Eel River Watershed Improvement Group

What Eel River Watershed Improvement Group does

The Eel River Watershed Improvement Group (ERWIG) is an incorporated nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Fortuna, California, that delivers watershed-scale habitat restoration for native salmon and steelhead in the Eel River basin and surrounding North Coast California coastal basins. Its service portfolio comprises three core restoration practices - Upslope Restoration (road repair and decommissioning to reduce sediment delivery), Invasive Removal & Revegetation (systematic Arundo donax eradication and riparian replanting of redwood and Douglas fir), and Instream Restoration (Large Woody Debris structures, fish passage improvements, and floodplain reconnection). Documented technical outputs include 108 pieces of large wood across 0.8 miles at Middle Fork Cottaneva Creek, 90 LWD pieces across 1.1 miles at Kenny Creek, and 131 pieces along 0.7 miles at Somerville Creek, with Fish Creek results showing wood structures capturing gravel and improving floodplain access for salmonids.

ERWIG augments its restoration work with four education and outreach programs: Creek Days (annual in-person education fair reaching over 350 students from 8 Humboldt County elementary schools in 2025), Creek Days Virtual Classroom (a four-day YouTube-based digital curriculum), Science on Tap (monthly community talks at Paskenta Mad River Brewery in Blue Lake, CA), and broader Community Outreach including tree plantings and iNaturalist citizen science participation for Arundo reporting.

The organization's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue derives from CDFW's Fisheries Restoration Grant Program, California Department of Water Resources, California Coastal Commission's WHALE TAIL grants, Humboldt Area Foundation, individual donations via PayPal, and small merchandise sales. Strategic implementation is delivered through a network of partners including California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program, Pacific Watershed Associates, Trout Unlimited, Edwards Excavation & Restoration, Sonoma Ecology Center, and timberland owners (Mendocino Redwood Company, Green Diamond Resource Company, Humboldt Redwood Company). The organization is led by Executive Director Isaac Mikus and operates with fewer than 10 staff.

Name

Eel River Watershed Improvement Group

Legal name

Eel River Watershed Improvement Group

Website

https://www.erwig.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eel River Watershed Improvement Group is a Fortuna, California nonprofit founded in 1998 that restores salmon and steelhead habitat in the Eel River basin through instream restoration, invasive species removal, and riparian revegetation, supplemented by community and K-7 education programs, funded primarily by California Department of Fish and Wildlife grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Restoration Services

NAICS

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB), Ecosystem Restoration & Rewilding Services (AFAMAMAE), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Riparian & Watershed Reforestation (Streambank Stabilization) (AFAMACAK)

Keywords

• Watershed restoration
• Salmonid habitat enhancement
• Instream restoration services
• Riparian revegetation
• Watershed education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fortuna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ERWIG restores salmonid habitat in the Eel River basin and surrounding California coastal basins through three core field services: Upslope Restoration (road repair and decommissioning to reduce sediment), Invasive Removal & Revegetation (Arundo donax eradication and native plantings), and Instream Restoration (Large Woody Debris structures for channel complexity). The organization also delivers hands-on watershed education programs including Creek Days, Creek Days Virtual Classroom, and Science on Tap community events.

Product overview

The Eel River Watershed Improvement Group (ERWIG) is a nonprofit organization that operates as a service-based entity rather than a software product company. Its offerings consist of hands-on environmental restoration services (Upslope Restoration, Invasive Removal & Revegetation, and Instream Restoration) aimed at improving salmon and steelhead habitat in the Eel River basin, supplemented by community and youth education programs (Creek Days, Creek Days Virtual Classroom, Science on Tap, and Community Outreach). These services are delivered through grant-funded projects implemented in partnership with landowners, government agencies, and conservation organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creek Days: Annual environmental education fair for Humboldt County students featuring hands-on watershed and salmonid education activities
• Science on Tap

