COURT FINDS SONOMA COUNTY VIOLATED ITS PUBLIC TRUST AND CEQA RESPONSIBILITIES AND ORDERS THE COUNTY TO PROTECT ITS WATERWAYS FROM EXCESSIVE GROUNDWATER PUMPING
In late August 2024, the Sonoma County Superior Court held that the County of Sonoma failed to fulfill its mandatory duties under the Public Trust Doctrine and violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when it adopted a Well Ordinance that did not protect the County’s public trust resources from excessive and unaccounted for groundwater pumping. The Court ordered the County to fulfill its obligations under the Public Trust Doctrine and CEQA to ensure that groundwater extraction does not harm our public trust resources, like our salmon, steelhead, and recreational opportunities.
As we continue to adapt to a changing climate, it is increasingly important that steps are taken to protect our limited resources from unnecessary harm and we are happy to see that our team’s efforts have helped ensure the County must take the steps necessary to protect our finite resources.
Our efforts are not over yet and we hope to have more updates on this important issue soon!
And finally, a big thank you to our community for all the support throughout this entire process. We couldn’t have done it without your support!
In the meantime, here are some additional articles and resources about our efforts to protect Public Trust Resources.
Russian Riverkeeper, We Won!
Russian Riverkeeper, Why You Should Care
California Coastkeeper Alliance, A Landmark Victory
LA Times, Court Ruling Could Limit Sonoma Groundwater Pumping
Press Democrat Editorial, Time to Revisit Groundwater Rules
EcoNews Report, Podcast Episode