"As water levels in Lake Mendocino continue to go down it looks to be a matter of when, not if, Redwood Valley will have less water to use.

Levels in Lake Mendocino hovered above 31,000 acre feet Thursday morning. A level of 30,000 acre feet will mean no water for Redwood Valley agriculture.

"We are going to regulate demand of customers to keep it going as long as possible," said Bill Koehler, Redwood Valley County Water District general manager.

When water levels drop to 30,000 acre feet, water usage in Redwood Valley will be reduced by 50 percent and agricultural hookups will be cut off, Koehler said.

The Redwood Valley district's 50 percent cutback will be calculated from water usage in recent years, he said.

If water levels drop to 24,000 acre feet, then Redwood Valley pumps will be dry, Koehler said.

California water code states water must be prioritized for human consumption, sanitation and fire protection, he said.

At the 24,000 acre feet mark, Redwood Valley District customers will be allotted 100 gallons per day per household"


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