SONOMA COUNTY – The Public Policy Facilitating Committee will hold its annual meeting today to review progress on the Russian River Biological Opinion, a 15-year plan to help endangered and threatened fish while maintaining the region's primary water supply.
The opinion was released by the National Marine Fisheries Service in September 2008 and requires the Sonoma County Water Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to modify Russian River water supply and flood control operations to protect endangered coho salmon and threatened steelhead trout. Opinion requirement include reducing summertime flows in the Russian River and Dry Creek, changing the way the sandbar in Jenner is breached from May 15 to Oct. 15 and enhancing habitat in Dry Creek.
The Public Policy Facilitating Committee is made up of elected and appointed officials from the region's public agencies and meets annual to review progress.
The public meeting will take place today at 9 a.m. at the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chambers in Santa Rosa. For more information call 707-524-8378 or email ann.dubay@scwa.ca.gov.
