KRCB-FM: Sonoma Spotlight

Laguna de Santa Rosa Kayaking Opportunities Kayaking and canoeing in the Laguna is possible only in winter and only when rainfall has been significant within the previous one to two weeks. This is true in part because in many places the Laguna is a shallow floodplain environment and there needs to be enough water under the boat to allow navigation. High water levels are important also because of an invasive aquatic plant called Ludwigia in the system. When water levels are low paddling through the dense, tangled mats of plant material is not possible. The Laguna’s 22-mile channel extends from Cotati to its confluence with the Russian River at Forestville, but the Laguna is far more than its main channel. It is a unique ecological system comprised of a mosaic of creeks, open water, perennial marshes, seasonal wetlands, riparian forests, oak woodlands and grasslands. The Laguna is an important stopover for thousands of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway and is home to a wide variety of life: more than 2