On December 7, in anticipation of an upcoming storm, the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) began the process of deflating its rubber dam located in the Russian River near Forestville.
Sonoma Water routinely deflates the rubber dam when Russian River flow forecasts show the river exceeding 1,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) in order to prevent damage to the rubber dam from high flows. The rain forecasted for the weekend is expected to raise river flows above 2,900 cfs.
The rubber dam is located downstream of the Wohler Bridge on the Russian River and is normally raised in the spring or early summer when water demands increase. A permanent fish ladder provides fish passage when the rubber dam is raised and also allows Sonoma Water to count migrating adult salmon and steelhead with its underwater video system located in the fish ladder.
Sonoma Water encourages people to continue to use water efficiently. Water conservation tips are available at the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Saving Partnership website, SavingWaterPartnership.org.
Sonoma Water provides water supply, flood protection and sanitation services for portions of Sonoma and Marin counties. Visit on the Web at SonomaWater.org
