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- Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival
- Steelhead Hatchery School Tours
- Sonoma Water crews complete critical upgrades before the holidays
- Help your HOA save water
- High School Video Contest
- Public tours
- Rain and reservoir update
- What about snowpack?
- Meetings
- Employment Opportunities
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As we step into 2025, we remain committed to our role as a leader in regional water resource management. Our focus includes meeting the needs of our water contractors by providing naturally filtered drinking water to our wholesale customers, serving 600,000 residents in Sonoma and Marin counties. Additionally, we continue to prioritize flood protection, wastewater management, and supporting the economic and community health of the region we serve. | | | |
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The Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival is coming up Saturday, Feb. 8
Join us at the 16th annual Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival, one of California’s biggest and best celebrations of the annual Steelhead Trout migration, where the threatened Steelhead trout return annually to spawn the next generation of fish. The free event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Milt Brandt Visitor Center at Lake Sonoma, rain or shine, and draws thousands outdoors for fun, food and entertainment. This year’s event will feature tours of the hatchery, hands-on demonstrations, live music from Solo Rio, a bubble show, arts and crafts, activities like archery and casting lessons for kids and much more. Get your fill from a tasty selection of local food vendors and raise a glass to enjoy Dry Creek wines, Bear Republic beer and alcohol-free drinks for purchase throughout the day.
Sonoma Water is once again proud to co-host this free community event along with Friends of Lake Sonoma, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Lake Sonoma Steelhead Tours for school groups
We are excited to announce our winter and spring Lake Sonoma School Steelhead Tours, offered in partnership with Sonoma Water, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and volunteers. Please use this online form or visit lakesonomaeducation.org to make a request for your group to experience a guided tour of the fish ladder and fish hatchery. Group sizes are usually limited to two classes, please use one teacher as point of contact. Our program beings promptly at 10 a.m. Tours last for approximately 1-1/2 hours.
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Sonoma Water crews complete critical upgrades before the holidays
Just before the holidays, Sonoma Water’s maintenance and operations crews completed essential upgrades at the Summerfield and Sonoma distribution site, a key system that supplies a booster pump and storage tank for Santa Rosa.
The work focused on replacing aging backflow prevention devices that no longer met certification requirements due to wear and tear. Instead of repairs, the team opted for full replacements to meet updated Title 22 regulations and ensure long-term reliability.
This effort is part of a broader initiative, with crews replacing and upgrading about 30 backflow units this year to stay ahead of regulatory changes and support a resilient water delivery system.
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Help your HOA save water
Using water efficiently and effectively is a top priority that can be difficult for Homeowners Associations (HOA) to achieve. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program has developed an HOA Resource Hub to help residents, HOA board members, and HOA managers navigate the ins and outs of common area water use.
Find out what you need to know to get started, how to communicate with the residents and managers, and take action to reduce water use and costs to make your HOA dollars go further.
Visit the WaterSense HOA Resource Hub today to get started.
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High School Video Contest to feature careers in water
Students in grades 9-12 are invited to participate in our annual High School Video Contest. This year’s theme is Water Careers Unleashed: Navigating the Blue Path. To participate, students create an original video as a public service announcement combining storytelling and research to inspire viewers to consider water-related professions that safeguard our planet's most vital resource.
Deadline to submit videos is March 6. Get all the details at sonomawater.org/video-contests
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Public Tours
Mark your calendar and join one of our Spring 2025 Public Tours. Reservations are required. To sign up visit sonomawater.org/tours. Spanish language tours are also offered, visit our website for details.
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Water distribution tour
Do you know where your water comes from? Join us and visit facilities that divert, pump and treat the water delivered by Sonoma Water to more than 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties.
- Saturday, March 22, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
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Sanitation tours
Explore one of Sonoma Water’s wastewater treatment facilities, including the lab monitoring millions of live protozoa and microorganisms essential for cleaning and recycling wastewater.
- Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District: Saturday, March 29, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
- Russian River County Sanitation District: Saturday, May 3, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
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Rain and Reservoir Updates | | |
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What about snowpack?
On Jan. 2, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted the season's first snow survey at Phillips Station. The survey recorded a snow depth of 24 inches and a snow water equivalent of 9 inches, representing 91% of the average for this location. Snow water equivalent is a critical measure of the water content in the snowpack and a key factor in DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide, the snowpack is currently 108% of average for this date.
While the Sierra snowpack typically provides about 30% of California’s water supply, it does not contribute to our local area’s needs. Our water supply is sourced from Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma reservoirs, as well as local groundwater.
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The Current: a new name for the E-news
To start the new year, we have updated the design of our monthly email newsletter and given it a new name: The Current. As in the past, each issue will feature the latest local water news, events and information, published in both English and Spanish. Subscribe to The Current here.
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Upcoming Meetings
Eel-Russian Project Authority Board of Directors
No meetings scheduled at this time
Sonoma Water Board of Directors Meetings
The Sonoma Water 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.
Jan 10 9:00 a.m. Special Meeting at Sebastopol Center for the Arts 282 S. High St., Sebastopol, CA 95472
Jan 10 1:30 p.m Special Meeting at Sebastopol Center for the Arts 282 S. High St., Sebastopol, CA 95472
Jan 14 BSC/Virtual
Jan 17 BSC/Virtual Special Closed Session
Jan 28 BSC/Virtual
Feb 4 BSC/Virtual
Feb 11 BSC/Virtual
Feb 25 BSC/Virtual
Board Agendas:
View upcoming Agenda items
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Employment Opportunities at Sonoma Water
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