Mendocino County opens month-long public comment on draft Drought Resilience Plan

Mendocino County’s General Government Committee on March 1 received a presentation and opened a public comment period on the county’s draft Drought Resilience Plan, a document prepared to meet requirements of Senate Bill 552 and to address impacts to domestic wells and state small water systems.

Deputy Director Amber Fisette of the Department of Transportation and Water Agency said the county has “just finished wrapping up the draft drought resilience plan,” and that the draft was posted for a one‑month public review period running through April 25. Consultant Amir Amani of EKI Environment & Water, Inc., presented an overview of outreach, plan structure and next steps.

The plan — developed following the Department of Water Resources guidebook for SB 552 implementation — focuses on data collection and vulnerability assessment, short‑ and long‑term management actions, and an implementation framework tied to drought stages. County staff described a broad outreach campaign over the past…