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Sonoma County Drills Wells To Study Groundwater Sustainability

/in , , /by /The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)by Guy Kovner

The shallow wells Sonoma County’s water agency is drilling near 11 waterways have nothing to do with delivering water to 600,000 residents of Sonoma and Marin counties.

Instead, the 21 wells will serve as measuring sticks to determine whether pumping groundwater in the county’s three basins — the Santa Rosa Plain, Petaluma Valley and Sonoma Valley — is curbing the flow in creeks inhabited by federally protected fish and other species.

The $300,000 project is the latest consequence of a state law, enacted during California’s five-year drought, requiring long-term sustainability of underground water supplies that were heavily tapped during the prolonged dry spell.

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Notable Sonoma County Wine Executive’s Vineyard Business Firm Accused Of Water Quality Violations

/in , /by /The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)by Bill Swindell

Prominent Sonoma County wine executive Hugh Reimers, who last month abruptly left as president of Foley Family Wines, faces allegations that his grape growing company has violated regional, state and federal water quality laws for improperly clearing land near Cloverdale to build a vineyard. The North Coast Regional Water Quality Board accused his Santa Rosa vineyard management company, Krasilsa Pacific Farms, of violations of the water board’s local water rules, the California Water Code and the federal Clean Water Act for clearing and grading 140 acres. The water quality board concluded the work on a section of Krasilsa Pacific’s more than 2,000-acre property was done without applying or obtaining the necessary permits required by the county to operate a vineyard.

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OPINION: It’s Time To Finally Adopt A Russian River Plan

/in , /by /The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)

Here’s a safe prediction: Generations to come will be thankful for everything done today to protect the Russian River. Here’s another: Restoring and preserving the river’s health will become more challenging and expensive each time action is delayed. As reported in The Press Democrat by Staff Writer Mary Callahan, delay has been a central feature of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board’s efforts to adopt a plan to protect and improve the Russian River’s water quality. The delay so far has been excusable — earlier drafts of the plan needed refinements, and California’s water quality regulations have changed — but now it’s time to move forward. The third iteration since 2015 of the regional water board’s staff report and draft action plan for the Russian River are now out for review and comment.

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New Plan To Safeguard Russian River Targets Contamination From Human And Animal Waste

/in , /by /The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)by Mary Callahan

An on-again, off-again effort by state regulators to better protect the Russian River and its tributaries against failing septic systems, livestock waste and other potential sources of bacterial contamination is in its final stages, with hopes that an action plan for the entire watershed will be approved this August and go into effect next year. The move, controversial and closely watched in years past, could impose stricter regulations and mandatory septic system upgrades on thousands of landowners with properties near the river or its connected waterways.

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Warming Weather To Increase Sierra Snowmelt, Flooding Risk

/in , /by /The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)

Forecasters say warming California weather will increase melting of the huge Sierra Nevada snowpack and raise water levels in many rivers and streams in the coming week. The National Weather Service says this will heighten the risk of flooding in adjacent areas, including along the upper Merced River in Yosemite National Park. Forecasters say nearby residents, hikers and campers should pay close attention to water levels and be ready to move to safety.

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Drought Conditions Spread Over Much Of California

/in , /by /The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)by Guy Kovner

Sixteen days into summer, with wildfires raging over the bone-dry landscape and more scorching hot days ahead, it might feel as if California is on the verge of another drought. The official word from weather authorities shows much of the state trending in that direction. Abnormally dry or drought conditions prevail over 85 percent of California, including the coast from Monterey County to the Oregon border, the U.S. Drought Monitor said Thursday. Nearly all of Lake County and parts of eastern Napa and Mendocino counties are now in moderate drought, authorities said.

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