Sonoma County Water Agency Receives 2022 Excellence in Innovation Award

  • by ACWA Staff
  • May 5, 2022
  • News Releases

SACRAMENTO – The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today presented the first annual Excellence in Innovation Award to Sonoma County Water Agency for its Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO).

FIRO is a new reservoir-operations strategy that better informs decisions to retain or release water behind dams. It integrates additional flexibility in policies and rules through enhanced monitoring and improved weather and water forecasts. Sonoma County Water Agency engaged with the concept of FIRO with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institute of Oceanography after storms in 2012 resulted in the USACE releasing water from the reservoir as it encroached into Lake Mendocino’s flood pool. The severe 2012-2015 drought immediately followed, which resulted in serious reductions of water storage and river flows.

After more than six years of extensive technical and modeling analysis and annual testing, demonstrations of FIRO proved successful during the course of two very different water years — Water Year 2019 was relatively wet and Water Year 2020 was very dry. In both years, FIRO increased water supply benefits and managed flood risks. In Water Year 2020, FIRO enabled a 19 percent increase in water storage, totaling more than 11,000 acre-feet by the end of winter.

“Projects like these are so important in addressing climate change impacts, including more severe and prolonged droughts,” said ACWA President Pamela Tobin. “The successful and collaborative work done on Lake Mendocino, utilizing science, technology and advances in forecasting, is groundbreaking and serves as a model that can be tested at reservoirs throughout California.”

ACWA’s Excellence in Innovation Award is a new annual award program that recognizes outstanding innovations by public water agencies. The award, sponsored by CDM Smith, was presented during ACWA’s 2022 Spring Conference & Exhibition in Sacramento, where approximately 1,300 leaders from local water agencies in California gathered for programs and panel discussions on a variety of key water issues.

The other finalists for this year’s award were:

  • Eastern Municipal Water District’s Closed Circuit Reverse Osmosis System: Utilizing technology to remove salts while producing a high recovery rate in treatment of recycled water.
  • Rainbow Municipal Water District’s Rapid Aerial Water Supply: To mitigate the response time for water drops and to provide a constant source of water for aerial firefighting.
  • San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District’s Plunge Creek Conservation Project: Restoring the natural 208-acre habitat of the endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat while enhancing groundwater recharge.

For more information about ACWA’s awards programs, please visit www.acwa.com/about/awards.

Suggested Resources

15 RESOURCES prev next
Proposed Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulation Comment Letter

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Comment Letter – Proposed Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulation Letter excerpt: […]

2023 Year In Review

ACWA’s “2023 Year in Review” outlines ACWA’s advocacy wins, awards and services provided to members, as well as events and […]

Groundwater Awareness Week 2024 Toolkit

ACWA encourages member agencies to participate in National Groundwater Awareness Week March 10-16 to raise the public’s awareness of groundwater […]

Dam Safety Fact Sheet

ACWA, along with the California Municipal Utilities Association and California Alliance for Jobs, has released a Dam Safety Fact Sheet, […]

Making Conservation a CA Way of Life Fact Sheet – January 2024

  ACWA’s Making Conservation a California Way of Life Fact Sheet provides a summary of the State Water Board’s draft regulatory […]

Comment Letter on Sacramento/Delta Draft Staff Report

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Comment Letter – Sacramento/Delta Draft Staff Report Letter excerpt: The Association of California Water […]

Comments on Proposed Updates to the Drinking Water Cost Assessment Model

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Proposed Updates to the Drinking Water Cost Assessment Model: Other Essential Infrastructure, Admin Needs, […]

Draft White Paper: Proposed Updates for the 2024 Drinking Water Needs Assessment

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Draft White Paper Discussion On: Proposed Updates for the 2024 Drinking Water Needs Assessment […]

Division of Drinking Water Reporting Toolkit

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

ACWA 2023 Fall Conference Presentations

Presentations from ACWA’s 2023 Fall Conference & Expo held November 28-30 in Indian Wells are available below. Please note that […]

Request for Extension of Public Comment Period for Lead and Copper Rule Improvements

Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Subject: USEPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0801 – Request for Extension of Public Comment Period […]

Joint Comment Letter Regarding Proposed Hexavalent Chromium MCL

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Joint Comment Letter regarding Proposed Hexavalent Chromium Maximum Contaminant Level and Addendum to the […]

2024 ACWA Scholarship Toolkit

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

ACWA 2023 Fall Conference Attorney Programs

Presentations from the Attorney Programs held during ACWA’s 2023 Fall Conference & Expo Nov. 28-30 in Indian Wells are available […]

Motion to Consider Renewal of the Electric Program Investment Charge Program

Agency: California Public Utilities Commission Subject: A.19-10-005: Order Instituting Rulemaking on the Commission’s Own Motion to Consider Renewal of the Electric […]

Suggested News

15 Articles prev next
Creative Vehicle Wrap Contest Highlights Water Education

MANTECA – With over 150 submissions, South San Joaquin Irrigation District’s (SSJID) “Watering the Roots of Our Community” art contest […]

Crowfoot to Deliver Spring Conference Welcoming Keynote

ACWA has announced that California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot will deliver the Wednesday welcoming keynote address during the ACWA […]

Much-Needed Water Improvements Coming to Nearby Disadvantaged Communities

BEAUMONT – Through its successful gap funding program, San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) supports South Mesa Water Company (SMWC) […]

MSWD Announces New Strategic Plan and Appointment AGM

Mission Springs Water District is proud to unveil its new strategic plan, which outlines a comprehensive roadmap for enhancing operations and […]

Forecasted SWP Allocation Doubles

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced a second increase in the State Water Project (SWP) allocation forecast for […]

Legislation to Ease Water Conservation Mandates Gains Regional Support

In a significant move aimed at alleviating the financial strain on water suppliers and households, Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD), […]

Planning Grant Awarded to NID and Tahoe National Forest for Management Project

GRASS VALLEY – The Nevada Irrigation District (NID), in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest, has received […]

EMWD Upgraded to AAA Credit Rating

PERRIS — Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD)’s commitment to financial excellence has been recognized when it received another AAA credit […]

EMWD Receives National Honor for Recycled Water Outreach Program

PERRIS — Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) received national recognition for its recycled water outreach and education program when it […]

ACWA Members Urged to Contact Representatives to Extend NPDES Permit Term Lengths

ACWA is urging member agencies to contact their representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives in time for a March […]

State Water Board Holds Workshop on Revised Draft Regulation for Water Use Efficiency

SACRAMENTO – The State Water Resources Control Board today held a workshop on the revised draft regulation for Making Conservation […]

Funding Secured for Rancho Water Infrastructure Projects

TEMECULA— With the recent release of the first package of the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills, the Rancho California Water […]

JCSD Honors Congressman Takano with Local Leader of the Year Award

JURUPA VALLEY – The Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD) honored Congressman Mark Takano with its Local Leader of the Year […]

Sacramento-Area Water Providers Harnessed Historic 2023 Storms to Boost Groundwater Levels

Sacramento-area water providers leveraged the historic winter storms of 2023 to boost groundwater levels through in-lieu recharge, banking over 12.3 […]

City of Folsom Kicks Off Water Vision Project

Folsom’s Environmental and Water Resources Department is continuing its planning effort to guide the management of the city’s water resources […]