Sonoma County Groundwater

If you missed the LEVEL UP! webinar on Monday, we have a recording for you! Learn about the groundwater level monitoring program, why it is an important component in our local groundwater sustainability plans. The program encourages everyone to be proactive and part of safeguarding our groundwater resources.

Sonoma County LEVEL UP! Voluntary Well Monitoring Program Webinar In this session you will learn more about the current groundwater basin conditions, get a tour of the new Sonoma County Groundwater Data Dashboard, learn how...

Join us for this webinar to get the essential details about the Voluntary Well Monitoring Program. Learn more about the current groundwater basin conditions, get a tour of the new Sonoma County Groundwater Data Dashboard, learn how the well monitor sounder device works and how to submit information to the online portal and more. If you already track water levels and are interested in submitting data, we will cover that too. These sessions will provide an opportunity for local well-owners to ask questions and learn more about the program. If you can’t attend the webinar live, a recording will be available on this webpage after August 20. Live Spanish language interpretation provided.

Únase con nosotros en este seminario web para obtener los detalles esenciales sobre el

Programa de Monitoreo Voluntario de Pozos. Obtenga mas información sobre las condiciones actuales de la cuenca de agua subterránea haga un recorrido por el nuevo Panel de datos de agua subterránea del condado de Sonoma, aprenda como funciona el dispositivo de sonda de monitoreo de pozos y como enviar información al portal en línea y mas. Si ya realiza un seguimiento de los niveles de agua y esta interesado en enviar datos, también lo cubriremos. Estas sesiones brindaran una oportunidad para que los propietarios de pozos locales hagan preguntas y aprendan mas sobre el programa. Si no puede asistir al seminario web en vivo, habrá una grabación disponible en esta pagina web después del 20 de agosto. Se proporcionará la interpretación en español en vivo.

LEVEL UP! Join the Voluntary Well Monitoring Program. What does that involve? You measure the water level in your well in two times a year, Oct and April, and then upload that data to a database to help with monitoring the health of our groundwater supply from season to season and year to year. Sign up today! And to learn more, we have an informational webinar coming up on Aug 19. Join us in working toward sustainable groundwater for our region.
Details are at sonomacountygroundwater.org/voluntary-monitoring


of Sonoma

LEVEL UP! Sign Up for the Voluntary Well Monitoring Program
We are looking for property owners with water wells in the Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma Valley and Petaluma Valley to participate in the Volunteer Well Monitoring Program.
Data Gap Areas (shaded green on these maps) are areas of the groundwater sub-basin where dedicated monitoring infrastructure is lacking and additional data is needed. These are the highest priority areas for our new Voluntary Well Monitoring Program.
Do you own a well in any of these data gap areas? If so we hope you join the program!
sonomacountygroundwater.org/voluntary-monitoring

Apúntese en el Programa Voluntario de Monitoreo de Pozos
¡NIVELESE!
Estamos buscando dueños de propiedad con pozos de agua en la Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma Valley y Petaluma Valley para que participen en el Programa Voluntario de Monitoreo de Pozos.
Las zonas con lagunas de datos (sombreadas en verde) son partes de la subcuenca de aguas subterráneas en las que falta una infraestructura de seguimiento específica y se necesitan datos adicionales. Se trata de las zonas de mayor prioridad para nuestro nuevo
Programa voluntario de control de pozos.
¿Posee un pozo en alguna de estas zonas con carencias de datos? Si es así, ¡esperamos que se una al programa!
sonomacountygroundwater.org/voluntary-monitoring

LEVEL UP! Join the Voluntary Well Monitoring Program. In this community program you measure your well water level twice a year, in spring after rainy season, and in fall when the level is typically at its lowest level. It's better to know early if your well water levels are critically low or in danger of going dry, so you can take preventive action and not damage your well or pump.
Learn more and sign up:

Voluntary Monitoring Program - Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies Now seeking property owners with wells in Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma Valley and Petaluma Valley to participate in a local voluntary groundwater well monitoring program, and a voluntary well metering program. The goal of these programs is to have a more accurate understanding of our local groundwater l...

When it rains or snows, a portion of that water spreads across the surface of the land, sinks down and infiltrates soil, gravel and rock recharging the aquifer. One important strategy included in all three of Sonoma County's Groundwater Sustainability Plans involves aquifer recharge. This new video explains what aquifer recharge is, how it occurs, and why it is an important element for protecting and sustaining our local water groundwater supply. https://youtu.be/zyCzN3wGdbM?feature=shared

LEVEL UP! Join the Voluntary Well Monitoring Program. In this community program you measure your well water level twice a year, in spring after rainy season, and in fall when the level is typically at its lowest level. Share those two data points with the Sonoma County GSAs so we can map out the health of all our aquifers from season to season, in wet years and times of drought. This data will help the GSA invest in programs and projects that can support groundwater sustainability in the areas where it is needed most, based on more data. sonomacountygroundwater.org/voluntary-monitoring

