Sustainable Water for Sonoma County “Water for the Present and the Future” Summary recommends that governments,

Recent changes in California water of Supervisors and Sonoma County Water law establish requirements for Agency: managing groundwater as a long-term R1. Establish goals that include sustainable resource, administered sustainability and recognize water by local Groundwater Sustainability sustainability as a specific goal. Agencies.

Sonoma County is better served if the new water sustainability law. Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

Water agencies within Sonoma issuing new groundwater sustainability County have yet to sufficiently plans for two of Sonoma County’s educate groundwater users about major water basins. their responsibilities for sharing water resources, potential limitations on R5. Continue funding as appropriate for water use, and the advantages of the Sonoma County Water Agency making sure, through sustainability, to support the formation of suitable that water will be available in the future groundwater sustainability agencies for their own use. and their early operations.

Most governmental entities in Sonoma Required Responses County — departments, cities, and other agencies — have yet to adopt Pursuant to Penal Code section 933.05, the sustainability provisions in their mission Grand Jury requests responses as follows: statements, goals, and programs, or to 33 • R1, R3, R5 - Sonoma County Board of Suggested Reading Supervisors “Sustainable Development”, Water in • R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 - Sonoma County the West, Stanford Woods Institute for Water Agency the Environment, 2014. https://woods. stanford.edu/research/centers-programs/ Endnotes water-west “Sustainable Groundwater Management 1 “California’s groundwater problems Act,” Sonoma County Water Agency, 2015. and prospects,” UC Davis Center http://www.scwa.ca.gov/sgma/ for Watershed Sciences, January 2013. http://californiawaterblog. “Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in Sonoma County” http://www.scwa.ca.gov/ com/2013/01/30/californias- files/docs/water-resources/groundwater/ groundwater-problems-and-prospects/ sgma/SGMABOSBOD_3_17_15_FINAL_a. California Legislature finding in AB1739 pdf (2014). Kevin M. O’Brien, Alice in Groundwater 3 See http://www.scwa.ca.gov/ and Land: Water Supply Assessments and http://www.scwa.ca.gov/water- Subsurface Water Supplies, 4 Golden Gate system/ U. Envtl. L.J. (2010). pp.131-144 http:// digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/gguelj/vol4/ 4 “Water Resources Availability and iss1/7 Management in Sonoma County, CA” “Groundwater Law” 2014. Water Education U.S. Geological Survey / California Foundation, Sacramento: Aquapedia. http:// Water Science Center, 14 Jun 2011. www.watereducation.org/aquapedia- http://ca.water.usgs.gov/user_ background/groundwater-law projects/sonoma/index.html California 2014 water law revisions: SB 5 California Legislature finding in AB1739 1168, SB 1319, and AB 1739 (2014) “Sonoma County General Plan 2020: Water 6 California Legislature finding in AB1739 Resources Element”, September 2008. (2014) http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/ gp2020/wre.pdf Glossary “Groundwater sustainability agency”: One Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not or more local agencies that implement the identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code new sustainable groundwater management section 929 requires that reports of the Grand provisions of California’s water law. Jury not contain the name of any person or “Groundwater sustainability plan”: A plan facts leading to the identity of any person who established by a groundwater sustainability provides information to the Grand Jury. agency to achieve sustainable groundwater management. “Sustainable”: (1) meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; (2) improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the Earth’s supporting eco-systems. “Sustainable groundwater management”: Management and use of groundwater in a way that can continue for a very long time without causing undesirable results. 34

The Sonoma County Water Agency picture. For purposes of water management, has participated significantly in carrying capacity includes available resources, preparations for sustainable water population, and per capita consumption. management, and can continue A carrying capacity study should consider to contribute in the transition to how an economic part, a social part, and an management through groundwater environmental part come together to make sustainability agencies. up community. Carrying capacity should be studied broadly across the entire county F6. Economic and environmental through an independent team representing sustainability are interdependent; resources, disciplines, stakeholders, and other economic sustainability can be interests. achieved only when critical resources such as water are also managed for Some of this may be difficult to accept after sustainability. years of unregulated groundwater use, but easier to accept than a well going dry when a F7. There has been no cross-discipline property owner is relying on it–or a whole water study of carrying capacity in Sonoma basin that is no longer available to anyone. County that projects what population Water is essential to life and our enjoyment of the water and other resources in life. Groundwater sustainability management Sonoma County are capable of is an essential step in making sure water is supporting. available to us and to those who follow us.