Sonoma Water's goal is to reduce diversions from the Russian River by 20 percent - however, since July 1, 2022, Sonoma Water is exceeding this goal by 31 percent compared to the same period in 2020. That’s equivalent to 886 million gallons saved in the Russian River.

Sonoma Water’s customers have reduced water use by 22 percent compared to 2020. That exceeds the Governor’s executive order for a 15% reduction.

•  The State Water Board requires that the cities and water districts that receive water from Sonoma Water cut water use by 20%. If current conservation measures don’t reach this goal, cities and water districts will mandate additional restrictions on water use.

•  If our region meets the 20% goal, then we don’t anticipate additional cuts this summer. However, if the drought continues into the fall and winter, additional cuts would likely be needed.

Two reasons:

1.    We currently don’t have enough housing for the people who live and work here.

2.    Local governments are required by the state to meet affordable housing goals, and can’t just stop growth.

The good news is that new homes are much more water-efficient than older buildings and that new developments are required to install waterwise landscaping. So, a home built today uses much less water than homes built in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Sonoma Water produces water from the Russian River that is pumped from wells about 100 feet below the river bed. This system of pumping is called river bank filtration. Six groundwater wells, also known as collectors, pump the water through natural sands and gravels that act as a filtering system. The system produces high quality drinking water that does not face the water quality concerns that affect many public water systems throughout the United States. Sonoma Water does not provide surface water taken directly from a river or lake to its customers.

For more information visit: https://www.sonomawater.org/water-supply

• In early 2020, Sonoma Water saved 11,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mendocino (20% of its water capacity at the time) by implementing a deviation request that allowed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to use Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) decision support tools. This was a huge water supply reliability effort and the first of its kind in the nation. The development and implementation of FIRO was a direct result of the last drought we faced in 2013/2014. 

• In early 2020, due to dry weather conditions, Sonoma Water filed a Temporary Urgency Change Petition to preserve water in Lake Mendocino. This effort is estimated to have saved over 10,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mendocino through the end of 2020. We also implemented a public service announcement campaign alerting our community of the dry weather conditions and the need to use water wisely.

• In early 2021, Sonoma Water received approval to reduce water releases again from Lake Mendocino through a Temporary Urgency Change Order approved by the State Water Resources Control Board.  Read the press release here. At this point, Sonoma Water is making the minimum release of water from Lake Mendocino; we are currently releasing 25 cubic-feet-per-second at Lake Mendocino.

• In early 2021, the Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership launched an aggressive public outreach campaign to emphasize the need to save water by highlighting actions customers can take to reduce water use and improve water use efficiency. This is in addition to the Partnership’s year-round conservation campaign efforts. The Partnership’s current regional water use of 107 gallons per capital per day (GPCD) represents a 37 percent reduction in water use, well ahead of the State’s required 20 percent reduction in per capita per day water use by 2020.

• On May 14, 2021, Sonoma Water filed a new Temporary Urgency Change Petition (TUCP) to preserve water in Lake Sonoma.  Read the press release here.
  
  In the near future, as dry weather conditions worsen, Sonoma Water will:

• We will continue to coordinate public education efforts through multi-media opportunities, such as radio, print and social media. Educating our residents about current conditions and the need to save water is very important.

2020 – 2021 depending on where you are in the watershed is either the driest two year period, exceeding 1976 through 1977, or for Santa Rosa area slightly wetter than 76/77.  We’re in an historic drought.

Yes, Sonoma Water operates under a water supply permit issued by the State Water Resources Control Board's Division of Drinking Water. This permit requires Sonoma Water to operate and maintain its water supply system in compliance with state water law. This permit includes water quality monitoring requirements and various other conditions and criteria. Sonoma Water consistently meets state and national standards for drinking water quality.

For more information visit: https://www.sonomawater.org/water-quality 

Wholesale water rates are determined by using a calculation outlined under an agreement between Sonoma Water and its water contractors. This document, called the Restructured Agreement for Water Supply (Restructured Agreement), requires Sonoma Water to set rates based on budgeted operations and maintenance costs and past water sales. Water transmission rates are calculated by first identifying the funding necessary to operate, maintain, and improve Sonoma Water’s transmission system and dividing this amount by either the amount of water delivered over the last twelve months or the average annual amount of water delivered over the last three years; whichever is less. The Restructured Agreement also requires Sonoma Water's Board of Director’s to approve wholesale water rates by April 30 of each year.

