Weekly questions

The Water Agency will be publishing a weekly water quiz in the Press Democrat newspaper this spring and summer. The questions and answers will be listed on this page.

5/09/10

Question: How many miles of streams does the Agency maintain as a part of the Stream Maintenance Program?

Answer: The Agency owns, or has easements to maintain hydraulic capacity, on approximately 75 miles of engineered flood control channels. The channels are primarily located in the vicinity of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, and Sonoma. The Agency also has easements to maintain hydraulic capacity over approximately 100 miles of modified or natural channels. Learn more about the Agency's Stream Maintenance Program.

5/02/10

Question: How does the Water Agency clean the water it delivers to its wholesale water contractors?

Answer: The Sonoma County Water Agency is a wholesaler of water. We collect water from beneath the Russian River where it is naturally filtered through more than 60 feet of gravel and sand. Because our water is naturally filtered and clean, we only chlorinate and adjust the pH of the water--as required by state drinking water quality standards. Adjusting the pH reduces the likelihood that the water will corrode our pipes. Our wholesale water customers may or may not add additional chlorine into our water before it is delivered to your home. Check with your local water supplier to learn more.

4/18/10

Question: What is the Agency’s plan to meet future water supply needs?

Answer: The Agency and the Water Contractors have already taken some steps to meet our current water supply challenges: Individuals are conserving water, the use of recycled water has increased, new sources of water are being explored, and the Agency and its contractors are continually improving operations. Learn more about the Agency's future Water Supply Strategies.

4/11/10

Question: How much water flows through the Russian River each year?

Answer: On average, the Russian River discharges more than 521 billion gallons of water a year into the Pacific Ocean - about 1.6 million acre feet.

4/4/10

Question: What is a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper?

Answer: The Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper program, local landscape professionals are making a positive impact towards reducing landscape water demand by becoming more water efficient in landscape design, maintenance, and operation. The training provides 20 hours of educational foundation based on principals of proper plant selection for the local climate, irrigation system design and maintenance, and irrigation system programming and operation. Learn more about QWEL, or find a QWEL graduate.

3/28/10

Question: When is the best time of day to water your lawn and garden?

Answer: It is best to water early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler to reduce the loss of water through evaporation. Water your lawn only when it needs it. Learn more about water conservation for your home.

3/21/10

Question: What is the average per acre foot cost for water delivered by the Sonoma County Water Agency compared to other California wholesale water agencies?

Answer: In 2009, the average per acre foot cost of water delivered by the Sonoma County Water Agency was about $600 an acre foot. Learn more about how this compares to other California wholesale water agencies.

3/14/10

Question: How many gallons of water can Lake Sonoma hold in its Water Supply and Flood Control pools?

Answer: Lake Sonoma has a Water Supply storage pool of 245,000 Acre-Feet, and 136,000 Acre-Feet of Flood Control storage. Together, that equals a total potential water storage of approximately 124,149,231,000 gallons! Learn more about the current water storage levels in Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino.

3/7/10

Question: How many Chinook salmon did Water Agency staff count in our fish ladders this season?

Answer: 1,801 Chinook were observed through our Mirabel Inflatable Dam video monitoring system. Learn more about the Chinook salmon in the Russian River watershed.

2/28/10

Question: How many gallons of water are in one acre-foot?

Answer: There are 325,851 gallons of water in one acre-foot.

2/21/10

Question: Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma provide drinking water for approximately how many people in portions of Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties?

Answer: Approximately 750,000 residents in portions of Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties receive their drinking water from Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma. Learn more about our Water Supply and Transmission System.