KRCB 104.9

California State






photo credit: 





More trees are dying and drying out in California's forests due to a hotter temperatures and prolonged droughts, which is causing more severe wildfires and a mass altercation in how forests store carbon.
 
That's according to Cal Fire-backed researcher Marissa Goodwin at a research webinar Wednesday. Goodwin, a graduate student at the University of New Mexico, serves as project manager for the Teakettle Ecosystem Experiment, a long-standing study that tests how repeat burning and thinning affects an experimental, old-growth forest in the Sierra Nevada.
 Goodwin said the recent increase in size and severity of wildfires in California partially has to...

New research finds prescribed burns may emit more carbon as trees die faster in CA forests

Windsor, CA






photo credit: 




According to Santa Rosa's mayor, SMART rail should reach Windsor by 2025 and Healdsburg by 2026.
 
Friday morning, Mayor Chris Rogers said in a Twitter thread that a ruling this week by California's supreme court means $40 million dollars in funding specifically for the extension of the SMART train will soon be available.
 
Ending a five year legal struggle, the California Supreme Court Wednesday let stand an appeals court decision, essentially ending a case that sought to reclassify voter-approved bridge toll increases as special taxes, which would have required a two-thirds majority.
 
The case, brought by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, has resulted in nearly half a billion dollars in tolls being held in escrow, rather than being spent on transportation projects.
 
The money may soon be released.
 
The Regional Measure 3 lawsuit left a number of projects in limbo, including the promised SMART extension to Windsor and Healdsburg.
 
Rogers says $120 million dollars is expected to be raised for Sonoma County transportation projects by the measure. North Bay state Senator Mike McGuire says $100 million in funding is designated for improvements to Highway 37. 	
	

Legal decision frees up funding for SMART rail extension to Windsor and Healdsburg

Sacramento, CA

Santa Rosa, CA

   photo credit: Courtesy of Santa Rosa City Schools  

Responding to years of financial pressure worsened by declining enrollment, Santa Rosa school trustees are pushing ahead with a study on 

 consolidating ten school districts into one.  
 
The proposal is almost certain to drum up controversy over fears of a loss of local control and the possibility of school closures.
  
That, and a re-naming controversy raised much ire during a recent school closure and consolidation in west Sonoma County that continues generating disagreement and anger to this day.
"That entire process was managed so very poorly by most of the members...

A single, super school district a real possibility for Santa Rosa as enrollment continues slide

Sonoma County, CA

  Unionized county workers linger in front of the county admin bldg after an informational rally  photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCB 
More than three hundred county workers briefly picketed and rallied in front of Sonoma County's administration building this morning, as contract talks continue.  


  
The rally occurred as county supervisors met inside, and a day ahead of the next bargaining session.
  
Amos Eaton, a county employee who provides help to the elderly, said many staffers have departed for better pay and benefits elsewhere, leaving those who remain overworked and stressed. 
 
"We are terribly short staffed, there are departments running twenty-five plus percent...

County workers rally ahead of bargaining session

Healdsburg, CA






photo credit: Patrick Dirden/Flickr




Facing an uncertain and highly variable water future, a group of landowners in Alexander Valley are talking about forming a new water district. That's according to wine industry figure and former Santa Rosa mayor, Mike Martini, who addressed the Healdsburg City Council about the proposal at recent meeting.


 
"The purpose of which would be to partner with the landowners, but also with the city of Healdsburg, the city of Cloverdale, and the various small water contractors to ensure a resilient and sustainable water supply for the Alexander Valley," Martini said. 
 
Speaking to the Healdsburg City Council on behalf of...

Vineyard community makes case for new water district

Cloverdale, CA






photo credit: Gabriel & John Fraire, The Raven Theater





How are local performing arts venues faring after the dark days of the pandemic? In Healdsburg, the return of live performances have breathed new life into the Raven Theater. 



Their latest production: Cesar Died Today from playwright Gabriel Fraire.
 
"As a writer, people always come up to you and say, I got this great idea for a book," Fraire said. "You know, so I learned early on to say, man, that is a terrific idea. Here's what you do. You go home, you type out 200 pages and we'll get started. Well, no one...

