SRP-featured Archives - Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

Putting Stormwater to Work: Recharge Pilots Underway

When it rains, where does the water go? In many cases, it runs off the land before it has a chance to soak into the ground and replenish our aquifers. The Sonoma County GSAs are working on several pilot projects to test whether improving land management practices can help change that — by slowing the flow of stormwater and directing it back into the ground.

Photo of a vineyard in winter with green cover crops between and water pooled on dirt at the base of the vines The first pilot site is in the Santa Rosa Plain near Mark West Creek. Following the December rains, staff began applying water to both vineyard and fallow fields to recharge the groundwater below, a practice termed “On-Farm Recharge”. The project is comparing results on fields with cover crops versus those without, and is collecting data on groundwater levels, soil moisture, and underground conditions to understand what’s working and why.

Four additional pilot projects are currently in the planning and outreach stage and will focus on increasing stormwater recharge in upland areas. Recharging water in upland areas can help reduce stormwater flood risks in lower, more urban areas and support groundwater sustainability throughout Sonoma County.

In the Santa Rosa Plain, a pilot is being planned for Crane Creek Regional Park. Site investigations and modeling efforts have helped narrow down the best approaches for recharge. A primary goal of the Crane Creek pilot will be to slow down water flow; this will increase the time available for water to infiltrate to the groundwater and will allow sediment to deposit and fill in the incised channel.

In addition, three pilot projects are being planned on sites yet to be determined based on stakeholder and landowner meetings and feedback.

Upland Stream Restoration to Reconnect Streams to Shallow Groundwater;
Upland Vineyard Cover Cropping and Compost Applications to Increase Groundwater Storage;
Swales on Contours to Increase Groundwater Storage on Upland Pasture and Rangeland.

photo of a water measuring tube at the base of a grapevine The pilot projects are designed to answer practical questions such as: How quickly does water soak into the ground, and what factors — like soil type and cover crops — affect that rate? The pilots hope to lay the groundwork for future projects by figuring out what it takes to run programs like these, from working with willing landowners to managing the day-to-day logistics.

Staff will use what they’ve learned from these pilots to estimate the costs and potential benefits of expanding on-farm and other stormwater recharge to a larger scale — an important step toward building a more resilient local water supply.

Pictured: (above) A vineyard field infiltrating on-farm Recharge water applied with a drip irrigation system. (below) Measuring the water application rate from drip irrigation used for on-farm recharge. Photos by Bachand & Associates.

Agriculture Groundwater User Survey Highlights Opportunities for Collaboration and Sustainability

Between August and December 2025, the GSAs conducted a joint survey of agricultural groundwater users to better understand priorities, concerns, and opportunities related to groundwater sustainability. The 21-question survey received 82 responses. Responses were well distributed across the basins: 46% from Santa Rosa Plain, 20.5% from Petaluma Valley, 17% from Sonoma Valley, and 22% marked ‘not applicable’.

Who Participated?

The majority of respondents (75%) identified as owners of agricultural property. Others included lessees (11.25%), agricultural support professionals (6.25%), staff of agricultural companies (3.75%), and representatives of governmental agencies or nonprofits working with agricultural operators (5%).

Farm sizes varied:

34% operate on less than 5 acres
23% farm between 10–50 acres
22% manage more than 50 acres
11% operate between 5–10 acres
10% selected not applicable

Agricultural production is diverse. Nearly half (45%) identified grapes or vineyards as a primary product. Other operations include specialty crops (31.25%), livestock/dairy/poultry (27.5%), orchards (18.75%), diversified agriculture (12.5%), and other uses such as native habitats, sheep wool fiber, hay, and grain (11.25%).

Ninety-two percent of respondents reported using groundwater.

Awareness and Engagement

Thirty-eight percent of respondents operate under a farm plan, certification, or permit program, including LandSmart, Fish Friendly Farming, and Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing. This presents a ready-made pathway for integrating groundwater sustainability actions into existing frameworks.

When asked whether they would support adding voluntary groundwater sustainability measures—such as monitoring or metering—into existing farm plans:

36% said yes
36% said no
27% were unsure

Preferred Strategies

Respondents clearly prioritized voluntary, incentive-based approaches over mandates.

Top-ranked strategies included:

Stormwater capture for groundwater recharge (clear #1)
Conservation and water-use efficiency incentives
Expanded recycled water availability

Mandatory metering—either basin-wide or for users pumping more than 2 acre-feet per year—consistently ranked near the bottom. Preferences skew toward voluntary metering or targeted metering in distressed areas. While a minority expressed opposition to any metering, privacy emerged as an important consideration; support increased when data would not be attributed to individual users.

