Russian River Weekly Update 4/13/26

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Reservoir Storage & Operations:

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

Data on lake storage levels: Mendocino, Pillsbury, and Sonoma—current volumes, target curves, and weekly changes in acre-feet.

The graph shows Lake Mendocino's water storage levels from 2020 to 2025, highlighting changes over months and key thresholds.

Graph showing Lake Pillsbury water storage levels from 2020 to 2024, with current levels compared to target curves.

The image is a graph showing Lake Sonoma's water storage levels from 2016 to 2026, with various yearly projections and buffer pools.

Russian River Water Year 2026 Update – Rainfall and Supply Levels, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Register for the Zoom webinar at https://bit.ly/water-year

Join this insightful webinar that will review rainfall, reservoir conditions, and ongoing water supply forecasts for the Russian River watershed. Hear what local, state, and federal experts have to say about the water year we’ve had so far and what we might expect as summer approaches. The webinar will be conducted in English, with Spanish captions available on YouTube after the event.

Speakers: Rebecca Hermosillo, Chair, Sonoma Water Board of Directors. Nick Malasavage, Chief, Operations and Readiness Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District (invited). Donald Seymour, Deputy Chief Engineer, Sonoma Water. Jeanine Jones, Interstate Resources Manager, California Department of Water Resources

Lake Mendocino – Expanding Storage Capacity

The Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission is working with the US Army Corp of Engineers in a study that aims to evaluate potential modifications to Coyote Valley Dam to enhance water supply, improve reservoir operations, and support ecosystem improvements. For more information, visit the RRFC webpage on the project.

2025, 8 CVD Study - Project Overview.pdf 2026, 3-30 USACE CVD Study - Progress Report.pdf

Register for the NOAA Drought Seminar Series April 13 at 10 AM

Pathways of Ongoing Aridification in Southwest North America: Linkages Across Seasons in the Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System Richard Seager | Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Announcing the new NOAA Drought Seminar Series, a collaborative effort between NOAA Research's Physical Sciences Laboratory, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center.

The series aims to be a valuable platform for the national drought research, operational, and user communities to share the most recent tools, research outcomes, and ongoing initiatives, and to enhance NOAA's capabilities in monitoring, predicting, and understanding drought.

Held virtually for one hour on the first or second Monday of each month, every seminar will include a speaker presentation with Q&A, and general updates on activities in the drought community.

Proposition 4 Workshop April 30, 2026 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Joint Workshop for the Proposition 4 Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program and the Watershed Resilience Grant Program. This virtual workshop will provide a general overview of both programs, discuss upcoming Proposition 4 funding opportunities, and provide an opportunity for early input on program development ahead of developing Guidelines.

Additional details, including the workshop agenda and registration link, will be shared soon via email and the respective program webpages (linked above).

Also, The California Water Data Consortium released “Strengthening California’s Climate Bond Outcomes with Water Data Infrastructure”, a new report on data and information systems-focused strategies and approaches to maximize Proposition 4’s success. The report reflects insights from over 100 water leaders convened last June—representing state agencies, local water managers, nonprofits, academic institutions, and more.

NCRP Request for Proposals: Technical Assistance for Grant Development to Support On-The-Ground Implementation Projects, Due May 1, 2026

The North Coast Resource Partnership is pleased to offer a Request for Proposals for Technical Assistance to North Coast partners, including Tribes, counties, NGOs, RCDs, watershed groups, and others to support grant applications for on-the-ground projects that improve forest health and increase wildfire resilience in economically disadvantaged communities. Visit the link for more information.