Fall is just around the corner, and many of us will be spending our crisp Saturday afternoons trying to catch up with the week’s falling leaves and debris from our trees and landscaping that are shedding, preparing for the winter months ahead.

For the folks in urban areas with storm drains on their neighborhood streets, extra precautions should be taken in maintaining these drains. All of the water that hits these storm drains goes untreated and is sent directly into our creeks, rivers, bays, where eventually it reaches the ocean. Storm water is not sent to the local wastewater treatment facility. It is our responsibility to make sure that nothing but rain water flows from our yards into storm drains.

The rainy season will start soon, and clogged storm drains can lead to localized flooding. You can help by placing yard waste in appropriate bins that come with your local trash services. Never rake or blow leaves into the street. Blow the grass trimmings and leaves back into your yard and advise your neighbor of the same. Allowing yard waste into the street or down the storm drain can cause blockages or serious damage to the storm drain infrastructure.

Don’t miss out on helping with drainage from your property when it rains- rake up that pile of leaves in your front yard. If you choose to mow instead, set the mower to mulch or collect the grass clippings in a bagging attachment. You can also collect this yard waste and add to your garden compost, just ensure your compost bins are contained to keep the nutrient rich water from leaching into the storm system as well. For those of us who utilize a landscape maintenance company, remember that we are ultimately responsible to make certain the landscaper does not blow any leaves or yard trimmings into streets or storm drains.

Some make the argument that leaves fall naturally from the trees into the streams, but we should not be adding to this effect. Excessive decay of this large amount of organic matter can add carbon and nitrogen to our area waterbodies through its decomposition. This can create algae blooms and harm the wildlife that are living in the water.

Here are some additional do’s and don’ts that we should keep in mind in addition to our yard waste:

• Do not dump items such as household paints and cleaners, garden pesticides and fertilizers, or used motor oils into storm drains. Not only is this illegal, it will pollute the watershed causing harm to wildlife.
• Pick up after the dog so the rains do not wash bacteria from the waste into the storm drain.
• Maintain your irrigation system. Adjust the sprinkler heads to ensure you are only watering your lawn and fix any leaks that may pop up.
• Take charge for your neighborhood’s storm drain and make sure it is not clogged with branches, leaves and other debris.

Check with your local municipality and see if there is a special fall collection event for pickup of yard debris. If this service is available to you, place the yard waste curbside in bags and bundle and tie the large branches for easy pick up. If you see a clogged storm drain in your neighborhood or anything but rain going down the drain, please report it immediately. For reporting numbers in your area, head over to www.rrwatershed.org/spill-reporting.

Remember – “Only Rain Down the Drain.”

This article was authored by Jason Benson of the City of Ukiah, on behalf of RRWA. RRWA (www.rrwatershed.org) is an association of local public agencies in the Russian River Watershed that have come together to coordinate regional programs for clean water, habitat restoration, and watershed enhancement.

Summer is upon us! We have completed our spring cleanup around the yard, made sure no standing water is present on our properties attracting mosquitos and setup our outdoor furniture. Summer also marks an important time of the year for water conservation. By using water wisely in the summer, it helps preserve our healthy watershed for the remainder of the year. Even though we received a lot of rainfall this winter, it is important to minimize water waste throughout our community.

Here are some ways in which you can reduce your summer water use:

• Manually Check Irrigation System and Repair Leaks: By manually running through each irrigation station, you can accurately assess your system and make sure no water is being wasted. Fix any leaks that appear and prevent runoff.
• Know When to Water: Make sure your irrigation system is running at night or in the early morning to avoid increased evaporation and wind interference.
  
• Rethink the Watershed on Your Property: Redirect downspouts toward vegetated landscape or install rain chains to direct water to a catchment system. These simple measures will send rainwater where it can be used by plants or absorbed into the ground instead of to storm drains.
• Plant Natives: Plant drought-tolerant, low water use plants. Natives are recommended since they are adapted to our climate and will demand less resources.
• Add Mulch: Make sure to add mulch around plants to help insulate the soil, to provide a buffer from heat, help retain water, and prevents weeds that would otherwise compete for resources.
• Convert your lawn: Lawn uses a majority of outdoor irrigation because of spray irrigation inefficiencies. Remove lawn, plant natives, and install drip irrigation.
• Rebate Programs: Local water utilities offer rebates to help customers conserve water. Check your local water utilities website to see which rebates are available.
• Rethink your summer car washing: Automatic car washes are required by law to properly dispose of their water waste. Everything that’s been stuck to your car—gasoline, oil, heavy metal particles, tar, and particulate matter from exhaust fumes—has the potential to flow from your wash area to the nearest storm drain and eventually reach the Russian River. Most commercial car wash facilities will filter rinse water and direct it to a sanitary sewer where it will get treated and possibly reused (recycled water).

