Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Supply Potter Valley topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cloverdale officials say Potter Valley relicensing still unresolved; city explores local storage, wells and purchase agreements
Summary
At a standing-item discussion, city leaders described ongoing talks with Sonoma Water and PG&E about the Potter Valley Project, outlined modeling scenarios, and said local efforts will focus on short- and long-term water-supply options including storage tanks, deeper wells and potential water-purchase agreements.
Cloverdale — Council members and staff reported on continuing negotiations and studies related to the Potter Valley Project and said the city is pursuing local water-supply options while federal and regional relicensing discussions continue.
Mayor and council representatives summarized recent meetings with PG&E and Sonoma Water, described modeling of possible flow scenarios and said the city is pursuing an ad hoc and consultant-supported process to protect Cloverdale’s water supply.
Nut graf: The Potter Valley Project relicensing — a multi-jurisdictional process affecting Russian River flows — remains unresolved. City officials said the federal and regional processes are still in play and emphasized local resilience measures such as additional storage, deeper wells and potential purchase agreements with Sonoma Water.
Mayor (presenting the standing item) said Sonoma Water modeling showed releases concentrated in winter months under several scenarios; he described long-term fixes such as raising Coyote Dam or constructing pipelines as multi-decade efforts. "These are great ideas for 30 to 50 years from now," he said, adding that those solutions will not address near-term shortages. He said the city is exploring more immediate options and working with consultants and the ad hoc committee.
Staff and Council members listed short- and medium-term options under study. Derek Montani, Public Works Director, presented contract work already budgeted (see separate water master plan item) and said new well work (wells 7 and 8) is underway to secure higher-yield production. Council members and staff discussed above-ground raw-water ponds, storage tanks and a potential water-purchase agreement with Sonoma Water to move stored water through the system at times the city needs it.
Council and staff discussed cost and schedule. Derek said two new storage tanks would add roughly $2.8 million to capacity and are expected to be completed in about three years, subject to funding and permitting; he and others noted tens-of-millions-of-dollars costs for tertiary treatment or large pipeline projects. The council agreed to continue pursuing grant funding and legislative support; Assemblymember support was mentioned as a potential funding avenue.
Mayor and Vice Mayor Wheeler said the city is maintaining involvement in regionwide discussions, and that the Department of the Interior has formally entered the process. The council’s ad hoc committee and infrastructure subcommittee will continue technical and funding work; staff said they will return with refined cost and timeline estimates.
Ending: Council members emphasized that the fight for reliable water supply is ongoing and that the city will pursue immediate resiliency projects (wells, tanks, conservation) while tracking relicensing and regional negotiations.
