Napa supervisors approve state-funded stream gauge agreement after public concern about river dewatering

The Napa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution Feb. 25 authorizing county staff, acting for the Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency, to proceed with a funding agreement with the California Department of Water Resources for the California Stream Gauging Improvement Program. The vote followed public comment urging broader public input about where gauges will be placed and describing severe low-flow conditions in sections of the Napa River.

Tribal and conservation speakers told the board that parts of the Napa River are dry for miles and that that loss of flow threatens species and cultural practices. “The Napa River has been tragically dewatered for many years in a row,” said Chris Malan, executive director of the Institute for Conservation Advocacy Research and Education, during public comment. Desiree Harp and Adam Pina, who identified themselves as members of the Mishawapa tribe, described walking dry riverbeds and missing birds and salmon.

The plan approved by the board authorizes staff to accept grant funds to reinstall five previously used stream gauges across the basin. Planning Director Bordona told supervisors the project will reactivate preexisting gauge locations and that specifics about gauge siting are included in the staff report. Bordona said the Groundwater Sustainability Agency will provide a fuller presentation and opportunities for public discussion at the board’s April 8 meeting, when the GSA will update the board on the groundwater sustainability plan.

Speakers pressing for more public process said gauge location matters because data from gauges guides groundwater and surface-water decisions. Malan asked that the county ensure public input on placement and use of gauge data and noted local concerns about the county’s rivers and culturally important resources. Bordona said staff will follow up with interested parties to provide details about proposed gauge locations.

The item was on the consent agenda as part of a set of special district matters. Supervisor Ramos moved approval; Supervisor Gallagher seconded. The motion carried unanimously. The board did not adopt any additional requirements at the Feb. 25 meeting for expanded public hearings about gauge siting, but staff agreed to follow up with speakers and present more detail at the GSA update in April.

The county will now work with the Department of Water Resources to finalize a funding agreement and accept the grant. The grant funds are intended to restore and improve stream gauging capacity in the basin; staff said the specific gauge reactivations will be shown in more detail in the April GSA presentation.