The Russian River Property Owners Association (RRPOA), a non-profit property owner membership organization based in the Alexander Valley, has considered options for solving water supply limitations for many years but more intensively over the past five years in the wake of the drought and related State curtailment orders. Over the past three years a detailed proposal for forming the Alexander Valley Water District (AVWD) has taken shape. At this point a formal petition sponsored by the RRPOA is being circulated among landowners in the proposed boundary that encompasses the land in the Alexander Valley. 

The Water District can be formed in two ways, subordinate to the Water Code 34000 et seq., the California Water District Act (Principal Act) as may be amended:

1)      Through a petition-initiated application to the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission; or
 

2)      Through a Special Act of the State Legislature that would create the District directly.

1) Proponents prepare, file notice, and circulate a petition for District formation to LAFCO;

2) LAFCO Sonoma County Elections Official, upon the request of the Executive Officer, will examine the signatures and prepare a certificate of sufficiency indicating whether the petition is signed by the requisite number of signers within 30 business days;

3) Proponents complete Application to LAFCO;

4) LAFCO reviews plan of service and other Application components, complies with CEQA, etc. per Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg (LAFCO) Act; (4) following public hearing considers adopting resolution calling for vote of landowners to form district (land ownership-based) and to elect directors.

As proposed, the special act would establish the district, its boundary, and its basic purposes, thereby skipping the landowner petition and LAFCO formation process.  All other aspects of district establishment, including election of directors, would be subject to the provisions of the California Water District Act (Water Code section 34000, et seq.) and the LAFCO Act.

Eligible petitioners are the owners (landowners) of a majority of land (acres) within the area of the proposed district.  “The holders of title to a majority in area of land which is capable of using water beneficially for irrigation, domestic, industrial or municipal purposes and which can be serviced from common sources of supply and by the same system of works, may petition for the formation of a district.” (Water Code § 34153)