Measurable changes in long-term weather patterns suggest that a period of increased duration of periodic droughts and more intense storm events is upon us. This means that surface flows in the Russian River basin will be more variable including periods where little or no surface water will be available, even with continued inter-basin transfers from the Eel River to the Russian River through the Potter Valley Project.

In a period of reduced water supply urban users will always be prioritized over agricultural users given applicable regulations and political reality. Paying for heretofore free water will be required.

The future availability of the inter-basin transfer from the Eel River to the Russian River watershed, that has been functioning for over 100 years is uncertain. Any changes to the amount of water transferred will affect the water supply in the upper Russian River and Sonoma County Water Agency service area.

The ongoing drought resulted in an emergency curtailment order from the State Water Board that eliminated diversions of Russian River surface flow and shut down wells tapping River subsurface flow or “underflow”. The State observed that groundwater pumping in Alexander Valley caused River flows to drop, and State staff now suggest that well pumping may need to be regulated in future drought curtailment orders. With a continuation of the present drought or in the event of future droughts, such orders will have significant impact on the ability to irrigate vines and other crops.

The drought and presumption by the State Water Board and California Department of Water Resources (DWR) regarding water use in the Alexander Valley has led to State scrutiny regarding pumping of groundwater from wells. Alexander Valley faces the risk that the basin will be reclassified as a “Medium” Priority Basin classification for the Alexander Valley, thus invoking the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requirements that could include monitoring and use restrictions on existing agricultural and residential/urban use wells.

https://www.sonomawater.org/groundwater

Alexander Valley agriculture is particularly prone to flood damage which is increasingly likely due to more extreme winter storm events along with the build-up of the gravel load in the Alexander Valley reach of the Russian River. Flood damage includes bank erosion and related threats to road and bridge infrastructure, damage to vineyards from sediment and debris flows, and damage to homes and other buildings.