Sonoma County Gazette, June 2013

Russian River flows at the Hacienda Bridge recently dropped from 300 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 140 cfs.  For this time of year, that’s a trickle.  And there’s more to come.  Here’s the latest on the County’s inaction plan for dealing with low summer flows…..

Sweetwater Springs to host Water Agency ‘low flow’ meeting….
After learning in April that reservoir levels at Lake Mendocino were extremely low for this time of year and too quickly going lower, Russian River Watershed Protection Committee (RRWPC) urged SCWA to include a low flow agenda item at the recent May 16th Estuary Project meeting in Monte Rio. 

Initially, SCWA refused to include low flow on the agenda of the Estuary meeting.   After many citizens contacted the Supervisor and Water Agency’s  General Manager requesting them to reverse their position,  the County had a change of heart.  A brief update on ‘low flow’ at the Estuary Project meeting was given and plans for a new meeting dedicated strictly to the low flow issue was announced.

Steve Mack, general manager of Sweetwater Springs Water District, graciously offered to sponsor the meeting as part of Sweetwater’s regular board meeting.