To: Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Water Agency, Occidental County Sanitation District, Russian River County Sanitation District, Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, South Park County Sanitation District
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Grant Davis 707-547-1911
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Sonoma Water Day
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive informational briefing to discuss the core functions of the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water). Staff will provide a briefing on accomplishments and challenges facing the core functions of Sonoma Water and our community. Topics include:
A) Introduction
B) Water supply and Transmission
C) Stream Maintenance and Flood Protection
D) Sanitation and Recycled Water
E) Climate Adaptation
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Executive Summary:
Sonoma Water staff will discuss its major core functions accomplishments and infrastructure challenges.
Discussion:
Sonoma Water is a special district created in 1949 by a special act of the California Legislature. This special act designates the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to serve as Sonoma Water’s Board of Directors. Sonoma Water is a separate legal entity from the County having specific limited purposes and powers and separate sources of funding.
Sonoma Water Day will provide our community an opportunity to hear from Sonoma Water staff and its Board of Directors regarding its major core functions (described below), accomplishments, and challenges facing Sonoma Water.
Sonoma Water’s primary functions are wholesale water supply to cities and water districts in Sonoma and Marin counties; flood protection services in the Laguna-Mark West Creek watershed, Sonoma valley, Petaluma valley and the lower Russian River region; and sanitation services for eight districts and zones. In addition, Sonoma Water generates hydroelectric power from Lake Sonoma, and, due to the impact of weather on its core functions, has been actively engaged in energy and climate change.
Water Supply System
There are two major reservoir projects that provide flood protection and water supply for the Russian River watershed: Lake Mendocino on the East Fork of the Russian River and Lake Sonoma on Dry Creek. Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma are dual-purpose reservoirs in that they provide flood protection (managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) and water supply storage (releases managed by Sonoma Water). Sonoma Water, as local sponsor, controls and coordinates water supply releases from Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma in accordance with its water rights permits and the requirements of State Water Resources Control Board’s Decision 1610.
Water released from the reservoirs is pumped by six collector wells adjacent to the Russian River near Forestville, treated and then distributed to the cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma and Sonoma; the Town of Windsor; and North Marin, Valley of the Moon and Marin Municipal water districts, plus several smaller communities and water providers.
Collector wells 1 and 2 were constructed in the late 1950’s and are located near the Wohler Bridge. Collector wells 3, 4 and 5 were constructed between 1975 and 1985 and are located near Mirabel Park. Construction of Sonoma Water's newest collector well, Collector well 6, was completed in the spring of 2006. The 88 miles of underground pipeline used to distribute water to the water contractors range in size from 16 inches to 54 inches. The aqueducts range in age with most being constructed from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s. The system includes 18 steel water storage tanks, with capacity to store about 129 million gallons of water. Booster stations are located throughout the system to maintain water flow and pressure.
Sonoma Water supplements its Russian River water supply with groundwater pumped from wells located in the Santa Rosa Plain. The three production wells - which were originally drilled in 1977 in response to the historic 1976-77 drought - are a critical component of the regional drought and seismic emergency water shortage resiliency strategy.
The production wells were instrumental during the 2012-2015 drought years when they provided an average of 766 acre-feet per year to help reduce Russian River water usage. Between 2015 - 2022, the wells were primarily offline, averaging only 20 acre-feet of production annually. The Board-approved Santa Rosa Plain Drought Resiliency Project is currently underway and entails upgrading the wells to meet current water quality standards and developing an aquifer recharge component.
Flood Protection
Sonoma Water owns, or has easements to maintain hydraulic capacity, on approximately 75 miles of engineered flood control channels. The channels are primarily located in the vicinity of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, and Sonoma and were designed to provide specific levels of flood protection, such as for a 25-, 50-, or 100-year flood. The channels are maintained to remove sediment, garbage and overgrown vegetation while encouraging riparian canopies that provide shade to help cool the water and shade out less desirable plant species.
The Central Sonoma Watershed Project (“Project”) includes flood protection reservoirs that were built in the 1960s to reduce flooding in the Santa Rosa area. These reservoirs are:
• Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir (also known as Spring Lake)
• Matanzas Creek Reservoir
• Piner Creek Reservoir (on Paulin Creek)
• Brush Creek Middle Fork Reservoir
Sonoma Water is currently re-evaluating the Project’s infrastructure and capacity, in light of both its age and climate change.
