Every major river in Mendocino County has been declared sediment-impaired by the Environmental Protection Agency. This means there is too much mud in the rivers. One consequence of these muddy conditions is the severe decline in Coho salmon populations. Salmon require cold, clear water for spawning. There are no dams in Mendocino.
Many watersheds have no other management activity besides logging.
The National Marine Fisheries Service has stated, in its listing decision on the Coho salmon, that the California Forest Practice Rules, and the Department of Forestry's enforcement of the Rules, are one of the causes of the Coho salmon's decline. These figures confirm timber inventory information and casual observation. Hawthorn's log decks tell the same story. These forests are nearly gone. Logging in these forest lands must be evaluated in this context.