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Rain and Reservoir Update

We continue to see above average rain totals across the North Bay for this water year (Oct. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30 2024), and so our reservoirs are full, too. Remember that even in non-drought conditions, water conservation efforts are important. 

New Partnership to Offer Lake Sonoma Hatchery School Tours 

In a new collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and nonprofit Friends of Lake Sonoma, Sonoma Water is offering Lake Sonoma Hatchery School Field Trips. Up to 500 school-aged children are scheduled to attend field trips to the Don Clausen Hatchery at Lake Sonoma this spring to learn about efforts to preserve endangered salmon and the importance of our local water supply and flood control infrastructure. 

Groundwater Awareness Week

Groundwater plays a critical role in water supply resilience for our state, our nation and worldwide. In California, whether we are experiencing the weather extremes of drought or flood, or something in between, our groundwater basins provide a water supply for more than 15 million people, especially during dry years when surface water supplies are lacking. Across Sonoma County, as much as 50% of our water comes from groundwater, either from private or community pumps, or as a component of municipal water supply. Wondering about groundwater supply? Explore this dashboard of groundwater levels across the state.

This essential underground resource is difficult to measure and complex to manage. Rain does not recharge our aquifers as quickly as surface water reservoirs refill. Three locally controlled groundwater sustainability agencies were formed after the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was signed into law in 2014, 10 years ago. These agencies work to ensure that our basins in Santa Rosa Plain, Petaluma Valley and Sonoma Valley are in good condition and the water supply is sustainable for today and generations to come. Want to keep up on what’s happening with local groundwater? Sign up to receive newsletters and updates or follow Sonoma County Groundwater on Facebook and Instagram. 

Join the Dye Tab Challenge

This year, the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership is encouraging residents to find and fix toilet leaks by sponsoring the Dye Tab Challenge through March 31, 2024. To join the Dye Tab Challenge, check your toilets for leaks and submit your results for a chance to win a $25 Visa Gift Card!

Here’s how to check: Place 10-15 drops of food coloring in the toilet tank without flushing. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the test to avoid staining the tank.) Faulty flappers or fill valves are leading causes of toilet leaks that most homeowners can easily repair.

If you have decided to replace a toilet, be sure to check with your water provider before shopping to see if rebates are available and to learn about models that save more water while ensuring great flush performance. 

Participate in Fix a Leak Week March 18-24

Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide. The good news is that finding and fixing leaks inside and outside your home can save both water and money all year long and Fix a Leak Week is a great time to do it!

The average household's leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year. Common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often easy to fix, requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings.

Here are some tips for finding leaks:

·        Review your water usage during a winter month, such as January or February, when automated irrigation systems are off. If a family of four exceeds 10,000 gallons per month, you may have a leak and should investigate further.

·        Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is used. If the meter registers usage during this time, you probably have a leak.

·        Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.

·        Consider investing in a Flume home water monitor, they can alert you if they detect a leak. Some cities and water districts even offer rebates for them.

Russian River County Sanitation District (RRCSD) is applying for state funding to upgrade critical wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure in your community.

To determine our District’s eligibility, the funding agency must determine the median household income of RRCSD’s service area.

Action requested

If you receive an envelope (like the one shown here) in your mailbox or on your door, please fill out the income survey inside and return it using the self-addressed stamped envelope. A large response rate is required for the survey to be considered valid.

Surveys were mailed to households the last week of February 2024.

This survey will be conducted by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (www.RCAC.org). Your responses to this survey will be kept anonymous. No personal identifying information will be reported in the survey results. All respondents’ personal information will remain confidential.

Rainfall and Water Storage Update

Current water supply conditions as of 3/11/2024:  

Lake Mendocino FIRO* Target Water Storage Curve: 88,944 acre-feet

Current Storage: 87,489 acre-feet (98.36% of FIRO Storage Curve)

Lake Sonoma Minor Deviation Curve: 264,000 acre-feet

Current Storage: 269,800 acre-feet (102.2% of Minor Deviation Storage Curve)

*FIRO is the acronym for Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations

Current rainfall conditions (10/1/23 –3/11/24)  

Ukiah:

Average (1894-2023 water years): 27.63"

Current Water Year: 33.19” which is 120% of average

Santa Rosa (STS):

Average (1950-2023 water years): 27.83"

Current Water Year: 31.28” which is 112% of average

Rainfall Data Source: NOAA's California Nevada River Forecast Center

Raining outside? Keep this number handy: Sonoma Water Flood Forecast Information Hotline 707-526-4768

Fun Fact: About a quarter of all U.S. rainfall becomes groundwater.