Why was a watershed effort begun?
This watershed effort began in mid-1994 after the much publicized fish kill associated with the release of water from the Ruby Dam containing an excessive amount of sediment, due mostly to the low water level in the dam at the time. The Governor appointed the Ruby River Task Force to deal with the fish kill and the associated sediment in the Ruby Dam. The Task Force had no authority to implement any of its recommendations to the governor and thus the Ruby Watershed Council was created by the Ruby Valley Conservation District. The charge of the Ruby Watershed Council is the general watershed health of the Ruby Valley. The Council looks at the entire watershed before bringing a program in place. Our mission is to: “Assist Family Agricultural Operations by Improving Production, and Enhancing and Protecting Natural Resources.
