Russian River Weekly Update 5/11/26

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Mendocino County vineyard in May 2025, by E Salomone
Mendocino County vineyard in May 2025, by E Salomone

Reservoir Storage & Operations:

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

The image shows current storage data for Lake Mendocino, Lake Pillsbury, and Lake Sonoma, including changes over the last week.
The graph shows Lake Mendocino's water storage from 2019 to 2026, with 2026 projected at 84,505 acre-feet on May 11.
The chart shows Lake Pillsbury's storage levels and target scenarios from 2019 to 2026, highlighting trends in acre-feet capacity.
The graph shows Lake Sonoma's water storage levels from 2019 to 2026, highlighting changes in acre-feet over time.

 

Future of the Eel River to Russian River Trans Basin Diversion (Potter Valley Project)

 

Recent comments and articles:

 

Inaugural 2028 CA Water Plan Advisory Committee Meeting, May 13 and 14

The first 2028 California Water Plan Advisory Committee meeting is on Wednesday, May 13 (1 to 5 pm), and Thursday, May 14 (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Sacramento. RSVP form

Livestream Links:

The meeting agenda is now available for download. The Advisory Committee provides recommendations to DWR and informs development of the plan. The Advisory Committee is an appointed body, and all committee meetings are open to the public. A public comment period will be available on Day 2; please refer to the agenda for additional information. If you would like to provide written comments to be included in the Advisory Committee meeting record, please email your comments to cwpcom@water.ca.gov by Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Please note that comments received via email will be reviewed by DWR staff and will be included in the Advisory Committee meeting summary for consideration by the committee at the next quarterly meeting. Questions about this upcoming meeting can be addressed to cwpcom@water.ca.gov

 

Mendocino County Drought Task Force Meeting

You are invited to the next Mendocino County Drought Task Force Meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 9:00 AM. This will be a hybrid meeting, which will be in-person at the Mendocino County Administrative Center Board of Supervisors Chambers with a remote participation option on Zoom. Closer to the event, an agenda and Zoom link will be available on https://mendocino.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.
Jeanine Jones, Interstate Resources Manager at the California Department of Water Resources, will open the Drought Task Force meeting with a presentation about current and forecasted regional water conditions. Following that, County staff will briefly summarize the Water Agency’s drought trigger monitoring over the current water year. After the presentations, there will be an opportunity for stakeholder and public questions and discussion. Your participation is critical in successfully preparing our community for future droughts and water shortages.

 

California Natural Resources Agency Hosts Update on California's Climate Bond Funding on Tuesday, May 12 from noon - 1 p.m.

California’s Climate Bond is turning historic funding into real results. State investments are helping communities reduce wildfire risk, diversify water supplies, restore habitats, expand access to nature, protect farmland, and adjust to intensifying climate extremes.
Join Secretary Crowfoot for a candid conversation with state leaders and nonprofit partners about how these funds are getting utilized and how state agencies are working to make it easier to use bond funding to protect communities and natural places across California. Registration

 

Webinar: Ecological Drought: Collaborative Planning, Response, and Decision-Making, Wed May 13 12 PM

This webinar will focus on research and tools to improve our understanding and management of drought risk in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to inform more deliberate and expanded decision-making that supports sustainable, healthy, and resilient ecosystems. Presenters will share research findings from the Fiscal Year 2022 Coping with Drought competitions on Ecological Drought and Building Tribal Drought Resilience. Information and registration

 

In the press:

 

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