Sonoma Water has proactively reduced its operations and maintenance costs by 9% over the past 10 years. The proposed rate increase aligns with Sonoma Water's Long Range Financial Plan which plans annual rate increases of 4-6% and allows us to meet our operating and capital needs while minimizing rate spikes. We are able to reduce the impact on our ratepayers by reducing expenditures, reducing power costs, and deferring maintenance projects and other studies wherever possible. The use of grants, fund balance, and bond proceeds helped reduce the rate increase even further.

Wholesale water rates are increasing due to:

• Funding for capital projects: Projects include natural hazard mitigation and critical fisheries protection projects as well as maintenance projects to ensure a reliable and secure water supply system that delivers clean, affordable drinking water to our community.  It is our goal to secure our future by investing in our water resources and infrastructure. This budget allows Sonoma Water to meet the operations, maintenance, capital, and regulatory demands of the system.
• Regulatory obligations to secure water supply: Costs of implementing projects required in the coming year by the Russian River Biological Opinion. The Biological Opinion is a 15-year recovery plan to implement the mandates of the National Marine Fisheries Service as they relate to threatened and endangered fish in the Russian River and its tributaries. Funding for implementing these projects will be sought from federal and state agencies, including Sonoma Water's contractors.

For More information visit https://www.sonomawater.org/current-budget 

Every area has its own separate water company. Most of the time the city's public utilities will provide the water service. Other times it will be a water company. To see a list of local water suppliers Click Here.

Beginning in 1960, the North Marin Water District, NMWD (which serves the Novato area) helped pay to construct the Petaluma Aqueduct, which also allowed water to be delivered to Rohnert Park, Cotati, and Petaluma. Through this action, NMWD became a full participant in the Russian River Project, and helped make water delivery more affordable to southern Sonoma County communities.

In 1975, Sonoma Water and Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) entered into an agreement for ‘off peak water supply.’ Through this agreement, Sonoma Water sells water to MMWD during the winter and spring (off-peak periods, when other customers don’t need the water). Through the years this agreement has been modified, and MMWD now gets some summer-time water and has helped pay for the construction of Warm Springs Dam.

Both MMWD and NMWD pay a per-acre foot charge for the water they purchase. In addition, the districts pay an ‘in-lieu’ fee that is equivalent to property taxes paid by Sonoma County taxpayers to Sonoma Water (Russian River Projects charge) and both pay a Russian River Conservation charge.

For more information about our water supply visit: https://www.sonomawater.org/water-supply

No, the volume is staggering.  For example, if you piled all the sediment at the bottom of Lake Mendocino on to one football field it would be almost a mile and half high.  Or, over a million truck loads.  So if you could move 100 trucks per day it would take nearly three years to remove all the sediment.  That’s  assuming Lake Mendocino would be empty for three years. 

​​​​CalFire or other fire protection services will utilize lakes, rivers, agricultural ponds or other sources of water as long as there is an adequate supply to take water from.

Contact your local water utility or sanitation district for information on how recycled water is used and distributed in our community.  Each entity has its own recycled water program and customers.

For more information visit, https://www.sonomawater.org/contractors

Sonoma Water, through its Water Use Efficiency Program, develops and implements an array of water efficiency programs and rebates. 

For more information visit: https://www.sonomawater.org/wue

In addition, the Water and Energy Education Program at Sonoma Water utilizes a multifaceted approach to help students learn the value of water as an important natural resource. Our programs are FREE and aligned with the Next  Generation Science Standards. We teach inquiry-based, exploratory science. We provide classroom visits, field trips, and curriculum materials for teachers and their students. Our goal is for students to  become environmental stewards and informed citizens who can examine the world through an inquisitive, scientific lens.

