COU No. 2526-164
PAGE 6 OF 7
“Indemnify,” as used herein includes the expenses of defending against a claim and the payment of any settlement or judgment arising out of the claim. Defense costs include all costs associated with defending the claim, including, but not limited to, the fees of attorneys, investigators, consultants, experts and expert witnesses, and litigation expenses.
References in this paragraph to City or Consultant, include their officers, employees, agents, and subcontractors.
7.0 CONTRACT PROVISIONS
7.1 Ownership of Work. All documents furnished to Consultant by City and all documents or reports and supportive data prepared by Consultant under this Agreement are owned and become the property of the City upon their creation and shall be given to City immediately upon demand and at the completion of Consultant's services at no additional cost to City. Deliverables are identified in the Scope-of-Work, Attachment "A".
All documents produced by Consultant shall be furnished to City in digital format and hardcopy. Consultant shall produce the digital format, using software and media approved by City.
7.2 Governing Law. Consultant shall comply with the laws and regulations of the United States, the State of California, and all local governments having jurisdiction over this Agreement. The interpretation and enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by California law and any action arising under or in connection with this Agreement must be filed in a Court of competent jurisdiction in Mendocino County.
7.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement plus its Attachment(s) and executed Amendments set forth the entire understanding between the parties.
7.4 Severability. If any term of this Agreement is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Agreement shall remain in effect.
7.5 Modification. No modification of this Agreement is valid unless made with the agreement of both parties in writing.
7.6 Assignment. Consultant's services are considered unique and personal. Consultant shall not assign, transfer, or sub-contract its interest or obligation under all or any portion of this Agreement without City's prior written consent.
7.7 Waiver. No waiver of a breach of any covenant, term, or condition of this Agreement shall be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach of the same or any other covenant, term or condition or a waiver of the covenant, term or condition itself.
7.8 Termination. This Agreement may only be terminated by either party: 1) for breach of the Agreement; 2) because funds are no longer available to pay Consultant for services provided under this Agreement; or 3) City has abandoned and does not wish to complete the project for which Consultant was retained. A party shall notify the other party of any alleged breach of the Agreement and of the action required to cure the breach. If the breaching party fails to cure the breach within the time specified in the notice, the contract shall be terminated as of that time. If terminated for lack of funds or abandonment of the project, the contract shall terminate on the date notice of termination is given to Consultant. City shall pay the Consultant only for services
COU No. 2526-164
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performed and expenses incurred as of the effective termination date. In such event, as a condition to payment, Consultant shall provide to City all finished or unfinished documents, data, studies, surveys, drawings, maps, models, photographs and reports prepared by the Consultant under this Agreement. Consultant shall be entitled to receive just and equitable compensation for any work satisfactorily completed hereunder, subject to off-set for any direct or consequential damages City may incur as a result of Consultant's breach of contract.
7.9 Execution of Agreement. This Agreement may be executed in duplicate originals, each bearing the original signature of the parties. Alternatively, this Agreement may be executed and delivered by facsimile or other electronic transmission, and in more than one counterpart, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. When executed using either alternative, the executed agreement shall be deemed an original admissible as evidence in any administrative or judicial proceeding to prove the terms and content of this Agreement.
8.0 NOTICES
Any notice given under this Agreement shall be in writing and deemed given when personally delivered or deposited in the mail (certified or registered) addressed to the parties as follows:
CITY OF UKIAH EBA ENGINEERING
DEPT. OF PUBLIC WORKS 825 SONOMA AVENUE, SUITE C
300 SEMINARY AVENUE SANTA ROSA, CA 95404
UKIAH, CALIFORNIA 95482-5400
9.0 SIGNATURES
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement the Effective Date:
CONSULTANT
BY: __________________________ ____________________
Date
PRINT NAME: _________________
__________________
IRS IDN Number
CITY OF UKIAH
BY: ____________________
Date
CITY MANAGER
ATTEST
____________________
CITY CLERK Date
1/26/2026
Nazar Eljumaily
68-0181868
02/05/2026
Kristine
Kristine
Lawler (Feb 6, 2026
Lawler
07:44:32 PST)
02/06/2026 Page 267 of 672
825 Sonoma Avenue, Suite C Santa Rosa, California 95404 (707)544-0784 FAX (707)544-0866 www.ebagroup.com
November 11, 2025 (Revised January 15, 2025)
Tim Eriksen, PE
City of Ukiah – Department of Public Works
300 Seminary Avenue
Ukiah, CA 95482
SUBJECT: COST ESTIMATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND REPORTING
SERVICES
CITY OF UKIAH LANDFILL
MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
EBA PROJECT NO. 02-958
Dear Mr. Eriksen:
At the request of the City of Ukiah Department of Public Works (City), EBA Engineering (EBA) has prepared this cost estimate proposal for the continuation of routine environmental monitoring and reporting services for the City of Ukiah Landfill (Landfill). EBA has performed portions of these services for the City since 2002 under a variety of contract amendments and work authorizations. EBA understands that the City prefers for future routine compliance monitoring and reporting services to be contracted on an annual basis coinciding with the fiscal year. In that regard, the following cost estimate proposal includes routine environmental monitoring and reporting services for the period of January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026 (contract period). As previously discussed, a separate cost estimate proposal will be provided for the next fiscal year (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027).
SCOPE OF WORK
Task 1: Project Management and Project Coordination
Task 1 includes project management and project coordination associated with implementing the environmental compliance monitoring and reporting services described as Tasks 2 through 8 below.
Task 2: Environmental Sampling Events
Task 2 includes the performance of environmental sampling events for groundwater, surface water, and leachate. These events during the contract period will include: the First Quarter 2026 sampling event (Task 2a), the Second Quarter 2026 sampling event (Task 2b), and asneeded verification testing (Task 2c).
Assumptions: The estimated costs are based on the current Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) and associated Monitoring and Reporting Program (M&RP), and it is assumed that a revised WDR and M&RP will not be issued during the contract period. Analytical testing costs are not included since it is assumed that all analytical testing services will be performed by the City’s contract laboratory (K Prime, Inc.). Task 2c (As-Needed Verification Testing) assumes Attachment A
that one verification sampling event will apply during the contract period. However, the need for verification testing is contingent on the future analytical results so it is possible that additional verification events may be required which would have additional costs.
Task 3: Detection Monitoring Reports
Task 3 includes the preparation of quarterly detection monitoring reports for First Quarter 2026 (Task 3a) and Second Quarter 2026 (Task 3b) for submittal to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQCB).
Assumptions: Similar to Task 2, the estimated costs for Task 3 are based on the current WDR and M&RP. Additional costs may apply if the WDR and M&RP are revised during the contract period.
Task 4: Landfill Gas Monitoring and Reporting
Task 4 includes the performance of quarterly landfill gas (LFG) monitoring and preparation of quarterly reports during the contract period (i.e., First Quarter 2026 [Task 4a] and Second Quarter 2026 [Task 4b]) for submittal to the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) and the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). Quarterly monitoring events will be performed in January and April 2026.
Assumptions: Task 4 does not include monthly LFG monitoring and reporting which is required by the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) as part of the closure construction process. Monthly LFG monitoring is described below as Task 8.
Task 5: State GeoTracker Update
Task 5 includes the preparation and upload of applicable electronic data format (EDF) files to the State Water Resources Control Board’s GeoTracker internet database for data generated during the contract period (i.e., First Quarter 2026 [Task 5a] and Second Quarter 2026 [Task 5b]).
Task 6: Surface Emissions Monitoring
Task 6 includes the performance of surface emissions monitoring during the contract period which includes First Quarter 2026 (Task 6a) and Second Quarter 2026 (Task 6b). The need for verification testing, which is required 10 days following a documented methane surface exceedance and the subsequent implementation of mitigation measures by the City, is currently unknown since it is contingent on the future monitoring results. The estimated cost for verification testing (Task 6c) assumes that one verification testing event will be required per quarter (a total of two verification re-testing events are included).
Assumptions: Based on discussions with the California Air Resources Control Board (CARB), EBA understands that the proposed amendments to the Regulation on Methane Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Sections 95462 – 95475 and Appendix I) will not go into effect until Fourth Quarter 2026. As such, the estimated costs for Task 6 are based on current Title 17 requirements for surface emissions monitoring.
Additional costs may apply if the new requirements go into effect during the contract period.
Additionally, the estimated costs assume that CARB will approve the Alternative Compliance Option request for an alternate walking pattern. As previously discussed, the time required for
verification testing (Task 6c) is unknown since the need for and the scope of any verification testing is contingent upon the future monitoring results. As such, Task 6c assumes that one verification testing event will be required during the contract period and that it will take one day to complete and be completed in one mobilization. Additionally, the regulations contain wind and precipitation thresholds for which the sampling must be performed under. Additional costs may apply if weather conditions require additional mobilizations and/or equipment rentals.
Task 7: Surface Emissions Reporting
Task 7 includes the preparation of associated reports documenting surface emissions monitoring that are required during the contract period for submittal to CARB and the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District (MCAQMD). These reports include the Annual Surface Emissions Report (Task 7b), which is due on March 15, and a Second Quarter 2026 Quarterly Surface Emissions Report (Task 7c). Task 7a includes regulatory coordination, meetings, and research, as well as preparation of a revised Alternative Compliance Option submittal to CARB as discussed during a January 13, 2026 meeting with CARB, the MCAQMD, the City and EBA. Task 7a also includes additional time (up to 10 hours) for coordination of mitigation actions required by the Landfill Methane Rule for instantaneous or integrated exceedances.
Assumptions: The scope of Task 7 is limited to reporting for the surface emissions monitoring described under Task 6 as well as efforts related to approval of a new ACO as discussed during the January 13, 2026 meeting. Landfill closure has not occurred and a LFG Collection and Control System (LFGCCS) has yet to be installed. As such, it is assumed that the various other annual reporting requirements outlined in Title 17 do not apply. It is assumed that the annual update to the LFG Heat Input Capacity Report will continue to be prepared by Lawrence and Associates and costs for this reporting component are not included within Task 7.
Task 8: Monthly Landfill Gas Monitoring and Reporting
Task 8 includes the performance of monthly LFG monitoring and reporting as requested by the LEA and CalRecycle as part of the Landfill’s closure construction process. These services are currently being performed under a one-year contract issued through March 2026 as authorized by Work Order number PO48788-00. It is assumed that monthly LFG monitoring for February 2026 and March 2026 will be billed to the existing Work Order number PO48788-00 which is effective through this time frame. The costs for monthly LFG monitoring and reporting for January 2026 and April 2026 are already included as part of the quarterly LFG monitoring and reporting services for First Quarter (Task 4a) and Second Quarter 2026 (Task 4b) which are required for documenting compliance with California Code of Regulations, Title 27, Section 20921. As such, Task 8 includes monthly LFG monitoring and reporting services for May 2026 (Task 8a) and June 2026 (Task 8b) only.
COST ESTIMATE SUMMARY
Per the City’s request, these services will be performed on a time-and-materials basis not to exceed the following amounts without prior approval by the City. Please refer to the attached Cost Estimate Spreadsheet for additional details related to the formulation of the estimated costs.
