Russian River dam raised to shore up drinking water supply
It’s the time of year, when a massive 100-foot rubber dam emerges from the bottom of the Russian River near Forestville. That’s to ensure the 600,000 residents of Sonoma and Marin counties who rely on the river for drinking water have a stable supply during summer, when demand for water increases but river levels are lower. Monday marked the start of the three-day process of raising the dam, which was first raised in the 1970s. … Most of the year, residents of the area consume 20-40 million gallons of water a day. At the height of summer, consumption can reach up to 60 million gallons a day.
Other California water supply news:
- Action News Now (Chico, Calif.): California water allocation jumps to 45% despite vanished snowpack
- Active NorCal (Redding, Calif.): Shasta, Oroville and Folsom are all nearly full. So why are water managers still worried?
- CalMatters (Sacramento, Calif.): Opinion: California’s best chance for enough water in the future is to bolster local supplies today
