Sonoma County backs binding water diversion agreement to preserve Russian River supplies while pursuing Eel River restoration

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on July 22 authorized county leaders to sign a binding water diversion agreement intended to preserve transfers from the Eel River into the Russian River while advancing habitat restoration in the Eel.

Grant Davis, general manager of Sonoma Water, and David Manning, the agency's division manager for environmental resources, presented the Potter Valley Project background and the joint effort that produced the Eel Russian Project Authority (IRPA). David Manning said engineers model the proposed Eel–Russian facility to divert about 30,000 acre-feet per year on average under a set of diversion rules designed to protect Eel River resources. "The new Eel Russian facility, on average, will divert about 30,000 acre feet per year," Manning said.

Outside counsel Richard Roose Collins described the agreement's key features: it follows a February memorandum of understanding among partners; it would authorize Round Valley to hold four water rights and lease them to IRPA for operation; it sets diversion rules, performance metrics, adaptive management, dispute-resolution procedures (mediation, binding arbitration and potential court enforcement), and a long initial term (30 years with possible renewals). Collins also said the state pledged an $18,000,000 contribution to construction subject to conditions. "That check does not have a routing number nor an account number — but it was a promise that the state would deliver that $18,000,000 when we signed this agreement," Collins said.

Sonoma Water staff presented preliminary cost estimates (in 2025 dollars): design and permitting roughly $5,000,000; construction about $50,000,000; and annual operations and maintenance between $7,000,000 and $12,000,000. The agreement also includes a lease-payment structure discussed in the meeting: an annual lease payment of $1,000,000 and an additional $750,000 per year for restoration to Round Valley, with the caveat that certain payments would not begin until the new facility is constructed and delivering water.

Supervisors pressed staff on funding sources and long-term cost allocation. Supervisor Corsi asked who would pay operating costs and the restoration/lease payments; staff said the funding approach is expected to be a combination of federal, state and local sources and that a business plan will be developed to define beneficiaries and user charges. David Manning and others said there is identified federal funding (a Bureau of Reclamation pot of up to $15,000,000 reported as currently frozen) and a $2,000,000 allocation for continued design. Jennifer Burke, director of Santa Rosa Water and Chair of Sonoma Water's Technical Advisory Committee, spoke in support and urged continued engagement with water contractors on costs and supply questions.

The board voted unanimously to approve and authorize the chair to execute the water diversion agreement and to allow the Sonoma Water general manager to enter into agreements with IRPA for staffing and technical support. Staff said next near-term steps include PG&E filing a license surrender application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (expected near July 29), simultaneous regulatory processes for IRPA and PG&E (CEQA/NEPA and FERC actions), and continued fundraising and design work; the construction window is broadly projected between 2030 and 2035, subject to regulatory approvals and funding.

The decision formalizes county support for a multi-party effort intended to balance water supply reliability in the Russian River basin and fisheries restoration in the Eel River, while leaving major regulatory approvals and final funding arrangements to future steps.