersible Duffle and Nomad Middle Fork Net; Skwala RS waders and boots; a Sage R8 Core 5-weight rod and Shift LT reel; a lifetime TroutRoutes PRO subscription; a Rio Elite Gold XP line + backing and leader; and WRC gear to match.

Saving rivers takes the entire community!

🚨 HOW TO ENTER:
1. Follow all five partners tagged below
2. Sign up for our newsletter (link in bio)
3. Like our post and tag a friend

Extra entry opportunity! Sign up for our partners’ newsletters, too, and you’ll get an additional entry for each. 

TroutRoutes
Fishpond
Sage Fly Fishing
RIO Products
Skwala Fishing

📆 Giveaway period:
June 21 – July 6

🎉 Winner announced via email:
July 7