Bring on the rain!
The weather forecast for next week includes rain! Water Agency officials are cautiously optimistic that next week's rainfall will help keep tributaries to the Russian River flowing. Water supply levels at Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino, our two primary water supply reservoirs, are approximately 80 percent of water supply capacity. Both Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino rely primarily on rainfall to fill. Lake Sonoma is large enough to store a few years worth of rainfall, but Lake Mendocino is about one third the size of Lake Sonoma and highly dependent on year-by-year rainfall to fill.

A majority of rain falls within our reservoir's watersheds between January and March. Another key time period for rainfall is in mid-spring, such as April, before the summer heat begins and urban water demand increases.

Another good piece of news is that overall water demand from Water Agency contractors, the cities and water districts that receive drinking water from the Water Agency, decreased significantly from levels of a few years ago. This is in large part thanks to the successful conservation efforts implemented by homeowners and businesses in our community. The bottom line is - the less water that is consumed, the more water we can keep in our reservoirs.

You can stay up-to-date on water supply levels by visiting our website. This page is updated on a weekly basis and is your best source for monitoring water supply levels in our reservoirs. Read More…

Dry weather presents possible threat to coho salmon
Dry weather over the past month has reduced water levels in tributary streams in the Russian River system presenting an additional hazard for over 100 coho salmon known to be in the river. Low water levels limit access to breeding sites in streams and may expose the fish to the risk of being caught by anglers steelhead fishing in the Russian River. If the dry weather continues there will likely be impacts on coho smolts and juveniles this spring and summer if flows in tributaries become disconnected with the Russian River prematurely. The coho now in the Russian River are among the first returns from the Coho Broodstock Program, a nearly ten-year effort to rescue the Russian River coho from near extinction.

The Water Agency is working with the California Department of Fish and Game and several other agencies on an effort to educate the sport fishing community on accurate identification of the protected coho so they can be released if caught. Approximately 20,000 water resistant cards that graphically display the differences between steelhead and coho have been printed and are being distributed to anglers at locations where fishing licenses are sold and at popular fishing spots.

View the fish cards here. Read More…

Water supply update
As of 1/09/12

Lake Sonoma

80% of water supply capacity

Storage: 197,779 acre-feet (Water Supply Capacity: 245,000 acre-feet)

Rate of Release: 87 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs)

Required Dry Creek Flow Rate: 105 cfs

Lake Mendocino

83% of water supply capacity

Storage: 56,617 acre-feet (Water Supply Pool Capacity: 68,400 acre feet)

Rate of Release: 150 cfs

Required Upper Russian River Flow Rate: 150 cfs

Lake Pillsbury (PG&E Facility)

25% full (Storage: 19,121 acre-feet)

Rate of Release: 157 cfs

Cumulative inflow: 11,165 acre-feet

Lake Van Arsdale (PG&E Facility)

Potter Valley Diversion: 46 cfs

Eel River Release: 122 cfs

Hacienda Bridge

Rate of Flow: 276 cfs

Required Lower Russian River Flow Rate: 125 cfs

For more water supply information, please visit www.sonomacountywater.org.Read More…

Rubber dam remains inflated
The inflatable rubber dam located in the Russian River just downstream of Wohler Bridge near Forestville will remain inflated until Russian River flows reach 1,200 cubic-feet-per-second or weather conditions change abruptly. The dam is remaining inflated due to lower flows in the Russian River as a result of dry weather.

Russian River boaters and canoeists should continue porting around the dam using the eastide access steps located just upstream of the dam. Public notices remain posted around the dam warning the public not to recreate on or near the dam. California Department of Fish and Game regulations prohibit fishing within 250 feet of the upstream and downstream sides of the dam.

The dam is a critical component of the Russian River water supply system that provides naturally filtered drinking water to more than 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties.