For online information about water conservation, green car wash facilities in Sonoma County or to report water waste, go to the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership website at: http://www.savingwaterpartnership.org/

This article was authored by Chad Singleton, of Sonoma Water, on behalf of RRWA. RRWA (www.rrwatershed.org) is an association of local public agencies in the Russian River Watershed that have come together to coordinate regional programs for clean water, habitat restoration, and watershed enhancement.

There has been a lot of advice on how to landscape our homes to keep wildfires away (including this column). However, a critical lesson sometimes gets overlooked; our homes are also fuel for a wildfire.

Wildfires are not limited to wildland. All too often, once a wildfire reaches a neighborhood, it is the homes in that neighborhood that provide the fuel.

Fire Safe landscaping must start with your home.

Get in the Zone

Zone 1 is what firefighting professionals call the first 30 feet from your home. This is the most critical area around your home and your last line of defense to an approaching wildfire (as shown in the illustration to the right). However, with enough wind, embers can fly over Zone 1 to land on your home. Think of any place on your home where leaves collect-this is also where windblown embers can collect. Rain gutters, roof valleys, dormers, eves, awnings and decks are all places where embers can collect. Keeping these areas clean and free of debris is a good start but there is more you can do.

If you plan to re-roof your home, select a fire-resistant roofing material that meets the UL 790 Class A rating. Class A roofing material resists ignition by embers better than lesser materials and can provide you with critical time to evacuate and may even save your home. You don’t have to break the bank to do this, standard asphalt shingles are available with a Class A rating and they are readily available at most home centers.

Don’t neglect the architectural features on your roof and cover them with fire resistant materials. Windblown embers can collect against dormers or gables. These features are frequently built with conventional siding materials like plywood or chip board. Embers can easily ignite these materials bypassing the most fire-resistant roofing materials. If your home has these features, adding metal siding or fiber-cement materials that meet California’s wildland urban interface (WUI) standards can help your home resist embers.

If your roof has eves or overhangs, then fire block your soffits. Fire blocking starves a fire of oxygen and prevents it from spreading. Ironically, fire blocking material does not have to be fire-proof. It just has to keep the fire from getting fuel (air/oxygen).  Materials that are rated for use in the WUI are your friend here. CalFire has set up a searchable list of WUI approved materials for all kinds of homes at this link: http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/licensinglistings/licenselisting_bml_searchcotest

Densely developed urban and suburban neighborhoods can benefit from fire resistant fences to prevent fires from spreading house-to-house. When a fence catches fire it can bring that fire right up to your home like a fuse. Incorporating stone, masonry or metal into your fence design can be both an architectural statement and a shield against a fire. If you cannot afford to build a full-length fire resistive fence, consider adding non-combustible features like metal gates or masonry panels into the fence to “cut the fuse”. If you have a gate where your fence meets your home, this is the perfect place to start by replacing wooden gates with metal ones. FEMA has published a fact sheet on the design of fire resistant fences which is available online at
www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1652-20490-2634/fema_p_737_fs_14.pdf

Regardless of the kind of fence you have, always avoid stacking flammable material like firewood or lumber against it. A good rule of thumb is to never store flammable material like firewood and lumber anywhere in Zone 1.

Decks are very difficult to protect from wildfire. Readily available decking material is not fire resistant and most fire-resistant construction techniques are expensive. In addition, decks are often built on top of a slope in direct line with the most likely approach of a wildfire. If you are building a new deck, consider locating it away from potential pathways for a wildfire or construct a patio instead. FEMA has published a fact sheet on how to locate a deck to protect your home from a fire. It is available online at
www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1652-20490-4409/fema_p_737_fs_13.pdf

Flirt with Firefighters

Firefighters are attracted to defensible space and if you attract enough of them, they might bring their fire truck. When firefighters respond to wildland fires they need defensible areas to set up and fight the fire. If your home has defensible space and access to water (nearby fire hydrant or a pool) firefighters can use your home as a staging area. For those who live on the wildland urban interface, this is the best defense against wildfire for which you can hope. If you have a pool, consider installing a portable pump that firefighters can use. If you have the space, include wide driveways and large turnaround spaces in your landscaping design. Don’t hide these features with tall landscaping along your street. Many local fire departments offer free fire safety evaluations and will provide guidance on how to make your property firefighter friendly and wildfire resistant.

