Mendocino City Community Services District

Drought Information

MENDOCINO WATER SHORTAGE INFORMATION

Feb. 7, 2023
Out of Stage 2 Into Stage 1 Water Shortage

Dear MCCSD Customers, Friends, and Neighbors:

California has been in a mega-drought for the much of the past three years. Current rainfall levels and depth to water measurements are showing signs of improvement. It is still early in the water year. Following the MCCSD Water Shortage Contingency Plan, the MCCSD Board voted on Monday 2-7-23 to resend the Stage 2 Water Shortage Condition and declare a Stage 1 Water Shortage Condition within District boundaries.

The residents of the District are asked to voluntarily reduce their water use by 10% from normal use. Not a further reduction from previous restrictions. For example, if a property owner normally extracts 200 gal/day from their well, they are requested to reduce their water use to 180 gal/day.

Groundwater is the primary water supply for the Town of Mendocino. Individual wells are used to supply both commercial and domestic water usage. There are approximately 420 wells that extract groundwater from the Mendocino Headlands Aquifer. Many of these wells have very low yields, and a number of them run dry in the late fall months, especially in drier than normal years.

Let’s do our best to continue to conserve water, increase water storage while the rain is falling, continue to think about our neighbors, and hope for more rain.

Please contact the District office if you have any questions about the current water shortage.

Respectfully,
Ryan Rhoades
District Superintendent

EARLIER DROUGHT NOTICES ARCHIVE

September 26, 2022

MENDOCINO WATER SHORTAGE INFORMATION

Update
Out of Stage 4 Into Stage 2 Water Shortage

Dear Valued MCCSD Customers and Property Owners

MCCSD has a Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) in place to assist in extending the available water in the Mendocino Headlands Aquifer we share, and to prevent as many wells as possible from going dry. According to the WSCP, rainfall is the primary tool used to determine a water shortage during winter and spring months. In the dryer summer months, depth-to-water measurements are the primary tool used to determine the recommended Water Shortage Stage. Having experienced a Stage 4 water emergency three times in the past two years, we have learned to be cautious in our planning.

Due to incredible conservation efforts and the recent rain we received, we are pleased to report the Mendocino City Community Services District (MCCSD) Board of Directors voted to reduce the Stage 4 Water Shortage Emergency Declaration to a Stage 2 at the Regular meeting September 26, 2022.

The Stage 4 Water Shortage came with a mandatory 40% reduction in water allotments. The Stage 2 Water Shortage includes a return to normal water allotments and a request to voluntarily reduce water usage by 15%. I would ask and remind you all to continue conserving and think about what might be needed later this year.

If you have any questions, please visit our website, www.mccsd.com, or contact the office. Let's all keep working together to protect this limited resource and hope for a wet Winter.

Respectfully,
Ryan Rhoades
District Superintendent

Drought Information

September 26, 2022

March 29, 2022