Page 11 - Sonoma County Gazette January 2016

WATER cont’s from page 8
Biological opinion will cut flows
Sonoma County Water Agency may take numerous steps in the coming
year to both increase water availability for its contractors and diminish summer flows for water users downstream. In Sept. 2008, National Marine Fisheries Service released Biological Opinion that required SCWA to produce Environmental Impact Report (EIR) recommending 44% decrease in Russian River flows as measured at the Hacienda Bridge in Forestville. (Decreases apply to upper river as well, but that’s a different story.) That EIR has been in the works for many years now, but is due to come out this spring. Water savings in Lake Sonoma can then be available for contractor use.
SCWA requests 10,000 AF more
Furthermore, SCWA plans to request additional 10,000 acre feet (AF) of water diversion allocation from the State Water Board. They are now entitled to 75,000 AF, but during the drought, contractors have used much less. Regarding Lake Mendocino, it is unknown how much lower river water comes from that source now since Eel River transfers have been greatly diminished, while about half of the water sold by SCWA to contractors, goes to out-of-Russian-River- Basin customers in Petaluma, Marin, and Sonoma Valley. At issue is whether SCWA is required (as it seems in Decision 1610 which governs river flows) to provide adequate flows for downstream water quality, supply, and recreation.
A recent study by SCWA analyzed long-range reliability of Lake Mendocino as a water supply source and made the strong case in the “Lake Mendocino Water Supply Reliability Evaluation Report” that validates our concerns (pages 17-18) about decreased water availability for lower river water users and current urban residents: “... Lake Mendocino’s water supply reliability has decreased
Lake Mendocino unreliable
SAFE Medicine Disposal Dropoff Locations:
Cotati
Santa Rosa
Cotati Police Department
Creekside Pharmacy
203 West Sierra Avenue 707-792-4611
95 Montgomery Drive 707-525-1130
Dollar Drug
1055 W. College Avenue 707-575-1313
965 Sonoma Aveenue 707-543-3600
Sonoma County Water Agency 404 Aviation Blvd
707-547-1900
Tuttles Doyle Park Pharmacy 1220 Sonoma Aveenue 707-546-9090
Tuttles Hoen Pharmacy
4731 Hoen Avenue 707-528-4511
Cloverdale
Cloverdale Pharmacy
790 South Cloverdale Boulevard 707-894-4414
Santa Rosa Police Station
Guerneville
Lark’s Drugs
16251 Main Street 707-869-9055
West County Health Centers Russian River Health Center 16319 Third Street Guerneville
Healdsburg
Alliance Medical Center
1381 University Street 707-433-5494
Healdsburg Police Department 238 Center Street
Sebastopol
707-431-3377
6850 Laguna Park Way 707-829-4400
Occidental
Sonoma
Occidental Area Health Center
Sonoma Vintage House
3802 Main Street Occidental
264 First Street East
Petaluma
The drop-off bin is located in the front lobby and is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sonoma Valley Hospital
The drop-off bin is located in the Emergency Department waiting room and is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day
Petaluma Health Center
347 Andrieux Street
1179 North McDowell Blvd. 707-559-7500
Rohnert Park
Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety
500 City Center Drive 707-584-2693
Windsor
Sebastopol Police Station
Alliance Medical Center
8465 Old Redwood Highway 707-687-2498
Health First
9070 Windsor Road 707-837-7948
in recent years..... Future growth projections (high and low) for the areas that rely on Lake Mendocino for their water supply indicate modest growth through 2045. Even with modest growth however, Lake Mendocino’s water supply reliability is expected to continue to further decline..... A scenario evaluating the effect of having no PVP diversion in the future shows that under that scenario, Lake Mendocino would go dry at some during a majority of years (over 60%). This would have significant impacts to downstream water users, ecosystems, and groundwater aquifers. Without water in Lake Mendocino to release downstream, river reaches could end up with little or no surface water flow. The loss of surface water flow would result in the loss of aquatic habitat for listed and native fish, impacts to riparian and wetland habitats, for flora and fauna, as well as loss of recreation opportunities in the reservoir and along the river. Water users dependent on surface water diversions would experience significant impacts to their ability to divert water. In addition, groundwater levels in the alluvial aquifer of the Russian River would decline, impacting production from many groundwater wells.” (PVP= Potter Valley Project)
This is a powerful statement. The water availability claimed in contractor General Plans supporting new growth appears to be “paper water” only and probably cannot be substantiated. And global warming, under which conditions may grow much worse, needs to be factored into situation also.
Brenda Adelman is Chair of Russian River Watershed Protection Committee, incorporated in 1980. rrwpc@comcast.net www.rrwpc.org” www.rrwpc.org
SONOMA COUNTY CURRENT WATER SUPPLY LEVELS: Potter Valley Project / Eel River Operations = 63% full Lake Sonoma reservoir = 70% full
Lake Mendocino reservoir = 63% full
Rainfall so far: Average = 8” Current = 5”
Remember that last year we had heavy rainfall in December then it just about dried up after that. Keep conserving water!
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