Task 1: Project Management and Project Coordination $ 4,560.00 Task 1a – First Quarter 2026 $ 2,280.00
Task 1b – Second Quarter 2026 $ 2,280.00
Task 2: Environmental Sampling Events $14,597.00
Task 2a – First Quarter 2026 $ 6,568.00
Task 2b – Second Quarter 2026 $ 6,568.00
As-Needed Verification Testing $ 1,461.00
Task 3: Detection Monitoring Reports $13,200.00
Task 3a – First Quarter 2026 $ 6,660.00
Task 3b – Second Quarter 2026 $ 6,660.00
Task 4: Quarterly LFG Monitoring and Reporting $ 5,332.00 Task 4a – First Quarter 2026 $ 2,666.00
Task 4b – Second Quarter 2026 $ 2,666.00
Task 5: State GeoTracker Update $ 650.00
Task 5a – First Quarter 2026 $ 325.00
Task 5b – Second Quarter 2026 $ 325.00
Task 6: Surface Emissions Monitoring $16,360.00
Task 6a – First Quarter 2026 $ 6,036.00
Task 6b – Second Quarter 2026 $ 6,036.00
Task 6c – As-Needed Verification Testing $ 4,288.00
Task 7: Surface Emissions Reporting $15,780.00
Task 7a – Regulatory Coordination, Meetings, Research & ACO $10,580.00 Task 7b – First Quarter 2026 (Annual Reporting) $ 3,425.00 Task 7c – Second Quarter 2026 $ 1,775.00
Task 8: Monthly LFG Monitoring and Reporting $ 5,332.00 Task 8a – May 2026 $ 2,666.00
Task 8b – June 2026 $ 2,666.00
Total Estimated Cost $75,811.00
SCHEDULE
The Second Quarter 2026 Detection Monitoring Report (Task 3b) is due on July 15, 2026. As such, the requested contract term for the scope of work described herein is January 1st, 2026 through July 15, 2026.
ASSUMPTIONS
For the purposes of developing the scope of work and the cost estimate, the following general assumptions were made:
• Prevailing wage rates do not apply for field work.
• No night, weekend, or holiday work is required.
CLOSING
We trust this provides the information you require at this time. If you have any comments or questions, please call us at (707) 544-0784.
Sincerely,
EBA ENGINEERING
Max Kruzic, PG, CHG, QSD
Senior Geologist
ATTACHED
Cost Estimate Spreadsheet
Standard Schedule of Rates and Fees
Location: City of Ukiah Landfill
Client Name: City of UkiahEBA Project No. 02-958Date: November 11, 2025 (Revised January 15, 2026)Project Duration: January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 Project Manager / Project Geologist / Env. Scientist / Design Total EBA Materials ESTIMATED Task Senior Geologist Project Engineer Staff Geologist Drafter EBA Task Mileage & COSTS Misc.
$190.00 $160.00 $135.00 $125.00 Hours Total
Task 1: Project Management and Project Coordination 24 0 0 0 24 $ 4,560.00 $ - $ 4,560.00 Task 1a - First Quarter 2026 Project Management & Coordination 12 12 $ 2,280.00 $ 2,280.00 Task 1b - Second Quarter 2026 Project Management & Coordination 12 12 $ 2,280.00 $ 2,280.00 Task 2: Environmental Sampling Events 4 0 74 0 78 $ 12,020.00 $ 2,577.00 $ 14,597.00 Task 2a - First Quarter 2026 Environmental Sampling Event 2 37 39 $ 5,375.00 $ 1,193.00 $ 6,568.00 Task 2b - Second Quarter 2026 Environmental Sampling Event 2 37 39 $ 5,375.00 $ 1,193.00 $ 6,568.00 Task 2c - As-Needed Verification Testing (assume one verification event in contract period) 1 8 9 $ 1,270.00 $ 191.00 $ 1,461.00Task 3: Detection Monitoring Reports 12 0 60 6 78 $ 11,130.00 $ 2,070.00 $ 13,200.00 Task 3a - First Quarter 2026 Detection Monitoring Report 6 30 3 39 $ 5,565.00 $ 1,035.00 $ 6,600.00 Task 3b - Second Quarter 2026 Detection Monitoring Report 6 30 3 39 $ 5,565.00 $ 1,035.00 $ 6,600.00 Task 4: Quarterly LFG Monitoring and Reporting 4 12 16 0 32 $ 4,840.00 $ 492.00 $ 5,332.00 Task 4a - First Quarter 2026 LFG Monitoring & Reporting 2 6 8 16 $ 2,420.00 $ 246.00 $ 2,666.00 Task 4b - Second Quarter 2026 LFG Monitoring & Reporting 2 6 8 16 $ 2,420.00 $ 246.00 $ 2,666.00 Task 5: State GeoTracker Update 2 0 2 0 4 $ 650.00 $ - $ 650.00 Task 5a - First Quarter 2026 State GeoTracker Update 1 1 2 $ 325.00 $ 325.00 Task 5b - Second Quarter 2026 State GeoTracker Update 1 1 2 $ 325.00 $ 325.00Task 6: Surface Emissions Monitoring 6 0 88 0 94 $ 13,020.00 $ 3,340.00 $ 16,360.00 Task 6a - First Quarter 2026 Surface Emissions Monitoring 2 32 34 $ 4,700.00 $ 1,336.00 $ 6,036.00 Task 6b - Second Quarter 2026 Surface Emissions Monitoring 2 32 34 $ 4,700.00 $ 1,336.00 $ 6,036.00 Task 6c - As-Needed Verification Testing (assume one verification per quarter) 2 24 26 $ 3,620.00 $ 668.00 $ 4,288.00Task 7: Surface Emissions Reporting 59 0 32 2 93 $ 15,780.00 $ - $ 15,780.00 Task 7a - Regulatory Coordination, Meetings, Research and ACO 50 8 58 $ 10,580.00 $ 10,580.00 Task 7b - First Quarter 2026 Surface Emissions Reporting (Annual Report) 6 16 1 23 $ 3,425.00 $ 3,425.00 Task 7c - Second Quarter 2026 Surface Emissions Reporting 3 8 1 12 $ 1,775.00 $ 1,775.00Task 8: Monthly LFG Monitoring and Reporting 4 12 16 0 32 $ 4,840.00 $ 492.00 $ 5,332.00 Task 8a - May 2026 Monthly LFG Monitoring & Reporting 2 6 8 16 $ 2,420.00 $ 246.00 $ 2,666.00 Task 8b - June 2026 Monthly LFG Monitoring & Reporting 2 6 8 016 2 $ ,420.00 $ 246.00 $ 2,666.00 TOTAL: 115 24 288 8 435 $ 66,840.00 $ 8,971.00 $ 75,811.00 Cost Breakdown Spreadsheet - City of Ukiah Monitoring & Reporting Services
TOTALS LABOR
EBA ENGINEERING
STANDARD SCHEDULE OF FEES
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
Principal Geologist / Principal Engineer $230 - $250 $240 - $260 $250 – $270 $260 - $280 $270 - $290 / hr.
Project Manager $160 - $210 $165 - $220 $170 - $230 $180 - $240 $190 - $250 / hr.
Senior Geologist / Senior Engineer $150 - $190 $155 - $195 $160 - $200 $170 - $210 $180 - $220 / hr.
Senior Project Geologist / Engineer $140 - $170 $145 - $175 $150 - $180 $160 - $190 $170 - $200 / hr.
Project Geologist / Project Engineer $135 - $170 $140 - $175 $145 - $180 $155 - $190 $165 - $200 / hr.
Staff Geologist / Staff Engineer $100 - $135 $105 - $140 $110 - $145 $120 - $155 $130 - $165 / hr.
CEQA Practitioner $150 $155 $160 $170 $180 / hr.
Survey: 3 Man Crew $380 $395 $410 $420 $430 / hr.
Survey: 2 Man Crew $300 $310 $320 $330 $340 / hr.
Survey Travel: 2 Man Crew $200 $210 $220 $230 $240 / hr.
Survey: 1 Man Crew $190 $195 $200 $210 $220 / hr.
Surveyor $175 - $200 $180 - $210 $185 - $220 $190 - $230 $195 - $240 Senior Survey Technician $130 - $150 $135 - $155 $140 - 160 $150 - $170 $160 - $180 / hr.
Survey Technician $90 - $125 $95 - $130 $100 - $135 $110 - $145 $120 - $155 / hr.
Senior Environmental Scientist / Specialist $130 - $175 $135 - $180 $140 - $185 $150 - $195 $160 - $200 / hr.
Environmental Scientist / Specialist $75 - $125 $80 - $130 $85 - $135 $95 - $145 $105 - $155 / hr.
Design Draftsperson $115 - $135 $120 - $140 $125 - $145 $135 - $155 $145 - $165 / hr.
Drafting Technician $95 - $115 $100 - $160 $105 - $165 $115 - $175 $125 - $185 / hr.
Clerical $65 $70 $75 $85 $95 / hr.
Administrative $70 $75 $80 $90 $100 / hr.
Systems Manager $80 $85 $90 $100 $110 / hr.
Depositions or Court Proceedings: 200% of usual rates
Subconsultants: Cost plus 15% Prints and Materials: Cost plus 15% Miscellaneous Expenses: Cost plus 15% Prevailing wage rates may be adjusted based on DIR wage determinations. Rates effective January 2024 through December 2028.
Fees may increase between 3% - 5% upon the start of each new fiscal year.
825 Sonoma Avenue, Suite C Santa Rosa, California 95404 (707)544-0784 FAX (707)544-0866 www.ebagroup.com
June 3, 2026
Jason Benson, PE
City of Ukiah – Department of Public Works
300 Seminary Avenue
Ukiah, CA 95482
SUBJECT: COST ESTIMATE PROPOSAL FOR REQUESTED CONTRACT
AMENDMENT
CITY OF UKIAH PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT 2526-164
CITY OF UKIAH LANDFILL
MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
EBA PROJECT NO. 02-958
Dear Mr. Benson:
This Cost Estimate Proposal for a Requested Contract Amendment (Proposal) has been prepared for EBA Engineering’s Professional Service Agreement 2526-164 (Contract) with the City of Ukiah (City). The proposal is being submitted to account for additional time associated with surface emissions monitoring (SEM) which is currently performed at the City of Ukiah Landfill (Landfill) under Task 6 as described in EBA’s January 15, 2026 proposal (Attachment A of the Contract documents).
REQUESTED REVISION TO TASK 6 - SURFACE EMISSIONS MONITORING Quarterly SEM is required by the current Landfill Methane Rule (LMR), as outlined within Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations (17CCR) Sections 95462 – 95475.
EBA has been performing these services for the City since resumption of SEM in Second Quarter 2025 using a alternate walking pattern as proposed in a May 13, 2025 Alternative Compliance Option (ACO) request submitted to the Mendocino Air Quality Management District (MCAQMD) and the California Air Resources Control Board (CARB). The alternate walking pattern requested in the ACO was related to health and safety issues related to performing SEM using the prescriptive 25-foot spacing in light of the steep (2:1) slopes present at the landfill. Whereas the alternative walking pattern was previously approved by the MCAQMD approximately 10 years earlier, the May 13, 2025 ACO was formally denied by the regulatory agencies upon resumption of SEM.
As discussed in subsequent meetings with CARB, the MCAQMD, the City, and EBA, the alternative walking pattern is currently being used while a resubmittal of the ACO is being prepared to address comments provided by the regulatory agencies.
