- Tracking Groundwater Together: Level Up Program
- Constructing a Drought Resilient Petaluma
- 27 Years of FARMS Leadership
- Now Hiring: Program Assistant
- TEAM Field Trip Date Requests
- FREE Soil or Water Test Analysis Help
- Plus Resources + Events, including Two Events to See Us at on Saturday Sept. 20th
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Tracking Groundwater Together: Level Up Program
Beginning last fall, we have been supporting our local Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) through a series of community outreach programs designed to track groundwater levels across the county and begin building long-term solutions for sustainable groundwater management.
One of these efforts is Level Up, a program that empowers well owners to better understand the depth of their aquifer during the wettest and driest times of the year. Each April and October, well owners can check out a well sounder from Sonoma RCD, Valley of the Moon Water District, or City of Petaluma Public Works & Utilities. These handheld devices use sonic radar to measure water levels.
The goal of Level Up isn’t to monitor individual water use but to gain a clearer picture of aquifer health countywide. In some areas, the GSAs already have a solid understanding of how groundwater levels fluctuate due to rainfall, recharge, and extraction, but in other “data gap” areas, information is sparse. Participants in these areas are helping fill critical knowledge gaps, while those outside them still provide valuable data by confirming broader trends, detecting early changes, and creating a personal record of groundwater health in their own neighborhood. We asked one participant about why he chose to get involved. James, from Windsor, shared,
“Participation in the Level Up program through the GSA was both personal and community-oriented... I’m always open to learning new things. Monitoring the groundwater through the sounding device has helped me see how the water table fluctuates every six months, rising and falling, and sometimes defies logic.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Level Up, we’re hosting a seminar on Thursday, September 11 from 5 to 6 pm, with virtual support signing up for the program from 6 to 6:30 pm. You can visit sonomacountygroundwater.org/voluntary-monitoring/ to learn more and register using the button below.
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Constructing A Drought Resilient Petaluma
August has been a busy month for our Water Resources Team, who have been visiting Petaluma several times a week to oversee the installation of rainwater catchment tanks in residential areas. This work is part of the Land Resilience Program (LRP), a partnership with Daily Acts and funded by the Department of Water Resources, that aims to build community-based drought resilience for Petaluma residents and public parks. The program focuses on East Petaluma, where residents have experienced some of the most significant impacts from drought and flooding in recent years.
To guide the effort, Daily Acts conducted a geospatial analysis of the city to identify small-scale projects such as rainwater catchment systems, rain gardens, bioswales, greywater reuse systems, turf and drip irrigation conversions, and habitat or shade tree planting could have the greatest collective impact. This model of resilience provides multiple community benefits, including water conservation, fire resilience, flood reduction, and increased habitat and urban shade.
So far, our team has supported the installation of ten rainwater tanks, averaging one new system each week. These tanks, which range from 530 to 3,000 gallons, are filled by runoff collected from individual rooftops and together can store up to 19,620 gallons of water. This stored water will be used by homeowners to irrigate their yards, reducing the need for city-supplied water. Many participants have shared their appreciation for how quickly the tanks are installed and how seamlessly they fit into their backyards. Several have also expressed gratitude for the program, as the cost of tanks, labor, and construction would otherwise be a barrier.
Learn more about the Land Resilience Program here.
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27 Years of FARMS Leadership
As we head into a new school year, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of our 2024-25 FARMS Leadership cohort. We had our largest cohort to date this past year, with 35 students from seven different high schools participating in eight different field days.
From October to May, students came together once a month from across Sonoma County to build connections, explore career pathways, and discover the unique landscapes and agricultural heritage that define our community. The FARMS program is partially funded by Sonoma County Ag + Open Space District through their voter-approved 1/4 cent sales tax. The program provides opportunities for local high school students – especially those with limited access to the outdoors – to connect with natural resources, meet industry leaders, and cultivate leadership skills for internships, college, scholarships, and future careers in conservation and agriculture.
During our time together this year, we learned about the historic value of Sebastopol’s Gravenstein apple, assisted with a habitat restoration project, developed personal leadership and speaking skills, conducted soil testing at a local produce farm, partnered with SRJC for a financial aid workshop, discovered the Laguna Watershed , supported with post-fire restoration, and explored the importance of farm to table in both the grape and dairy industries.
FARMS Alumni from the class of 2025 are attending UC Berkley to study environmental engineering, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis to study environmental sciences, and SRJC to study agriculture and natural resources. Underclassmen are participating in the Conservation Club Council of the Sonoma Land Trust, and applying for other local internships to keep building their skills. Way to go, FARMS students!
We would like to thank all the partners who provided support with our educational programming last year. We couldn’t do it without you!
