Water

 waterfall over rocksSonoma Group Water Issues
Join us in promoting smart use of our water resources. You can work with us on any of our present activities, or bring your own water related concern to us.
 
Many of our activities are in concert with the Sonoma County Water Coalition. If you're interested in water issues, please also see the Water Coalition's website: www.scwatercoalition.org.
 
 

Action Updates

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

California has been one of the last states to regulate groundwater, but with the 2014 passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Act, the process has begun. Our major groundwater basins have been mapped and studies are almost completed. Details of all three Projects can be found on the Sonoma County Water Agencies' website.

The current phase of the process is to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to oversee groundwater planning for each basin. The Group's concern is that groundwater users and technical experts are well represented on the GSA's. The Sonoma Group's comment letter on the GSA process can be found here.

Resources

 

CONSERVATION EFFORTS

       Santa Rosa Rainwater Harvesting Rebate Program & FAQs     
 

REVISED Water Well Construction Standards Ordinance

Sonoma County's Well Ordinance is being updated and we are very concerned about the lack of attention being paid to where wells are located. The stated intent of the Ordinance is to revise and upgrade the County's well construction standards, but the Ordinance does not adequately protect and enhance ground and surface water supplies or recharge areas.

The draft Ordinance allows wells to be located very close to streams, failing to ensure that the stream setbacks specified in the recently adopted Sonoma County Riparian Ordinance are observed. Well pumping close to a stream may  cause water levels to drop or dry up, cause salt water intrusion and harm aquatic life.

To protect our watersheds, the Well Ordinance must be revised as follows:
  • Riparian setbacks must depend on the amount and timing of the use of the well and be integrated with the Riparian Ordinance.
  • Over-concentration of wells, especially on small streams, must be avoided.
  • PRMD must no longer consider the issuance of well permits to be ministerial (rubber stamped) in areas where groundwater availability is limited.