State Water Board Drought Year Water Actions

RUSSIAN RIVER WATERSHED ANALYSIS

August 5, 2014 Update

The following information on projected water supply, demand and availability, prepared by the Division of Water Rights for the Upper Russian River Watershed (Russian River Watershed upstream of the Russian River’s confluence with Dry Creek), is being provided to assist water right holders in planning for water availability in the coming months. This information is the Division's best projection, based on current hydrologic data. These are estimates only and subject to revision and update.

Charts and Forecasts

Historical water supply for the Upper Russian River Watershed was developed using reported unimpaired flow in the Russian River at Healdsburg from 1941 to 2013. The 50% and 90% exceedance levels indicate the median and 10th percentile flows between 1941 and 2013. Half of the years had flows greater than the 50% exceedance level, and 90% of the years had flow greater than the 90% exceedance level. The Division is estimating daily unimpaired flows in acre-feet, and comparing that to the historical daily average of the monthly 50% and 90% exceedance levels. The attached graph   shows this daily tracking.

• Current Watershed Conditions
  • Russian River Watershed Seasonal Chart  
    
    
• Curtailment Notices Issued
  • Post-1914 appropriative water rights within the Russian River watershed upstream of the confluence of Dry Creek with a priority date of February 19, 1954 or later (Application A015743 or higher).
    
    
• Curtailment Projections
  • Pending
    • None.
  • Projected
    • Water may not be available to divert under post-1914 appropriative water rights within the Russian River watershed upstream of the confluence of Dry Creek with a priority date of January 29, 1949 or later; except where water is available for appropriators identified by Terms 15 and 23 of Water Right Permit A12947A.

Notes

1. Curtailments can be lifted temporarily or permanently if water supply conditions improve.
2. The State Water Resources Control Board may consider needs for limited diversions for public health and safety needs where there is no other water supply available for emergency human health, sanitation and safety needs.
3. Diversions for hydropower generation, where all water is returned to the stream, may continue during curtailment.
4. The curtailment notice does not affect water delivered by contract from state, federal or local agencies, unless the curtailment prevents an agency's ability to divert water under its water right. Contracts using water withdrawn from reservoir storage that had been collected prior to the curtailment are not affected.

Russian River Watershed Boundary

(Updated 8/5/14)