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Sonoma Water E-News | February 2024

Sonoma Water 2023 Annual Report

Sonoma Water has prepared an annual report for 2023, with updates on key functions for water supply, wastewater treatment and flood protection, as well as information about the new strategic plan which outlines goals for programs and initiatives related to organizational excellence, planning and infrastructure, environmental stewardship, emergency preparedness, climate change and community engagement.

Read the Report

The Value of Water

At Sonoma Water, we’re committed to providing clean, reliable drinking water. This video showcases just a few of the many ways we serve our community.

Rain and reservoir update

Northern California has seen its share of rain events over the last month. These storms continue to fill our local streams, rivers and reservoirs. Because Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma now use Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO), we can hold back more water in these reservoirs.

As of Monday, Feb. 12, Lake Mendocino's water storage has reached 80,881 acre-feet, a decrease of 8,343 over the last seven days, and Lake Sonoma has reached 260,836 acre-feet, a decrease of 31,602 over the last week. Once reservoir levels are in the FIRO deviation pool, above the water supply pool, the operations control shifts to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma. Both reservoirs have now exceeded the FIRO storage curve, and the Army Corps releases water for flood protection as they manage the reservoirs. Using FIRO we can effectively manage the reservoir and reserve more water supply, while also mitigating the risk of flood.

Get water supply updates weekly on our website

Russian River Watershed Association’s 2024 High School Video Contest: Put a LID on it!

Students in grades 9 - 12 attending high school in Sonoma County, Mendocino County or northern Marin County are invited to participate in the annual Russian River Watershed Association’s High School Video Contest.

This year’s focus will be to help educate the public by creating a video about Low Impact Development (LID). A PSA, or public service announcement, is a publication that helps change attitudes and behaviors by raising awareness about a community issue. Students are challenged to create a newscast, animation, commercial, reality television show, or even music video. Let your imagination go wild, but please read the following instructions carefully!

2024 High School Video Contest theme: Put a LID on it!
What is Low Impact Development (LID) and how can it protect the Russian River watershed?
Submission deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 4.
Winning videos will be premiered and celebrated at our Student Showcase.
At this event, we will also celebrate grant recipients from our A Call to Action program.
When: Tentatively Thursday, May 9 from 6 - 7 p.m.

Video Contest Information

Free Saturday Public Tours

Did you ever wonder what happens to wastewater after you flush? Are you curious how Sonoma Water distributes drinking water to 600,000 people in our region every day? Join a public tour to learn about these services and hear from professionals who operate these systems. Tours are offered in both English language, and in Spanish via a partnership with LandPaths. Tours are free, but pre-registration is required and space is limited.

Mark your calendar for Saturday tours:

· March 2, Lake Sonoma Tour (Spanish)

· April 27, Sonoma Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant (Spanish)

· May 18, Russian River Wastewater Treatment Plant

· June 1, Water Distribution Tour

· June 22, Water Distribution Tour (Spanish)

Learn more and register for a tour

The much-anticipated Laguna de Santa Rosa Restoration Plan is set to take center stage at a special Open House event, with a slide presentation and lots of time for questions and reviewing plan concepts with the specialists.

Collaboratively developed with input from the San Francisco Estuary Institute / Aquatic Science Center, Sonoma Water, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, this comprehensive strategy when implemented will breathe new life into the habitats spanning the Laguna’s 22-mile stretch. This inaugural event promises an opportunity for attendees to delve into the details of the Restoration Plan and understand both what is at stake and what we have the potential to accomplish.

Please join us at the Laguna de Santa Rosa Restoration Plan Open House on Wednesday, February 21, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa FREE. Pre-registration required.

Upgrade your fixtures to save water

Energy Star certified clothes washers use 25% less energy and 33% less water compared to other models. Purchase and install a qualifying front-loading high-efficiency clothes washer and receive a $50, $75, or $100 rebate from participating water suppliers in the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership or $125 from participating Sonoma County sanitation districts.

Rebates are available for models listed under Tier 2 and Advanced Tier on the current Consortium for Energy Efficiency’s Qualifying Product List. For the list of qualifying models, click here.

For water customers of one of the following partners in the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership (get details here):

· City of Cotati

· City of Petaluma

· City of Rohnert Park

· Santa Rosa Water

· City of Sonoma

· North Marin Water District

For Valley of the Moon Water District get details here.

For sanitation customers of participating Sonoma County sanitation districts and zones get details here:

· Airport/Larkfield/Wikiup Sanitation Zone

· Geyserville Sanitation Zone

· Occidental County Sanitation District

· Penngrove Sanitation Zone

· Russian River County Sanitation District

· Sea Ranch Sanitation Zone

Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership

Two ways to safely dispose of medicines

Do you have old, unused medicine at home? Did you know that locally there are two ways to safely dispose of medications, free of charge?

First, you can take to a drop box near you, conveniently located at many pharmacies and police stations. Or you can request a free mail-back envelope to drop in the U.S. mail. For a list of locations and more information see safemedicinedisposal.org. safemedicinedisposal.org

SafeMedicineDisposal.org

Rainfall and Water Storage Update

Current water supply conditions as of 2/12/2024:

Lake Mendocino FIRO* Target Water Storage Curve: 80,050 acre-feet

Current Storage: 80,881 acre-feet (101.04% of FIRO Storage Curve)

Lake Sonoma Minor Deviation Curve: 254,500 acre-feet

Current Storage: 260,836 acre-feet (102.49% of Minor Deviation Storage Curve)

Current rainfall conditions (10/1/23 –2/13/24)

Ukiah:

Average (1894-2023 water years): 21.70"

Current Water Year: 24.10” which is 111% of average

Santa Rosa:

Average (1950-2023 water years): 22.09"

Current Water Year: 23.02” which is 104% of average

*FIRO is the acronym for Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations

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

Visit Sonoma One Rain for Current Rainfall Conditions

Upcoming Events

The Board normally holds its regular meetings on Tuesdays, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and will be facilitated virtually through Zoom and at Board of Supervisors Chambers (BSC) 575 Administration Drive 102A.

Board of Directors Meetings

•Feb 27 BSC/Virtual

•Mar 5 BSC/Virtual

•Mar 6 BSC/Virtual/Special Meeting 6 p.m.

•Mar 12 BSC/Virtual

•Mar 15 BSC/Virtual/Special Closed Session

•Mar 26 BSC/Virtual

Board Agendas:

View upcoming Agenda items

Please visit SoCoEmergency.org for additional information and resources

Fun Fact

Did you know that Sonoma Water's education program serves more than 11,000 students annually with field trips and classroom visits?