Russian River Weekly Update 9/30/24

2019, 11-19 Ukiah Valley area, by E Salomone

<Click to view content on website>

Reservoir Storage & Operations:

Water supply information provided by Sonoma Water (find more water storage info here).

A table displaying storage data for Lakes Mendocino, Pillsbury, and Sonoma, including current storage, target or FIRO storage, percentage, and 7-day change.

A graph showing Lake Mendocino storage levels by year, with predicted future levels and storage curves.

Graph showing Lake Pillsbury storage scenarios over several years, with targets A, B, and C highlighted.

A graph showing Lake Sonoma storage levels over different years with projections up to September 30, 2024.

CDFW Awards $41M to Critical Restoration Projects Statewide Including Ukiah Valley Basin GSA

The Ukiah Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency was awarded $1,359,000 by CA Fish and Wildlife for the Upper Russian River Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem and Interconnected Surface Water Study. The project will study surface water-groundwater interconnection and groundwater-dependent ecosystems that support Chinook salmon and steelhead in the upper Russian River and its tributaries. Full press release

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently rleased the second and third papers on depletions of interconnected surface water to help Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) address this in their Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs.) Read more here.

State grant renews invasive quagga mussel prevention program at Lake Mendocino

The Sonoma County Water Agency’s watercraft inspection program at Lake Mendocino will continue for another two years, thanks to $400,000 in state grant funding that went into effect on Sept. 16. The California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways grant will fund the program to keep invasive quagga and zebra mussels from being introduced to Lake Mendocino until Sept. 15, 2026.

Quagga and zebra mussels are an invasive mussel which, if introduced into a waterway, can devastate the natural environment, clog water and flood protection infrastructure, and cost millions of dollars in maintenance. Mussels are transported between waterways by watercraft, primarily recreational boats. The current mussel inspection program at Lake Mendocino consists of visual and canine inspections of vessels planning to launch into the waterway. The requirements include any vessel that is intended to go in the lake, including stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and canoes. Inspections typically last less than two minutes and are offered daily from 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. For more information about the invasive mussel prevention program visit dontmoveamussel.com

Recharging California Webinar Series

As California experiences more frequent and intense drought and deluge cycles, we must focus on scaling strategies that allow us to thrive in wet and dry years alike. While there is no magic solution, groundwater recharge is a promising and cost-effective tool to navigate the effects of a warming climate on California’s water supply. Over the past decade, groundwater recharge has evolved from an experimental practice to a mainstream one; however, there is more we can do to incentivize and scale recharge to secure a resilient water future. Join Sustainable Conservation on Wednesday, October 2 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM for the second webinar in our Recharging California series, Scaling Solutions for Water Resilience. We’ll sit down with water experts working at the government level and on the ground as we highlight the work being done to promote recharge across the state. Learn more and register.

Missed the first webinar in the Fall 2024 series? Catch the conversation with climatologist Dr. Daniel Swain on our YouTube!

DWR Media Briefing on Start of New Water Year

As a new water year begins on October 1 on the heels of one of the hottest and driest summers on record, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) held a media briefing Thursday, September 26th to discuss the climate outlook and ongoing preparations for the new water year, including multi-agency collaboration for water storage, groundwater recharge, and flood preparedness to prepare for continued climate extremes. DWR Director Karla Nemeth and DWR State Climatologist Dr. Michael Anderson presented.

News Release
Recording of Media Briefing
PowerPoint Presentation from Briefing

Logos for NOAA, NIDIS, and Drought.gov, indicating a focus on drought information and monitoring.

The California-Nevada Drought Early Warning System September 2024 Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar is part of a series of regular drought and climate outlook webinars designed to provide stakeholders and other interested parties in the region with timely information on current drought status and impacts, as well as a preview of current and developing climatic events (i.e., El Niño and La Niña). The webinar took place Monday, September 23, 2024 and a recording will be posted on the NIDIS YouTube channel.

Water Education Foundation Water Summit: October 30, 2024

The 40th annual water summit, an engaging day of discussions addressing critical water issues in California and across the West, will open with a keynote address from Karla Nemeth, director of California’s Department of Water Resources. The Foundation’s premier event of the year will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Sacramento and will focus on the theme, Reflecting on Silver Linings in Western Water. Speakers and conversations will highlight the promising advances that have developed from myriad challenges in managing the West’s most precious natural resource. Nemeth is focused on preparing California to adapt to more extreme weather under climate change by improving aging and green infrastructure, management of groundwater supplies and local water resilience.

The Water Summit is also a fantastic networking opportunity and an ideal event for water district managers and board members, state and federal agency officials, city and county government leaders, farmers, environmentalists, attorneys, consultants, engineers, business executives and public interest groups. Register here

Congratulations to Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership winning two 2024 WaterSense® Sustained Excellence awards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership with two WaterSense Sustained Excellence awards – one as a Promotional Partner and one for the partnership’s Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper program as a Professional Certifying Organization. WaterSense honored its Sustained Excellence, Partner of the Year and Excellence Award winners during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas. The Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership was one of 19 Sustained Excellence Award winners.

WATCH THIS SPACE for updates on Proposition 4, a $10 billion climate bond coming soon to a ballot near you

This fall, voters will decide whether California should authorize a $10 billion bond to help the state respond to climate change by funding a variety of environmental initiatives, including water projects, wildfire risk reduction, coastal resilience, sustainable agriculture, and parks.