Reservoir Storage & Operations:

Water supply information provided by Sonoma Water (more info here).

 Abacela Weather & Climate Summary & Forecast for June 2023

Russian River Water Forum Updates 

The Russian River Water Forum Planning Group will be holding its second meeting on Monday, June 12, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend. The meeting will be virtual and held on Zoom. Please register here. The agenda will be posted to the website in advance of the meeting.
 
Future Planning Group meetings will take place on the following dates. These meetings will be hybrid and open to the public; registration will be forthcoming and available on the website.

• Meeting #3: Thursday, July 13, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Meeting #4: Thursday, August 3, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Meeting #5: Thursday, September 7, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Meeting #6: Thursday, October 5, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Meeting #7: Thursday, November 2, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Meeting #8: Thursday, December 7, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Technical briefings will be held on the following dates. Briefings will be virtual and held on Zoom; registration will be forthcoming and available on the website.

• Governance: Tuesday, June 20, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Water Supply & Fisheries: Wednesday, June 21, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Water Rights: Thursday, June 22, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Economics & Finance: Wednesday, June 28, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

For more information about the Water Forum and Planning Group, please visit: https://russianriverwaterforum.org/

California Natural Resources Agency Celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Join AAPI Leaders for a Discussion of the Future of Natural Resource Stewardship

This Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month, join California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot for a special Secretary Speaker Series event featuring AAPI environmental leaders from across the state in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month. They will share their perspectives and priorities on the natural resource and conservation movement. Watch recording here.

DWR Launches ‘Be Well Prepared’ Program to Ensure Safe and Reliable Drinking Water for Households and Communities Dependent on Groundwater

DWR announced the official launch of the new Be Well Prepared program that provides information and resources to help well owners, well users, and local agencies be ready for impacts of climate-driven weather extremes on groundwater supplies and drinking water wells. Groundwater is a critical component of California’s water supply and is heavily relied upon by communities, agriculture, and the environment, especially during dry and drought years. Read more here.

Decorative Grass Watering Ban on Business and Government Properties

State Water Board Press Release, 5/31/23
Sierra Sun Times -  State Water Board Readopts Watering Ban, 6/4/23

“The State Water Resources Control Board has readopted an emergency regulation that bans using drinking water for watering decorative grass (also referred to as non-functional turf) in commercial, industrial and institutional areas throughout the state.

“The State Water Board’s readoption of this regulation signals the real need for Californians to continue using water wisely, and it aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March 2023 executive order affirming that the multi-year drought continues to have significant, immediate impacts on communities with vulnerable water supplies across California. Although conditions have improved, they have not abated severe drought conditions that remain in some parts of the state, including those with groundwater basins that are depleted.”

In the press:

• CA Water Plan eNews, May 31, 2023 
• Maven's Notebook, May 28-June 2, 2023
• North Bay Business Journal - Tribe taps Sonoma County wineries, farms to save Russian River water, 5/ 29/23
• Sonoma County Gazette- The Russian River paradox: A deep dive into flow reduction and its ecological implications, 6/1/23
• Mendocino Voice - Genetic rescue can help declining Russian River coho, study finds; habitat restoration still needed, 5/26/23
• San Francisco Chronicle - Dramatic weather swings are headed to CA in June, 6/1/23 - gift article via Maven's Notebook
• LA Times - ‘Improvised, spotty and belated’: Will California reform its oversight of water rights?, 6/5/23
• SJV Water - Slew of water bills swirl around Sacramento, 5/31/23
• Valley Voice - New Research Offers Clarity on Actual Water Use by Agriculture, 6/2/23
• Russian River Watershed Association - It’s National River Month!, 6/1/23