Sonoma County has been ordered by a court to revise its Well Ordinance. Sonoma County Superior Court found that the county failed to adequately protect public trust resources like waterways and salmon when adopting the ordinance. The county must now conduct a more thorough analysis and take steps to mitigate the impacts of groundwater pumping on these resources. Don McEnhill, Executive Director of Russian Riverkeeper, one of the organizations that brought the legal challenge, says this will help our streams and rivers.
“Given the looming impacts of climate change, I think this will also protect existing well owners,” said McEnhill. “If we can make sure we don’t harm the fish, we’re probably going to make sure we avoid to other well owners who have been relying on their wells for years.”
The California Coastkeeper Alliance was also involved in the challenge to the County’s Well Ordinance.