The Partnership selected these five priority sub-watersheds (Dutch Bill, Green Valley, Mark West, Mill, and Grape creeks) to the Russian River basin as their primary focus, based on the following criteria: 

• Identified by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as critical to the recovery of Russian River coho salmon
• Core or Phase I areas in the Final Recovery Plan for Central California Coast Coho Salmon Evolutionary Significant Unit (NMFS 2012, NMFS Coho Recovery Plan)
• Low streamflow is a significant limiting factor to juvenile salmonid survival
• Opportunities exist for flow improvement projects