As discussed in email correspondence dated June 2, 2026 and a subsequent telephone conversation with the City on June 3, 2026, EBA mobilized to the Landfill on June 2, 2026 to perform the Second Quarter 2026 SEM. However, multiple wild hogs were ATTACHMENT 2
observed roaming through the high grass which made for unsafe conditions for our field staff. As such, the SEM event was postponed. The SEM involves 2-3 days of walking the surface of the Landfill at distances far from the safety of a vehicle to retreat to. As such, an unexpected wild hog encounter would be potentially dangerous. The steep slopes and other safety concerns noted in the last ACO submitted to CARB and the MCAQMD are compounded by the presence of the wild hogs.
Based on these conditions, EBA requested partial mowing of the Landfill. Being able to see the hogs approaching would decrease the associated risk and allow for more time to respond. Mowing efforts are currently underway. EBA appreciates the City’s efforts to address this issue.
Additionally, EBA plans to make the following changes to the field work process to address the health and safety issues posed by the wild hogs:
1.) Equipping our field staff with wildlife deterrent spray (bear spray) and providing appropriate training for its use.
2.) Implementing a “buddy system” for field work at the Landfill which occurs at a far enough distance from a vehicle where safe retreat is not an option. Going forward, the completion of SEM will require two field technicians. Implementation of the buddy system will not have an effect on other landfill monitoring activities since they either occur at close proximity to a vehicle and/or already have two field technicians assigned due to the nature of the scope of work.
Due to the increased labor associated with implementing the buddy system to address the health and safety issues at the Landfill posed by the presence of wild hogs, EBA requests that an amendment be issued for the current Contract (2526-164). The requested contract amendment amount is $4,590.00 as summarized in the attached cost estimate spreadsheet.
EBA appreciates the City’s consideration of this request. If the additional labor costs to have a second EBA field technician present for SEM is cost prohibitive, alternate options previously discussed with the City include: a.) quarterly SEM and associated verification testing to be performed by City personnel (training would be provided by EBA) or b.) submitting a new ACO to the regulatory agencies proposing the use of drone equipment for SEM. A copy of the previously provided January 14, 2026 quote from Sniffer Robotics for drone SEM is also attached to this Proposal for your consideration. Lastly, EBA understands that the City is currently applying for a depredation permit with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to allow for mitigation of the wild hogs which will be especially important during and following the upcoming closure of the Landfill. If hog removal becomes viable and the wild hogs are mitigated, then the additional costs for SEM would not be necessary since the scope of work would no longer require employing the buddy system that is currently required by the wild hog situation.
REQUESTED REVISION TO CONTRACT PERIOD
During the June 3, 2026 telephone conversation with the City, we also discussed extending the project term through July 31, 2026. The Contract currently requires all work to be completed by June 30, 2026. However, the Second Quarter 2026 Monitoring Report is due to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board on July 15, 2026, so some work will need to continue into July.
CLOSING
We trust this provides the information you require at this time. If you have any comments or questions, please call us at (707) 544-0784.
Sincerely,
EBA ENGINEERING
Max Kruzic, PG, CHG, QSD
Senior Geologist
ATTACHED
Cost Estimate Spreadsheet
Standard Schedule of Rates and Fees
January 14, 2026 Sniffer Robotics Preliminary Quote for Drone SEM Monitoring (not included in the costs detailed herein and provided for informational purposes)
Project Env. Total EBA Materials ESTIMATED
Manager / Scientist / EBA TASK
Task Senior Staff Hours TOTAL
Geologist Geologist Mileage & COSTS
Misc.
$190.00 $135.00
Task 6: Surface Emissions Monitoring (Original Contract Budget) 6 88 94 13,020.00 $ 3,340.00 $ 16,360.00 $ Task 6a - First Quarter 2026 SEM 2 32 34 4,700.00 $ 1,336.00 $ 6,036.00 $ Task 6b - Second Quarter 2026 SEM 2 32 34 4,700.00 $ 1,336.00 $ 6,036.00 $ Task 6c - As-Needed Verification Testing (assume one verification event per quarter) 2 24 26 3,620.00 $ 668.00 $ 4,288.00 $ Task 6: Surface Emissions Monitoring (Requested Contract Amendment Amount 0 34 34 4,590.00 $ - $ 4,590.00 $ Task 6a - Additional Labor (Not Applicable) 00 0 - $ - $ - $ Task 6b - Additional Labor 0 24 24 3,240.00 $ - $ 3,240.00 $ Task 6c - Additional Labor (Second Quarter 2026 Only) 0 10 10 1,350.00 $ - $ 1,350.00 $
CITY OF UKIAH LANDFILL
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT 2526-14
LABOR
COST ESTIMATE SUMMARY
TASK 6 CONTRACT AMENDMENT
EBA ENGINEERING
STANDARD SCHEDULE OF FEES
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
Principal Geologist / Principal Engineer $230 - $250 $240 - $260 $250 – $270 $260 - $280 $270 - $290 / hr.
Project Manager $160 - $210 $165 - $220 $170 - $230 $180 - $240 $190 - $250 / hr.
Senior Geologist / Senior Engineer $150 - $190 $155 - $195 $160 - $200 $170 - $210 $180 - $220 / hr.
Senior Project Geologist / Engineer $140 - $170 $145 - $175 $150 - $180 $160 - $190 $170 - $200 / hr.
Project Geologist / Project Engineer $135 - $170 $140 - $175 $145 - $180 $155 - $190 $165 - $200 / hr.
Staff Geologist / Staff Engineer $100 - $135 $105 - $140 $110 - $145 $120 - $155 $130 - $165 / hr.
CEQA Practitioner $150 $155 $160 $170 $180 / hr.
Survey: 3 Man Crew $380 $395 $410 $420 $430 / hr.
Survey: 2 Man Crew $300 $310 $320 $330 $340 / hr.
Survey Travel: 2 Man Crew $200 $210 $220 $230 $240 / hr.
Survey: 1 Man Crew $190 $195 $200 $210 $220 / hr.
Surveyor $175 - $200 $180 - $210 $185 - $220 $190 - $230 $195 - $240 Senior Survey Technician $130 - $150 $135 - $155 $140 - 160 $150 - $170 $160 - $180 / hr.
Survey Technician $90 - $125 $95 - $130 $100 - $135 $110 - $145 $120 - $155 / hr.
Senior Environmental Scientist / Specialist $130 - $175 $135 - $180 $140 - $185 $150 - $195 $160 - $200 / hr.
Environmental Scientist / Specialist $75 - $125 $80 - $130 $85 - $135 $95 - $145 $105 - $155 / hr.
Design Draftsperson $115 - $135 $120 - $140 $125 - $145 $135 - $155 $145 - $165 / hr.
Drafting Technician $95 - $115 $100 - $160 $105 - $165 $115 - $175 $125 - $185 / hr.
Clerical $65 $70 $75 $85 $95 / hr.
Administrative $70 $75 $80 $90 $100 / hr.
Systems Manager $80 $85 $90 $100 $110 / hr.
Depositions or Court Proceedings: 200% of usual rates
Subconsultants: Cost plus 15% Prints and Materials: Cost plus 15% Miscellaneous Expenses: Cost plus 15% Prevailing wage rates may be adjusted based on DIR wage determinations. Rates effective January 2024 through December 2028.
Fees may increase between 3% - 5% upon the start of each new fiscal year.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
January 14, 2026
Max Kruzic, P.G., C.Hg., QSD
EBA Engineering
825 Sonoma Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Dear Max:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide this proposal for quarterly methane emissions monitoring services for closed Ukiah Landfill in Ukiah, California. Our proposal is for US EPA approved OTM-51 / ALT-150 surface emissions monitoring services (featuring the SnifferDRONE™).
Our team has extensive emissions monitoring experience providing such services to companies and sites throughout the United States. Our company has over 5,000 drone flights and currently operates on more than 150 landfills throughout the United States, Canada, and South America. Our tools, processes, and methods offer customers the industry’s most precise and actionable information useful for operations and helpful for reducing environmental impact.
PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK
This proposal assumes an inspection area of
approximately 40 acres, as outlined in the image to the right.
The work, as defined by the regulations, requires
quarterly inspections involving an initial inspection with up to four additional follow-up inspections (per
exceedance) to verify leak locations have been
remediated.
We are providing the following brief on the work to be performed for this purpose but defer to the regulations for complete details. Please note pricing listed in this proposal is budgetary based on our current understanding of the upcoming LMR.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
Initial Inspection
• All work and reports thereof will be performed in accordance with OTM-51/ALT-150 and LMR. • SnifferDRONE™ CH4 - our patented Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) will be flown by a Sniffer fully trained FAA Part 107 Certified Remote Pilot to comprehensively collect at-ground methane emissions data over the study area.
• Data will be collected via the SnifferDRONE over the inspection designated NSPS area at 7.5m spacing, within the waste boundary of the site (except for active and hazardous areas). • EBA Engineering technicians will perform manual verification of all leak locations ≥200 parts per million (ppm) reported by the SnifferDRONE, and manual inspection of all penetration locations. For locations where manually measured methane emissions are ≥500 ppm, the technician will place a flag and take a photo of the location and submit along with their daily inspection report.
GIS Reporting, Analytics, and Calculations – Data collected by the SnifferDRONE will be processed and analyzed to provide actionable information for your purposes. The deliverables for the project include:
• An Initial Inspection Daily Report will be provided by noon the following day with the following details:
• An Instantaneous Map and summary table will be provided, listing the exceedances above 500ppm detected during the initial inspection. The table will consist of the following columns: leak no., date & time of inspection, GPS coordinates of leak location (lat/long), recorded leak location concentration from the SnifferDRONE, penetration ID, manually measured methane peak concentration, possible root cause, and class (penetration or surface). Refer to the Appendix for an example.
• An Integrated Map will be provided, including a 50,000 sf grid superimposed over the landfill waste boundary, color coded to indicate areas above the 25 ppmv average. Refer to the Appendix for an example.
• Weather data with upwind/downwind measurements.
• A map for quality assurance showing the SnifferDRONE data collection coverage over the site (30m buffer over each data point).
• Calibration report(s) with gas certs.
• NOTE: Daily Inspection Reports are internal reports for operational and remediation purposes and are not meant for regulatory dissemination. An example of the report is provided in the Appendix. • Reports for follow-up inspections are outlined in the next section. • A Final Quarterly Compliance Report for regulatory dissemination will be provided. • This proposal includes 1 subscription to the SnifferVIEW™ app for mobile and desktop viewing of data, and 1 subscription to the Sniffer Field Ops™ app for the ability to upload data in the field.
Additional subscriptions can be purchased in the “Options” section below.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
Follow-Up Inspections
• EBA Engineering field technicians will perform follow-up inspections (10, 20, 1-Month, +10-day) in accordance with regulatory requirements and as required. • A Daily Inspection Report will be provided by noon the following day with the results of the follow-up inspection. Like the initial inspection report, this report will include the measured methane concentration at the leak location, GPS coordinates (lat/long), a photo of the flag and/or inspection area, and additional pertinent field technician comments. The report will also include ppmv averages of grid areas that were re-inspected as required.
PRICING
Budgetary pricing to perform this work under a minimum of a 1-year contract is provided below. Please note this pricing reflects our current staffing and understanding of the upcoming LMR.
Scenario A: Max 4 Follow-Ups Per Quarter
Service Price Each Max No. per
Quarter
Max
Price/QTR
Total Year
Initial Inspection $9,000 1 $9,000 $36,000
Follow-Up Inspection Reporting $1,250 4
1 $5,000 $20,000
SnifferVIEW access $600 - - $600
Sniffer Field Ops access $800 - - $800
Training Mobilization +10% -- -
Maximum Annual Total $14,000 $57,400
1Please note that pricing reflects the maximum possible number of 4 follow-ups per quarter (10-day, 20- day, 1-month, +10-day). Follow-up inspections are priced individually and will be invoiced separately as needed.