For more information visit: https://www.sonomawater.org/education

• Home water use varies based on the number of occupants, habits, and the efficiency level of water using fixtures installed.
• Home water use also fluctuates seasonally based on the size and type of irrigated landscape, with outdoor use accounting for approximately 50 percent of annual water use for single-family residences even though most irrigation occurs only during the six months from May through October.
• Indoor water use can typically be met using no more than 55 gallons per person per day, with more efficient homes using as little as 25-30 gallons per person per day. So for a family of four, indoor use ranges from around 3,000 gallons to 6,700 gallons per month.
• Water for landscapes during the irrigation season can add another 1,200 (low-water plants) to 4,000 (high-water plants and lawns) gallons per month on average for each 1,000 square feet of irrigated area.

For more information about Water Use Efficiency please visit: https://www.sonomawater.org/wue

The Partnership’s 2020 GPCD is 113 GPCD (Gallons Per Capita Per Day), which represents all water uses for business, residential, industrial, etc.  Statewide average is around 190, but per capita water use varies from place to place depending on each community’s unique mix of land uses, weather, and other variables.  

For more information about regional water use efficiency visit: https://www.savingwaterpartnership.org/about-us/annual-report/

Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) is a flexible water management approach that uses data from watershed monitoring and improved weather forecasting to help water managers selectively retain or release water from reservoirs for increased resilience to droughts and floods. FIRO applies emerging science and technology to optimize water resources and adapt to climate change without costly infrastructure.

For more information visit: https://www.sonomawater.org/firo

Sonoma Water must meet state mandated minimum in-stream flows in the Russian River.  To meet these flow requirements, water releases from Lake Sonoma (Warm Springs Dam) are made.  Recently, water releases from Lake Sonoma have increased to keep water flows at or above 85 cubic feet per second at the stream gauge located near the Hacienda bridge.  Flow levels in the Russian River are impacted by heat, vegetation, water delivery diversions and evaporation.  Sonoma Water has requested that the State Water Resources Control Board temporarily lower minimum in-stream flow requirements at the Hacienda bridge to 35 CFS.  Lowering the in-stream flow requirements means Sonoma Water can reduce releases from Lake Sonoma, thus saving water during this drought. 

Learn more about this request at sonomawater.org/tucp

You can use gray water to landscape your plants, however there are rules in place to ensure this untreated water is used properly.  Please visit Permit Sonoma’s website to learn more.

For more information please visit, Graywater | Well & Septic | Permit Sonoma | County of Sonoma (ca.gov)

A state law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), was passed in 2014. The primary aim of this law is to provide a framework for sustainable, local groundwater management. In Sonoma County, Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma Valley and Petaluma Valley must comply with this new law.

•    Local agencies provided funding for the first five years of the GSA’s operations. The boards of these agencies agreed that the GSA must become self-funded beginning July 1, 2022, once the Groundwater Sustainability Plan was completed.

•    The GSAs are now at a turning point for funding – implementation of the plans that will ensure groundwater is available now and for future generations. Fee studies are happening to explore ways for the GSAs to be self-funded going forward.

Some of these founding organizations are very small agencies, with limited budgets. Their contributions to the GSA are unsustainable. The larger agencies have multiple programs and projects that they must operate. Most agencies would be forced to pass the cost of this support along to customers, rate payers, or taxpayers – often in a less fair manner that being proposed here.  It is unsustainable for these agencies to continue to fund this new, separate government agency indefinitely.

•    The proposed groundwater fees are not for using groundwater. Fees are being considered to pay for groundwater management, to ensure that groundwater levels don’t decline due to pumping and that water quality remains good – for now and into the future.

•    The Groundwater Sustainability Plans, adopted in December 2021, in each basin lay out projects and actions that are intended to make sure that there is enough groundwater available to meet foreseeable needs for the next 50 years. These include:

o    Education and voluntary reductions in groundwater use through water conservation tools.

o    Planning for aquifer storage and recovery though new deep water supply wells.

o    Management Actions such as development of policy options and coordination of Farm Plans with the GSP

•    Other cost factors in upcoming years include additional research to fill gaps in the groundwater data, groundwater model updates, GSP 5-year update in addition to the day-to-day operations of the GSAs. The remainder of the GSA budgets are spent on day-to-day operations including applying for and complying with grants; legal services; reaching out to the community to inform people about the GSA and what it is doing; working with the Board and Advisory Committee on developing agendas, staffing meetings and coordinating contracts.