What Motivates Action?

Key motivators for adopting groundwater sustainability practices include:

Better understanding of groundwater conditions on their property
Direct financial incentives
Cost savings, particularly reduced energy costs for pumping
Hands-on installation assistance
Practical, “how-to” education

With adequate support, respondents indicated strong willingness to implement:

Compost and mulch applications (66%)
Irrigation equipment upgrades (65%)
Cover crops (61%)
On-farm recharge projects (41%)
Consultations with technical experts (41%)

Barriers to Implementation

Participants identified several challenges to implementing new practices. Ranked from most significant to least, these include:

Cost of implementation
Fear of additional regulation
Permitting challenges
Concerns about sharing groundwater information with agencies
Limited capacity to implement changes
Perception that existing systems are already water efficient
Lack of technical knowledge
Time constraints
Lack of property ownership
Need for leadership approvals

Next Steps

Staff will continue analyzing the survey results alongside broader basin data to identify trends and actionable recommendations. A summary memorandum will be developed outlining key findings and potential next steps to inform future outreach, incentives, and program design.

The survey results underscore both the agricultural community’s strong interest in practical, incentive-based solutions and the opportunity to strengthen partnerships that support long-term groundwater sustainability across Sonoma County’s basins.

Spring Into Action and Be Well Aware

As warmer days approach, there’s no better time to think about how you use water on your property — and what you can do to protect the groundwater that you depend on.

graphic illustration of a high tech sprinkler system that uses wifi controls based on weather conditions The Well Aware program is here to help people with wells to do exactly that. Whether you want to understand your water use, check your system for leaks, or learn smarter ways to conserve, visit wellawaretoolkit.org to explore resources, tips, and tools tailored to your land and your well. This resource is perfect for everyone-from farms to residential wells to businesses; there is something practical for everyone in this resource.

Opportunities to get involved in March:

Plan your Spring Gardening Projects

The Well Aware Toolkit offers a collection of informational resources with year-round planting guides, food gardening with less water and smart plant choices for your landscape.

Fix-a-Leak Week is coming the third week of March. A single leaky faucet or fixture can waste thousands of gallons a year — and leaks in a well system can go undetected for even longer. Improve your home’s energy and water efficiency by checking out a Do it Yourself (DIY) Toolkit at your local Sonoma County Library branch. DIY Energy and Water Savings Toolkits include tools and information to perform home upgrade projects including weather stripping windows and doors, monitoring electrical usage, finding water leaks, and making homes more efficient with LED lightbulbs. Toolkits are available at all 12 Sonoma County Library regional branches and Sonoma County Library cardholders can check out the kits for up to 21 days.

Small actions add up. By staying informed and taking a few simple steps this spring, you can help preserve our shared groundwater supply for years to come. Start by visiting the wellawaretoolkit.org.

Sonoma County GSAs Launch New Online Well Aware Toolkit to Support Groundwater Sustainability

The Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) are proud to announce the launch of the Well Aware Toolkit, a new online resource designed to help well owners and groundwater users make informed, sustainable water management decisions.

Funded by a grant from the California Department of Water Resources, the Well Aware Program was created to connect well users with practical tools and resources that promote groundwater sustainability. Water use efficiency is a critical part of the plan to protect local basins, and it depends on everyone being thoughtful about how they use water.

“Groundwater is a lifeline for Sonoma County, supporting homes, farms, and ecosystems,” said Bill Keene, Administrator for the Sonoma Valley GSA. “By using the Well Aware Toolkit, residents and businesses can take practical steps to ensure this vital resource remains available for generations to come.”

The new Well Aware Toolkit is an interactive resource that allows users located in the Petaluma Valley basin, Santa Rosa Plain subbasin, and Sonoma Valley subbasin to enter their own property address to find personalized water savings practices, funding opportunities for water conservation, and expert guidance tailored to the region.

The Well Aware Toolkit is now live and available to all groundwater users in Sonoma County.

Visit https://wellawaretoolkit.org to start saving water and protecting our shared resource.

About the Well Aware Program

The Well Aware Program is a free, voluntary initiative for groundwater users. Its goal is simple: provide easy access to resources that help protect groundwater for future generations.

About the Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

Sonoma County’s three GSAs were formed in 2017 for Petaluma Valley, Sonoma Valley and Santa Rosa Plain to implement California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The agencies adopted their Groundwater Sustainability Plans in 2022, aiming to achieve basin-wide sustainability by 2042. The three GSAs are funded by a combination of groundwater user fees, county and city contributions, and most of its current projects and programs are funded through a major SGMA Implementation Grant from the State

Department of Water Resources.

