Mendocino County accepts update on drought resilience plan; public raises permitting, tribal and dry‑well concerns

Mendocino County officials on Feb. 26 accepted a consultant update on a draft Drought Resilience Plan (DRP) produced to comply with California Senate Bill 552 and will release the draft for a 30‑day public comment period ahead of a planned May 20 Board of Supervisors adoption vote.

The presentation, led by consultant Amir Mani and county staff Amber Fassett of the Department of Transportation and Water Agency, summarized a countywide vulnerability assessment and outlined staged response actions that focus on domestic well users and state small water systems. “The objective of this plan is to increase preparedness,” Mani said during the presentation.

The DRP was developed under SB 552’s requirements to (1) establish a standing county drought task force and (2) prepare a drought resilience plan that assesses vulnerabilities for domestic wells and state small water systems and recommends interim, short‑term and long‑term actions. Amber Fassett told the committee the county has worked on the plan “since June of 2024” and that the county will publish the draft for public review in March and aim for final adoption by the Board of Supervisors on May 20.

Why it matters: The plan’s focus on domestic wells and state small water systems targets…