Russian River Weekly 8/18/25

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Mendocino County pears, November 2023 by E Salomone — Mendocino Pear Trees, Nov 2023, E Salomone

Reservoir Storage & Operations:

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

Storage data for three lakes, showing current levels, target percentages, and changes over 7 days.

Lake Mendocino storage levels from 2018-2025, showing fluctuations and projections in acre-feet over time.

Lake Pillsbury storage graph from 2018 to 2025, showing target scenarios A, B, C in acre-feet. Highlight: Aug 16, 2025, at 33,044 acre-feet.

Lake Sonoma storage graph (2018-2025), showing acre-feet trends over months, with a key point on Aug 18, 2025, at 240,584 acre-feet.

FERC Approval of the PG&E 2025 Flow Variance, Reducing Water Diversions to the Russian

On August 4, 2025, FERC approved the PG&E 2025 Flow Variance, reducing water diversions to the Russian River basin. More information here.

The State Water Resources Control Board has developed a tool for water right holders:

State Water Resources Control Board Supply and Demand Assessment tool for the Russian River

PG&E Files Final Surrender Application for Potter Valley Project

On July 25, 2025, Pacific Gas and Electric Company filed its Final Surrender Application and Final Non-Project Use of Project Lands Application (NPUPL) for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. P-77) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC.) If you have any questions regarding this filing, please email Tony.Gigliotti@pge.com. More information here: RRFC webpage on the Future of the Eel River to Russian River Diversion

PVP related articles uploaded recently:

2025, 8-14 City of Rio Dell comment to FERC.pdf

North Coast Resource Partnership: Capacity Needs Survey

The North Coast Resource Partnership (NCRP) invites partners to participate in the NCRP Regional Capacity Assessment, an online survey that assesses the capacity needs of Tribes, local fire and rescue service providers, RCDs, NGOs, and organizations focused on wildfire and climate resilience in the North Coast Region.
Survey Link

WHY IS NCRP REQUESTING THIS INFORMATION?

NCRP is partnering with the Department of Conservation (DOC)’s Regional Forest and Fire Capacity program to support the capacity of North Coast Tribes and other entities working to improve forest health and community wildfire resilience, with a focus on investments in economically disadvantaged communities. NCRP and DOC are focused on identifying, prioritizing and supporting a portfolio of landscape scale, multi-objective projects for implementation. To build this implementation portfolio in partnership with entities like yours, NCRP needs to understand and document capacity limitations in the region, and priorities for addressing these capacity limitations.

Based on the needs identified in this Regional Capacity Assessment, NCRP will be developing a North Coast Regional Capacity Enhancement Strategy, which will include recommended capacity investments to support partner projects, planning support, and other needs.

HOW TO FILL OUT THE SURVEY

The survey consists of approximately 50 questions that may take up to an hour to answer. The button above will take you to the ArcGIS Survey123 tool, where you can respond to the survey at your convenience. You do not need to fill out the survey in a single session; you can close and re-open the survey from the same device & browser over multiple sessions, and multiple representatives from your organization may contribute. Individual responses will remain confidential. Response data will be summarized and shared in aggregate via graphs and tables.

QUESTIONS?

If you would prefer to do the survey in the form of a Zoom interview with a NCRP staff member who will ask each question and record your response, please contact Sherri Norris or Javier Silva (for Tribal interviews), or Rose Roberts (for non-Tribal interviews). If you have already been interviewed and completed the survey with Sherri, Javier, or Rose via a zoom meeting, please do not do a second survey. The goal is to complete all surveys and interviews before the end of August. Please reach out if you have any questions.

📢 State Water Board Announces New Water Rights Reporting System

The State Water Resources Control Board is launching a new and improved system called CalWATRS (short for California Water Accounting Tracking and Reporting System) to make reporting water rights easier and more efficient. This system will help the state manage water data better and make it easier for the public to access important information.

What You Need to Know

Early Access Starts in July 2025 You’ll be able to explore and get used to the new CalWATRS system from July through September 2025. This is your chance to try it out before official reporting begins. Look for more information on the CalWATRS website. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/upward/calwatrs/
Official Reporting Begins October 2025 You can start submitting your water rights reports to CalWATRS in October 2025. Reports for the 2024-2025 water year will be due by January 31, 2026. More details and instructions will be shared closer to October.
Current System (eWRIMS) Closed June 8, 2025 The current system, eWRIMS, will stop accepting reports on June 8, 2025. You’ll still be able to search for water rights information in eWRIMS after that, but you won’t be able to submit anything new.
No Changes to Old Reports from June 8 – September 30, 2025 During the switch to CalWATRS, you won’t be able to edit or amend past reports between June 8 and September 30, 2025. If you need to make changes to old reports, do it before June 8 in eWRIMS, or wait until after October 1 in CalWATRS.
CalWATRS Website and Email Updates The CalWATRS website is your go-to hub for the latest news, system updates, and helpful resources. While you’re there, sign up for the CalWATRS email list to receive important announcements and helpful information straight to your inbox.

“We appreciate your help and patience as we make this big improvement. Like with any new system, there may be a few bumps along the way, but we’re here to support you and make the transition as smooth as possible. More help and guidance will be available soon! For questions or assistance, please email CalWATRS-help@waterboards.ca.gov”