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 user groups for which counties have coordinating responsibility under SB 552. The consultant’s risk assessment found that large portions of the county’s state small water systems show high physical and social vulnerability, prompting a countywide preparedness approach rather than isolated, parcel‑by‑parcel responses.

What the plan recommends: Mani described a four‑component framework drawn from the Department of Water Resources guidebook: data collection and risk assessment; management actions (short‑ and long‑term); implementation pathways tied to drought stages; and adaptive management. The DRP defines three drought stages—stage 1 (monitoring/normal), stage 2 (preparedness), and stage 3 (emergency response)—with triggers based on the U.S. Drought Monitor, coastal watershed precipitation (Navarro/Garcia), and Lake Mendocino storage for inland areas.

The county’s roles identified in the plan emphasize facilitation and coordination rather than direct water provision. Short‑term and ongoing actions include public outreach and education, tracking and monitoring, providing a hub for resources and funding opportunities, and convening the drought task force at higher frequency as conditions worsen. Emergency actions in stage 3 would be directed by the Board of Supervisors and the county’s executive office in coordination with the Mendocino County Water Agency (MCWA) and Office of Emergency Services.

Public comments and follow‑up requests: Several members of the public made substantive comments during the item. Ishviyom, a coastal resident, building contractor and member of the Mendocino Community Services District, urged the county to reduce permitting barriers that he said deter creation of local storage: “the regulatory agencies including Mendocino County public planning and building departments and the state department of fish and wildlife and water boards are in fact some of the biggest obstacles to creating drought resiliency,” he said, and asked the county to help small agencies and private landowners “navigate the red tape.”

Theresa Jolch, environmental planner for the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, stressed that government‑to‑government consultation is distinct from public comment and asked how tribes were contacted for consultation. Amber Fassett replied that all tribes in the county were notified of meetings and updates but said a formal government‑to‑government consultation process was not required under SB 552; she offered a follow‑up contact to pursue consultation.

Dominic Blomgetares, the California Department of Water Resources’ Mendocino County drought point of contact, urged residents to report dry wells and explained DWR’s reporting channel: “if you have a well and it goes dry ... we always recommend you reach out to your County Office of Emergency Services. ... you can tell us directly” via the DWR dry well reporting webpage.

Committee action: The committee voted to accept the presentation and provide any direction to staff. Supervisor Norville moved the recommended action and Chair Mulhern seconded; the motion carried unanimously.

Next steps: Staff said the county will finalize and post the draft plan and the publicly accessible “drought portal” with funding and technical assistance resources in March, open a 30‑day comment period, respond to comments in coordination with the Mendocino County Water Agency, and seek Board adoption on May 20.

The presentation and the DRP focus primarily on preparedness and coordination; the plan does not itself create binding supply projects but provides information and an implementation pathway that other agencies, water suppliers and eligible funding sources may use to pursue consolidation, infrastructure projects or emergency actions if needed.