Scenario B: 2 Follow-Ups Per Quarter
Service Price Each No. per
Quarter
Price/QTR Total Year
Initial Inspection $9,000 1 $9,000 $36,000
Follow-Up Inspection Reporting $1,250 2
1 $2,500 $10,000
Additional Follow-Ups as Needed $1,250 - - -
SnifferVIEW access $600 - - $600
Sniffer Field Ops access $800 - - $800
Training Mobilization +10% -- -
Annual Total $11,500 $47,400
1Please note that pricing reflects a median number of 2 follow-ups per quarter (10-day, 1-month). Followup inspections are priced individually and will be invoiced separately as needed.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
OPTIONS
Option Price
Software Solutions – SnifferVIEW™
Though all reports and maps will be provided as pdf engineering drawings, online access is available for all data, information, and analytics via our geospatial portals. Online access is the most efficient way to view / export survey results and details, and allows for dynamic viewing and comparison temporally. Includes viewing access for mobile and desktop.
$600/user/year
Software Solutions – Sniffer Field Ops™
Includes ability to input data in the field via mobile device. $600/user/year
Estimated Methane Fugitive Emissions Calculations (Quantification) - Data captured from the SnifferDRONE can be used for estimating fugitive emissions through Sniffer’s partnership with Project Canary, as per the details provided in the appendix. Data can be aggregated into regions over the landfill area for specific emissions estimates calculated for specific regions. For example, emissions can be estimated by cover system, over a gas collection system or area without a gas collection system, cells, or other boundaries.
$2,000/calculation
Gas Upgrade and Positive Pressure Inspection. An inspection of emissions over the landfill may be considered incomplete if an inspection of the gas upgrade and positive pressure systems is also not performed. Sniffer provides manual inspection of these systems per US EPA Method 21 (M21). Utilizing hand-held highly sensitive methane detectors, our trained technician will inspect the key components to detect and isolate methane leaks, flag the location, photograph, and record details within our Sniffer Field Ops (SFO) mobile application.
Price TBD
An Interpolated Map (commonly referred to as “heat map”) can be provided graphically depicting emissions as measured over the landfill. This map is intended to be insightful and helpful for operational benefits.
$500/report
An Emissions Change Map showing areas of increased/decreased methane emissions between events can be provided. This map is also used to identify consistent or intermittent emissions over areas for consideration of plans for increased gas collection.
$500/report
An Industry Perspective Report placing your site within the distribution of a large number of SnifferDRONE surveys at the end of the contract to offer a clear, datadriven perspective on how your site compares to the industry. An example report can be provided upon request.
$1,500
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
CONDITIONS OF THE QUOTATION
• Pricing provided in this proposal is valid for 90 days. • Prices provided assume a minimum of a 1-year contract. • Budgetary prices include the scope described in this proposal. Changes to scope may result in a price review.
• Payment terms: net-30 from invoice date.
• All sites will be readily accessible to allow Sniffer to work as prescribed. • If work is stopped, not due to Sniffer’s cause, a stand-by rate of $2,000 per day applies. • As acreage for inspection increases, Sniffer reserves the right to adjust price accordingly. • Sniffer reserves the right to use a subcontractor to complete this work onsite.
SAFETY STATEMENT
Sniffer’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) require all field technicians and pilots to wear appropriate PPE when onsite. At a minimum, Sniffer’s SOP requires Class 1 Hi-Vis vest, steel toe boots, and an H2S gas monitor, suntan lotion, tick, and mosquito repellent. If additional or different PPE is required for these sites, please advise in advance so we can properly prepare our technicians. Sniffer’s pilots also work safely in accordance with FAA regulations.
CLOSING
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide this quotation for services. Additional information about our services, technology, and solutions can be found on our website at www.snifferrobotics.com.
Regards,
Rob Reale
Sniffer Robotics, Inc.
Proposal Accepted By:
_______________________________
Name and Title
________________________________
Signature
________________________________
Date
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
APPENDIX
Daily Inspection Report
The daily inspection report is emailed after each inspection by noon the following day. It is intended to be an internal report with actionable information. The example below is for OTM-51 / ALT-150 initial inspections though the daily inspection report for follow-up inspections has similar content.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
Integrated Map
Depicts the aggregated methane concentrations over 50,000 sf grids, collected via the SnifferDRONE above the compliance threshold (25 ppmv) mapped over the surface of the landfill within the boundary area.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
Interpolated Map
Used to visualize the range of methane emissions over the entire study area. The map’s color scale will be determined during post-processing with the highest color (red) based on the maximum measured methane concentration (ppm) from the SnifferDRONE.
Also included with this map is a statistical histogram for all methane data captured from the SnifferDRONE. Also note that histogram, as shown in the image above, is also provided. The histogram is a useful reference since it depicts the distribution of all methane point-source concentration values as measured over the entire area. The measured concentrations are plotted with statistical measures including the average, median, and standard deviation are reported. This information is helpful when compared to other landfills and/or after operational improvements are made. The methane concentration statistics are also correlated to the estimated fugitive methane emissions. As emissions are reduced, the statistical data also improves.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
Estimated Fugitive Methane Emissions Calculations (Quantification) Sniffer Robotics and Project Canary have integrated cutting-edge drone sensing with advanced atmospheric modeling to deliver high-confidence methane inventories. Sniffer Robotics’
SnifferDRONE™ platform performed systematic, low-altitude surveys— capturing ground-level CH₄ concentration while simultaneously logging on-board IMU/GPS data to infer local wind vectors.
Project Canary applied a physics-based inverse-plume modeling framework to the paired concentration and wind‐vector
measurements. By fitting a Gaussian dispersion kernel to the observed CH₄ anomalies and solving for the underlying source strengths, we recover both the total site flux and a spatial map of local emission “hotspots.
NOTE: These deliverables are intended to provide an informed perspective on site‐level methane emissions but are offered solely as best estimates derived from environmental sampling and modeling.
They are not approved for regulatory compliance, and although we have incorporated uncertainty quantification to characterize confidence bounds, actual emissions may vary due to sampling variability, atmospheric conditions, and modeling assumptions.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
Methane Emissions Change Map
Used to visually depict the change in measured methane concentrations as measured by the SnifferDRONE between separate events, this visualization confirms remedial actions and presents opportunities for increased gas collection.
Sniffer Robotics, Inc. | 330 E. Liberty St., Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 [email protected] | (855) 476-4333
Gas Upgrade and Positive Pressure Inspection for Methane Emissions Sniffer’s inspection team performs inspection of RNG and Biogas mechanical and gas production facilities throughout the US. Using US EPA Method 21 inspection protocol, we will:
• Identify equipment and locations to be monitored.
• Determine the best monitoring technique for each location. • Provide inspection reports with details via our mobile software app. • Develop a Site-Specific Emissions Monitoring Plan, frequency of monitoring, and tools for follow-up inspections. Available at an additional cost.
Our daily inspection report provides details of all measured methane leak sources and photos of the inspection.
Agenda Item No: 8.k.
MEETING DATE/TIME: 6/17/2026
ITEM NO: 2026-1111
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
SUBJECT: Adoption of Resolution Amending the Ukiah City Firefighter Representative to the 2026 Measure P Oversight Committee to be a Designee of the Ukiah Professional Firefighters Association Local 3686.
DEPARTMENT: City Clerk PREPARED BY: Kristine Lawler, City Clerk PRESENTER: Kristine Lawler, City Clerk
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Amended Resolution
Summary: The City Council will consider adopting a resolution amending the Ukiah City Firefighter representative to the 2026 Measure P Oversight Committee to be a designee of the Ukiah Professional Firefighters Association Local 3686.
Background: On May 20, 2026, the City Council appointed members to the 2026 Measure P Oversight Committee. At that time, a representative of Ukiah Professional Firefighters Association Local 3686 was appointed. Since then, the Association’s representative roles have changed, and the Association may wish to designate a different representative consistent with its current roles, duties, and internal structure.
Discussion: Staff recommends adopting the resolution (Attachment 1) amending the appointments to the 2026 Measure P Oversight Committee to show the Ukiah City Firefighter representative as a designee of the Ukiah Professional Firefighters Association Local 3686.
Recommended Action: Adopt the Resolution Amending the Ukiah City Firefighter representative to be a designee of the Ukiah Professional Firefighters Association Local 3686.
BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED: N/A
CURRENT BUDGET AMOUNT: N/A
PROPOSED BUDGET AMOUNT: N/A
FINANCING SOURCE: N/A
REVENUE: No GRANT: No
PREVIOUS CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER NO.: N/A
COORDINATED WITH: N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN (SP): N/A
GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS (GP): N/A
ATTACHMENT 1
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF UKIAH MAKING APPOINTMENTS TO THE 2026 MEASURE P OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
WHEREAS, in 2014, Council adopted Resolution 2014-28 that established an Oversight Committee on the performance of the expenditure plan for public safety; and WHEREAS, per resolution 2014-28, every two years the City Council appoints five people to the Oversight Committee, whose function is to review the City’s budget for public safety services and the expenditure of the revenues that are budgeted; and
WHEREAS, per resolution 2014-28, the Oversight Committee shall represent a broad range of interests in the City, including such interests as business owners, ethnic minorities, (1) Ukiah City Firefighter, (1) Ukiah City peace officer, homeowners and tenants; and WHEREAS, on February 18, 2026, Council gave direction to Staff to solicit five committee members to serve on the Measure P Oversight Committee.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ukiah City Council does hereby appoint the following persons to serve on the 2026 Measure P Oversight Committee:
NAME POSITION TERM
ENDING
Mary Chadwich Public Representative (Business Owner) 2026 Matt Duncan Public Representative (Business Owner) 2026 Joe Riemann Public Representative (Business Owner) 2026 Adam Elledge Ukiah City Peace Officer 2026
(Designee of the
Ukiah Professional
Firefighters
Association Local
3686)
Ukiah City Firefighter 2026
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 17th day of June 2026, by the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
_______________________________
Susan Sher, Mayor
ATTEST:
__________________________________
Kristine Lawler, City Clerk
Agenda Item No: 12.a.
MEETING DATE/TIME: 6/17/2026
ITEM NO: 2026-735
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
SUBJECT: Adoption of Resolution to Adopt an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Development and Construction of an Additional Municipal Well.
DEPARTMENT: Water Resources PREPARED BY: Sean White, Water Resources Retired Annuitant PRESENTER: Sean White, Water Resources Retired Annuitant ATTACHMENTS:
1. Well 10 Final IS-MND
2. Well 10 Reso Adopt IS-MND and MMRP
3. Well 10 IS-MND NOD
Summary: Council will consider adopting a resolution to adopt an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) for the development and construction of an additional municipal well.
Background: Following the recent successive years of intense drought, it became apparent that the City would benefit from the development of an additional well to provide redundancy to the City's existing well field.
Development of an additional well is Intermediate-Term Objective 2023-4 and is also in the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) list.
In 2024, the City hired GHD to assist the City with the development of an additional municipal well to provide redundancy to the City's existing well field. GHD reviewed the existing well site reconnaissance report and recommended potential sites for developing test wells and designing a future facility. Reconnaissance was guided by the existing 2006 Well Siting study. The preferred location was the City-owned vineyard near Emerald Sun (referred to as "Ukiah Redevelopment Agency near Airport) in the 2006 Well Siting study. In addition, the rear parking lot of the former Bank of America site was identified as a "back-up" alternative. Unfortunately, neither of these sites were found to have sufficient access to groundwater for a large-scale municipal well.