Community, recovery, future, all on the mind at Healdsburg's Raven Theater

Sebastopol, CA






photo credit: KRCB/Noah Abrams





For some, public libraries are meant to be neutral ground when it comes to civic disputes over culture, values, and identity in America. That's not always the case, including in Sonoma County.
  


Walk into any one of the 14 different public libraries around Sonoma County and you’ll likely see Pride and Black Lives Matter banners. After a Black Lives Matter display was vandalized in Sebastopol a year ago, library leadership sought to reaffirm the library as an inclusive space, according to interim county library director, Erika Thibualt.
 
"The library administration had some signs created, and this was the former...

Local public library governing board raises policy questions over displays and signage

  Jen Wertz  photo credit: Courtesy Russian River Alliance 

While state and federal disaster recovery groups like the Red Cross and FEMA are still mobilizing, the nonprofit Russian River Alliance is already handing out aid.  


 
Through fire, flood, personal setbacks and tragedy, gift cards handed out from a minivan is often the first bit of help offered.  
 
"Larger organizations will come and start allocating resources and they generally have a lot more resources. But it takes them a little bit. My place has started to become immediate needs for disaster relief," said Jen Wertz, fund manager of the Russian River Alliance.
  
"I...

When disaster strikes, locals often first to help

Guerneville, CA

  Outreach workers continued 20-minute intake interviews with no promises aid would come  photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCB 
Special county relief funding had already run out Wednesday as a few people were still turning up at Guerneville's community health center, hoping to get help.  


 
Waitress Anna Haynes was among them. 
 
She said riding out the storm itself had her on edge.
  
"The trees falling all around us. That was scary, hearing the trees crack and those break, but luckily, our home was not damaged. The water ended up not coming in the back."
  
But, she says, she's probably out more than $600. Just...

Many still in need as storm relief funds run out

Hollywood, CA

Napa, CA

  Napa Wine Train at its layup yard in Napa  photo credit: Credit: Googlemaps 
Napa police are trying to find whoever owned a pick up truck that was destroyed Saturday night when the Napa Valley Wine train slammed into it. 


 
No one was injured either in the pick-up or aboard the train, according to Lieutenant Chris Pacheco of the Napa Police Department. Pacheco said the train was rounding a slight curve, and as it approached a trestle, the engineer noticed something very out of place.
  
"Somebody parked the truck right across the tracks."
  
Pacheco says from its position, investigators believe the...

Train crushes pickup left on tracks, authorities searching for owner

   photo credit: NOAA GOES West 

The series of atmospheric rivers hitting the west coast have caused serious damage to infrastructure. The storms are also being studied extensively, including by Ryan Torn.


  
"My work relates to understanding what is the predictability of landfall atmospheric rivers on the west coast of the United States," Torn said.
 
Torn is the chair of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at the State University of New York at Albany, and a researcher of atmospheric rivers at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes.
 
"What are the factors in the processes that allow us to predict those...

Rain and research opportunities abound with parade of atmospheric rivers

Ukiah, CA

  Rescuers searched for the vehicle Tuesday  photo credit: Courtesy: Sonoma County Sheriff 
Authorities have identified the woman killed when her vehicle was apparently swept off of Trenton-Healdsburg Road Tuesday as 43-year-old Daphne Fontino of Ukiah.  


 
Fontino's body was found Wednesday morning in her vehicle under eight to ten feet of water in a vineyard, about 100 yards off the road, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.
  
Fontino's husband Marc, is struggling to come to terms.
  
"It's like a nightmare for me and I haven't came to the reality yet that it actually occurred, because, in my mind she's going...

Woman lost in flood leaves huge void, authorities ID two who perished in Sea Ranch






photo credit: KRCB/Noah Abrams






The consistent stream of rain and mountain snow that’s rolled through California has raised lots of questions about drought conditions and groundwater levels. 
 


Marcus Trotta, groundwater expert with Sonoma Water, said it’s complicated.
  
"Groundwater recharge is really one of the more challenging things to really understand and characterize," Trotta said.

 
Rain is of course a good thing for replenishing groundwater, Trotta said. 
 
"In general, groundwater recharge occurs through a couple different mechanisms," Trotta said. "One is when precipitation falls on soils and some of that precipitation will run off. Some of it will get used by plants and vegetation."
 
"Some...