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Program Assistant
This position offers an incredible opportunity to gain valuable experience working with innovative land managers and partners to address Sonoma County’s most pressing natural resource concerns. TheProgram Assistant will work alongside staff to provide support for all RCD program areas, in pursuit of multiple resource goals such as water quality, drought and fire resilience, soil health, and climate-beneficial farming.
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Fall 2025 TEAM Trips - Date Request Through Sept. 5th
Are you a 3rd – 5th grade teacher in Sonoma County? Are you interested in bringing your class out to a working farm in Sonoma County this fall? We have opened our TEAM (Teaching Environmental and Agricultural Memories) program application for teachers to request dates to bring their students out to Open Field Farm in Petaluma, CA.
Currently funded by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (Sonoma Ag + Open Space) through a voter-approved 1/4 cent sales tax, the TEAM program incorporates the significant role that Sonoma County’s characteristic agricultural landscape plays in environmental stewardship. Students will receive a pre- and post-classroom visit to learn about why land conservation is important. During the field trip, students will explore the importance of native pollinators, play a trivia game to learn about community-sustained agriculture (CSAs), try local produce, and take a tour of the farm.
Any Title 1 schools also can apply for a transportation reimbursement.
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FREE Soil or Water Test Analysis Help
Do you need help interpreting results from a soil or irrigation water test?
For a limited time, Sonoma RCD is offering free analysis of your agricultural water and/or soil tests. Lab test results from January 2024 through January 2026 are eligible. The RCD will provide producers with a short summary of test result analysis and recommendations
If interested, please contact Brett at bleduc@sonomarcd.org to share your interest.
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LandPaths Annual Harvest Festival
Festival Anual de la Cosecha
LandPaths Bayer Farm
Saturday, Sept. 20th - Sábado Sept. 20
10 am - 2 pm
FREE - GRATIS
Bayer Farm: 1550 West Ave, Roseland
Come celebrate the harvest season with LandPath's annual Harvest Festival at their community Farm -- Bayer Neighborhood Park & Garden. This is a family friendly event filled with a community information fair, garden tours and exhibits, kid's zone, free ice cream and their famous salsa competition. You won't want to miss it, we will be tabling with some kid-friendly crafts!
Vengan a celebrar la temporada de la cosecha con el festival anual de LandPaths en su jardín comunitario -- Bayer Neighborhood Park & Garden. Este es un evento para toda la familia lleno de actividades incluyendo una feria de información comunitaria, exhibiciones del jardín, zona infantil, helado gratis y su famosa competencia de salsa. ¡No te lo pierdas, nosotros estaremos allí!
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Petaluma River Clean Up
Friends of Petaluma River
Saturday, Sept. 20th
9 am- 1 pm
FREE
Steamer Landing Park: 6 Copeland Street, Petaluma
Looking for a fun and engaging volunteer opportunity to kick off the fall season? Join Friends of Petaluma River for their annual fall River Clean up. Registration begins at 9 am with a complimentary breakfast. After a few hours of beautifying the city and river, volunteers will gather for a celebration filled with live music, a BBQ and raffle. Be sure to swing by our table to learn about our current water implementation projects!
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California Underserved and Small Producer (CUSP) Program Drought 2025 Fall Funding Opportunity
Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)
Application Period - Sept. 1 to Oct. 15
Webinar - Thurs. Sept. 4th from 12-1 pm
Join CAFF and representatives of the California Farmer Relief Fund to learn more about the new grant application portal, eligibility requirements for the CUSP Program, documentation quality, and to get connected with technical assistance providers if need be!
There will be a live walkthrough in Foundant, the specialized grant management software CAFF now uses for administering funding. This includes aspects such as creating a profile, logging in, responding to the eligibility quiz, and how to upload evidence to support drought impact claims.
The format of this informational "webinar" is casual and open. Questions are welcome throughout but we will also reserve time at the end for Q&A and connecting folks with the appropriate providers. Offered in English only at this time. It will be recorded and uploaded for public viewing on CAFF's YouTube channel, CAFFflix, for those who are not able to attend in person.
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7th Annual Growing Together Small Farms Conference
African American Farmers of California
Sept. 25-27th
California State University, Fresno
Join the African American Farmers of California as they present the 7th Anual Growing Together Small Farms Conference. There will be an Ag Tour on Thurs. Sept. 25th, a Farmers Conference on Fri. Sept. 26th, and a Demonstration Site Hands-on training and Sweet Potato Harvest on Sat. Sept. 27th. The California Association of Resource Conservation Districts will present on Friday during a session titled, "Connecting Farmers to Resources: Soil, Water, and Financial Assistance Through RCDs and TA Providers."
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Conservation at Work with LandSmart®
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