Sonoma Water E-News | March 2020
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Message from General Manager, Grant Davis
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We continue to closely monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation on a daily basis. I want to assure you that we are carefully assessing information as it becomes available to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure the continued health, safety, and well-being of our staff and the community.
Sonoma Water is committed to delivering safe clean drinking water and providing wastewater service to our customers.
- There are no impacts from the coronavirus to our drinking water system.
- Sonoma Water uses chlorine to eliminate pathogens, which includes viruses. This ensures safe drinking water for all our customers.
- Sonoma Water’s staff is highly trained and prepared for emergencies and has contingency plans in place to maintain the safety of our water supply during this emergency.
Grant Davis
General Manager, Sonoma Water
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Public Meetings and Tours Are
Postponed or Cancelled
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It is with an abundance of caution and in our continued efforts to put our community's safety first and to continue to provide a safe and secure work environment, effective immediately we are instituting the below precautions as a result of the developing COVID-19 outbreak.
Public Use of Sonoma Water Facilities
- Our facilities at 404 Aviation Boulevard and 204 Concourse Boulevard are closed to non-essential, community meetings through the month of April.
Hosting of Meetings At Sonoma Water Facilities
- Sonoma Water hosted meetings which are non-essential are suspended through the month of April.
The following public tours are postponed:
Saturday, March 21, 2020 - Track Wildlife Along the Russian River
Saturday, April 18, 2020 - Riparian Plant Investigation
Sábado, Abril 4, 2020 - Agua Reciclada: El Maravilloso Tratamiento de Aguas Negras, Sonoma Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant
We are working closely with the County and community partners to ensure we maintain a current situational awareness, and will implement any further recommendations or guidance we receive from the Department of Public Health, as appropriate.
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Don’t throw “flushable” or “disposable” wipes in toilet - please throw them in the trash. Single-use wet wipes have gained popularity in recent years and unfortunately end up being improperly disposed of in the toilet.
Many of these products are marketed as flushable, but often times are not compatible with sewer systems and infrastructure.
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Russian River Inflatable Dam is Inflated
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Due to a dry February and warm temperatures, on February 28 the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) began the process of inflating its rubber dam located in the Russian River near Forestville. The rubber dam is a critical component of the Russian River water supply system that provides naturally filtered drinking water to more than 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties.
The rubber dam is typically inflated in spring or early summer when demand for potable water increases. A lack of measurable rainfall in February and warm temperatures increased water demands while river flows remain relatively low.
When fully inflated, the rubber dam creates a small pool of water from which Sonoma Water draws water for use in four off-stream infiltration ponds. The infiltration ponds help recharge groundwater, which is naturally filtered through sand and gravel and delivered to Sonoma Water’s customers.
The rubber dam is located just downstream of the Wohler Bridge on the Russian River. When the rubber dam is raised, permanent fish ladders provide fish passage and allow Sonoma Water to count the migration of adult salmon and steelhead with its underwater video system located in the fish ladders.
Boaters must portage around the rubber dam, located downstream of Wohler Bridge. Public notices will be posted around the rubber dam warning the public not to recreate on or near the dam. California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations prohibit fishing within 250 feet of the upstream and downstream sides of the rubber dam.
With dry conditions and water demands increasing, Sonoma Water encourages residents to to use water efficiently. Now is the time to repair leaky faucets and toilets. Additional water conservation tips are available at the Sonoma Marin Water Saving Partnership website,
www.savingwaterpartnership.org/
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The 2020 Eco-Friendly
Garden Tour
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The Eco-Friendly Garden Tour is a public outreach and education program that promotes sustainable landscaping practices by showcasing inspiring gardens throughout Sonoma and Marin counties. The Tour highlights Russian River-Friendly and Bay-Friendly landscaping best practices, and supports Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) certified professionals by featuring their personal or client’s gardens.
The tour has events at various gardens including garden demonstrations, workshops, plant sales, art studios, and a harvest market! There will be a professional landscaper, designer or homeowner at each location to provide information about the garden and answer questions.
Who:
Anyone can attend this fun event for FREE
!
When:
Saturday, May 2
nd
, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where:
Santa Rosa, Sonoma Valley
,
Petaluma, Novato
and San Rafael
To learn more about the Eco-Friendly Garden Tour or to register,
Nominate a Garden
Please get in touch if you would like to nominate a garden for the 2020 tour.
The tour is hosted by the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership, a group of 10 water utilities in Sonoma and Marin counties that have joined together to provide a regional approach to water use efficiency. The utilities are the cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Sonoma, Cotati; North Marin, Valley of the Moon and Marin Municipal Water Districts, Town of Windsor, and the Sonoma County Water Agency.
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Rainfall and Water Storage Update
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Current water supply conditions (3/16/20)
Lake Mendocino
98.56% of Target Water Supply Curve
Current Storage: 73,808 acre-feet (85.2% of Major Deviation)
Lake Sonoma
Target Storage Curve: 245,000 acre-feet
Current Storage: 220,805 acre-feet (90.12% of Water Supply Pool)
Current rainfall conditions (10/1/19 – 3/16/20)
Ukiah:
Average (1894-2019 water years): 30.33"
Current Water Year: 11.56” which is 38.11% of average
Santa Rosa:
Average (1950-2018 water years): 25.47"
Current Water Year: 16.16” which is 63.44% of average
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Upcoming Events
Our offices will be closed due to Covid-19. Please visit
socoemergency.org for additional information from Sonoma County.
The Board normally holds its regular meetings on Tuesdays, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Upcoming Board meetings:
- March 17, 2020, 8:30 am
- March 24, 2020, 8:30 am
- April 7, 2020, 8:30 am
Board Agendas:
Meeting Location:
Board of Supervisors Chambers
575 Administration Drive,
Room 102A, Santa Rosa, CA
Groundwater Sustainability Agency Board Meetings
- March 23, 2020, 4:00 pm - Sonoma Valley
- April 9, 2020, 1:00 pm - Santa Rosa Plain
- April 23, 2020, 4:00 pm - Petaluma Valley
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Fact of the Month
With data compiled from the CA Department and Fish and Wildlife and other salmon conservation partners, the website is the most comprehensive one-stop-shop for information on California’s iconic anadromous fishes.
The
website
is organized around three questions:
- How many salmon and steelhead do we have in California?
- Which California rivers with salmon and steelhead?
- What are the important restoration solutions that will enable salmon and steelhead to survive into the future?
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Employment Opportunities
We invite you to explore the career opportunities available with Sonoma Water.
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Public Comment Opportunities
Please click the button below to see opportunities to provide your input and comments.
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Sonoma Water | 404 Aviation Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 | sonomawater.org
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