Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Program 2008 Annual Report

1. Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Program 2008 Annual Report

2. Alexander Valley Study Area Completed 2006 Santa Rosa Valley Study Area Initiated 2005 Sonoma Valley Study Area Completed 2006 Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) Water Transmission System Petaluma Valley Study Area

3. Agency/USGS Sonoma Valley Groundwater Study Key Findings: • Increased pumping between 1975-2000 (6,000 to 8,500 acre-ft/year) • Localized decline of groundwater levels • 17,000 acre-ft decline groundwater storage • Salinity issues in southern part of Valley • Numerical Model - Evaluate data gaps & simulate future conditions

4. Overview of Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Program Convened Stakeholder Group in June 2006 Agricultural alliances, environmental organizations, water purveyors, and residential groundwater users Groundwater Management Plan Adopted by Sonoma County Water Agency, City of Sonoma & Valley of the Moon Water District in Late 2007 Non-Regulatory and Collaborative Process Letters of Support and Endorsement received from Mission Highlands Mutual Water Company, Sonoma County Water Coalition, Sonoma Ecology Center, and the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance First Year of Implementation completed in 2008

5. Groundwater Management Plan Component Actions “The goal of the Plan is to locally manage, protect, and enhance groundwater resources for all beneficial uses, in a sustainable, environmentally sound, economical, and equitable manner for generations to come.” Stakeholder Involvement Monitoring Program Groundwater Resource Protection Groundwater Sustainability Planning Integration

6. 2008 Accomplishments Stakeholder Involvement and Outreach Materials Maintained Project Website(www.sonomacountywater.org/svgroundwater) Regular BAP and TAC meetings Staff and Panel members presented at local public forums Prepared Outreach Materials

7. 2008 AccomplishmentsVolunteer Groundwater-Level Monitoring Program • Added over 40 volunteer wells into the program in 2008 (nearly doubling the number of measurements) • Coordinated/synchronized monitoring (nearly 100 wells) on semi-annual basis • Developed a Sampling and Analysis Plan • Developed Web-based data management system (WEBH2O) • Prioritizing areas where data gaps still exist

8. 2008 Accomplishments Recharge Areas Being Identified • New Stream Gage installed on Sonoma Creek near Kenwood • Fill data gap in northern portions of watershed • Improve understanding of surface water and groundwater connections • Cooperated with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on Groundwater Recharge Age-Dating Study • Provide information regarding recharge sources, timing and patterns

9. 2008 Accomplishments Grant Funding Awards • $250,000 Grant from DWR • Recharge Area Mapping • Guide future recharge efforts • Installing Two Multi-Depth Monitoring Wells • Provide geologic data and augment groundwater-level network • Provide salinity monitoring • Ranked 2nd in a statewide pool of 120 applications • $25,000 Grant from North Bay Watershed Association • Conduct water conservation assessments in areas outside of existing conservation programs • 25 Residential assessments • 10 Agricultural Irrigation assessments • 2 Winery/Dairy assessments e-mail this story Private well owners may benefit from new water-saving program Gary Carnivele | Special to the Sun Sonoma County Water Agency is seeking 25 homeowners, 10 homeowner’s associations or businesses with agricultural irrigation facilities, and 2 agricultural processing facilities who rely on water from private wells to take part in a free water assessment program. Trained Water Agency staff will visit homes and sites to check water usage and educate homeowners, managers, and business owners about water

10. LONG TERM GROUNDWATER LEVEL TRENDS • Annual Rainfall in 2008 approximately 75% of average • Annual discharge of Sonoma Creek at Agua Caliente gage also approximately 75% of average • Long-term data is sparse • Localized areas of declining groundwater levels • Groundwater-levels are locally below sea level

11. Groundwater Levels and Alternative Water Sources • Groundwater-levels respond to decreased pumping following availability of recycled water supply

12. 2009 Goals and Planned ActivitiesStakeholder Involvement and Outreach Continue Panel and TAC meetings Prepare media outreach materials Conduct stakeholder briefings Update existing Well Owner’s Guide Incorporate basin-specific issues Coordinate with County of Sonoma Department of Environmental Health and PRMD

13. 2009 Goals and Planned ActivitiesExpand Groundwater-Level Program Expand Voluntary Groundwater-Level Monitoring Network by approximately 30 wells and continue semi-annual measurements Construct two New Multi-depth Monitoring Wells using DWR grant funding Increase use and utility of Web-based Data Management System

14. 2009 Goals and Planned ActivitiesPromote Groundwater Sustainability Conduct Water Conservation Assessments using $25,000 NBWA grant Perform Groundwater Recharge Mapping in coordination with the Sonoma Ecology Center using DWR grant funds to indentify areas suitable for groundwater recharge enhancement projects Develop Guidebook on implementing Small-Scale Recharge and Reuse Projects for landowners in coordination with the Southern Sonoma County Resource and Conservation District

15. 2009 Goals and Planned ActivitiesPromote Groundwater Sustainability Explore feasibility of banking excess winter flows from the SCWA’s Russian River facilities in the Sonoma Valley groundwater basin for storage and use in the summer Coordinate with the City of Sonoma and Valley of the Moon Water District and other stakeholders Identify and plan projects that capture excess stormwater from Sonoma Creek and its tributaries for recharge into the groundwater basin Coordinate with Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District and property owners to identify projects that benefit flood control, groundwater recharge, and open space programs

16. Groundwater Management Program Funding and Staff • Local Cooperative Funding Agreement • SCWA, City of Sonoma, VOMWD, SVCSD and County • DWR Memorandum of Understanding • Facilitation Services Technical Assistance – Central District Office Program Staff Gina Bartlett, Center for Collaborative Policy Austin McInerny, Center for Collaborative Policy Tim Parker George Lincoln, SCWA Marcus Trotta, SCWA

17. Closing/Acknowledgements BASIN ADVISORY PANEL/TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Milenka Bates, City of Sonoma Mark Bramfitt, SVCAC and VOMWD Al Bandur James Cannard Rochelle Campana Katherine Culligan, West Valley Alliance Tasmin Eusuff, DWR Norm Goldstein, Vintners & Growers Alliance David Goodison, City of Sonoma John Guardino, Southern Sonoma RCD Susan Haydon, Southern Sonoma RCD Ned Hill, Vintners & Growers Alliance Vicki Hill Jay Jasperse, SCWA Clarence Jenkins, Madrone Vineyard Management Clarence Jenkins, Madrone Vineyard Management Bill Keene, Open Space District Krishna Kumar, Valley of the Moon Water District John MacLeod, MacLeod Family Vineyard Nicki DiMattei, Focus4 Lisa Micheli, Sonoma Ecology Center Vickie Mulas, Mulas Dairy Ed Nelson Mark Nordberg, DWR Pete Parkinson, PRMD Kathy Pons, Valley of the Moon Alliance John Robb, Mission Highlands Water Company Maggie Salenger-Haywood Tito Sasaki, North Bay Agricultural Alliance Leandra Swent, Southern Sonoma RCD