More Information:

• CalFire – “Wildfire is Coming… Are You Ready” readyforwildfire.org/Fire-Safe-Landscaping/
• CalFire – “Living with Fire” calfire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/live_w_fire.pdf
• Fire Safe Marin – “Fire Resistant Plants” firesafemarin.org/plants/fire-resistant
• FEMA – “Landscape Fences and Walls” fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1652-20490-2634/fema_p_737_fs_14.pdf

This article was authored by Eric Janzen of the City of Cloverdale, on behalf of RRWA. RRWA (www.rrwatershed.org) is an association of local public agencies in the Russian River Watershed that have come together to coordinate regional programs for clean water, habitat restoration, and watershed enhancement.

You can’t see them. You can’t swim in them. But groundwater aquifers are one of the most important sources of water in the North Coast. Aquifers are water-rich underground areas. They aren’t like lakes or pools but are composed of water-filled areas between rocks, sands, and gravels.

Plants and animals benefit from groundwater when it’s near the surface, and feeds creeks and streams. Humans tap into aquifers through wells used for drinking, irrigating crops and operating businesses. People who live in rural areas rely almost exclusively on groundwater, and while cities in Sonoma and Mendocino counties get most of their water from the Russian River, groundwater provides a critical back-up source that is used during droughts or in emergencies.

In some parts of California, like the Central Valley, aquifers are large, continuous and relatively close to the Earth’s surface.  But aquifers in coastal counties are much more complex. Separated by mountains, hills and geologic features, including earthquake faults, there are 14 identified groundwater basins in Sonoma County and six basins in Mendocino County. This geologic complexity explains why one landowner can have a productive 50-foot deep well, while their neighbor’s 200-foot deep well provides only a trickle of water.

Studies conducted by the US Geological Survey (USGS) found that water in some of the deeper local aquifers has been underground for more than 20,000 years while water levels in aquifers closer to the surface can fluctuate seasonally, dropping during the summer when pumping is heavier and increasing during the rainy season.

Unfortunately, too many wells, too much pumping, and droughts can temporarily – and in some cases permanently – impact aquifers, resulting in dry wells, poor water quality, depleted creeks, and in some cases sinking of the land surface. In areas close to the ocean and bays (like Southern Sonoma Valley), the loss of groundwater can result in salt water migrating into groundwater basins.

Some communities in the Central Valley where groundwater has been over-pumped have seen the land surface drop by 30 feet, damaging roads, canals and bridges. Declining groundwater levels and polluted run-off from past agricultural practices have also degraded water quality in several Central Valley communities, resulting in residents having to use bottled water for drinking and bathing.

These problems were the motivation for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which became California law in 2015.  To make sure that people fairly share and wisely use and protect this shared resource, SGMA requires communities to manage groundwater by, first, creating new Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). In Sonoma and Mendocino counties, GSAs were created for the Santa Rosa Plain and Petaluma, Sonoma and Ukiah valleys.

The second step of SGMA is to gain a scientific, quantifiable understanding of current and future problems, and to develop solutions through the creation of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP).  The third step of SGMA is to implement the GSP and obtain sustainable conditions over a 20-year time period, with check-ins every five years. If local communities fail in taking any one these steps, the state can take over management of the basin. So far, local GSAs are on track and are working on the GSPs.

SGMA requires that the GSPs be developed through a transparent process with public input and community engagement. The GSAs all hold regularly scheduled public meetings, and materials are available for review.

How local well owners will be affected by SGMA will depend on the problems (and solutions) identified in the GSPs. One thing is certain:  SGMA prohibits the GSAs from requiring residential groundwater users to install meters on their wells. In regard to costs, if aquifers are healthy and there are minimal concerns about future impacts, the GSP could simply require ongoing monitoring and reporting of groundwater levels through test wells and voluntary programs. If problems are identified, the GSP could identify potentially more costly programs (like water conservation) or projects (like recharging the aquifers) to ensure that groundwater is sustainable. In some areas with severe problems, the GSA may be required to limit groundwater use.

Locally, the four GSAs each received a grant of one million dollars to help prepare the GSPs. If more funding is needed, SGMA allows groundwater users to be charged for the costs of running the GSA and developing and implementing the GSP. The Santa Rosa Plain GSA (encompassing the general valley floor area from Cotati to Windsor and from the foot of Sonoma Mountain to Sebastopol) is currently looking at a possible groundwater sustainability fee to cover costs (up to $13 a year for rural residential well owners and up to $26 per acre-foot for other groundwater users). The Santa Rosa Plain GSA will be holding a series of community meetings on March 4, 6 and 7. For more information on the Santa Rosa Plain fee, go to www.santarosaplaingroundwater.org/finances/fee.

This article was authored by Ann DuBay, Sonoma County Water Agency, on behalf of RRWA. RRWA (www.rrwatershed.org) is an association of local public agencies in the Russian River Watershed that have come together to coordinate regional programs for clean water, habitat restoration, and watershed enhancement.