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School Way BridgeThe Mendocino County Department of Transportation (Mendo DoT) is
planning to replace the existing School WayBridge. The new bridge will be constructed immediately north (upstream) from the existing bridge. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2013 and be completed that
same year before the start of the rainy season. The existing bridge will remain in service during construction. It may be necessary to close one lane of the existing bridge during some portions of the project but
the bridge itself will remain open to both regular passenger travel as well as to emergency vehicles. RVCWD domestic and irrigation water mains will need to be relocated from
the existing bridge to the new bridge. RVCWD expects minimal interruption to service during the transition. As the project progresses RVCWD will consult with the design engineers, Quincy Engineering, Inc. and the
selected construction firm to ensure that the transition has as little impact as possible. Any customers who must be impacted will be notified in advance.RVCWD will explore all possible funding options for
the cost of the water main relocation. Because of the contractual agreement that allows a water district to locate facilities within a county right-of way, the cost of relocation is generally the responsibility of the
water district. If there is no outside funding available, RVCWD will have to consider the impact of a project of this expense on its capital budget. return to items list
April 28, 2011, alleged "fish kill"As some of
you are aware, the Press Democrat ran an article this past weekend regarding a fish stranding incident that was reported to have occurred on April 28th
on the West Fork of the Russian River near Redwood Valley. For those who have not seen the article (click here). None of us in the upper watershed were aware of this situation until Friday when
Glenda Anderson from the Press Democrat contacted Sean White, myself [Devon Jones] and a previous employee of the Mendocino County Wine Commission. The information in the article is the extent of the information that we have on the particulars at this point. Attached is a document
(click here to view document) that Sean White received this morning from the Press Democrat that was written by an unknown author at NMFS in March of 2011 that explains the mathematical reasoning that developed the 25,000 fish
assumed to have been "killed" near Hopland in 2008 that was referenced in the article. Below is a series of graphs from the West Fork from the April 28th time period that shows the steady decrease of flow
over the past few weeks. These graphs and the related comments were sent to the Press Democrat from Sean White on Friday. If anyone has additional information, please let me know Thanks!
Here are the graphs in both flow and height. You can see the fluctuation in height (0.02 feet) is minimal and the flow change from 47 to
45 cfs is also negligible. The major impact is from the W. Fork drying up from warm days and no rain as shown in this 20 day graph from the same gage. 
In this case, I would "blame" nature, not frost protection.Devon Jones
Executive Director
Mendocino County Farm Bureau
303-C Talmage Road
Ukiah, CA 95482
(707)462-6664
Here are some additional articles in response to the first article on the West Fork Stranding.
return to items listSCWA Draft Urban Water Management Plan The Sonoma County Water Agency Draft 2010 Urban Water Management Plan is now available for public review. Below please find a link to the DRAFT Plan. http://www.scwa.ca.gov/files/Sonoma%20CWA%20Draft%202010%20UWMP%2005%2009%2011.pdf The Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Water Agency (Water Agency) will hold a public hearing at 2:10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24,
2011, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the County Administration Building, 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa, California, for the purpose of receiving comments on the 2010 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP).
The UWMP is required by the Urban Water Management Planning Act, sections 10610 through 10656 of the California Water Code. Only
those water suppliers who provide water to more than 3,000 customers or supply more than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually are
required under the Act to prepare such an UWMP. The Water Agency has prepared an UWMP every five years since 1985. The purpose of
the UWMP is to consolidate regional information regarding water supply and demand, provide public information, and improve statewide water planning. The UWMP may be reviewed at the following locations:
Sonoma County Administration Building, Room 100A
575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa, California
Sonoma County Water Agency
404 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa, California
On the Water Agency's web site: http://www.sonomacountywater.org/uwmp
Oral and written testimony will be taken at the meeting. Written comments may be submitted to the General Manager of the Sonoma
County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd, Santa Rosa, California, 95406, for receipt prior to the hearing. Questions: Contact Water Agency Project Manager George Lincoln at 707-547-1900 or e-mail our team at
uwmp2010@scwa.ca.gov.
George Lincoln, P.E.
Agency Engineer-Resource Planning and Operations
Sonoma County Water Agency
404 Aviation Boulevard
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Working today for Water tomorrow
return to items listProposed Senate Bill 34 (Simitian, D-Palo Alto)
A measure that would develop a fee-based system to pay for costs associated with public benefit water infrastructure projects, including
the public share of surface and subsurface water projects and habitat is working its way through Legislature. SB 34 (Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto) (click here for amended text) sets up an annual public good charge of $110/acre foot on nonagricultural retail water suppliers,
$20/acre of irrigated land on agricultural retail water suppliers, or $10/acre of irrigated land when the Department of Water Resources
determines best management practices are utilized for a particular crop and soil type. Fifty percent of the fees would finance regional
projects consistent with regional water management plans and 50 percent would fund California Water Commission programs and the
operation of the Delta Stewardship Council and the Delta Plan. A two thirds majority vote of each house of the Legislature is needed for
approval. SB 34 passed out of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee April 12 with a vote of 5 to 3 along party lines. The
author suggests that this bill is a "work in progress" with stakeholder meetings to follow. The Farm Bureau and the Association of California Water Agencies
are opposed to SB 34.Some key sentences in the Bill are:
- this bill would impose on each retail water supplier in the state ...an annual charge based on each acre of land within its service area that is irrigated for agriculture;
- The assessment should be comprehensive, and should apply to the greatest number of water users possible. The assessment
should be unavoidable. Those who are subject to the assessment should not be able to avoid paying the assessment through loopholes, exceptions, or similar mechanisms;
- The assessment should be imposed without regard to whether the water used by the end water user was purchased from the retail water supplier or was
self-supplied through a private well or other private legal water right.
return to items listPotter Valley Irrigation District Website
Much of the stored water in Lake Mendocino comes from the Potter Valley Project. There is a new website which provides information on
the community of Potter Valley, the Potter Valley Irrigation District, and the Potter Valley Project. Click here
or click on the "Links" navigation bar at the top left of this page.
return to items listProposed State Water Board Regulation Hearing The State Water Board has scheduled a
hearing September 20, 2011 in Sacramento. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss proposed rulemaking that would prohibit the use of any water in the Russian River watershed, including hydraulically connected GROUNDWATER
for frost protection. This does NOT apply to RVCWD customers who receive water via the pipe system since the diversion is above the dam. It could however impact anyone who uses their own pump in or near the West Branch.
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