Location:  SRJC Shone Farm, Dutton Pavilion, 6225 Eastside Rd., Forestville, CA. for Russian River Vly and Santa Rosa area.

Sonoma and Mendocino County growers have asked the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to accept their proposal to accumulate data on water use for frost protection, stream flow in critical streams, BMPs to conserve water as an alternative to regulations on water use as requested by National Marine Fisheries and Department of Fish and Game. The State Board staff is to make a recommendation to the Board in January that will include input from regulatory agencies and staff to the grower proposal. The grower proposal needs the support of all growers in the Russian River Watershed or mandatory regulations will be developed.

Following the presentation to the State Board, the Center for Biological Diversity filed an intent to sue the California State Water Resource Control Board for authorizing water diversions for frost protection and irrigation that fail to protect endangered salmonids under the Endangered Species Act.  This lawsuit if filed claims water used for frost protection is a non beneficial use of water.  If successful, grower water rights for frost protection and irrigation could be lost.

Grower meetings have been organized to collect sound defendable data that can be aggregated for submisstion to SWRCB in January.  Grower participation is critical. Head counts and collection of information will be taken at meetings.  Please come prepared to help the Frost Protection Committee gather the facts on frost protection methods you use and what the water sources are, right now the agencies and the environmental groups believe that the vast majority of frost water is coming directly out of surface water diverstions.

Please contact Pete Opatz (707) 481-6180 or Doug McIlroy (707) 480-2585 should you have questions regarding the above.