Discussion: After results at the first two City-owned locations were not favorable, City staff identified a new alternative site near the intersection of Waugh Lane and Talmage Road that was not considered in the 2006 Well Siting study. The site was reviewed by GHD, and determined to be worth further exploration as a potential site for Well 10.
In order to comply with CEQA, SMB prepared an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) to analyze the potential environmental effects of the Proposed Project. On April 20, 2026, to initiate public review of the Draft IS/MND, the City filed a Notice of Completion (NOC) for the project with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (State Clearinghouse or SCH) and a Notice of Intent (NOI)/Availability (NOA) with the County of Mendocino and released the Public Draft IS/MND for a 30-day public review. As shown in the final ISMND and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) (Attachment 1), two comment letters and one email were received during the 30-day public review period. These include one email from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and letters from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Water Resources Control Board. Comment letters as well as responses to their comments can be found in Chapter 2 of the attached Final IS/MND and MMRP document.
As such, Staff recommends the City Council approve the findings of the attached Final IS/MND and MMRP and adopt a Resolution (Attachment 2) adopting the IS/MND and MMRP for the development of an additional municipal well and direct Staff to file a Notice of Determination (Attachment 3).
Recommended Action: Adopt resolution to adopt an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) for the development and construction of an additional municipal well; and direct Staff to file a Notice of Determination BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED: N/A
CURRENT BUDGET AMOUNT: N/A
PROPOSED BUDGET AMOUNT: N/A
FINANCING SOURCE: N/A
REVENUE: No GRANT: No
PREVIOUS CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER NO.: N/A
COORDINATED WITH: Jared Walker, Water Resources Director STRATEGIC PLAN (SP): N/A
GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS (GP): GP-A4 - Public Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure Element; GP-A5 - Environment and Sustainability Element.
City of Ukiah
New Municipal Well Project
Final Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration
SCH # 2026041112
Prepared by:
SMB Environmental, Inc.
June 2026
Attachment 1
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 i
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction................................................................................................ 1-1 Chapter 2 Comments Received ................................................................................. 2-1 Chapter 3 Responses to Comments ......................................................................... 3-1 Chapter 4 Revisions to the Public Draft IS/MND ...................................................... 4-1 Chapter 5 CEQA Findings and Determination: ........................................................ 5-1 Appendicies
Appendix A Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program ..................................A-1
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 1-1
Chapter 1 Introduction
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. and CEQA Guidelines), the City of Ukiah (City) prepared a Public Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) to evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with the City’s proposed New Municipal Well Project (Proposed Project).
Project Location, Purpose, and Description: The Proposed Project is located within the City of Ukiah limits on a vacant parcel that is owned by the City, located approximately 410 Talmage Road (APN# 003-150-40).
The purpose of the Proposed Project is to construct a new well with a capacity of approximately 600 to 1,000 gpm to help the City maintain and continue to provide its existing customers with safe, reliable, and redundant water supply. The Proposed Project would be constructed entirely on City owned property and would be of similar look, color, and size to the other City’s four (4) existing wells. The Proposed Project’s building would be located on a paved pad that would be approximately 150-feet by 150-feet and fenced with a locking gate. The Proposed Project would consist of construction and operation of a new municipal water well within an enclosed building approximately 20-feet by 40-feet by 10-feet high, which would occur in four phases. The first phase would be the construction of a test well to determine the potential capacity of the well and to test for water quality of the aquifer. If the capacity of the well and the water quality meet California’s drinking water standards, then the second phase would be for drilling and developing the well. This phase would drill the well hole and install blank and louvered casing to the necessary depths for the well. The third phase would be the installation of the pump and motor equipment.
This would include the construction/installation of a drive motor, sand separator, as well as the construction of the building, fencing, site lighting, electrical equipment and other site improvements. The fourth and last phase would be the construction of a 12-inch transmission line that would run to the west for approximately 25-feet and tie into the City’s existing 6-inch water transmission line in Waugh Lane. The pipeline would be trenched and buried approximately 3- feet deep below the existing ground surface. The new well will help provide water supply and pressure requirements for the area. Any damages to existing access roadways and fencing during construction will be returned to pre-construction conditions or better.
Significant Environmental Impacts: Potentially significant environmental effects that were addressed in the Public Draft IS/MND include, but are not limited to aesthetics, agricultural resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and tribal resources, hydrology/water quality, and traffic and transportation, among others. All of the potentially significant environmental impacts were found to be avoided or result in less than significant impacts with the incorporation of mitigation measures.
Public Review Period: On April 20, 2026, to initiate public review of the Draft IS/MND, the City filed a Notice of Completion (NOC) for the project with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (State Clearinghouse or SCH) and a Notice of Intent (NOI)/Availability (NOA) with the County of Mendocino and released the Public Draft IS/MND for a 30-day public review. The State Clearinghouse identified the Project with SCH # 202604112. The 30-day public review period was established between April 20 and May 22, 2026, with copies of the Draft IS/MND
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 1-2
available for review on the City’s website https://cityofukiah.com/ceqa-review/ and at the addresses below:
City of Ukiah, Public Works Administration Main Branch Library 300 Seminary Avenue 105 North Main
Street
Ukiah, CA 95482 Ukiah, CA 95482
This Final IS/MND was prepared according to CEQA Guidelines and considers and incorporates all comments received by the State Clearinghouse and other agencies during the 30-day public review period. The purpose of this document is to clarify facts set forth in the April 2026 Public Draft IS/MND, as necessary, to ensure accuracy. The City must consider the IS/MND, together with any comments received, before approving the Proposed Project (Public Resources Code Section 21091(f); and CEQA Guidelines Section 15074). The City has no affirmative duty to prepare formal responses to comments on the Public IS/MND but should have adequate information on the record explaining why the comments do/do not affect the conclusion that there are no potential significant environmental effects. The City is required to, however, notify, in writing, any commenting agencies of the date of the meeting on the Proposed Project for which an IS/MND is prepared and will be decided upon for approval (Public Resources Code Section 21092.5(b); and CEQA Guideline Section 15073).
This Final IS/MND is being distributed to agencies, stakeholder organizations, and individuals who commented on the Public Draft IS/MND to ensure that interested parties have an opportunity to express their views regarding the environmental impacts of the project, and to ensure that information pertinent to permits and approvals is provided to decision makers for the City and CEQA responsible agencies. Comments from the public have been incorporated into the Final IS/MND for the City’s City Council to consider whether to approve the Proposed Project. The City is scheduled to make a final decision on the Proposed Project at its regularly scheduled City Council Meeting on June 17, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, CA 95482.
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 2-1
Chapter 2 Comments Received
During the 30-day public review period (April 20 through May 22, 2026) the City received three (3) comments/letters regarding the Proposed Project. The City has reviewed and considered all of the comments received as follows in Table 2-1 below. Copies of the comment letters received are attached.
TABLE 2-1
COMMENTS RECEIVED
Date Commenting Agency
Comment
Letter
April 27, 2026
(via E-mail)
Heidi M. Bauer, Senior Engineering Geologist
North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Boards
5550 Skylane Blvd. Suite A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
A
May 18, 2026
Michael R. Harris, Acting Regional Manager
Northern Region
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
619 2nd Street
Eureka, CA 95501
B
May 21, 2026
Adrian Dela Calzada, Environmental Scientist
State Water Resources Control Board
Division of Financial Assistance
Special Project Review Unit
1001 I Street, 16th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
C
From: Bauer, Heidi M.@Waterboards <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 27, 2026 3:48 PM
To: Jared Walker <[email protected]>
Cc: McLaughlin, Kelsey R.@Waterboards <[email protected]> Subject: Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
[EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Hi Jarod,
I am providing comments on the Ukiah New Municipal Well Project at 410 Talmage Road in Ukiah. I wanted to inform you that the proposed well is located within 1,000 feet of four closed Regional Water Board cleanup cases associated with leaking underground storage tanks. These cases are listed in the public Geotracker database. Please note that some associated documents may not yet be uploaded to GeoTracker; they are available for review at our Santa Rosa office.
I recommend conducting a hydrogeologic study to evaluate whether contaminants from these sites could be drawn into the proposed well.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.
Best,
Heidi
Heidi Bauer, P.G.
Senior Engineering Geologist
R1 NORTH COAST
R1 Point Source Control & Groundwater Protection Division | R1 Cleanup Unit Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (707) 570-3769
Regional Water Quality Control Boards
5550 Skylane Blvd Suite A, Santa Rosa CA 95403
Website: www.waterboards.ca.gov
Follow: X | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn
COMMENT LETTER A
A-1
Disclaimer
The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
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Docusign Envelope ID: E9028562-6853-470F-A6A2-DB0A0248B6C0 State of California – Natural Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
Northern Region
619 2nd Street
GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor
MEGHAN HERTEL, Director
Eureka, CA 95501
www.wildlife.ca.gov
May 18, 2026
Jared Walker
City of Ukiah
300 Seminary Drive
Ukiah, California 95482
[email protected]
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION
State Clearinghouse (SCH)# 2026041112
Dear Jared Walker:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) received a Notice of Availability of an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) from the City of Ukiah for the City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project (Project) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and CEQA Guidelines.1 Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments and recommendations regarding activities involved in the Project that may affect California fish and wildlife. Likewise, we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments regarding aspects of the Project that CDFW, by law, may be required to carry out or approve through the exercise of its own regulatory authority under the Fish and Game Code.
CDFW ROLE
CDFW is California’s Trustee Agency for fish and wildlife resources and holds those resources in trust by statute for all the people of the state. (Fish & G. Code, §§ 711.7, subd. (a) & 1802; Pub. Resources Code, § 21070; CEQA Guidelines § 15386, subd. (a).) CDFW, in its trustee capacity, has jurisdiction over the conservation, protection, and management of fish, wildlife, native plants, and habitat necessary for biologically sustainable populations of those species. (Id., § 1802.) Similarly, for purposes of CEQA, CDFW is charged by law to provide, as available, biological expertise during public agency environmental review efforts, focusing specifically on projects and related activities that have the potential to adversely affect fish and wildlife resources.
CDFW is also submitting comments as a Responsible Agency under CEQA. (Pub.
Resources Code, § 21069; CEQA Guidelines, § 15381.) CDFW may need to exercise regulatory authority as provided by Fish and Game Code. For example, the Project may be subject to CDFW’s lake and streambed alteration regulatory authority. (Fish & G. Code, § 1600 et seq.) Likewise, to the extent implementation of the Project as proposed may result in “take” as defined by State law of any species protected under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) (Fish & G. Code, § 2050 et seq.), the project proponent may seek related take authorization as provided by the Fish and Game Code.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION SUMMARY
The Project proponent, the City of Ukiah (City), proposes to construct a new well with a capacity of approximately 600 to 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm). The 1 CEQA is codified in the California Public Resources Code in section 21000 et seq. The “CEQA Guidelines” are found in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, commencing with section 15000.
COMMENT LETTER B
Docusign Envelope ID: E9028562-6853-470F-A6A2-DB0A0248B6C0 Jared Walker
Water Resources Director
May 18, 2026
primary Project activities include construction of a test well to determine the potential capacity of the well, development of the well and related infrastructure, construction of an 800 square foot building to house the well and its electric components, other site development, and the construction of a 12-inch water transmission line, approximately 25-feet in length that would connect to the City’s existing 6-inch water transmission line in Waugh Lane. Construction of the proposed Project is proposed to begin in the spring or summer of 2026 and take approximately one year to complete.