• The options that meet legal and constitutional requirements include: A fee based on estimated or actual groundwater use; a fee levied on each groundwater well; a fee based on the benefits received; a tax on each parcel in the basin; and ongoing contributions from local agencies.
• One option that is simple, fair and meets constitutional standards, is a fee based on estimated or actual groundwater use. This fee would charge groundwater users proportionally, so those who pump more would pay more to ensure the basin is sustainably managed.
• The Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency board is moving forward with a groundwater sustainability fee, at a rate of $40 an acre foot annually. This translates to a onetime charge of $20 a year for rural residents who use their well for their home, garden, animals, etc. For more information, go to https://santarosaplaingroundwater.org/finances/fee/ 
• The Sonoma Valley and Petaluma Valley GSA boards are considering both a one-year fee based on very limited budgets. There are also discussions with member agencies to consider ongoing contributions to help reduce or offset fees. For more information, go to https://sonomavalleygroundwater.org/fee/ or https://petalumavalleygroundwater.org/fee/ 

Cannabis growers will be charged based on groundwater use. There are two rates for cannabis, one for indoor grows and one for outdoor grows. The rates are the highest rates for uses that we have. Most of the permitted cannabis growers are required to measure and report water usage, they will be charged on actual usage.

The GSA is responsible for maintaining sustainability of groundwater basin itself but will not maintain wells.

The fee will allow the basin to remain under local control, rather than being controlled by the state. The fee helps protects your well into the future, by preventing groundwater levels from further declines through voluntary conservation programs and by developing projects. The fee also covers the cost of monitoring groundwater levels, land subsidence, and the movement of saltwater inland from San Pablo Bay. Monitoring provides a picture of what is happening underground due to groundwater pumping and can help fix problems and prevent them from happening.

SGMA exempts small residential well-owners from being required to meter their water use, but the new law does give the GSA the authority to regulate and to assess fees on all groundwater users.

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act does not change existing groundwater rights. Groundwater rights will continue to be subject to regulation under the California Constitution (per Water Code Section 10720.5) and enforced by the state. But SGMA does require that groundwater, which is a common resource, be locally managed and does provide local groundwater sustainability agencies the authority to charge for sustainable management.

The GSA does not have the authority to manage water rights. As the GSA manages surface water depletion from groundwater pumping, it will work closely with the State Water Resources Control Board which does have the authority to manage water rights. Data and information collected by the GSA would be shared with resource agencies that do set minimum streamflow requirements that could inform future instream requirements. As those other resource agencies develop and set instream flows within the basin, the GSA will need to incorporate that information into how it sets minimum thresholds and measurable objectives for the depletion of interconnected surface water.

While Lake Sonoma provides critical water to hundreds of thousands of people, it also has broader benefits to the community, including:

• Lake Sonoma / Warm Springs Dam, among multiple functions, serve to reduce flood risk in communities along the Russian River. This includes a population in excess of 50,000 in the nearby communities of Healdsburg, Windsor, Guerneville, and the lower river, as well as guarding against $2 billion to $5 billion of economic damages from flooding along the river.
• Prior to the construction of the Russian River Project, most cities and water districts relied primarily on groundwater to meet residential and commercial demands. The availability of year-round water has allowed Sonoma Water’s contractors (the cities of Cotati, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma; the town of Windsor; and Valley of the Moon and North Marin water districts) to significantly reduce groundwater pumping. 
• From 2017 to 2021, Sonoma Water supplied 90 percent of water that its customers use, while only 10 percent of the water used by cities and water districts came from groundwater. This ‘conjunctive use’ strategy has significantly reduced pressure on the groundwater basins, leaving more water for other users, including rural residents, farmers and the environment.   This was shown in the southern Santa Rosa Plain groundwater basin when the cities of Rohnert Park and Cotati shifted their water supplies from primarily groundwater to primarily Russian River supplies. Prior to this shift (1970s-1990's), groundwater levels were significantly decreasing. When the shift to Russian River water supplies was made, the groundwater levels rebounded to pre-pumping levels.  
• The summertime releases of water from Lake Sonoma into Dry Creek and the reductions of flooding in Dry Creek Valley have allowed the growth of a vibrant wine industry, known internationally for high-quality grapes.
• Lake Sonoma is the largest freshwater recreational area in Sonoma County, bringing county residents and tourists to the area and serving as a hub for campers, boating, hikers and hunters.

