Beginning June 1, the Sonoma County Water Agency will temporarily terminate delivery of water to its surplus customers in order to save water in the Russian River. SCWA provides 21 customers with water on a surplus-only basis and is expecting to save between 100 and 150 acre-feet of water between June and October due to the termination of that service. Surplus water customers include a variety of vineyards, businesses and a county government agency.
“This is the third year in a row that we’ve cut water due to dry conditions. There’s no such thing as surplus water anymore,” said Brad Sherwood, SCWA public information officer. “But we do feel that the June 1st date gives grape growers and vineyard managers adequate time to use the water for frost protection. Most have a secondary source of water that they can use for irrigation later in the season.”
While this statement may be true, the lack of surplus water has meant added costs for some vineyard owners. “We’re spending money on new pumps and filters in order to more efficiently use the little water we’ve got,” said Chris Bowen, a Sonoma Valley vineyard manager. “At least we’re investing in things we’ll use in the future but it really was great to have access to all that good, clean water from the aquifer.”
Many vineyard owners were proactive years ago and drilled their own wells for irrigation. George MacLeod farms 50 acres on Highway 12 on his ranch in northern Sonoma Valley and did just that in 1995. He is also experimenting with dry farming, planting a small block in Zinfandel using St. George rootstock. “If we hadn’t drilled our well all those years ago, we’d have a major issue today,” said MacLeod. “But for dry farming, the St. George is the way to go because it is the toughest and most aggressive for tough and lean soil.”
Under SCWA’s rules that apply to all surplus customers, surplus water service deliveries will be made only during those periods in which, in sole judgment of SCWA, there is an available source of water supply and sufficient transmission system delivery capacity that exceeds the existing and anticipated requirements of SCWA’s regular customers.
On February 2, SCWA called for water-saving measures from the public and its contractors, including the cities of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Sonoma, and Cotati; the Town of Windsor; North Marin Water District, Valley of the Moon Water District; and the Marin Municipal Water District. SCWA is also seeking reduced water use from municipalities, businesses and agricultural communities in Mendocino and Sonoma counties that rely on the Russian River for water. The call comes after experiencing a third dry winter and continued reductions in diversion from the Potter Valley Project.
As of March 26, Lake Mendocino’s water storage level still remains low – 61 percent of capacity – compared to 94 percent last year.
Some growers impacted by County water cuts
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