Location
The Project is located on a City-owned parcel situated at 410 Talmage Road (APN# 003-150-40). The proposed project is located within the City of Ukiah, in Mendocino County. The Russian River is located approximately 0.78 miles to the east of the proposed Project site.
COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CDFW offers the following comments and recommendations to assist the City in adequately identifying and/or mitigating the Project’s significant, or potentially significant, direct and indirect impacts on fish and wildlife (biological) resources.
I. Project Description and Related Impact Shortcoming
Section 2.1, Page 2-1 Proposed Project Description
Comment 1: The Project Description does not provide an adequate discussion of the potential impact to groundwater levels and flows within the Russian River that may occur with the installation and use of a new production well. The IS/MND disclosed that the Project would be implemented in five phases, with drilling of a test well to occur in Phase 1. This exploratory activity would evaluate the intervals and depths of both permeable and non-permeable sediments below ground surface, and the potential flow capacities of that material.
Recommendation 1: As the proposed well site is approximately 0.78 mile from the Russian River, and the sediments are characterized as fine to coarsegrained material with moderate infiltration rates (Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan chapter 2.2.1.2 [2021]). Phase 1 should include a study of the potential drawdown of groundwater to determine both the vertical and lateral extent of groundwater levels during pumping. The study should also provide accurate estimates of aquifer parameters (i.e. hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, etc.), which are critical in determining the lateral extent of the pumping influences generated by the well.
II. Environmental Setting and Related Impact Shortcoming Section 3.4, Page 3-10, Biological Resources
Comment 2: The proposed Project may have a substantial adverse effect through the reduction of instream flows within the Russian River on federally listed species including Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Steelhead Trout (O. mykiss), amphibian Species of Special Concern including red-bellied newt (Taricha rivularis) and Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (Rana boylii), and riparian plant communities.
CDFW Recommendation 2: CDFW requests the opportunity to review the information collected during drilling and monitoring of the test well (Phase 1) to assess the potential impacts to groundwater levels and flows within the Russian River prior to the City commencing Phase 2.
B-1
B-2
Docusign Envelope ID: E9028562-6853-470F-A6A2-DB0A0248B6C0 Jared Walker
Water Resources Director
May 18, 2026
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
CEQA requires that information developed in environmental impact reports and negative declarations be incorporated into a database which may be used to make subsequent or supplemental environmental determinations. (Pub. Resources Code, § 21003, subd. (e).) Accordingly, please report any special status species and natural communities detected during Project surveys to the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). The CNNDB field survey form can be filled out and submitted online at the following link:
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Submitting-Data. The types of information reported to CNDDB can be found at the following link:
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Plants-and-Animals.
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT FILING FEES
The Project, as proposed, would have an impact on fish and/or wildlife, and assessment of environmental document filing fees is necessary. Fees are payable upon filing of the Notice of Determination by the Lead Agency and serve to help defray the cost of environmental review by CDFW. Payment of the environmental document filing fee is required in order for the underlying project approval to be operative, vested, and final. (Cal. Code Regs, tit. 14, § 753.5; Fish & G. Code, § 711.4; Pub. Resources Code, § 21089.)
CONCLUSION
CDFW appreciates the opportunity to comment on the IN/MND to assist the City in identifying and mitigating Project impacts on biological resources. Due to the issues presented in this letter, CDFW concludes that the IS/MND does not adequately identify or mitigate the Project’s significant, or potentially significant, impacts on biological resources. Deficiencies in the IS/MND can affect later project approvals by CDFW in its role as a Responsible Agency. In addition, because of these issues, CDFW has concerns that City may not have the basis to approve the project or make “findings” as required by CEQA unless the environmental document is modified to eliminate and/or mitigate significant impacts, as reasonably feasible (CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15074, 15091 & 15092).
Questions regarding this letter or further coordination should be directed to Jennifer Garrison, Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) at 707-477-7792 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Michael R. Harris, Acting Regional Manager
Northern Region
Docusign Envelope ID: E9028562-6853-470F-A6A2-DB0A0248B6C0 Jared Walker
Water Resources Director
May 18, 2026
ec: Angela Liebenberg, Monty Larson, Bryan Demucha, Jennifer Garrison, Rebecca Garwood
Office of Planning and Research, State Clearinghouse, Sacramento [email protected]
REFERENCE
Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, Ukiah Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan, December 2021.
State Water Resources Control Board
May 21, 2026
Jared Walker
City of Ukiah
300 Seminary Drive
Ukiah, CA 95482
CITY OF UKIAH (CITY), INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (IS/MND) FOR THE CITY OF UKIAH NEW MUNICIPAL WELL PROJECT (PROJECT); STATE CLEARINGHOUSE # 2026041112
Dear Mr. Walker:
Thank you for the opportunity to review the IS/MND for the proposed Project. The State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water (State Water Board, DDW) is responsible for issuing water supply permits pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act.
This Project is within the jurisdiction of the State Water Board, DDW Mendocino District.
DDW Mendocino District issues domestic water supply permit amendments to public water systems pursuant to Waterworks Standards (Title 22 California Code of Regulations [Cal Code Regs.] chapter 16 et. seq.). A public water system requires a water supply permit amendment when changes are made to a domestic water supply source, storage, or treatment and for the operation of new water system componentsas specified in the Cal. Code Regs. § 64556. The City will need to apply for a water supply permit amendment for the operation of a new drinking water source.
The State Water Board, DDW, as a responsible agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), has the following comments on the City’s IS/MND:
The ISMND failed to include the State Water Board, DDW in Table 1: Regulatory Requirements, Permits, and Authorizations for Project Facilities (page 17). Please update Table 1 to include the water supply permit amendment approval from the State Water Board, DDW.
When the CEQA review process is completed, please forward the following items with the permit application to the State Water Board, DDW Mendocino District Office at [email protected]:
· The IS/MND and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan (MMRP); · All comment letters received and the lead agency responses as appropriate; · The Resolution or Board Minutes adopting the IS/MND and MMRP and approving the Project; and
COMMENT LETTER C
C-1
C-2
Jared Walker - 2 - May 21, 2026
· The date stamped Notice of Determination filed at the Mendocino County Clerk’s Office and the State Clearinghouse.
Please contact Adrian Dela Calzada of the State Water Board at (916) 341-5167 or [email protected], for questions regarding this comment letter.
Sincerely,
Adrian Dela Calzada
Adrian Dela Calzada
Environmental Scientist
Division of Financial Assistance
Special Project Review Unit
1001 I Street, 16th floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Cc: Office of Planning and Research, State Clearinghouse Zachary Rounds
District Engineer
Mendocino District
Matt Foster
Sanitary Engineer
Mendocino District
Enclsoures:
1. State of California Application for Domestic Water Supply Permit Amendment https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/documents/permits/ amended_permit_application.pdf
2. Permits for Water Systems link:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/Permits.html
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 3-1
Chapter 3 Responses to Comments
This chapter evaluates the comments received during the 30-day public review period (April 20 through May 22, 2026). During the 30-day public review period (April 20 through May 22, 2026) the City received three (3) comments/letters regarding the Proposed Project. The City has reviewed and considered all of the comments received and provides a response to each of those comments below.
COMMENT LETTER A – NORTH COAST REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD
Comment A-1. Comment Noted. Thank you for your comments. You are correct in that according to the public Geotracker database, there are four known Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) cases within 1,000 feet of the City’s Proposed Project at 410 Talmage Road, Ukiah, California. However, each of these four cases have been cleaned up, closed, and are inactive. The major risks of LUSTs in Ukiah are to the localized perched groundwater and local creeks and drainages that flow to the Russian River. Any further leakage issues should be monitored and/or hydrogeologic studies are the responsibility of the previous and/or current owners of those properties and not the responsibility of this Proposed Project.
In general, the static groundwater level in Ukiah is at approximately 10-feet below ground surface level, followed by a layer of clay (typically from 15- to 40-feet) and then a second layer of unconfined aquifer (typically from 40- to 70-feet) and then a dense clay aquitard (typically from 70- to 90-feet).
As described in the Project Description, the City’s well design criteria intentionally includes a sealed, un-perforated casing though both layers of the unconfined aquifer (typically 0- to 90-feet) to eliminate opportunities for our groundwater facilities to interact with surface water and/or localized perched groundwater, including potential contamination issues. As a result, the Proposed Project would not draw any potential contamination from these sites into the Proposed Well. Further, the Proposed well will draw groundwater from the Ukiah Basin at approximately 270 feet below surface level will and go through multiple layers of aquifers and impermeable clay, that would be separate any potential contamination caused by any LUSTs. Further, none of the City’s existing four wells have experienced any contamination issues and are also within 1,000 feet of other closed LUSTs. Lastly, the Phase 1 work would involve a test well to determine the quality and quantity of the groundwater. Therefore, any potential contamination into a permanent well is nonexistent and no other studies are required.
COMMENT LETTER B – CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE Comment B-1. Comment Noted. Thank you for your comments. The City of Ukiah shares your concerns and has already developed well design criteria specifically to mitigate this potential issue in response to similar past comments on four prior Well Projects (Wells 7 and 8 (2008) and Wells 4 and 9 (2016).
The e Proposed Project would be implemented in four phases, with drilling of a test well to occur in Phase 1 and where this exploratory activity would evaluate the intervals and depths of both permeable and non-permeable soils below ground surface, the permeability of that material, and the
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 3-2
ability/inability to interact with surface waters such as the Russian River and instream flows. In general, the static groundwater level in Ukiah is at approximately 10-feet below ground surface level, followed by a layer of clay (typically from 15- to 40-feet) and then a second layer of unconfined aquifer (typically from 40- to 70-feet) and then a dense clay aquitard (typically from 70- to 90-feet).
The City’s well design criteria intentionally includes a sealed, un-perforated casing though both layers of the unconfined aquifer (typically 0- to 90-feet) to eliminate opportunities for our groundwater facilities to interact with surface water. Information collected in Phase 1 will be used to develop site specific design parameters to ensure that this facility will be constructed to achieve these objectives. In addition, Phase 1 will include a study of the vertical and lateral extent of groundwater levels during pumping and extent of pumping influences to be generated by the well.
The City will be glad to share this Phase 1 information with CDFW and the City will use that information to ensure that there is no interaction with the Russian River prior to going to Phase 2.
Further, and as disclosed in Section 3.8 - Hydrology and Water Quality of the IS/MND, the City’s wells (including the Proposed Project) are and will be drilled through the unconfined aquifer and the well casings are sealed to prevent pulling from this first layer of water—rivers and creeks—and remain sealed within the layers of hard clay. When the well moves into the confined aquifers of stored water, the well casings have porous screens to allow the water to move into the well shaft where it can be pulled up. The wells vary in depth, averaging about 270 feet, and go through multiple layers of aquifers and impermeable clay, pulling water from the spongelike rock and gravel aquifer beds. As a result, the Proposed Project would not have any ability to impact instream flows of the Russian River. Again, the City will be glad to share this Phase 1 information with CDFW and the City will use that information to ensure that there is no interaction with the Russian River prior to going to Phase 2.
