The proposed boundary includes the valley floor of the Alexander Valley, generally along the mainstem of the Russian River beginning in the north near the City of Cloverdale approximately 1.5 miles from the Mendocino County border and ending in the south approximately 3 miles east of the City of Healdsburg. The boundary overlies portions of two groundwater basins, the Alexander Area Subbasin and Cloverdale Area Subbasin, defined by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The two groundwater subbasins align with the major agricultural lands on the valley floor, which also coincides with the bulk of Russian River “underflow” rights and groundwater wells. The AVWD would include the unincorporated areas overlying the Cloverdale Area Subbasin and the valley floor portions of the Alexander Area Subbasin. The upland areas of the Alexander Area Subbasin, the Chalk Hill area, and the Mark West Creek watershed, are proposed to be excluded from the AVWD because these areas lack a sufficient nexus with the mainstem Russian River and its interconnected groundwater. 

Yes, the district can provide service to nearby lands outside the district provided these services are consistent with the district’s powers and purpose and LAFCO approves.  We envision that the District could provide the following services outside the district boundary if requested: serve as Water Demand Management Program for the Russian River Frost Regulation (e.g., for upland vineyard immediately adjacent to the district adjacent, or even all of the Russian River watershed within Sonoma County); serve as contractor for Potter Valley Project water imports; provide streamflow monitoring and groundwater elevation monitoring services for landowners on tributaries to Alexander Valley.

No. The only carve-outs from the district boundary are incorporated cities, governmentally-owned lands and tribal trust lands. When LAFCO approves the district application to proceed to a formation election, we presume that all privately owned lands within the boundary must be included to ensure that water resources are managed comprehensively. We expect many landowners outside the proposed boundary, particularly those on the foothills with wells on the valley floor, will opt-in to the district. That said, there may be certain district services or benefits for which landowners can opt-out.  For example, a landowner that does not want to participate in on-farm recharge, aquifer storage and recovery or other similar projects would have the option to decline to participate in the benefits and costs of such projects.