Sonoma Water staff have been monitoring water quality conditions during the dry season for many years. Staff are monitoring water quality at Lake Mendocino, the mainstem Russian River, and in the estuary by collecting water samples for analysis and utilizing equipment that continuously records data including flow rates and water temperature.

Staff are collecting water quality data and samples at the following locations:

• East Fork Russian River at Calpella (upstream of Lake Mendocino)
  • Continuous monitoring of temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde
  • Biweekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, and turbidity
• Lake Mendocino
  • Biweekly vertical profiles for temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, specific conductance, and pH
  • Biweekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, and turbidity at three levels within the water column
  • Monitoring is dependent on access to safe boat launching site at low water surface elevations
• East Fork Russian River downstream of Coyote Valley Dam
  • Continuous monitoring of temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde
  • Biweekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, and turbidity
• Russian River at Hopland
  • Biweekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, turbidity, and algae
• Russian River at Pieta Creek
  • Continuous monitoring of temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde
• Russian River at Cloverdale
  • Biweekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, and turbidity
• Russian River at Jimtown
  • Biweekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, turbidity, and algae
• Russian River near Syar Vineyards
  • Biweekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, turbidity, and algae
• Russian River at Johnson’s Beach
  • Continuous monitoring of temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde
• Russian River at Vacation Beach
  • Weekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, turbidity, and bacteria, with additional samples collected during river mouth closure and summer dam removal
• Russian River at Monte Rio
  • Weekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, turbidity, and bacteria, with additional samples collected during river mouth closure and summer dam removal
• Russian River at Patterson Point
  • Weekly sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll a, turbidity, and bacteria, with additional samples collected during river mouth closure and summer dam removal
  • Biweekly samples collected for algae
• Russian River at Brown’s Pool
  • Continuous monitoring of depth, temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde
• Russian River at Freezeout Creek
  • Continuous monitoring of depth, temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde
• Russian River at Patty’s Rock
  • Continuous monitoring of depth, temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde
• Austin Creek
  • Continuous monitoring of depth, temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde
• Willow Creek
  • Continuous monitoring of depth, temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity using a datasonde

In addition, staff are reporting water quality data (water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity) collected at the following U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gaging stations (some stations are operated seasonally):

• Calpella (USGS 11461500)
• Hopland (USGS 11462500)
• Cloverdale (USGS 11463200)
• Jimtown (USGS 11463682)
• Digger Bend (USGS 11463980)
• Hacienda (USGS 11467000)

Sonoma Water staff monitor mainstem Russian River algae to gather ecological data for algal populations that are representative of habitats available in the Russian River under a variety of dry season flows. This effort is intended to identify the composition, abundance, cover, and change over time of algae species in the Russian River. It is also conducted to gain a better understanding of how and what ecological conditions influence algae populations in the Russian River. Green and golden brown algae are monitored. Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, are also monitored.
 
Algae monitoring is conducted biweekly at 4 locations on the Russian River (Hopland, Jimtown, near Syar Vineyards in Healdsburg, and at Patterson Point). The Patterson Point location is within the lagoon that forms when the river mouth closes. Sonoma Water staff share observations of status of algae and cyanobacteria with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to help inform further sampling for public health.
 
The Sonoma County Department of Health Services (DHS) conducts seasonal cyanotoxin sampling at 10 Russian River beaches with recreational activities involving the greatest body contact. Results from the sampling program are reported on the Sonoma County DHS Beach Sampling Hotline and by Sonoma County DHS at their website: https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Health/Environmental-Health/Water-Quality/Blue-Green-Algae/ .

Water quality monitoring data will be reported as it becomes available in the Weekly Russian River Hydrologic Status reports on Sonoma Water’s Temporary Urgency webpage.

A 24-7 beach hotline(707- 565-6552) is available for the public to call and receive water quality updates on beaches along the Russian River.  This service is provided by Sonoma County Health Services.

Sonoma Water staff have consulted with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding this year’s water quality monitoring efforts and will be sharing results with Regional Board staff throughout the dry season. In addition, results are shared with other agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.