For the first time this summer, the Sonoma County Water Agency has reached a state-mandated goal to reduce diversions from the Russian River by 15 percent.


Conservation efforts and relatively mild weather are being credited with allowing the agency to hit the target Tuesday.

The agency delivers water to 600,000 residential and business customers in Sonoma and Marin counties.

But water officials sounded a note of caution saying North Coast residents should not be complacent about using water.

“Of course we don’t want to rest on our laurels. We still have along way to go in conserving water,” said Water Agency spokesman Brad Sherwood. “We still have a lot of summer left, a lot of hot days.”

The Water Agency is under state order to reduce diversions from the Russian River by 15 percent from July 1, through Oct. 28, compared to the same period in 2004.

The mandate is intended to save enough water for the fall salmon run. By reducing diversions from the Russian River, water officials hope to retain more water in Lake Mendocino, near Ukiah, which acts as reservoir.

Santa Rosa, Windsor, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Sonoma, Petaluma, the Valley of the Moon, North Marin and Marin Municipal Water districts — all of which obtain water from the Water Agency — have called for conservation measures by residents. Most of the savings can be achieved by limiting outdoor water use and ensuring irrigation systems are functioning properly, according to officials.

The figures released today show the Water Agency pumped 4,625 acre-feet of water from the Russian River for the first 24 days of July, a 15.2 percent reduction from the 5,451 acre-feet pumped during the same period in 2004. An acre-foot is approximately 326,000 gallons.