Orientation to the LEVEL UP! Voluntary Well Level Monitoring Program

LEVEL UP! Informational Webinar

Recorded Thursday, September 11, 2025

Join the Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies to help support sustainability in our local groundwater basins, and also know how the water levels in your own well fluctuate season-to-season and year-to-year. This community program is free, and we provide the tools and training for you to take the measurements in Spring (April) when the water levels tend to be highest and in Fall (October) when the water levels are usually lowest. This webinar walks through the details of this program and how to get your well enrolled and how to participate. With speakers from the Sonoma County GSAs, Sonoma Resource Conservation District, Gold Ridge Conservation District and Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

Helpful Links:

Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies: sonomacountygroundwater.org
LEVEL UP! Program: sonomacountygroundwater.org/voluntary-monitoring
How to use the Sonic Water Level Measuring Tool 3-minute video: https://youtu.be/Rcov_zyPKCM?si=PEKyfHJISnUcgAJ2
Sonoma County Groundwater Data Dashboard: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ab2be3d4c3f245568478644cb90444e7/page/Homepage/

Beneath the Surface: 10 Years of Local Groundwater Basin Stewardship

Learn about groundwater management progress and join us in realizing a resilient future for the Santa Rosa Plain and Petaluma Valley basins!

Thursday, August 21, 5:30-7:30 PM, Ray Miller Community Center, 201 West Sierra Avenue, Cotati

RSVP to attend

Join us for a Community Meeting and Resource Workshop to reflect on a decade of collaborative, community-based work to build groundwater sustainability in the Santa Rosa Plain and Petaluma Valley. Local leaders and experts will share the progress made since the formation of our Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and highlight the valuable work underway to understand, protect, and strengthen our groundwater resources in the face of climate challenges. Learn what’s next and how you can be an active part of the future of groundwater sustainability. Together, we can maintain local control of this vital resource—and ensure a sustainable groundwater supply for generations to come.

How the Event will Flow:

From the Ground Up: Our meeting will include a presentation providing background on the Santa Rosa Plain and Petaluma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, how they formed, what they are empowered to do (what they don’t do), and major milestones over the last ten years.
Beneath the Surface: Hear from experts on current conditions of our aquifers, and what initiatives have been made to advance sustainability, and the value of those investments thus far.
The Next Drop: Sustainability requires multiple strategies and a community-wide effort. Learn about projects, programs and policy options that the GSAs are initiating now and considering for the future.
Q & A: Submit questions in advance via your registration or ask them while at the meeting.
Go Deeper at the Resource Workshop: Want to go deeper and into greater detail on a groundwater topic? Want to find out ways to be an active part of this work? The Resource Workshop portion of the evening will offer a chance for you to talk 1:1 with local experts in hydrogeology, policy, environment, agriculture and more. Some of the organizations participating include: Sonoma Water, Sonoma County and Gold Ridge Resource Conservation Districts, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Daily Acts, Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership and more!

Learn more about our locally-controlled groundwater agencies:

Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency: santarosaplaingroundwater.org
Petaluma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency: petalumavalleygroundwater.org

Event materials will be available in both English and Spanish. Presentations will be in English, with live interpretation services provided for Spanish speakers.

Los materiales del evento estarán disponibles tanto en inglés como en español. Las presentaciones serán en inglés, con servicios de interpretación en vivo para los hispanohablantes.

Following the event, formal presentations portion of this event will be available in a video recording and posted to our GSA websites.

RSVP for this Event

group of 6 farmers around table are holding a device they made from simple PVC materials at a workshop

Local Farmers Participate in Interactive ‘From Ground to Field: Know Your Water, Know Your Use’ Workshop

On a sunny and cool June afternoon, an eager group of 40+ people made up of local Sonoma County farmers and local agricultural organization representatives gathered at an orchard site for the workshop “From Ground to Field: Know Your Water, Know Your Use.”

a man in a plaid shirt holds a chart and explains something inside a barn building Hosted by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) in partnership with Sonoma Resource Conservation District (SRCD), Goldridge RCD, University of California Cooperative Extension, and the Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), the event focused on getting small-scale farmers information on Sonoma County’s groundwater and sustainability plan while also zooming in on practical on-farm water efficiency management practices farmers could employ. It was a great mix of all things water, a topic that only increases in significance for California farmers every season.

