The Russian River is a popular summer spot for Californians, in a typical year, the banks are hopping with visitors fishing, paddling and boating.
But this year, the mood is decidedly different.
Climate change is forcing many locals, who rely on tourism for their livelihoods, to rethink the future after years of drought, then floods, then fires.
King's Sport and Tackle in Guerneville still rents out floaties to visitors, and Manager Scott Heemstra talks up the river’s qualities, even as drought worsens.
In a similar boat, Chef Crista Luetdke owns two restaurants and two hotels in town. She's counting on summer business to refill the coffers, financially and emotionally. Both were drained after a flood in 2019 that caused the river to crest at 45 feet, the highest in 20 years.
And then the pandemic hit, which didn't help.
Now they're deep in the throes of fire season.
Local business owners fear that people who have been cooped up for a year will go big for their vacations, forgoing the Russian River just as the economy needs tourism the most.
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