HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESOLUTION 2025-148 N.C.S. 10/20/2025
Resolution No. 2025-148 N.C.S. Page 1
Resolution No. 2025-148 N.C.S.
of the City of Petaluma, California
RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY’S WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEMBER SUPPORT THE ADOPTION OF THE WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO SONOMA
COUNTY WATER AGENCY STATEMENT OF INTERESTS RELATED TO THE PROPOSED NEW
EEL-RUSSIAN FACILITY AND THE WATER DIVERSION AGREEMENT UNDERTAKEN BY THE
EEL-RUSSIAN PROJECT AUTHORITY
WHEREAS, the majority of the City of Petaluma’s water supply is provided by Sonoma Water, which utilizes
the Russian River System to produce and deliver potable water for various communities; and
WHEREAS, the Russian River System benefits from the Potter Valley Project (PVP), which diverts water
from the Eel River into Lake Mendocino and ultimately into the upper Russian River; and
WHEREAS, the PVP is owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and is permitted
and licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); and
WHEREAS, the PVP is instrumental in maintaining flows into Lake Mendocino and the upper Russian River,
and without it, the water supply in the Russian River System will be reduced; and
WHEREAS, PG&E announced its intent to surrender its FERC license and decommission the PVP, including
removal of diversion infrastructure, by submitting a Final Surrender Application to FERC on July 25, 2025; and
WHEREAS, in anticipation of the PVP's decommissioning, Sonoma Water, Sonoma County, the Mendocino
County Inland Water and Power Commission (MCIWPC), and the Round Valley Indian Tribes (RVIT) formed
the Eel-Russian Project Authority (ERPA), a joint powers authority established to construct and operate a
replacement diversion system known as the New Eel-Russian Facility (NERF); and
WHEREAS, ERPA and its partners negotiated a Water Diversion Agreement (WDA) with RVIT, the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and other stakeholders to establish diversion protocols,
environmental safeguards, adaptive management measures, and long-term funding for Eel River restoration and
stewardship; and
WHEREAS, the WDA proposes to replace the old PVP facilities at Cape Horn Dam with the NERF to allow
seasonal diversion of about 30,000 acre-feet per year to continue to Lake Mendocino, primarily in winter months;
and
WHEREAS, without continued diversion, Lake Mendocino’s end-of-season storage is projected to drop by
half; and
WHEREAS, under the WDA, RVIT will hold the former PVP water rights and lease a portion back to ERPA
for NERF operations at a cost of $1 million per year, plus $750,000 annually for Eel River restoration; and
WHEREAS, the NERF has a 30-year operating term with a potential 20-year extension if restoration and
WDA terms are met; and
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Resolution No. 2025-148 N.C.S. Page 2
WHEREAS, preliminary construction costs are estimated at $62-67 million in 2025 dollars, excluding future
decommissioning costs; and
WHEREAS, funding sources and beneficiaries of the Eel River diversions have not yet been identified; and
WHEREAS, Petaluma and water contractors (Contractors) are not signatories to the WDA, but there is
concern that they may bear costs for the NERF and WDA through future water rates; and
WHEREAS, Petaluma City Council has previously supported efforts to maintain Eel River diversions, and
the Water Advisory Committee (WAC), to which Petaluma is a member, has adopted Statements of Interests to
guide Sonoma Water’s role in ERPA; and
WHEREAS, the WAC is considering a third iteration of the Statement of Interests, which reflects the
evolving situation following PG&E’s July 2025 FERC filing and uncertainty over the costs and beneficiaries of
the NERF and WDA; and
WHEREAS, the updated Statement of Interests reaffirms protection of Russian River water supply and
ensures that the Contractor’s obligations remain in alignment with existing agreements.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Petaluma as follows:
1. Declares that the above recitals are true and accurate and are incorporated herein as findings of this Resolution.
2. Supports the adoption of the Water Advisory Committee to Sonoma County Water Agency Statement of
Interests Related to the Proposed New Eel-Russian Facility and the Water Diversion Agreement undertaken
by the Eel-Russian Project Authority.
3. Encourages active participation by the public and partner agencies in FERC’s public review process to ensure
local and regional interests are reflected in final decisions.
4. Finds that adoption of this Resolution is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in
accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), which established the general rule for projects
concerning which it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may
have a significant effect on the environment as this resolution does not obligate the City or the WAC to a
definitive course of action.
Under the power and authority conferred upon this Council by the Charter of said City.
REFERENCE: I hereby certify the foregoing Resolution was introduced and adopted by the
Council of the City of Petaluma at a Regular meeting on the 20th day of October
2025, by the following vote:
Approved as to
form:
__________________________
City Attorney
AYES: McDonnell, Barnacle, Cader Thompson, DeCarli, Nau, Quint, Shribbs
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
ATTEST: ______________________________________________
City Clerk
______________________________________________
Mayor
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