PROBLEM STATEMENT Watershed Management Plan Resolution             A comprehensive and cohesive watershed management plan needs to be created involving all regional stakeholders.  With complex regulatory laws, the Russian River watershed continues to degrade with resulting impacts on drinking water, agricultural irrigation water, fisheries health, riparian ecosystems, and on sustainable economic development.             All stakeholders pledge to create a Watershed Management Plan that adequately addresses all impacts on the Russian River.  The Plan proposal will need to go further than just laying out data, but outline who participates in planning, how to pay for it, what needs to be legislated and regulated.  Protection of watershed needs to include the riparian zones, tributaries and riparian corridor.  It could be created as a specially authorized state program operated by a coalition of state agencies or a nonprofit organization whose members are government agencies.  The resource techniques can be permit and planning powers, urban watershed practices, land use management practices, agricultural and mining practices, aquifer protection, and acquisition and easement rights, fishery and wetland enhancements.  Funding could be through state legislative appropriations, service revenues, property taxes, ad valorem taxes and county or municipal appropriations.  But above all else effective management, in order to be successful, must include the public in monitoring, education and setting priorities and in judging the success of the program.  An example is the Napa River Watershed Integrated Resource Management Plan coordinated by the Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD). • Assignment of a WaterMaster to the Russian River and its tributaries who is to coordinate and seek a cohesive resolution for a management plan, identify stakeholders in the watershed, quantify the water used, identify problems and create a ranking system, develop a project management plan with specified tasks and responsible parties.  seek resources for monitoring impacts, and to act as staff to coalition of agency and public members. • Actively seek legislation to add an additional mandatory element to General Plans; adding Water Availability to the already existing Land Use, Seismic-Safety, Housing, Noise, Circulation, Conservation and Open Space elements. • Regional Growth Management Plan for all effected counties.  • Establish a program under the Natural Community Conservation Planning Act to identify habitat needs of species and to develop appropriate voluntary conservation methods compatible with development and growth. • Creation of a scientifically-verified flow regime that will protect both the upstream spawning runs, and the downstream escapement runs of native fisheries. This can include the development of Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) addressing both the physical and the chemical condition of the fishery and recreation flow needs. • Protection of water tables and instream flows in key spawning tributaries. • Elimination of gravel mining from the bed and terraces of the Russian River. • Reduction of polluted runoff (primarily siltation) from the watershed slops and flood plain and a guarantee of adequate water quality (both biological and chemical) to protect the river's aquatic ecosystems. • Coordination of planning and decision making among public agencies to ensure protection of the Public trust values of the Russian River. • Sponsor the addition of a new element to the Counties' General Plans to protect the Russian and Gualala Rivers.  SCWA Resolution •  Prepare a new Mission and Vision Statement.  Identify key areas of concern and create a four year timeline including methodology for legislative action to redesign the intent of the SCWA to encompass conservation. •  Identify all legal and illegal water extraction from the main stem and the tributaries. • Make a resolution and a ballot measure for a change in the makeup of the current Board of Directors (Board of Supervisors) of the Sonoma County Water Agency either by adding two additional seats that represent citizen groups or making it a seven-member board elected at large. • Create a standing Technical Advisory Committee for the Sonoma County Water Agency with at least one third representation from citizen groups.  Publish an educational newsletter outlining current and planned actions by the SCWA. • Cut back on the use of property taxes to finance water delivery. • Create legislative relief and overturn the 1961 the agency Act amendment that allows the Board of Directors of the agency the right to authorize revenue bonds in any amount without the vote of the people. • Restoration of natural physical characteristics in the riparian zones of both the main stem and the tributaries. • Before the year 2000, a review of water allocations is needed (and known since 1975) as a primary concern since the migration of fish up the Russian River requires a continuous flow along the entire river.