As Lake Mendocino Reaches Critical Levels, Mendocino County Residents Face Required Reductions in Water Use

The Russian River Flood Control & Water Conservation Improvement District and other local  water suppliers in the Ukiah Valley Basin will consider passing mandated water use reductions due to  two years of significantly below average rainfall in the area and historically low levels at Lake  Mendocino. The potential actions by the water suppliers follow a Drought Declaration from the  Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on April 20th and Governor Gavin Newsom’s Drought  Emergency Declaration for the Russian River watershed on April 21st. The Governor’s declaration  includes directives to bring drought assistance funding to the Mendocino and Sonoma County areas. 

“The time is now to implement extreme water conservation measures at home and work to reduce the  demand on the critically low reservoir,” said Elizabeth Salomone, General Manager of Russian River  Flood Control. “The coming months will become increasingly difficult for many communities as the  drought continues to worsen. Coordinated responses are being developed among local, regional, state,  and federal leaders to secure supply for public health and safety and, if possible, keep vines and  orchards alive for future year production.” 

This year, every drop counts, so please conserve now! Be sure to turn off your faucet when brushing  teeth, take 5-minute showers, fix leaks, and consider letting your lawn go brown. For water  conservation tips, please visit www.savingwaterpartnership.org, www.saveourwater.com, and  mcrcd.org/resources/drought-water-conservation-resources. For regular updates on the 2021 Drought  Preparedness campaign, please contact DistrictManager@RRFC.net, Deborah.Edelman@mcrcd.org or  Joe.Scriven@mcrcd.org. Emails go out weekly and contain water saving tips and current water supply  updates. For more information on the Governors Regional Drought Declaration please visit this link.