SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Starting today, Lake Sonoma will release water for the first time in nearly four years.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
Recent rains have made for a dramatic turnaround at the reservoir. "Just mid-December or so last year we were at our lowest reported low in the entire history of the lake," Christopher Schooley, operations manager of the Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Sonoma, told KCBS Radio.
Schooley said the reservoir is now at 120% water supply. The level is able to rise even higher, but he explained that the amount of water isn't safe to store.
The corps is taking advantage of a break in the weather to do a flood control release, which is buffered to take the weather and the Russian River level into consideration. "You can take all that buffered water and then release it safely downstream and not flood out downstream communities, or at least mitigate downstream flooding," he said.
Depending on the weather, more releases may be needed through the remainder of the rainy season under new rules stating that Lake Sonoma can remain at 108% water supply. The extra storage provides water for 38,000 homes.
"It's a big juggling act, a big balance, but one that I think that we're poised to do well through this event and any upcoming storm events," Schooley said.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
