Current Water Storage Levels
Daily Reservoir Operation Status
The Sonoma County Water Agency (Water Agency) is the local cost-sharing partner for Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma, and determines the amount of water to be released when the lake levels are in the water supply pools. The US Army Corps of Engineers determines the amount of water to be released when the lake levels are above the water supply pools and in the flood control pools.
The Russian River is a managed river system with reservoir releases controlling river flows, especially throughout most of the summer and fall. When tributary stream flows are low, the Water Agency releases water stored in the reservoirs to supplement the natural flows in the Russian River to provide adequate flows for water supply, recreation and aquatic habitat. A release from a reservoir can be categorized as being of ‘pass-through water’ or ‘stored water’. The term ‘project water’ is often used instead of stored water and is used to describe water that is present because of the dam and reservoir project. Pass-through water is water flowing into the reservoir that is not stored in, but passes through, the reservoir. Project water releases to supplement the natural flows in the Russian River and Dry Creek are necessary to meet mandatory minimum streamflow requirements that exist for both of these watercourses.
*Note each day after March 1, the Water Supply Pool in Lake Mendocino is allowed to encroach into the Flood Control Pool, thus resulting in changing Water Supply and Flood Control pool numbers.
*cfs—cubic feet per second
*cfs—cubic feet per second
*cfs—cubic feet per second
Water Agency Drinking Water Production, Demand, Storage, and Weather Data
Disclaimer: The above data is based on provisional data that is subject to revision.