Event organizer and CAFF’s Sonoma County Groundwater Community Engagement representative Reyna Yagi said the event aimed not just to help farmers understand the current groundwater challenges facing Sonoma County, but also to provide practical management strategies and technology that farmers could literally take home with them.

three people representing the local Groundwater Agency pose for a photo “Groundwater can be a complicated and heavy topic, especially with the state legislation, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in effect, but we want folks to have access to the people and resources that can help them navigate the sometimes murky waters. And just as importantly, we wanted these local organizations to hear directly from farmers as well as cross-pollinate with each other on the topic of groundwater and irrigation.”

The event took place at Laura’s Apples, an orchard in Sebastopol that has been navigating different irrigation hurdles and is using sensors to aid in her water management needs. To start off the workshop, participants were given a presentation on Sonoma County groundwater by Santa Rosa Plain GSA Administrator Andy Rodgers and GSA Plan Manager Marcus Trotta. They covered SGMA, groundwater use and conditions across the county, and the Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Plans. The GSA was awarded grant funding to administer various sustainability focused and educational programs, like the “Level Up”! well level monitoring program, “Flow Smart” flow meter program, and newer Well Aware water use efficiency (WUE) program. All these programs are free and aim to help users understand their well levels and use, identify leaks and contribute helpful data to understand overall groundwater sustainability.

After, participants broke up into smaller groups to rotate through three different presenter stations:

Keith Abeles, Soil and Water Specialist, Sonoma RCD: presented on increasing water-holding capacity in your soil to maximize water use efficiency, like building soil organic matter to increase soil health.
Ellie Andrews, Specialty Crops Advisor, UCCE: presented and live demonstrated stem water potential as one of the most accurate & reliable methods to assess tree water status. It is a direct measurement of tree water stress – telling you how thirsty your tree is.
Helaine Berris, Water and Soil Advisor, UCCE: Gave an intro to Cloud-Based Soil Moisture Monitoring. Using the technology sensor already installed on the farm property, Helaine walked participants through how the sensors worked, the set up, and how to interpret the data.

Participants took a brief break to enjoy fresh lemonade from Farmer Laura’s lemons before diving into the DIY activity for the day: make your own tensiometer. A tensiometer is a sensor that measures soil water tension as a proxy for soil moisture. It measures how tightly the water is held in the soil, reflecting the amount of force a plant must exert to extract that water for use. As soil dries, the soil water tension increases, and plants must use more force to extract it. Tensiometers are easy, accessible tools for agricultural water management, helping farmers to irrigate at optimal times, reduce overwatering, and reduce plant stress. The DIY sensor showcased to farmers a low-cost, easy tool they could make themselves and use right now.

“This workshop was a great opportunity to showcase a range of accessible tools for measuring soil moisture, from DIY tensiometers made with hardware store materials to cloud-based monitoring with instant data visualization. Each option has pros and cons in cost, data retrieval, and maintenance. My goal was to present these tools so farmers can decide what fits best for their operation’s water management needs” says Helaine.

A sold-out workshop and positive reception from farmer participants. Most farmed annual vegetable crops and/or orchard crops with interest and questions on appropriate and affordable water infrastructure and practices to retain soil moisture. This showed a thirst for these topics and a desire from our small farmers that they want more technical, accessible help navigating water management.

Reyna adds, “Our small farmers face many different hurdles in facing declining groundwater levels in Sonoma County. Many depend on shallow irrigation wells and generally lack access to means to dig deeper wells or truck in water in times of drought. Compounded by the fact a large portion don’t own their land makes investment in better water infrastructure challenging. But nonetheless many small Sonoma County farmers are committed to conservation practices and show a strong desire to keep improving water management.”

CAFF began partnering with the GSA in Summer of 2024 alongside other local partners as another outreach arm to network with the small and underrepresented farming community on GSA programs, resources and general help navigating. The GSA is working diligently to reach out to every type of user out there to get to know more about groundwater. Find your basin, free program information, and sign up for a helpful newsletter and more at www.sonomacountygroundwater.org.

Are you a farmer with questions on groundwater? Contact Reyna Yagi at CAFF: reyna@caff.org

This workshop was funded in part by the Department of Water Resource’s URCTA Program.

Photography credits: Lan Ngo

4 Well Aware tips for watering your summer garden

Summer weather is coming! Here are water-saving tips with resources for healthy plants and groundwater basins:

🌿Plant native, water-wise, fire-wise landscaping plants.

🌻Schedule a free Garden Sense consultation and have a Sonoma County Master Gardener help you find the right plants for your space.

💦Use the water more than once with graywater and rainwater systems to stretch your water resources.

