Water is an important topic here in Mendocino County for farmers, ranchers, wildlife, residents and businesses. Farmers and ranchers in Mendocino County are very aware of the importance of a long-term, reliable water supply and good water quality for everyone. Mendocino County Farm Bureau works directly with farmers and ranchers in the various watersheds to consider critically important water issues. Farm Bureau’s Water Committee reaches out to collaborate with multiple stakeholder groups and seeks to build partnerships that allow us to do even more for our members.
Water Committee News
Submitted by Frost Pauli, Water Committee Chair – January 2025
Water Rights Reporting Due this Month: In a major change for this year, annual water rights reporting is due to the State Water Resources Control Board before February 1st. The Reporting period will no longer run from January 1st to December 31st. It will now begin in October and run through September each year. Also new for this year, the State Board will be fining people who do not report on time. The fines are based on how late the reporting is and what size the water right is for. The bigger the water right face value, the larger the late fee. The fines begin 30 days after the deadline of February 1st and compound for each 30 days that goes by without being paid. As a reminder, even if you did not divert water under your water right in 2024, you must still submit an annual report. For more information on water rights reporting go to: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/water_diversion_reporting/
Potter Valley Project Update: Negotiations between the new Eel Russian Project Authority (ERPA) with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) continue on the new Eel/Russian Facility (NERF), which will replace the current Potter Valley Project (PVP) diversion located at Cape Horn Dam. They are discussing how to take down Cape Horn Dam while at the same time, constructing the new pumping facility to divert water from the Eel River into the Russian River. Sonoma Water had secured a grant to cover the cost of engineering plans up to a 60% design, but it will take until 2026 to reach that level. PG&E will submit their draft decommissioning plan to the public this month, with the final license surrender plan being submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by June, which will include the ERPA proposal. FERC will take as long as they need to determine the final order. They will ask for public comment on the plan, then perform a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis. This will take a minimum of 3 years. During this time, PG&E will not be performing additional studies or other work until they have FERC’s order to proceed. ERPA however, will need to continue working on the NERF design and other elements of their proposal. It still needs to be determined how much water is allowed to go through the diversion based on the modeling being done on various water years and on required fish flows. For information on ERPA and PVP go to: https://www.eelrussianauthority.org/
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Water Diversion and Use Reporting
If you divert and use water from a surface water source such as a lake, creek, stream, or river, or you divert water from a subterranean stream that flows in a known and definite channel, California law requires you to report your diversion and use to the State Water Board, Division of Water Rights.
On September 23, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 155 which modifies the reporting deadline and reporting period for annual water use to the Division of Water Rights. Provisions in SB 155 consolidate all water use reporting periods, for all types of water rights, to the standard Water Year (October 1 through September 30). Further, the new law consolidates the due dates for all water use reports to February 1 of the ensuing year.
All water right holders who have previously diverted or intend to divert more than 10 acre-feet per year (riparian and pre-1914 ), or are authorized to divert more than 10 acre-feet per year under a permit, license, or registration, are required to measure the water they divert.
State Water Board Reports and Measurement Website
State Water Board Report Management System (for annual reporting) Website
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
In December 2014, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the ground water basin classifications to determine coverage under SGMA. For Mendocino County, the upper Russian River from the Tomki Road area in Redwood Valley to Knight Hill (north of Hopland) was classified as a medium priority ground water basin, the Ukiah Valley ground water basin # 1-52, and is subject to SGMA compliance. From July of 2016 until July of 2017, the Mendocino County Water Agency hosted public meetings to assist in the formation of the Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) and Farm Bureau was at the table to ensure that agriculture was represented in the process. The GSA formation was the first step to work toward compliance and this was completed in June of 2017. The Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (UVBGSA) was created by a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) and have been meeting regularly since 2017. The Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) was finalized and submitted to DWR in 2022. The GSP is pending final approval from DWR. For additional information, please see the links below.
Ukiah Valley Groundwater Basin: Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA)
Department of Water Resources SGMA Website
Other Water Related Resources
North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Quality Programs)
CA Department of Fish and Wildlife Lake and Streambed Alteration Program (1600 Permits)
Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District
Lake Mendocino Water Supply Information
CDEC Lake Mendocino Reservoir Data
Sonoma Water Russian River Gauges
USACE West Fork Russian River Gauge (Russian River Near Ukiah)
USGS Russian River Gauge at Calpella
USGS Russian River Gauge at Talmage
USGS Russian River Gauge at Hopland
USGS Russian River Gauge Near Cloverdale
