On October 19, 2021 the Sonoma Water Board of Directors approved its first-ever Climate Adaptation Plan (CAP) that provides a roadmap for the agency as it navigates the impacts of climate change on its infrastructure and operations.

Sonoma Water’s mission is to protect the drinking water supply of more than 600,000 North Bay residents, manage flood control facilities in Sonoma County that impact thousands of residents and homes, and provide wastewater collection and treatment for 75,000 Sonoma County residents. Development of the CAP assumes that climate change is inevitable, it is already occurring, and the agency must adapt quickly to protect its critical infrastructure.

The CAP will direct Sonoma Water in terms of prioritizing and allocating resources towards practices and projects that will improve resiliency of its operations and facilities to climate variability and change. Largest among the impacts identified in the plan is the anticipated variability in precipitation; more severe droughts, and stronger flood events, due to the heightened role of atmospheric rivers. An increased risk of wildfires is also predicted as temperatures rise and droughts become more severe. Contained in the CAP are strategies aimed at maximizing reservoir storage, managing floodwaters for aquifer recharge, and protecting critical infrastructure from severe flooding and sea-level rise.

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chair and Sonoma Water Board of Directors Chair Lynda Hopkins said, “There is no question that climate change is here and it presents unprecedented risks to every aspect of our lives. The question is what are we going to do about it? How can we be more resilient and adapt our systems? This plan allows us to meet the public health and safety needs of our community as we adapt to climate change, which will drastically affect some of our most essential services.”

To learn more about climate adaptation strategies visit https://www.sonomawater.org/climate

Sonoma Water has partnered with University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) to launch an integrated countywide Decision Support Framework that provides an integrated set of tools for property owners, land managers and decision makers to prioritize and make strategic investments in fuel load reduction, vegetation management, community health and safety, and the long-term resilience of Sonoma County watersheds. 

A Wildfire Fuel Mapper developed by UCCE in partnership and the Pepperwood Preserve is the first of two tools designed to be integrated at multiple scales. This parcel level scale tool is now available for landowners and land managers to assess their property and plan actions to help reduce fire hazards, manage fuels and protect people, infrastructure and ecosystems. You’ll find detailed maps, contacts for forest and fire specialists, funding information and other resources. Visit wildfirefuelmapper.org for more information or contact slarson@ucanr.edu  

A second tool is currently under development for use in 2022 is a web-based model designed to support strategic planning beyond the parcel scale, looking at wildfire risk reduction of a variety of built and natural assets such as communities, key infrastructure and ecosystems. The Decision Support Framework and its tools are designed for compatibility with Permit Sonoma’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan and other regional tools to ensure consistency and effective use of taxpayer dollars. 

For more information, please contact: susan.haydon@scwa.ca.gov  

Current water supply conditions as of 11/9/2021:   

Current rainfall conditions (10/1/21 – 11/8/21)