A creek runs along the west side of our Briceland, California property. We are one of the last homesteads to receive water from this creek before it runs into Redwood Creek, which then flows into the South Fork of the Eel River. Efforts have been underway for decades to improve and sustain the health of our local rivers. The Marshall Ranch Conservation Project was developed and engineered by several restoration organizations and an environmental firm. This project included the construction of 2- off channel ponds with the capacity of collecting 5 million gallons each of rainwater during the winter rainy season. During the summer months, when Redwood Creek water flow starts to slow down, the stored winter water is then released slowly back into the creek. A healthy flowing river sustains fish populations year round and helps prevent algae buildup along its banks.
To the north of us, over a span of 14 years, 4 hydroelectric dams were removed from the Klamath River. The Klamath flows from Southern Oregon through the Cascade Range and the Klamath Mountains, where it then empties into the Pacific Ocean at Crescent City, California. For the first time since the turn of the 20th century this 263 mile river is now flowing freely. These 4 dams, totaling 400 vertical feet, blocked the migration of salmon from traveling upriver to spawn. A free flowing river also prevents the buildup of silt.
Peter produced many paintings of moving water. Our local creeks and rivers provided him with ample subject matter for decades. On his travels he liked to stop off and photograph the Merced River in Yosemite and the Eagle River near Lake Tahoe. Peter felt that painting moving water realistically was an extreme challenge. Flowing water has an energetic spirit that is hard to capture in a single moment in time. See attached available paintings.
During the late 1800’s many famous Impressionist painters such as Pierre-Aguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet painted along the banks of the Seine River in France. It is estimated that Monet painted at least 200 paintings of this river and its surroundings. It was a place where people gathered to walk, swim, picnic and boat. However, by 1923, due to sewage discharge and other factors, people were prohibited from swimming in it. In 2002 the French government allotted 1.5 billion dollars to improve the water treatment facility in Paris and to clean up the Seine. Part of this effort was the building of a 10 million gallon rainwater catchment system that prevents heavy rainfall from overwhelming the newly upgraded wastewater sewage system. In 2017 Paris was chosen to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and for the first time in 101 years swimmers were once again back in its waters, this time to compete in a 10K marathon swimming event and the aquatic portion of the triathlon. On July 5, 2025 three swimming sites in Paris and fourteen other swimming areas outside of the city boundaries were officially opened for public swimming.
It is estimated that several million people in 100 countries worldwide will gather and participate in events to celebrate World River Day this year. The goal of these events is to increase public awareness of the vital role rivers play in providing freshwater, supporting biodiversity and sustaining ecosystems. The work that is done today will help to insure healthy rivers for the next generation to enjoy.