Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/235941
grapegrowing ited volume to store water. A well of 10 gallons per minute would be typical of many sites, and even then the water has to be used carefully in the summer or owners risk running dry if the well is over pumped. There are no dams across the main stem of the river and surprisingly few direct diversions of water from the river. Most winegrowers rely on off-stream water storage for irrigation filled from tributaries when flows are at their highest in winter months. The Navarro River's channel is fairly shallow and full of alluvium that has washed down from the hills and mountains due to poor land stewardship in the past. Before the days of the California Forest Practices Act, clear-cut logging and other environmentally insensitive practices resulted in massive amounts of erosion that filled the river channel. In low-flow years (like 2013), the streambed is dry in many places, and there are few deep pools for young salmon and steelhead to grow for a season before they head out to sea. Fortunately, growers are very careful with their water and don't apply more than 2 or 3 acre-inches per acre per season for vineyard-irrigation needs. The cool climate and desire to grow very high quality Pinot Noir gives them incentive to be careful with water. In colder spots, they may apply a similar amount for frost protection. That amount varies greatly season to season, with CALIFORNIA Fort Bragg Willits Mendocino Navarro Watershed Paciļ¬c Ocean Ukiah Navarro Booneville Hopland Santa Rosa Growers and support services address problem of low flow W Russian River Watershed municipal water, reducing direct diversions from the Russian River by as much as an additional 186 cubic feet per second during frost events. There hen frost protection pumps pumping demand from the Russian River are also efforts to improve weather all turn on at the same time, and its tributaries. monitoring and frost prediction; revalv- instantaneous flows can drop the So far, the program has assisted growers ing ranches so that only blocks truly river's water level, stranding fish. As a way in constructing 13 new ponds (with two needing frost protection receive it, and of addressing this problem, the California more planned) and storing 360 acre-feet of installing better gauges to monitor water Land Stewardship Institute (which manag- water to use during frost-protection events. flow in the river. Similar efforts are also es the Fish Friendly Farming program) and Total investment between growers and taking place along the Russian River in the Russian River Flood Control and Water grant money has exceeded $3.7 million. Sonoma County. Conservation Improvement District received Most importantly, the stored water will a $5.7 million grant from the USDA offset diversions of 114 cubic feet per sec- proved to be a thoughtful and effective Natural Resource Conservation Service to ond, which will allow the Russian River to alternative to a more draconian regulatory create the Agricultural Water Enhance- flow as much as 200 cubic feet per second approach favored by some of the state re- ment Program. The program provided up during frost events, ensuring that fish are source agencies that would have focused to 50% cost share on creating off-stream not harmed by accidental dewatering. on restricting water use for vineyard frost water storage and improving water-delivery Two more ponds are planned that infrastructure to reduce the instantaneous will use recycled tertiary treated Ukiah 44 W in e s & V i ne s January 20 14 This public-private partnership has protection. G.M. See us at Unified booth #4174