<p>Release of Final Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plans and Opportunity to Comment at Upcoming Community Meetings </p><p> </p>

Sonoma County’s three groundwater sustainability agencies, Petaluma Valley, Sonoma Valley and Santa Rosa Plain, are releasing the Final Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) on October 1. 

The GSPs assess the conditions of the groundwater basin, analyze the basin’s sustainability over a 50-year period, and identify projects and actions needed to ensure the basin is sustainable by 2042.

“The plans take into consideration the distinct characteristics, resources and needs of the basin. Through Advisory Committees in each basin, stakeholder groups have worked diligently on creating plans that will have a lasting impact on the health of our groundwater,” said Santa Rosa Councilmember Tom Schwedhelm, Chair of the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA).

“The draft GSPs mark a big milestone for the basins, in implementing the state-mandated Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). These locally-developed, living plans will help us ensure that groundwater is available into the future,” said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, Chair of the Petaluma Valley GSA.

“The GSPs are a road map for achieving sustainability in the basins within 20 years, taking into consideration climate change, population growth and land use changes,” said Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin, Chair of the Sonoma Valley GSA. “When implemented, these plans will help protect people and the environment from the effects of groundwater over-pumping.”

The public comment period for the GSPs is October 1 through October 31. 

Members of the public are invited to attend an upcoming virtual community meeting to learn about the GSP for their basin and for information on how to provide comments.

Petaluma Valley – Thursday, October 7

Sonoma Valley – Tuesday, October 12

Santa Rosa Plain- Wednesday, October 13

All workshops are 5:30-7:30 p.m. and will be held virtually through Zoom. 

Participants must RSVP online by going to SonomaCountyGroundwater.org and clicking on the link to their basin.

The GSPs are available online by going to SonomaCountyGroundwater.org and clicking on the basin link. Comments may be made by using the online comment form. Hard copies of the GSPs will be available for review at the following locations:

Petaluma Valley: Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Dr., Petaluma, CA 94952

Sonoma Valley:  Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 W Napa St., Sonoma, CA 95476

Santa Rosa Plain:  Central Santa Rosa Library, 211 E St., Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Copies of all three GSPs will be available for review weekdays at Sonoma Water, 404 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa, 95403.

For more information about local groundwater go  to  www.petalumavalleygroundwater.org; www.santarosaplaingroundwater.org; 

www.sonomavalleygroundwater.org.