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Steering Committee
Co-Chairs
Jay Jasperse
(Sonoma County Water Agency)
F. Martin Ralph
(Center for Western Weather and Water
Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
Members
Michael Anderson
(California State Climate Office, Department of Water Resources)
Levi Brekke
(Bureau of Reclamation)
Michael Dettinger
(United States Geological Survey)
Mike Dillabough
(US Army Corps of Engineers)
Rob Hartman
(NOAA's National Weather Service)
Christy Jones
(US Army Corps of Engineers)
Patrick Rutten
(NOAA Restoration Center)
Cary Talbot
(US Army Corps of Engineers)
Robert Webb
(NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory)
Support Staff
Ann DuBay
(Sonoma County Water Agency)
David Ford
(David Ford Consulting Engineers)
Arleen O'Donnell
(Eastern Research Group)
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Interagency Cooperation
Project Team
The FIRO Steering Committee, a multi-agency team, comprised of water managers (flood,
water supply, and fisheries) and scientists (hydrology, weather/climate, modeling)
has been formed to undertake this evaluation (see list
of FIRO Steering Committee members to the left). This team represents a collaboration
among local, state, and federal agencies and could serve as a model for similar
efforts for other facilities. It will be critical that the project team continue
to coordinate across their respective organizations during the demonstration study
and subsequent activities. This effort includes procuring funding for projects
identified in the demonstration study.
Working Group Participants/Projects
Under the umbrella of the Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (IWRSS), a
collaborative effort between NOAA, USACE and USGS, the FIRO Steering Committee is
working with a larger working group to broaden input on and participation in the
preliminary viability assessment to determine if FIRO can improve water supply,
flood control and ecosystem benefits at Lake Mendocino. The interests of each of the
primary agencies are described below.
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Photo of Lake Mendocino FIRO Working Group. August 2014.
Shown in photo: 1) Mike Anderson (CA DWR), 2) Mike Dillabough (USACE San Francisco
District), 3) Levi Brekke (US Bureau of Reclamation), 4) Rob Cifelli (NOAA/OAR/PSD),
5) Robin Webb (NOAA/OAR/PSD), 6) Don Seymour (SCWA), 7) John Helly (UCSD/SDSC, CW3E),
8) Chris Delaney (SCWA), 9) Sean White (RRFC), 10) Lorrie Flint (USGS CA-WSC),
11) Stu Townsley (USACE South Pacific Div), 12) Alan Flint (USGS CA-WSC),
13) Mike Dettinger (USGS, Scripps, CW3E), 14) Allen White (NOAA/OAR/PSD),
15) Steve Lindley (NOAA/NMFS/ SWFSC), 16) Cisco Werner (NOAA/NMFS/SWFSC),
17) Lynn Johnson (NOAA/OAR/PSD), 18) Matt Fleming (USACE/HEC),
19) Chandra Pathak (USACE/HQ HHC), 20) Deb Curry (USGS CA-WSC),
21) Natallie Manning (NMFS/Restoration), 22) Christy Jones (USACE Sacramento District),
23) Cuong Ly (USACE South Pacific Div), 24) Ron Hartman (NOAA/NWS/CNRFC),
25) Marty Ralph (UCSD/ Scripps/CW3E), 26) Arleen O'Donnell (ERG),
27) Jay Jasperse (SCWA), 28) Josh Fuller (NMFS/Restoration). Not in picture:
Ann DuBay (SCWA), Dan Cayan (Scripps/USGS/CW3E), Sasha Gershunov (Scripps/CW3E).
(Click above for full size image)
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The Sonoma County Water Agency (Water Agency) is motivated by the possibility of more
water available for water supply – especially in dry years when lake levels are
extremely low. The Water Agency has been working actively with many of the FIRO
partners for several years on a variety of projects, and is also interested in
furthering transfer of science-based information to systems nationwide that face similar
challenges.
The USACE is motivated by the possibility of updating a rule curve that was developed
in the 1950s (with some modifications in the 1980s) that no longer accurately reflects
current conditions. In addition, better forecasting could provide the USACE critical
information during large storms, possibly allowing greater flexibility to drop water
levels below the rule curve to help prepare for imminent flood events.
The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E), is a non-governmental
organization (NGO) at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. CW3E
provides 21st Century water cycle science, technology and outreach to support
policies and practices that address the impacts of extreme weather and water
events on the environment, people and the economy of Western North America.
CW3E brings deep expertise on atmospheric rivers that are key to Russian River
water supply and flooding.
National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) has several interests: the
Russian River Watershed is designated as a Habitat Focus Area under NOAA’s Habitat
Blueprint; its National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is deeply involved in the
recovery of three species that depend on the Russian River, endangered coho salmon,
threatened Chinook salmon and steelhead trout; and NOAA’s Office of Atmospheric
Research (OAR), and the California-Nevada Rivers Forecast Center (CNRFC) are
directly involved in forecasting improvements in the region.
US Geological Survey (USGS) has been involved in hydrologic monitoring and research
for over a decade in the Russian River watershed, including stream gage monitoring,
development of soil moisture monitoring methods and integrated modeling of
rainfall-runoff, soil moisture, and surface/ground water flow.
The Corps and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) are cooperating on a similar
project near Sacramento, CA (at Folsom Lake) and is interested in sharing
information and processes.
State and regional stakeholders are also involved, including the California Department
of Water Resources (DWR), which has worked closely in the watershed on several projects.
The Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement
District (Mendocino Flood Control District) also has rights to Lake Mendocino water,
and helps represents the interests of other, smaller water districts and communities
that depend on the lake for water supply.
Many of these agencies already work together on projects in the watershed that are
focused on developing better data and information sharing, including the Habitat
Blueprint, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
and NOAA’s Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT).
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