A series of community meetings are scheduled to update well owners and others on the creation of three new agencies to locally implement California’s new groundwater law. The meetings will take place in Sonoma County’s three groundwater basins immediately affected by California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA): Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma Valley and Petaluma Valley (meeting details below, agenda attached).
The first meeting is slated for Thursday, March 23 in Petaluma, the second meeting will be held on Monday, March 27 in Sonoma and the final meeting is on April 3 in Santa Rosa. The meetings will include a brief overview of SGMA requirements, followed by a description of the recommended governance structure of the proposed new Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) in that basin.
Please note that the information provided at each meeting will be specific to that basin, so the content of the meetings will vary slightly. The presentations will be posted online at www.sonomacountygroundwater.org after the meetings.
MEETING INFORMATION
Petaluma Valley Basin
March 23, 6-8 p.m.
Petaluma Community Center
320 North McDowell Blvd., Petaluma
Sonoma Valley Basin
March 27, 6-8 p.m.
Sonoma Charter School Multi-Purpose Room
17202 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma
Santa Rosa Plain Basin
April 3, 6-8 p.m.
Santa Rosa Utilities Field Office
35 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa
Please contact Ann DuBay, ann.dubay@scwa.ca.gov if you have questions.
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New Agency Participating in Santa Rosa Plain
On March 15, the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District board voted to participate in the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). The decision means that 10 entities are participating in formation of the GSA in Santa Rosa Plain: County of Sonoma, Sonoma County Water Agency, Sonoma Resource Conservation District, Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, cities of Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, the Town of Windsor, and the mutual- and PUC-regulated water districts. Welcome Gold Ridge RCD!
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Steps to GSA Formation
Feb 1:
Local Agency staff reach tentative agreement on outstanding governance issues, including draft JPA Agreement (issues to be resolved varies in each basin)
Feb-March:
Updates to Boards and Councils, as needed
March 21:
Report back to County Board of Supervisors
Mid-March:
Local agency staff finalize governance proposals and draft JPA Agreement
Late March/Early April:
Final round of community meetings and online sharing of proposals (with links to Board/Council meetings where they will be considered)
- Thursday, March 23, 6-8 p.m. - Petaluma Community Center
- Monday, March 27, 6-8 p.m. - Sonoma Charter School
- Monday, April 3, 6-8 p.m. - Santa Rosa Utility Field Office Training Center
April/Early May:
JPA member agency governing boards approve governance structure, JPA Agreement, and initial appointment of directors to the JPA board
May 1~June 1: (10 days in advance of hearing)
Issue public notice for hearing by the JPA Board on GSA formation
May to Mid-June:
GSA Board holds public hearing on GSA formation. NOTE: There will be one hearing in each basin.
June 30, 2017:
File notice with Department of Water Resources after public hearings
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