Sonoma County Water Agency E-News | January 2018
Grant Davis Returns as Water Agency General Manager
After five months as Director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), Grant Davis will return to the Sonoma County Water Agency as its General Manager. Though honored to be appointed Director of DWR by Governor Brown, Davis said he wished to serve his community in the wake of October's catastrophic fires. "My home and passion is Sonoma County, and I am dedicated to helping the Water Agency achieve its ongoing goals while restoring our watersheds impacted by the wildfires,” Davis said.

Davis will be returning to the Water Agency on January 24th, taking over for Mike Thompson, who stepped up from Assistant General Manager to serve as Interim General Manager beginning in August.
Happy New Year!
The Sonoma County Water Agency would like to wish everyone happiness and good fortune in the New Year!
Reservoirs in Good Shape – Additional Rain Expected
The Bad News: According to the national Weather Service we are behind on rainfall in the Santa Rosa area for this wet season (October 1 – September 30). As of January 18th, we’ve received about 11 inches of rain compared to the “normal” 18.5 inches, or about 60% of “normal”.  

The Good News: Despite rainfall totals, our two water supply reservoirs, Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino, are currently in good shape. Lake Sonoma is filled to about 82% of its water supply storage capacity and Lake Mendocino is filled to about 88% of its water supply storage target to date. And…additional rain is forecasted into next week. 

Releases of stored water from both reservoirs are being carefully managed by the Sonoma County Water Agency to preserve as much stored water as possible in case the wet season concludes with less than ideal rainfall amounts. We would expect additional rain in February and March, but will have to wait and see what Mother Nature provides.
Stay informed about water!
From rains and floods to fish and conservation, water is a forefront topic of conversation and interest in California. If you would like to keep yourself up to date on water issues and solutions, there are many excellent sources of information, in addition to the Water Agency's website and E-News!
Department of Water Resources
The California Department of Water Resources provides a repository of recent water news in the state. Visit their recent news web page, or send an email to water_news_editors@water.ca.gov to subscribe to California Water News, a daily email news summary.
Brown and Caldwell Water News
Brown and Caldwell provides a daily email newsletter with top water news stories and listings for water jobs. They offer subscriptions for six different regions, including a dedicated California option, and subscribers have the option to select specific topics of interest. To subscribe, click the button on the right and click "Sign up now!"
Maven's Notebook
On her website , the Water Maven provides water news summaries and collections, background information, and resources to help Californians learn about the state's water issues. Browse her website to learn more, or subscribe to her daily or weekly email service!
Sustainable Groundwater Management
2017 was an important year for groundwater in Sonoma County, and across California. As the first stage to implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), three Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) were formed in Sonoma County. Each of these agencies will create a Groundwater Sustainability Plan, which will demonstrate a strategy to ensure that groundwater is managed sustainably over the coming decades.

The Water Agency will play an integral role in the process. It is represented on the boards and advisory committees of each GSA, and provides technical services, grant writing support, and help developing and implementing community engagement plans.

To learn more about SGMA in Sonoma County and the activities of the GSAs, click below.
Water Storage and Rainfall
Current water supply conditions
(1/16/18)

Lake Mendocino
Target Storage Curve: 65,220 acre-feet
Current Storage: 57,906 acre-feet (88.79% of Target Storage Curve)

Lake Sonoma
Target Storage Curve: 245,000 acre-feet
Current Storage: 201,595 acre-feet (82.28% of Target Storage Curve)
Current rainfall conditions
(10/1/17 - 1/15/18)

Ukiah
Average (1894-2017 water years): 17.44”
Current Water Year: 8.54” (48.97% of average)
 
Santa Rosa
Average (1950-2017 water years): 14.66"
Current Water Year: 10.65” (72.65% of average)
Upcoming Events
  • January 23, 2018, 8:30 am
  • February 6, 2018, 8:30 am
  • February 13, 2018, 8:30 am

North Bay Watershed Association Board Meeting
  • February 2, 2018, 9:30 am
Employment Opportunities
We invite you to explore the career opportunities available with the Sonoma County Water Agency.

Current opportunities:
  • Water Agency CAD/GIS Coordinator 
  • Electrician/Instrumentation Technicians
Fact of the Month
The Water Agency works with local water suppliers to implement water recycling programs, which provide treated water from homes and businesses for non-potable water needs such as agriculture. Using recycled water conserves drinking water and provides water for wetlands restoration.
This E-News is produced by the Water Agency's Community & Government Affairs Department. We want to hear from you!  Contact us with your questions. 
Sonoma County Water Agency