John Sikora is a River Champion for California

John Sikora is one of those river champions with staying power. John’s impact spans decades and has had lasting effects in his home waters in El Dorado County as well as across California.

John has been a member of TU for more than 45 years and a leader at the chapter and state levels for the last 20. John first became a TU member in 1980 and a Life Member in 2011. His leadership efforts started in 2005 when he became a Board Member for the Sac-Sierra Chapter. In 2011, he helped form the Eldorado Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Since then, he and has continuously held leadership roles with EDTU including Secretary, Vice President, and President. John’s contributions at the California State Level include serving as California Council Secretary from 2011 to 2013 and Council Chair from 2013 to 2015.

John’s accomplishments through this period are many. As a TU leader, he helped refine the organization of Chapters across California and the California Council itself to better meet TU National requirements. His efforts led to the formation of the Eastern Sierra and Central Sierra Chapters and the expansion of the North Coast Chapter to become the Shasta Trinity Cascade Chapter. These efforts generated increased chapter revenues supporting in-state restoration, conservation, and education programs. John also worked closely with the Redwood Empire Chapter and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to resolve issues in support of the Chapter’s Trout/Steelhead in the Classroom Program.

In the EDTU region, John has been active in organizing volunteer efforts including stream surveys, fish recovery from nearby lakes, stream and lake cleanup activities, meadow restoration, replacement of signage, and testing CDFW’s California Inland Recreational Angler Survey. John also served as TU representative on teams working with the USFS to address wildfire risks and impacts, where his contributions included input on fuels management, the protection of freshwater fisheries, and organizing EDTU review and comment on restoration plans following the devastating Caldor Fire.

John’s EDTU colleague Jon Bertolino summed up John’s nomination as a River Champion with the statement, “I have greatly enjoyed working with John. He is always looking at ways to engage members, support local resource agencies, and improve our cold-water fisheries, both locally and throughout the state. His mentorship has helped many members, including myself, become involved in TU’s mission.”

Thank you John!

Andrea Willey is a River Champion for the Lower American River

When you work in conservation, you meet incredible people whose dedication inspires you to do more. Dr. Andrea Willey is one of those individuals—a passionate conservationist who never gives up.

In 2023, Andrea founded the Waterbird Habitat Project after discovering a Great Blue Heron hanging from a tree, fatally entangled in discarded fishing line. That moment became a turning point, and since then, she has made it her mission to protect waterbirds along the Lower American River. Andrea regularly patrols the riverbanks, removing discarded fishing line, tackle, and other debris that pose serious threats to wildlife in the riparian corridor. Beyond cleanup efforts, her project focuses on education—encouraging anglers to understand the impact of their actions and take responsibility for the environment they enjoy. She coined the phrase “angling for the ecosystem,” promoting a simple but powerful idea: “take five to keep the ecosystem alive.” If every angler spent just five minutes after fishing to pick up and properly dispose of litter, the cumulative impact on the river’s health would be significant. The Waterbird Habitat Project’s work extends beyond cleanup. Andrea leads efforts to remove invasive plant species, restore degraded river areas, clean up abandoned encampments, rescue injured wildlife, and install fishing line recycling stations at popular access points.

Her dedication has not gone unnoticed. Andrea was honored by the Environmental Council of Sacramento as Environmentalist of the Year – Wildlife Award. With growing momentum and community support, she is now expanding her efforts to other watersheds across California.

Andrea self-funds much of her work and dedicates hundreds of hours to conservation—all while running a successful surgical dermatology practice in the Sacramento area. Though small in stature, she is a powerhouse of energy, determination, and heart. We are honored to name Dr. Andrea Willey a Trout Unlimited California River Champion.

Check out https://waterbirdhabitat.org/ to find out more about the Waterbird Habitat Project.

Larry Heywood is a River Champion for the Truckee River watershed

Larry Heywood addressing attendees of the 2026 Fishmas Eve fundraiser in Truckee, CA

Larry Heywood has served on the board of the Truckee River Chapter of Trout Unlimited since (at least) 2014. Larry has been instrumental for more than a decade in helping the chapter thrive in good times and in holding it together in lean years. The chapter remains active to this day in part due to Larry’s efforts.

As conservation committee chair for the chapter, Larry has been involved multiple in-stream habitat restoration projects including the lower lot reach of the Little Truckee in 2015, the DFW Loop/Horner’s Corner reach of the main stem of Truckee a couple miles east of the Ag station on Interstate 80 in 2017, and the reach just above the waste water treatment plant along Glenshire Drive affectionately known as the toilet bowl in 2019. His efforts along these reaches have added new habitat and restored both fish and macro-invertebrates in these sections of the river.

Larry has also fought for the public’s right to access public land along the Truckee. In addition to helping show that the Truckee River is navigable and that riverside landowners do not own the river bottom, Larry convinced Nevada county to create new public access at the Hirschdale bridge to enable anglers to enter the river legally at that point. His tenacity and commitment to public access are a shining example of how to defend a public right.

Larry’s actions to support the Truckee River Chapter include helping keep the chapter’s annual Fishmas Eve fundraiser vibrant and effective. Since 2008, the fundraiser has yielded over $50,000 for the Truckee River since its inception in 2008. Larry helped maintain the chapter’s relationship with the local venue, The Blue Coyote, and has frequently emceed the event and donated raffle items to help raise money for the chapter.

Fish, wildlife, and (yes) anglers have all benefited from Larry’s sustained effort in the Truckee River watershed. Thank you Larry!

California Council Launches River Champions Recognition Program

In 2026, Trout Unlimited launched a national campaign, Every River Needs a Champion, to highlight the importance of individual action to restore, protect, and maintain healthy rivers and their watersheds. Being a River Champion is much is more than angling – it’s about taking sustained action to promote clean water, resilient ecosystems, and healthy communities for all. Anyone can be a River Champion through actions such as volunteering, sharing expertise, supporting conservation efforts, educating others, and advocating for policies that protect our cold water rivers and watersheds from impacts such as abandoned mines, destructive activities, invasive species, and barriers to fish passage.

The Trout Unlimited California Council has established a River Champions Recognition Program to recognize individuals in California who have made consistent and meaningful contributions in our state to Trout Unlimited’s mission to care for and recover rivers and streams. California has a critical need for River Champions due to our uniquely diverse and extensive range of watersheds, numerous environmental challenges, and the largest population of any state in the US.

Leaders of Trout Unlimited Chapters and the California Council nominate candidates for consideration by the Council. Candidates can be TU members, leaders, staff members, partners, or supporters who have consistently contributed to California’s coldwater resources through activities such as restoration work, policy advocacy, education, or leadership & service. We recognize individuals whose efforts have had significant, measurable impact over time.

We celebrate our recognized River Champions by profiling their achievements (such as in posts here) and by awarding each River Champion a unique Challenge Coin. We know that River Champions do what they do for their love of the rivers they champion; the Challenge Coin and recognition show that we see them and are grateful for their efforts.

Look for profiles of River Champions and their achievements in future posts.