Comment B-2. Comment Noted. As noted above and disclosed in Section 3.8 - Hydrology and Water Quality of the IS/MND, the City’s will not have any interaction with the Russian River. As a result, the Proposed Project would not have any effects on instream flows of the Russian River and thus would not have any adverse impacts on any state or federally listed biological species including Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Coho Salmon, amphibian California Species of Special Concern including red-bellied newt and foothill yellow-legged Frog, and riparian plant communities.
Further and as stated above, the City will provide CDFW with the opportunity to review the Phase 1 test drill results and the City will ensure that there is no interaction with the Russian River prior to commencing Phase 2.
COMMENT LETTER C – STATEWATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
Comment C-1. Comment Noted. Thank you for your comments. Please see Chapter 4 of this Final IS/MND with the addition/revision of the DDW permit in Table 1.
Comment C-2. Comment Noted. When the City completes the CEQA review process the City will forward the following items along with the permit application to the State Water Board, DDW Mendocino District Office at DDW [email protected]:
• The IS/MND and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan (MMRP);
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 3-3
• All comment letters received and the lead agency responses, as appropriate; • The Resolution or Board Minutes adopting the IS/MND and MMRP and approving the Project; and
• The date stamped Notice of Determination filed at the Mendocino County Clerk’s Office and the State Clearinghouse.
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 4-1
Chapter 4 Revisions to the Public Draft IS/MND
This chapter shows revisions to the Public Draft IS/MND, subsequent to the document’s publication and public review. The revisions are presented in the order in which they appear in the Public Draft IS/MND and are identified by section and page number in respective chapters. These revisions are shown as excerpts from the Public Draft IS/MND, with strikethrough (strikethrough) text in indicate deletions and underlined (underlined) text to indicate additions.
Chapter 2 Proposed Project Description and Alternatives On Page 2-6 under Section 2.4 - Responsible Agencies, Permits, and Approvals, Table 1 has been revised as follows:
Table 1
Regulatory Requirements, Permits, and Authorizations for Project Facilities Agency Type of Approval
California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water, Mendocino DDW
• Recommendations for Drinking Water
Requirements
• Water Supply Amendment Permit Approval
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health
• Construction activities in compliance with
CAL/OSHA safety requirements
Federal Aviation Administration • Airport Facilities Construction Approval North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System General Permit for Stormwater
Discharge Associated with Construction
Activities
Mendocino County Air Quality Management District • Authority to Construct • Permit to Operate
Mendocino County/Groundwater Sustainability Agency • Well Drilling Permit
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
Final IS/MND
June 2026 5-1
Chapter 5 CEQA Findings and Determination:
On the basis of this Final IS/MND for the City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project:
I find that the Proposed Project WOULD NOT have a significant effect on the environment, and a NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared.
I find that although the Proposed Project COULD have a significant effect on the environment, there will NOT be a significant effect in this case because revisions in the Project and/or mitigation measures have been made by or agreed to by the City. As a result, a MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared.
I find that the Proposed Project MAY have a significant effect on the environment, and an ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT is required.
I find that the Proposed Project MAY have a “potentially significant impact” or “potentially significant unless mitigated” impact on the environment, but at least one effect 1) has been adequately analyzed in an earlier document pursuant to applicable legal standards, and 2) has been addressed by mitigation measures based on the earlier analysis as described on attached sheets. An ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT is required, but it must analyze only the effects that remain to be addressed.
I find that although the Proposed Project could have a significant effect on the environment, because all potentially significant effects (a) have been analyzed adequately in an earlier EIR or NEGATIVE DECLARATION pursuant to applicable standards, and (b) have been avoided or mitigated pursuant to that earlier EIR or NEGATIVE DECLARATION, including revisions or mitigation measures that are imposed upon the Proposed Project, nothing further is required.
Signature Date
Jared Walker Water Resources Director____________
Printed Name Title
6/2/26
Appendix A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM
City of Ukiah
New Municipal Well Project
Final Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration
SCH # 2026041112
Prepared for:
City of Ukiah
300 Seminary Avenue
Ukiah, CA 95482
Prepared by:
SMB Environmental, Inc.
June 2026
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
2 INTRODUCTION
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. and CEQA Guidelines), the City of Ukiah (City) prepared a Public Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) to evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with the City’s New Municipal Well Project (Proposed Project).
Project Location, Purpose, and Description: The Proposed Project is located within the City of Ukiah limits on a vacant parcel that is owned by the City, located approximately 410 Talmage Road (APN# 003-150-40).
The purpose of the Proposed Project is to construct a new well with a capacity of approximately 600 to 1,000 gpm to help the City maintain and continue to provide its existing customers with safe, reliable, and redundant water supply.
The Proposed Project would be constructed entirely on City owned property and would be of similar look, color, and size to the other City’s four (4) existing wells. The Proposed Project’s building would be located on a paved pad that would be approximately 150-feet by 150-feet and fenced with a locking gate. The Proposed Project would consist of construction and operation of a new municipal water well within an enclosed building approximately 20-feet by 40-feet by 10-feet high, which would occur in four phases. The first phase would be the construction of a test well to determine the potential capacity of the well and to test for water quality of the aquifer. If the capacity of the well and the water quality meet California’s drinking water standards, then the second phase would be for drilling and developing the well.
This phase would drill the well hole and install blank and louvered casing to the necessary depths for the well. The third phase would be the installation of the pump and motor equipment. This would include the
construction/installation of a drive motor, sand separator, as well as the construction of the building, fencing, site lighting, electrical equipment and other site improvements. The fourth and last phase would be the construction of a 12-inch transmission line that would run to the west for approximately 25- feet and tie into the City’s existing 6-inch water transmission line in Waugh Lane. The pipeline would be trenched and buried approximately 3-feet deep below the existing ground surface. The new well will help provide water supply and pressure requirements for the area. Any damages to existing access roadways and fencing during construction will be returned to pre-construction conditions or better.
Significant Environmental Impacts: Potentially significant environmental effects that were addressed in the Public Draft IS/MND include, but are not limited to aesthetics, agricultural resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and tribal resources, hydrology/water quality, and traffic and transportation, among others. All of the potentially significant environmental impacts were found to be avoided or result in less than significant impacts with the incorporation of mitigation measures.
Public Review Period: On April 20, 2026, to initiate public review of the Draft IS/MND, the City filed a Notice of Completion (NOC) for the project with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (State Clearinghouse or SCH) and a Notice of Intent (NOI)/Availability (NOA) with the County of Mendocino and released the Public Draft IS/MND for a 30-day public review.
The State Clearinghouse identified the Project with SCH # 202604112. The 30-day public review period was established between April 20 and May 22, 2026, with copies of the Draft IS/MND available for review on the City’s website https://cityofukiah.com/ceqa-review/ and at 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, CA 95482 and at the City of Ukiah Main Branch Library at 100 North Main Street, Ukiah, CA 95482.
The City received three (3) comments/letters during the 30-day public review period and has considered all comments received. The City then prepared a Final IS/MND according to CEQA Guidelines. Based on the Final IS/MND, the Proposed Project would not result in new significant impacts, substantially increase the severity of previously disclosed impacts, or involve any of the other conditions related to changed circumstances or new information that would require a EIR under Public Resources Code section 21166 and CEQA Guidelines section 15162 beyond those impacts and conditions already identified in the City’s Public Draft IS/MND.
PURPOSE OF MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING
PROGRAM
This MMRP has been prepared to ensure that all required mitigation measures are implemented and completed in a satisfactory manner before and during project construction and operation. The MMRP may be modified by the City during project implementation, as necessary, in response to changing conditions or other refinements. Table A (included at the end of this document) has been prepared to assist the responsible parties in implementing the mitigation measures. The table identifies individual mitigation measures, monitoring/mitigation timing, and responsible person/agency for
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
3 implementing the measure, monitoring and reporting procedure, and space to confirm implementation of the mitigation measures. The numbering of mitigation measures follows the numbering sequence found in the Public Draft IS/MND.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Unless otherwise specified herein, the City is responsible for taking all actions necessary to implement the mitigation measures under its jurisdiction according to the specifications provided for each measure and for demonstrating that the action has been successfully completed. The City, at its discretion, may delegate implementation responsibility or portions thereof to a licensed contractor or other designated agent. The City would be responsible for overall administration of the MMRP and for verifying that City staff members and/or the construction contractor has completed the necessary actions for each measure.
The City shall designate a project manager to oversee implementation of the MMRP and who is primarily responsible for implementing the mitigation measures for the Proposed Project as described in this MMRP. Duties of the project manager include the following:
• Ensure that routine inspections of the construction site are conducted by appropriate City staff; check plans, reports, and other documents required by the MMRP; and conduct report activities.
• Serve as a liaison between the City and the contractor or project applicant regarding mitigation-monitoring issues.
• Complete forms and maintain reports and other records and documents generated by the MMRP.
• Coordinate and ensure that corrective actions or enforcement measures are taken, if necessary.
The responsible party for implementation of each item shall identify the staff members responsible for coordinating with the City on the MMRP.
REPORTING
The City’s Project Manager shall prepare a monitoring report, upon completion of the project, on the compliance of the activity with the required mitigation measures. Information regarding inspections and other requirements shall be compiled and explained in the report. The report shall be designed to simply and clearly identify whether mitigation measures have been adequately implemented. At a minimum, each report shall identify the mitigation measures or conditions to be monitored for implementation, whether compliance with the mitigation measures or conditions has occurred, the procedures used to assess compliance, and whether further action is required.
MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PLAN TABLE
The categories identified in Table A are described below. • Mitigation Measure – This column provides the text of the mitigation measures identified in the IS/MND.
• Timing – This column identifies the time frame in which the mitigation will take place.
• Implementation – This column identifies the party responsible for implementing compliance with the requirements of the mitigation measure
• Enforcement – This column identifies the party responsible for enforcing compliance with the requirements of the mitigation measure.
• Dated Signature for Verification of Compliance – This column is to be dated and signed by the person (either project manager or his/her designee) responsible for verifying compliance with the requirements of the mitigation measure.
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
4 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
3.1 AESTHETICS
Mitigation Measure AES-1: Implement Visual Construction Best Management Practices. The City and/or its contractor shall remove construction debris and dispose of it at a licensed facility on a daily basis. In the event daily disposal is not determined to be practical, it must be stored on site as far from residential receptors as feasible and be screened from view. The contractor would also be required to remove any debris, mud or other soils from the site that was deposited on public roadways by construction-related traffic. Construction equipment and crew parking areas are to be staged in an orderly manner and as far as possible from existing residences. Site conditions are to be left in a clean and orderly manner at the end of each working day.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure AES-2: Implement Architectural Features into Facility Design. The City and/or its contractor shall design and construct the new well facility to match the visual characteristics of the City’s existing groundwater well facilities throughout the City, as much as feasible.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure AES-3: Respectful and Effective Lighting. To ensure that the project’s exterior lighting does not spill over onto the adjacent uses including the adjacent airport operations and residential areas, all exterior light fixtures on the new well, shall be shielded or directed away from adjoining uses. Outdoor light intensity shall be limited to that necessary for adequate security and safety and be activated by motion sensors - as appropriate. All outside lighting shall be directed to prevent spillage onto adjacent properties and shall be shown on the site plans and elevations.
During and
after
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
3.3 AIR QUALITY/GREENHOUSE GASES
Mitigation Measure AIR-1: Basic Construction Mitigation Measures Recommended for ALL Proposed Construction Projects. During all phases of construction and as appropriate, the following procedures shall be implemented:
• Water all active construction areas at least twice daily. Frequency should be based on the type of operation, soil, and wind exposure.