The Petaluma Valley GSA Board of Directors will meet on June 20 to consider a draft Groundwater Sustainability Fee Resolution. Details of the draft resolution and the Rate and Fee study are posted here: PetalumaValleyGroundwater.org/fee

Wondering what this might mean for you and your well?
There are helpful tables on pages 31-32 of the Rate and Fee Study document that provides information at a glance. As shown in the table, for rural residential wells, the new adjusted rate for 2024-2025 is proposed to be $22 per year, up from the current rate of $20 per year (thanks to a county contribution which is equalizing the rate with Santa Rosa Plain GSA). The full Rate and Fee Study document outlines the methodology for determining the rate, the context for the proposed update, budget details and more.

The Sonoma Valley GSA Board of Directors will meet on June 17 to consider a draft Groundwater Sustainability Fee Resolution. Details of the draft resolution and the Rate and Fee study are posted here: SonomaValleyGroundwater.org/fee

Wondering what this might mean for you and your well?
There is a helpful table on page 33 of the Rate and Fee Study document that provides information at a glance. For rural residential wells, the new adjusted rate for 2024-2025 is proposed to be $22 per year, up from the current rate of $20 per year (thanks to a county contribution which is equalizing the rate with Santa Rosa Plain GSA). The full Rate and Fee Study document outlines the methodology for determining the rate, the context for the proposed update, budget details and more.

The Santa Rosa GSA Board of Directors will meet on June 13 to consider a draft Groundwater Sustainability Fee Resolution. Details of the draft resolution and the Rate and Fee study are posted here: SantaRosaGroundwater.org/fee

Wondering what this might mean for you and your well? There is a helpful table on page 34 of the Rate and Fee Study document that provides information at a glance. For rural residential wells, the new rate for 2024-2025 is proposed to be $22 per year, up from the current rate of $20 per year. The full Rate and Fee Study document outlines the methodology for determining the rate, the context for the proposed update, budget details and more.

Congrats Mitch!

Congrats on your promotion, Mitch!
Mitchell Buttress has advanced to Water Agency Hydrogeologist IV at Sonoma Water, and will continue to work on the management of groundwater resources in Sonoma County. His work with local and state agencies has been essential for groundwater monitoring, capital improvement projects and the development and implementation of three Groundwater Sustainability Plans.

Neighbors in Bennett Valley got together in October and then again in April to find out more about their groundwater levels. Motivated to help ensure their groundwater supply is sustainable from season to season, they helped each other with the logistics and now are tracking the water levels in both Fall and Spring at nearly 20 local wells in their area.
Sonoma County GSAs are launching a program to help well owners do the same. Read about this group and find out more about an opportunity to do this in your area, too with the new Voluntary Well Monitoring Program: https://santarosaplaingroundwater.org/neighbors/

This year marks ten years since the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in California, to help protect groundwater resources over the long-term. Since that time, Sonoma County has worked to keep our groundwater management local. Each of our three Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (Petaluma Valley, Sonoma Valley and Santa Rosa Plain) is governed by a board of local representatives who are advised by advisory committees comprised of local people from multiple sectors in these communities.
Read more https://santarosaplaingroundwater.org/keeping-it-local/

Good news in Petaluma! There is a multi-faceted project underway to created expanded distribution of recycled water for irrigation. This helps reduce the need for groundwater pumping while keeping our parks, school yards and other areas watered!
"Funded in part by funded by the Department of Water Resources’ Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program, the Petaluma Valley GSA is helping to expand recycled water distribution in the Petaluma Valley basin over the next couple of years...."
Read more here:
https://petalumavalleygroundwater.org/recycled-water-expansion-project-in-petaluma/
The City of Petaluma - Government
California Department of Water Resources

Sonoma County’s groundwater basins are characterized by diverse geological conditions underground, so to truly understand how much water is in our aquifer requires water level measurements at many strategic locations throughout the region. While there are several public monitoring wells that record water level data in Sonoma County, there still exist many data gaps. With recent grant funding from the California Department of Water Resources, a few more monitoring wells will be constructed in Sonoma County over the next two years, but that still does not complete the full picture. Building on the existing voluntary monitoring network, the GSAs are now seeking to expand a volunteer monitoring network for private wells is underway to get a more complete understanding of aquifer levels.
Read more...
https://santarosaplaingroundwater.org/voluntary-well-monitoring-program/

Did you know that groundwater helps keep water flowing in our rivers and streams? Hydrogeologists study the dynamic relationships in interconnected surface and groundwater systems. The interaction takes place in three basic ways:
streams gain water from inflow of groundwater through the streambed (gaining stream),
streams lose water to groundwater by outflow through the streambed (losing stream), or
they do both, gaining in some reaches and losing in other reaches.