Learn more about the Russian River water supply system and rubber dam. Read More…

Water Agency breaches Russian River Estuary
The Water Agency manages the barrier beach that periodically forms at the mouth of the Russian River near Jenner when water levels increase and threaten low-lying properties with flooding. The Estuary Management Project, which would change the Water Agency's historic approach in the summer months to enhance habitat conditions for threatened steelhead while minimizing flood risk, includes continuing to artificially breach the barrier beach the remainder of the year.

The mouth of the Russian River closed on January 4, 2012, and an artificial breaching event was scheduled for January 9 as water surface elevations were forecasted to approach flood stage. High swells predicted for that evening moved in early, making attempts to open a pilot channel unsuccessful. The high swells were also making it dangerous for workers and equipment. The breaching was rescheduled for Wednesday, January 11, when conditions were forecasted to be more favorable. Water Agency crews successfully breached the barrier beach on January 11 with water surface elevations at 9.2 feet at the Jenner gage. For more information about the Estuary Management Project, visit the Water Agency's webpage. Read More…

2011 Water Agency Annual Report available online
The Sonoma County Water Agency's 2011 Annual Report is now available online. Read the report to learn about last year's accomplishments and learn how the Water Agency is working to secure our future by investing in our water resources, environment and community.

Please contact Public Information Officer Brad Sherwood at sherwood@scwa.ca.gov or 707-547-1927 if you would like to receive a hard copy.

Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership 2011 Annual Report
The Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership has unveiled its first annual report.

Read the report online and learn how the Partnership is working together to save water in our region.

Demonstration project to improve precipitation, frost information approved
The Sonoma County Water Agency's Board of Directors approved entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct a proof of concept demonstration to improve quantitative precipitation and frost information for Sonoma County.

Water Agency staff and scientists from NOAA, including the National Weather Service (NWS), have discussed opportunities to use new technology to improve the assessment of precipitation and resulting stream flows (hydrology). In addition to benefits of improved flood control planning for the Russian River and other streams in Sonoma County, advances in linked atmospheric and hydrologic modeling could improve water supply by providing more reliable information to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Water Agency in their respective flood control and water supply operations of Warm Springs and Coyote Valley Dams. For example, improved weather forecasting capabilities could provide a stronger basis to store additional spring season water in Coyote Valley Dam, while maintaining flood control requirements, for subsequent use to meet in-stream flows and water supply throughout the summer and fall.

If successful, the proof of concept study would provide improved frost forecasts to entities involved in frost protection, thus promoting more efficient use of water for this purpose. This information would also be helpful for the Water Agency to better anticipate forecasted frost events and adjust releases from Coyote Valley Dam, as appropriate. The proof of concept project will focus on the Alexander Valley, however if the study is successful, the modeling tools could be expanded to the remainder of the Russian River watershed.

To learn more, contact Chief Engineer Jay Jasperse at 707-547-1900 or jay.jasperse@scwa.ca.gov. Read More…

Register for the North Bay Watershed Association's Conference, April 13
The North Bay Watershed Association will be holding its bi-annual conference on Friday, April 13, 2012 at the Sheraton in Petaluma. The theme of the conference is "Climate Change: How Can We Be Ready?" with keynote speakers Assembly Member Jared Huffman and Margaret Davidson, Director, NOAA Coastal Services Center.

Learn more about the conference and register here.

Public notices, meetings
Public meetings

Board of Directors

The Water Agency's Board of Directors welcomes you to its meetings which are regularly scheduled each Tuesday. View the current agenda.

Location: Supervisors' Chambers

Sonoma County Administration Bldg.
575 Administration Dr., Room 102A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2887

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Contact: Phone 707-565-2241

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Water Advisory Committee

Location: City of Santa Rosa, Utilities Field Operation Building 35 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa

Time: 9-11:30 a.m.

Date: February 6, May 7, August 6, November 5

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Technical Advisory Committee

Location: City of Santa Rosa, Utilities Field Operation Building 35 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa

Time: 9-11:30 a.m.

Date: February 6, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 10, October 1, November 5, December 3

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