Grape growers from northern Sonoma County gathered Wednesday with conservationists to announce a joint effort to provide enough water for the region's fish and vineyards.


The two groups, which have been meeting for two years, expressed hope that state and federal regulators one day would allow groups of growers on a single creek to use off-stream reservoirs to capture excess water during winter storms.

Those growers would use the reservoirs in the dry months to irrigate, thereby leaving enough water in the creeks for salmon and steelhead. The fish are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

"I think it will work, but it's a long process," said Al Cadd, an Alexander Valley grape grower.

Leaders of both sides said they are trying to break a stalemate that has kept farmers from obtaining state water rights but also prevented conservationists from ensuring adequate stream flows for bringing back salmon and steelhead.

"If we can't find a way to do things together, we're all out of luck," said Brian Johnson, an attorney and official with Trout Unlimited.

The groups met Wednesday at Quivira Vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley to unveil their effort, which they dubbed "Water and Wine." The participants included 16 wineries and growers, the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission and United Winegrowers of Sonoma County. The conservation groups are Trout Unlimited and the Sonoma County Salmonid Coalition.

Duff Bevill, chairman of the Winegrape Commission, said the past two years had been a "courtship" between representatives of the two sides and Wednesday's gathering was akin to "meeting the rest of the family."

Bevill expressed hope that growers and conservationists would go on to create a partnership that could be a model of sustainable farming and fishery restoration.

In the coming months, the growers will try to select one or more streams that could serve as pilot projects. Growers and property owners would need to gather information on water flow and demand in the watershed, as well as develop a plan for future water diversions while protecting fish.

Paul Kelley, supervisor for the northern part of the county, commended the effort and said it had the potential to provide "so much more bang for the buck" than the growers' individual attempts to deal with water issues.

Johnson said state and federal regulators are encouraging the effort and watching "whether we can make it real."

One reason for hope is a paper by University of California researchers that suggests water could be diverted from county streams in winter without harming salmon or steelhead.

Storing that water in reservoirs would provide enough water for vineyards for the rest of the year.

"I think there are solutions we can develop," said Matt Dietch, one of the study authors and now on the staff of the Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration in Oakland.

He noted that the Dry Creek Valley averages roughly 40 inches of rainfall per year, mostly in the winter months.

You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemocrat

.com.