To date, our watershed has largely been plagued by colossal sized gaps in the available data our water managers have access to when trying to make informed decisions for our waterways. Finding ways to close these gaps is paramount if our watershed is to be managed sustainably, and we hope to ensure long-term protections for our public trust resources and the more than 20 beneficial uses supported by our waterways—from recreation and species habitat to groundwater recharge and domestic uses. As we have more dry years and more extreme weather events, addressing these gaps and management issues will be of the utmost importance to ensuring our region’s long-term water health.
We hope that the recently adopted Voluntary Water Sharing Agreement for the Upper Russian River helps address some of these gaps. With the program now being put to the test with enrollees already working with their July conservation thresholds, it is time to see how we can finally start moving our region closer to water sustainability. Though the ability to observe a robust implementation of the program this year may be limited due to an expected flow variance at the Potter Valley Project, we will still learn a significant amount of information through enrollees’ monthly use reports, tracking water sharing efforts, programmatic reports, and the recognition that water users are able and willing to work together for the greater good. Having this information will help us move towards our goal of achieving effective long-term management of our river system.
Through the voluntary reduction and sharing of available water supplies, program enrollees have committed to the sharing of their water allocations within the watershed such that the burden of drought induced curtailments does not fall solely on junior users. This sharing process encourages more active community-regulation of water use compliance and we are hopeful that the curtailment violations of 2021 are a thing of the past! With water being shared by some to benefit others, there is now a vested interest in ensuring that any waters given up are going where they are supposed to. In theory, this should equate to fewer withdrawals in exceedance of determined allocations.
As such, we hope there is a reduced need for curtailments, water supplies are extended, and fewer uses are harmed. Going forward, we also hope to see scientifically-backed allocation increases for natural flows and protected species in the water budget analysis. As more information becomes available, we also aim to see proper considerations are being made for impacts to surface waters via interconnected groundwater pumping, as well as impacts stemming from the increased reliance on groundwater as an alternative resource. Through real-time experience and data collection we hope this Agreement provides a sound basis for future adaptation.
Climate change is going to continue impacting our region, and what matters is how we respond as a society. Through collaborative, adaptive, proactive, and enforceable management policies, it is possible for our region’s waterways to remain healthy and supportive of all our wonderful beneficial uses.