Products and services

• Upslope Restoration Repairing, upgrading and decommissioning roads to reduce sediment entering stream channels, improving water quality and habitat conditions for salmonids in the Eel River basin. Provided to private landowners and land managers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fish Creek project showed promising results with added wood capturing gravel and raising channel to provide better floodplain access and sheltered habitat for salmonids
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Conservation Corps (CCC) Watershed Stewards ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for the Creek Days environmental education fair and for implementing restoration projects. CCC crews assist with placing and anchoring large wood structures instream and participate in tree plantings and invasive species removal. This is a flagship partnership enabling both education and project implementation.
• Edwards Excavation & RestorationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExcavation and restoration contractor that partners with ERWIG to install instream structures. Has worked on multiple projects including Middle Fork Cottaneva Creek, Somerville Creek, Dunn Creek, and Hollow Tree Creek projects, placing hundreds of pieces of large wood.
• Pacific Watershed Associates (PWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting firm specializing in watershed restoration that has collaborated with ERWIG on projects including Moody Creek and Anderson Creek. Provides technical expertise for road decommissioning and instream habitat improvement projects.
• Trout UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partnered with ERWIG on the Moody Creek Stream Habitat Enhancement project for road decommissioning and instream habitat improvement near Piercy, CA.
• Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial timber company that owns portions of the Cottaneva Creek watershed and has worked with ERWIG on stream condition improvements. Provides in-kind donations for restoration projects including large wood structures.
• Green Diamond Resource CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest resource company that provides support for ERWIG projects and educational events including Creek Days. Has been involved in restoration work in the South Fork Eel River watershed.
• Paskenta Mad River BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal brewery in Blue Lake, CA that hosts the monthly Science on Tap events. Provides venue and sponsorship for the educational event series.
• Sonoma Ecology CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that teams up with ERWIG for Arundo donax eradication efforts along the Eel River watershed.
• Humboldt Redwood CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForestry company that provides in-kind donations and support for Fish Creek instream habitat enhancement and other restoration projects.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Friends of the Eel River: California nonprofit also dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Eel River watershed. Operates as a direct peer focused on the same geographic basin, overlapping mission around salmonid recovery and advocacy.
• Pacific Coast Fish, Wildlife and Wetlands Restoration Association: California-based nonprofit association of restoration practitioners implementing similar instream habitat, fish passage, and riparian projects across the North Coast, sharing ERWIG's restoration methodology and CDFW FRGP funding pool.
• Mattole Restoration Council: North Coast California watershed nonprofit restoring salmonid habitat in the Mattole River basin using comparable techniques (LWD structures, riparian planting, invasive removal). Closely analogous operating model and geography.
• Salmon River Restoration Council: Northern California nonprofit implementing salmonid habitat restoration in the Salmon River watershed with similar instream structure, revegetation, and community education programs.
• Russian Riverkeeper: Sonoma/Mendocino County California nonprofit focused on Russian River watershed health, stewardship, and community education. Direct geographic and operational peer serving a different but nearby basin.
• Humboldt Baykeeper: Local Humboldt County watershed advocacy and water quality nonprofit operating in the same North Coast region as ERWIG. Comparable grant-funded nonprofit model and overlapping community engagement focus.

Broad incumbents

• Trout Unlimited: National coldwater fisheries conservation organization with an active California program that partners with ERWIG on projects like Moody Creek. Operates at much greater scale and geography but shares the core mission of salmonid habitat restoration.
• Pacific Rivers Council: Pacific Northwest nonprofit focused on river and watershed protection, including habitat restoration and advocacy. Comparable mission around watershed health and salmonid recovery but operating across multiple states.

Regional players

• MidCoast Watersheds Council: Oregon-based watershed council implementing restoration projects on Oregon's mid-coast streams, using comparable LWD and riparian techniques. Geographic peer rather than direct competitor.

Others

• Pacific Watershed Associates: Northern California consulting firm that partners with ERWIG on road decommissioning and instream habitat projects. Functions as both a peer practitioner and a technical services provider to ERWIG.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9I3K9uFKhW5CPQQ6NZ7KJg/playlists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eel-river-watershed-improvement-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eel River Watershed Improvement Group