PD Editorial: Lake Sonoma reaches a milestone

Is the drought over? Does it matter? The next one could start anytime. For now, however, the lake is filling up. And that’s good news.|
THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Editorials represent the views of The Press Democrat editorial board and The Press Democrat as an institution. The editorial board and the newsroom operate separately and independently of one another.

As we write this, the water supply pool at Lake Sonoma is full for the first time since 2019. Boat ramps aren’t dry, old trees and sunken boats are once again submerged. The water supply pool was less than 400 acre-feet below the top on Sunday, and early Monday morning with rain falling across the Russian River watershed, Sonoma Water says it reached 245,0000 acre-feet.

At 244,833 acre-feet, the water supply pool is full. Sonoma Water tells us that it draws about 50,000 acre-feet from the lake in a typical year, and about 70,000 in a dry year. So, the lake should have enough water to meet domestic needs and maintain minimum stream flows for habitat and recreation for three to five years.

Moreover, the water level may keep rising. Lake Sonoma’s capacity, which includes a large flood control pool, is 381,000 acre-feet. Once the water level rises into the flood pool, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determines when to release water and how much. The lake reached 306,770 acre-feet in 2019 before sinking to historic lows last fall.

So, is the drought over? Does it matter? The next one could start anytime. For now, however, the lake is filling up. And that’s good news.

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Editorials represent the views of The Press Democrat editorial board and The Press Democrat as an institution. The editorial board and the newsroom operate separately and independently of one another.

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