🕗Water the wise way by using the Irrigation Scheduling Tool to take the guess work out of scheduling your irrigation timer.
💧 Water between midnight and 6 a.m. for less water loss due to evaporation and wind.
💧 Encourage strong roots through deep watering by scheduling your timer for two start times with shorter watering run times.
💧 Install drip irrigation or hand water with a shutoff nozzle to deliver water directly to plant roots.
💧 Check your irrigation timer batteries! Power outages can restart them causing them to go into water wasting default settings.
💧 Check regularly for leaks and broken heads which can waste gallons of water.

Check out the Well Aware webpage for more do-it-yourself guides and free resources.

a man's hand holds a yellow rectangular device and measures well water level

Level Up! well monitoring day made better with friends and neighbors

On a recent Saturday in late April an interested and concerned group of well users gathered to help with the water level measurement of one neighbor’s well and learn more about the state of the Petaluma Valley groundwater basin.

Sebastian Bertsch, Petaluma Valley GSA Advisory Committee member and Level Up! program volunteer facilitator for the day, explained the entire process of using the sonic measurement tool, how to sign up to borrow it for a free one-day check out, and he explained the benefits of creating a neighborhood group to work together and take our own measurements all on one day.” Amy, who attended the gathering to learn more about the process said, “The well measurement came first. It was easy and quick.” The water level was about 12 feet higher after the rainy season as compared with the last time they measured in October, an expected result revealing that the year’s precipitation helped recharge the aquifer.

Those who attended represented six different wells, asked lots of questions and learned a bit about the history and geology of the basin. Participants were curious about ways to protect groundwater supply, too. Amy noted, “We talked about what we can do as property owners and well users to help with groundwater recharge, like building berms and swales to slow water runoff during the rainy season and capture rainwater in various ponds and basins.”

The group plans to work together in October and participate in Level Up! as a group to check out the measurement tool and measure the water in their wells on the same day – and then keep doing this on a voluntary basis in the future.

If you would like to gather neighbors in one of our GSA groundwater basins to learn more about organizing a group LEVEL UP! day, please reach out to us at the GSA to set something up!

a front yard garden with yellow and orange flowering native plants

Earth Day 2025: Growing a Sustainable Groundwater Supply

Each year, we welcome the rainy season to nourish our gardens. But when the rain fades, we rely on the water from the tap to keep them green and thriving. In Sonoma County, many turn to groundwater as their primary source once the skies dry up.

Groundwater forms as rainwater and surface water seep into the earth, filling tiny pores and cracks in underground rock formations. In Sonoma County, this vital resource sustains farmers, businesses and rural residents who rely on wells. The Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) oversee groundwater management in the Petaluma Valley, Sonoma Valley and Santa Rosa Plain, ensuring their long-term sustainability. Collectively, these basins supply approximately 26,647 acre-feet—8.7 billion gallons—of groundwater annually. To secure a reliable supply for the next 50 years, the GSAs are implementing projects and programs outlined in their sustainability plans. Local groundwater users are encouraged to participate in these efforts through new initiatives designed to protect and sustain this shared resource.

Level Up!: Tracking seasonal fluctuations in groundwater supply levels

Level Up! is a voluntary groundwater monitoring program that empowers well owners to track their groundwater levels each spring and fall. This data is integrated into the Sonoma County Groundwater Data Dashboard alongside official monitoring well data, providing a clearer picture of seasonal groundwater availability. By participating, well owners contribute valuable information that helps the community better understand and manage this critical resource.

Flow Smart: Understanding the demand for groundwater across Sonoma County

While Level Up! helps track groundwater levels, Flow Smart empowers well owners to understand their water use. Unlike those who receive water from public providers, many groundwater users have little insight into their actual consumption. To change that, the GSAs are offering free flow meters to well owners in the three basins. These devices provide precise water usage data, helping users manage their well water more efficiently, detect leaks, and monitor well performance. Additionally, the data collected will enhance the GSAs’ understanding of local groundwater use, supporting long-term sustainability efforts.

Well Aware: Tools everyone can use for sustainable groundwater use

Well Aware is a new program that will provide tools for building local groundwater sustainability and water conservation via a series of workshops, materials and consultations. Keep an eye out for the launch of Well Aware later in 2025!

In the meantime, if you are interested in water-saving strategies for your home and garden, find practical tips online at SavingWaterPartnership.org, which offers a Water Smart Plant Picker program for plant selection and listings of qualified water efficient landscapers. ResilientLandscapesCoalition.org offers recommendations for resilient gardens that save water, protect us from fire and promote biodiversity, and the Sonoma County Master Gardeners, through University of California Cooperative Extension, offer a free consultation program called Garden Sense, providing customized water and plant advice.