County again may face cut in water

North Bay residents again could face water conservation measures this summer because of low levels of water in Lake Mendocino.

But the restrictions shouldn't be as harsh as last year, when residents in Sonoma and Marin counties were asked to cut back by 15 percent.

"We have a little more water in the lake than we had last year, but the season is shaping up fairly similar. We have not gotten a lot of rain in the spring," said Pam Jeane, a deputy operations manager for the Sonoma County Water Agency.

The extent of conservation won't be known for another month, she said.

"Since we are seeing a dry spring, we will be asking for conservation," Jeane said. "I am not sure if it will be of the magnitude of last year."

A year ago, the Water Agency was ordered by the state Water Resources Control Board to cut diversions from the Russian River by 15 percent, stockpiling the water in Lake Mendocino for release during the fall run of chinook salmon.

The goal last year was to save 20,000 acre-feet of water during the period the order was in force, from July 1 to Oct. 28.

The Water Agency, in turn, ordered its contractors, the cities and water districts from Windsor to San Rafael, to cut water consumption. The cities and districts serve 600,000 residents and businesses.

Conservation measures were largely aimed at cutting outdoor irrigation and unnecessary water use and using wells and alternative water sources to supplement water taken from the Russian River.

The actual savings was 21.6 percent.

Petaluma achieved its share of the savings by using recycled water for irrigation and by calling for conservation, said Mike Ban, director of that city's water resources department.

Petaluma since has fitted all the irrigation systems in city parks with new and better controls, which will cut water use by 15 percent, he said.

Releases into the Russian River from Lake Mendocino northeast of Ukiah are critical for the fall spawning run of chinook salmon, listed as endangered by the federal Endangered Species Act.

The Russian River has the North Coast's most significant run of wild chinook.

Lake Mendocino mainly relies on rain in its watershed, particularly after the National Marine Fisheries Service ordered a cut of 50,000 acre-feet of water that it was getting from the Eel River.

The lake now has 80,700 acre-feet, 9,000 more than last year at this time.

Jeane said that at the end of May, the Water Agency will determine whether conservation measures will be necessary.

"It will be a year where everyone will need to take conservation very seriously, and we will have to be diligent about our operations, so the water remains in Lake Mendocino when we need it in the fall," she said.

Jeane said the the district hopes to deal with the situation locally and not have to be under a state mandate again.

That will depend largely on how much rain falls this month.

"Everybody in this building is hoping for more rain," said Brad Sherwood, an agency spokesman, who is already planning a conservation campaign.

The district will report to the state water board May 6.

You can reach Staff Writer Bob Norberg at 521-5206

or bob.norberg@pressdemocrat.com.