Russian River Weekly Update 9/29/25

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East Fork Russian River in Potter Valley, September 2025 by E Salomone

Reservoir Storage & Operations:

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

Mendo Fever: Mendocino county Faces First Big Rain of the Season (Starting Today) 9/28/25

Storage data for lakes:
- Mendocino: 68,824 acre-ft (+/-2,363)
- Pillsbury: 28,614 acre-ft (+/-565)
- Sonoma: 229,932 acre-ft (+/-1,621)

Graph showing Lake Mendocino water storage from 2018-2025 in acre-feet, with a marked point on September 29, 2025, at 68,824 acre-feet.

Lake Pillsbury storage levels from 2018 to 2025 with target scenarios, displaying variations in acre-feet over time.

Lake Sonoma Storage graph showing water levels (in acre-feet) from 2018 to 2025, with forecast for September 29, 2025, at 229,932 acre-feet.

PROJECTIONS:

Updates on PG&E 2025 Flow Variance, Reducing Water Diversions to the Russian River

PG&E will not be increasing the East Branch Russian River diversion from 5 cfs to 25 cfs on October 1, 2025 as allowed by the flow variance due to storage conditions at Lake Pillsbury.

The Friends of the Eel River (FOER) submitted comments to FERC regarding the 2025 Flow Variance in response to comments made by PG&E at an August meeting. FOER calls for curtailing deliveries to Potter Valley Irrigation District’s water delivery contract with PG&E if further reductions are found necessary and extending the 5 cubic feet per second diversions into the East Branch Russian River beyond September 30th.

2025, 9-24 FOER comments on 2025 Flow Variance.pdf

Background & more information:

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, linked below. At the September 3, 2025 State Water Board meeting, staff provided an update on the Water Supply and Demand Assessment Program in which the Russian River was discussed throughout.

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

PG&E's 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 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:

Lake County News: Lake County officials challenge PG&E’s claims about Potter Valley Project’s seismic safety 9/23/25

Notice of Preparation and Scoping Meetings for an Environmental Impact Report on PG&E’s PVP Decommissioning Plan

The State Water Resources Control Board staff released a Notice of Preparation (NOP) and Scoping Meetings for an Environmental Impact Report for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project Surrender and Decommissioning. You can find the NOP and information on the scoping meetings in the document linked below and on the State Water Board's webpage. Comments are due by 4:00 pm on Monday November 3, 2025. See the document for more information.

2025, 9-22 SWRCB PVP Notice of Preparation.pdf

New Groundwater Demand Management Network Launches Community Needs Assessment Survey

A coalition of leading water experts recently announced the launch of the Groundwater Demand Management Network, a new statewide initiative designed to create a comprehensive community of practice for managing California's critical groundwater resources.

The Network has launched its California Groundwater Community Needs Assessment to help shape programming, identify priority needs, and establish partnerships across the state. The Network encourages all interested parties to take the five-minute survey available at: https://bit.ly/gdmn-survey. The survey should be completed by September 30, 2025. The outcomes will prove invaluable to guide the services the Network will offer.

📢 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”

California Natural Resources Agency Hosts Discussion on California's Climate Bond

Monday, September 29, 2025; noon to 1:30 p.m. (Note: Time extended for questions).

State leaders just allocated $3.3 billion in Climate Bond funding for the coming year, which is the first phase of a historic investment to protect our communities and natural resources in the face of worsening climate change. This funding was made possible by California voters approving a $10 billion bond through Proposition 4 in 2024. Join us to learn more about how the climate bond will be implemented in coming months. We’ll hear from agency leaders, learn actions underway to ensure funds are allocated efficiently and effectively, and chart out next steps for bond funding programs. Recordings are shared soon after the live event on the website: https://resources.ca.gov/About-Us/Secretary-Speaker-Series

State Water Board California Financing Coordinating Committee

The California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) is holding a free virtual funding fair on October 21 and 29, 2025 (see flyer linked below for more information). The funding fairs provide the opportunity to learn more about available grant, loan, and bond financing options for infrastructure projects from federal, state, and local agencies.

Representatives from water industry professionals, public works, local governments, and California Native American Tribes should attend. This includes city managers and planners, economic development and engineering professionals, officials from privately owned facilities, water and irrigation district managers, financial advisors, and project consultants.. For more information about CFCC, please visit the website at www.cfcc.ca.gov.

CFCC Flyer for Funding Fairs on 10/21 and 10/29/25