Where groundwater seeps or flows to the surface, meeting streams, lakes, and rivers, it helps support rich and diverse ecosystems. Across Sonoma County, riparian habitats along our creeks support a diverse array of native plants, insects and birds. It's another reason we need to maintain sustainable groundwater resources!

On this big blue marble, its fascinating to realize how much 'blue' there is under the surface of the earth. There is more water underground than all the rivers and lakes combined!

In California, we all depend on the unseen water beneath our feet. Groundwater serves our agricultural, rural and municipal areas to provide water for all aspects of life. But how much water is underground? Are we pumping too much? Is the aquifer recharging at a rate in balance with the water we are using? Is the groundwater quality good? The CA Dept. of Water Resources has developed a new online dashboard to explore a state map of groundwater conditions. Check it out here at Calfornia Groundwater Live: https://sgma.water.ca.gov/CalGWLive/

It's Groundwater Awareness Week! Did you know that every person in Sonoma County depends on groundwater for either all or part of their water supply? Sonoma County has thousands of private and public groundwater wells, second only to Fresno County for number of wells. Rural residents and businesses and agriculture depend on groundwater, and our municipal water supply also depends on groundwater for a portion of their supply, especially in dry years. So we all need to protect and sustainably manage this essential resource! Stay tuned for more info this week about ensuring a sustainable groundwater supply here and across the state.

Have you read our latest Groundwater Sustainability newsletter? Check out the February 2024 edition and subscribe if you'd like to receive in your inbox!

English https://ow.ly/tTL550QIycH

Spanish https://mailchi.mp/scwa/sonoma-county-sustainable-groundwater-management-quarterly-newsletter-15615352

The Santa Rosa Plain, Petaluma Valley and Sonoma Valley GSAs are evaluating a potential update to the Rate and Fee Study that was implemented in 2022. This evaluation relates to changes in the estimation of groundwater use over the last two years and changes to the GSA’s budget, including updated costs and a grant award received from the California Department of Water Resources.

In order to engage groundwater users within these basins, two workshops have been scheduled:
Monday, March 4, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Sonoma Valley Community Center, 276 E Napa St., Sonoma
Wednesday, March 6, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Petaluma Community Center, 320 N McDowell Blvd., Petaluma
A presentation will be provided that will review the Groundwater Sustainability Plan, the existing fee structure, the County’s financial contribution, and the need for a fee program update. A live demonstration of the GSA’s Groundwater Users Information Data Exchange (GUIDE) program, which is designed to encourage groundwater users to view and interact with GSA groundwater use data, will also be provided. Please consider attending, as the GSA values your input!

The GSA Boards of Directors and Advisory Committees will be discussing the updates to the Rate and Fee Studies at all upcoming meetings (see the meeting schedule on our website calendar: sonomacountygroundwater.org), with a decision to be considered by the Boards at the June Board meetings.

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Sonoma County Groundwater Protecting groundwater today ensures we have it for tomorrow.

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The Santa Rosa Plain, Petaluma Valley and Sonoma Valley GSAs are evaluating a potential update to the Rate and Fee Study that was implemented in 2022. This evaluation relates to changes in the estimation of groundwater use over the last two years and changes to the GSA’s budget, including updated costs and a grant award received from the California Department of Water Resources.

In order to engage groundwater users within these basins, two workshops have been scheduled:
Monday, March 4, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Sonoma Valley Community Center, 276 E Napa St., Sonoma
Wednesday, March 6, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Petaluma Community Center, 320 N McDowell Blvd., Petaluma
A presentation will be provided that will review the Groundwater Sustainability Plan, the existing fee structure, the County’s financial contribution, and the need for a fee program update. A live demonstration of the GSA’s Groundwater Users Information Data Exchange (GUIDE) program, which is designed to encourage groundwater users to view and interact with GSA groundwater use data, will also be provided. Please consider attending, as the GSA values your input!

The GSA Boards of Directors and Advisory Committees will be discussing the updates to the Rate and Fee Studies at all upcoming meetings (see the meeting schedule on our website calendar: sonomacountygroundwater.org), with a decision to be considered by the Boards at the June Board meetings.

Sonoma County Groundwater Protecting groundwater today ensures we have it for tomorrow.

How deep is your love for groundwater? Every drop is precious!
Happy Valentine's Day

These storms are providing aid to the groundwater aquifers beneath our feet. As water seeps into the ground, Mother Nature is naturally recharging the state's groundwater supplies. To enhance this natural recharge, DWR is supporting local agencies that are planning and implementing a variety of managed groundwater recharge projects that will capture excess flows and redirect that water for underground storage. For more information, please visit:https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Groundwater-Recharge

Today is World Wetlands Day! Join us as we take steps and embark on new projects to ensure our groundwater resources are sustainable and resilient for years to come!

Get to know David Noren, a local groundwater user in Santa Rosa Plain. He is interested in knowing as much as he can about the groundwater he depends on, and regularly measures the well on his property, and helps his neighbors do the same! https://santarosaplaingroundwater.org/davidnoren/