What does this stream of rain mean for groundwater levels? Here's what one expert has to say

Sonoma, CA






photo credit: Martin Hapl/flickr





The Army Corps of Engineers has been busy during the recent barrage of rainfall. 


 
Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino under normal conditions are co-managed by the Corps of Engineers and Sonoma Water, but with the influx of rain, that’s changed at Lake Mendocino, according to Nick Malasavage, chief of operations for the Corps' San Francisco office.
 
"Taking over control is basically the decisions on how much to release into the Russian River based on how high the pool is," Malasavage said. "So we crossed over that threshold on Monday. Now it's the flood risk management of our flood control...

Rising reservoir levels put Army Corps of Engineers back at the helm of release valves




An Atmospheric River flows northeastward across Calif. in this Jan. 9 satellite image 

photo credit: National Weather Service




Just a few days ago, Guerneville and just about every low-lying community along the Russian River were on edge, awaiting cataclysmic flooding that thankfully never arrived. A forecast issued Tuesday morning expected the river to jump its banks in Guerneville around 4 pm Thursday. According to a revision Tuesday afternoon, that's no longer the case.


  
Flooding is still expected in Hopland midnight Sunday. The Napa River isn't expected to see flooding, while the Navarro River will go two feet over flood stage at Navarro Saturday...

Ever-changing conditions a challenge for supercomputers tasked with building accurate flood forecasts






photo credit: Bart Everson/Wikimedia





Each year Santa Rosa takes public input on goals and priorities for the city budget. One group is pushing the city to make good on previous promises.


  
Cris Eggers is a volunteer with that group: Bikeable Santa Rosa.
 
"Bikeable is a volunteer group who think that Santa Rosa is ready for a protected and connected bike network so that people who want to ride their bikes to go to places [can], not just the fearless riders," Eggers said. "But we're talking about the other 70% of people who would like to ride their bikes, would like to see their...

Protected and Connected - Residents call for increased spending on climate friendly bike infrastructure

Forestville, CA

   photo credit:  
A Ukiah woman was found dead on Wednesday after her vehicle apparently became submerged in flood water in Forestville, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.
 Sheriff's dispatch received a call at about 10 a.m. Tuesday from the California Highway Patrol reporting that a car was stuck in flood waters in the 6000 block of Trenton-Healdsburg Road. The caller had reported that there was water in the car and then the line became disconnected, and multiple attempts to call back yielded no response, sheriff's officials said.
 Multiple agencies were dispatched to search for the car...

Woman found dead in flooded vehicle near Forestville

  Lake Hennessey inundation map courtesy California Division of the Safety of Dams  photo credit: Large areas of downtown Napa, along with much of the valley would be submerged in a dam failure 

There's something of a rare sight to see right now in the hills north of Napa. 


  
Thanks to a string of atmospheric river storms, Lake Hennessey has risen high enough to reach the dam's spillway, something celebrated by more than a few locals. 
 
Joy Eldredge is deputy utilities director for the City of Napa, which owns the reservoir.
  
"First of all, it hasn't spilled for four years, so we're...

Remote failure risks lurk as Lake Hennessey fills to capacity






photo credit: Courtesy United States Geological Survey




If you're feeling a little weather whiplash, you're not hallucinating.


 
The switch from a desiccated landscape to an inundated one has been swift. Officials with the state department of water resources say more storms are on the way. That's after five have slammed into California since late December. 
 
"California is experiencing, coincidentally, both a drought emergency and a flood emergency," said Carla Nemath, director California's Department of Water Resources, at an online press conference Monday afternoon.
  
Statewide, rivers at nine sites were exceeding flood stage. She said crews have been busy shoring up a levee along the Consumes River....

Help on standby as deluge pounds region






photo credit: KRCB/Noah Abrams




The muddy water keeps flowing and county work trucks keep moving along River Road, but earlier flood predictions failed to materialize on a sunny Monday afternoon in Guerneville.


 
Pre-staged service trucks remain in place though, while cars and RV’s have been moved to higher ground in spots along River Road. Sandbags barricade the doors of the Monte Rio Theatre in anticipation.
  
County spokesperson Ted Appel, who was traveling along River Road taking photos of flooded areas Monday afternoon, said the break in the rain has been well utilized.
 
"There's been a big effort on trying to get crews into place...