In addition to the Project, Sonoma Water, in cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers, is the local sponsor for specific flood control improvement projects located on 22 miles of the Russian River between Healdsburg and Cloverdale.
Sanitation Systems
In 1995, Sonoma Water assumed responsibility from the County of Sonoma for managing the county sanitation zones and districts, which provide wastewater collection and treatment, and recycled water distribution and disposal services for approximately 22,000 residences and businesses. The zones include Airport/Larkfield/Wikiup, Geyserville, Penngrove and Sea Ranch. The sanitation districts include the Occidental, Russian River, Sonoma Valley, and South Park County Sanitation Districts. These systems vary greatly in terms of size and complexity.
In total, the eight district and zones treat an average of about 1.8 billion gallons of wastewater and distribute approximately 750 million gallons of recycled water annually. The water is used for environmental restoration in San Pablo Bay and to irrigate vines, pastures, parks, golf courses, playing fields and trees. The Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District accounts for nearly 80 percent of all recycled water distributed for beneficial uses.
Carbon Free Water and Climate Adaptation
Due to the unique enabling legislation establishing Sonoma Water, it has the authority to produce both water and power. Sonoma Water began producing power after the Warm Springs Dam was completed in 1984. A hydroelectric turbine was installed a few years later and has been producing electricity since then. This turbine is capable of generating 2.6 MW of power. Since energy production is influenced by the flow of water through the dam, power production is usually at about 31 MWh per day. Annual energy production ranges from 9,000 MWh to 15,000 MWh depending on wet versus dry years which determine the water releases through the turbine.
In 2011, the Sonoma Water Board approved an energy policy that results in Sonoma Water procuring over 99% of its electricity needs through renewable and non-fossil fuel-based resources.
Because climate variability and climate change are significant drivers influencing the future reliability of Sonoma Water’s core functions, Sonoma Water has been actively engaged in climate action. In October 2021, the Board approved Sonoma Water’s Climate Adaptation Plan, which serves assessed climate risks and developed adaptation strategies to improve climate resiliency of its water supply, sanitation, and flood control infrastructure and operations.
One of the actions identified in the Climate Adaptation Plan is to continue to develop and (in cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers) implement Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) at Lake Mendocino. An assessment is underway of the viability of using FIRO at Lake Sonoma. Another initiative is Advanced Quantitative Precipitation Information (AQPI), which is being conducted in conjunction with other Bay Area agencies. The grant-funded project will result in more precise tracking of the location and amounts of precipitation from atmospheric rivers and will enhance forecasting of hazardous weather events.
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan
In 2022, Sonoma Water engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning effort that included interviews with water contractors, a community survey and an employee survey. The final plan includes updated vision, mission and values and six goals, as follows:
Vision: Ensuring resilient water resources now and for future generations.
Mission: To provide reliable water supply, wastewater management, and flood protection -- essential services for a thriving community and a healthy environment.
Values: Community, Our Team, Equity, Resilience, Integrity and Environmental stewardship.
Goals:
1. Organizational Excellence. Strengthen the organization and workforce to perform our core functions and responsibilities.
2. Planning and Infrastructure. Implement comprehensive, integrated, and innovative infrastructure planning to strengthen existing services, minimize life cycle costs, and prepare for the future.
3. Environmental Stewardship. Protect and sustain our watersheds to maintain water resources, ecosystems, and communities.
4. Emergency Preparedness. Build organizational resilience and ensure effective emergency response to extreme weather events, disasters, and security risks.
5. Climate Change. Assess risk and uncertainty of climate change and to develop and take actions that improve resiliency and sustainability.
6. Community Engagement. Engage with the community to build understanding, trust and support for projects and programs.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency
Goal: Goal 1: Strengthen operational effectiveness, fiscal reliability, and accountability
Objective: Objective 1: Develop partnerships with cities, tribal governments, and private organizations regarding flood protection and sustainability to identify gaps and address climate change impacts.
Prior Board Actions:
None.
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
Attachment 1 - PowerPoint Presentation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.