• Prohibit all grading activities during periods of high wind (over 15 mph). • Apply chemical soil stabilizers on inactive construction areas (disturbed lands within construction projects that are unused for at least four consecutive days).
• Apply non-toxic binders (e.g., latex acrylic copolymer) to exposed areas after cut and fill operations and hydro seed area.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
1 The City’s Water Resources Director is primarily responsible for implementing and/or ensuring the implementation of the mitigation measures for the Proposed Project as described in this MMRP.
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
5 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
• Haul trucks shall maintain at least 2'0" of freeboard. • Cover all trucks hauling dirt, sand, or loose materials. • Plant tree windbreaks on the windward perimeter of construction projects if adjacent to open land. • Plant vegetative ground cover in disturbed areas as soon as possible. • Cover inactive storage piles.
• Install wheel washers at the entrance to construction sites for all exiting trucks. • Pave all roads on construction sites.
• Sweep streets if visible soil material is carried out from the construction site. • Post a publicly visible sign which specifies the telephone number and person to contact regarding dust complaints. This person shall respond to complaints and take corrective action within 48 hours. The phone number of the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District shall be visible to ensure compliance with Rule 402 (Nuisance).
• Limit the area under construction at any one time.
• Limit the pieces of equipment used at any one time.
• Minimize the use of diesel-powered equipment (i.e., wheeled tractor, wheeled loader, roller) by using gasolinepowered equipment to reduce NOx emissions. • Limit the hours of operation for heavy-duty equipment. • Undertake project during non-zone season (November 1 – April 30). • Off-site mitigation
3.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
Mitigation Measure BIO-1: Conduct Pre-construction Survey(s) for Special Status Wildlife Species. A qualified biologist shall conduct a pre-construction survey for state and federal special status plant and wildlife species no more than 14-days prior to construction. If a wildlife special species is found near any proposed construction areas, impacts on individuals and their habitat shall be avoided to the extent feasible. If occupied habitat can be avoided, an exclusion zone shall be established around the habitat and temporary suitable/authorized fencing shall be installed around the buffer area with “Sensitive Habitat Area” signs posted and clearly visible on the outside of the fence. If avoidance is not possible and the species is determined to be present in work areas, the qualified biologist with prior approval from CDFW and/or Prior to
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
6 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
USFWS may capture the wildlife special status species prior to construction activities and relocate them to nearby, suitable habitat a minimum of 300-feet from the work area. Exclusion fencing shall then be installed if feasible to prevent them from reentering the work area. For the duration of work in these areas, the biologist should conduct regular follow-up visits to monitor effectiveness.
Mitigation Measure BIO-2: Conduct Bird Breeding and Nesting Surveys. For construction activities that occur between February 1 and August 31, preconstruction breeding and nesting bird surveys shall be conducted by a qualified biologist prior to and within 14 days of any initial ground-disturbance activities. Surveys shall be conducted within all suitable nesting habitat within 250-feet of the activity. All active, non-status passerine nests identified at that time shall be protected by a 50-foot radius minimum exclusion zone. Active raptor or special-status species nests shall be protected by a buffer with a minimum radius of 200-feet. CDFW and USFWS recommend that a minimum 500-foot exclusion buffer be established around active special status species nests. The following considerations apply to this mitigation measure:
• Survey results are valid for 14-days from the survey date. Should ground disturbance commence later than 14-days from the survey date, surveys should be repeated. If no breeding birds are encountered, then work may proceed as planned.
• Exclusion zone sizes may vary, depending on habitat characteristics and species, and are generally larger for raptors and colonial nesting birds. Each exclusion zone would remain in place until the nest is abandoned or all young have fledged.
• The non-breeding season is defined as September 1 to January 31. During this period, breeding is not occurring and surveys are not required. However, if nesting birds are encountered during work activities in the non-breeding season, disturbance activities within a minimum of 50-feet of the nest should be postponed until the nest is abandoned or young birds have fledged.
Prior to
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure BIO-3: Environmental Awareness Training. All construction personnel shall be given environmental awareness training by the Proposed Project’s environmental inspector or biological monitor before the start of construction. The training will familiarize all construction personnel with the federally listed species that may occur in the Project Area, their habitats, general provisions and protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act, measures to be implemented to protect these species, and the project boundaries. This training will be provided to any new worker before they are authorized to perform project work. As part of the environmental awareness training, construction personnel will be notified that no dogs or any other pets under control of construction personnel will be allowed in the Project Area, and that no firearms will be permitted in the Project Area, unless carried by authorized security personnel or law enforcement.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure BIO-4: Biological Monitor. Based on the results of BIO-1 and BIO-2 above, a CDFW and/or USFWS-approved Biological Monitor shall be present on-site for all construction activities that occur within 100-feet of any identified suitable habitats for state and/or federally listed species that may be present during the construction of the Proposed Project. To the extent required, the City will submit the Biological Monitor’s qualifications to the CDFW and the USFWS for approval 30-days prior to project construction. The Biological Monitor will ensure that all applicable avoidance and minimization measures are implemented during project construction. The Biological Monitor will also ensure that all Prior to
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
7 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
vehicles entering the site are free of debris that may harbor organisms that could be introduced to the site, such as vegetation or mud from other areas.
The Biological Monitor will oversee construction activities to ensure that no state or federally listed species and/or their habitats experience unintended effects. The Biological Monitor will have the authority to stop any work activities that could result in unintended adverse effects to covered species and/or their habitats.
Mitigation Measure BIO-5: Staging Areas and Access Routes. When working on habitats that support state and/or federally listed species, disturbance to existing grades and vegetation will be limited to the actual site of the Proposed Project and necessary access routes. Placement of all roads, staging areas, and other facilities will avoid and limit disturbance-sensitive habitats (e.g., riparian habitat, suitable habitats) as much as possible. All staging and material storage areas, including the locations where equipment and vehicles are parked overnight, will be placed outside of the flood zone of a watercourse, away from riparian habitat or wetland habitat, and away from any other sensitive habitats. When possible, staging and access areas will be situated in areas that are previously disturbed, such as developed areas, paved areas, parking lots, areas with bare ground or gravel, and areas clear of vegetation.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
3.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES
Mitigation Measure CR-1: Halt Work if Cultural Resources are Discovered. In the event that any prehistoric or historic subsurface cultural resources are discovered during ground disturbing activities, all work within 100-feet of the resources shall be halted and after notification, the City shall consult with a qualified archaeologist to assess the significance of the find. If any find is determined to be significant (CEQA Guidelines 15064.5[a][3] or as unique archaeological resources per Section 21083.2 of the California Public Resources Code), representatives of the City and a qualified archaeologist shall meet to determine the appropriate course of action. In considering any suggested mitigation proposed by the consulting archaeologist in order to mitigate impacts to historical resources or unique archaeological resources, the lead agency shall determine whether avoidance is necessary and feasible in light of factors such as the nature of the find, project design, costs, and other considerations. If avoidance is infeasible, other appropriate measures (e.g., data recovery) shall be instituted. Work may proceed on other parts of the project site while mitigation for historical resources or unique archaeological resources is carried out.
Upon discovery
of cultural
resources
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure CR-2: Stop Work if Paleontological Resources are Discovered. If paleontological resources, such as fossilized bone, teeth, shell, tracks, trails, casts, molds, or impressions are discovered during ground-disturbing activities, work will stop in that area and within 100-feet of the find until a qualified paleontologist can assess the significance of the find and, if necessary, develop appropriate treatment measures in consultation with the City.
Upon discovery
of the
suspected
paleontological
remains
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure CR-3: Halt Work if Human Remains are Found. If human remains are encountered during excavation activities conducted for the Proposed Project, all work in the adjacent area shall stop immediately and the Mendocino County Coroner’s office shall be notified. If the Coroner determines that the remains are Native American in origin, the Native American Heritage Commission shall be notified and will identify the Most Likely Descendent, who will be consulted for recommendations for treatment of the discovered human remains and any associated burial goods.
Upon the
discovery of
suspected
human remains
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
8 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
3.6 GEOLOGY AND SOILS
Mitigation Measure GEO-1: Erosion and Sedimentation Prevention Procedures. The City, or its contractor, shall comply with applicable State Water Resources Control Board regulations for Construction and Municipal Stormwater Projects.
Prior to
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure GEO-2: Conduct Geotechnical Investigation. The City shall conduct a design-level geotechnical study/investigation to project implementation to determine proper design and construction methods, including design of any soil remediation measures as required to reduce hazards caused by landslides, liquefaction, and/or lateral spreading.
Prior to
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
3.7 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Mitigation Measure HAZ-1: Store, Handle, Use Hazardous Materials in Accordance with Applicable Laws. The City shall ensure that all construction-related and operational hazardous materials and hazardous wastes shall be stored, handled, and used in a manner consistent with relevant and applicable federal, state, and local laws. In addition, construction-related and operational hazardous materials and hazardous wastes shall be staged and stored away from stream channels and steep banks to keep these materials a safe distance from near-by residents and prevent them from entering surface waters in the event of an accidental release.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure HAZ-2: Properly Dispose of Contaminated Soil and/or Groundwater. If contaminated soil and/or groundwater is encountered or if suspected contamination is encountered during project construction, work shall be halted in the area, and the type and extent of the contamination shall be identified. A contingency plan to dispose of any contaminated soil or groundwater will be developed through consultation with appropriate regulatory agencies.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure HAZ-3: Equipment Inspection and Maintenance. The City shall ensure that well-maintained equipment will be used to perform the work, and except in the case of a failure or breakdown, equipment maintenance will be performed off-site. Equipment will be inspected daily by the operator for leaks or spills. If leaks or spills are encountered, the source of the leak will be identified, leaked material will be cleaned up, and the cleaning materials will be collected and properly disposed. Spills, leaks, and other problems of a similar nature will be resolved immediately to prevent unnecessary effects on state and federally listed species and their habitats. A plan for the emergency cleanup of any spills of fuel or other material will be available on site, and adequate materials for spill cleanup will be maintained on site.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure HAZ-4: Fueling Activities. The City will protect state and federally listed species and their habitats from pollution due to fuels, oils, lubricants, and other harmful materials. Vehicles and equipment that are used during the Proposed Project will be fueled and serviced in a manner that will not affect federally listed species or their habitats.
During
construction of
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
9 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
Machinery and equipment used will be serviced, fueled, and maintained on uplands in a “safe” area (i.e., outside of sensitive habitats) and will be located outside of suitable habitats for federally listed species, to prevent contamination.
Fueling equipment and vehicles will be kept more than 200-feet away from aquatic habitats (i.e., waters of the U.S. and Waters of the State), and more than 100-feet away from suitable terrestrial habitats for federally listed species. Exceptions to this distance requirement may be allowed for large cranes, pile drivers, and drill rigs, if they cannot be easily moved.
The City will establish a temporary fuel containment basin if these buffers cannot be maintained. Fueling will be conducted in accordance with procedures to be developed in a Spill Prevention and Pollution Control Plan. the Proposed
Project
Mitigation Measure HAZ-5: Equipment Staging. The City shall ensure that no staging of construction materials, equipment, tools, buildings, trailers, or restroom facilities will occur in a floodplain during flood season, even if staging is only temporary.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure HAZ-6: Comply with FAA Advisory Circular 150/5370-2. The City and its contractors shall comply with all relevant sections of the FAA Advisory Circular 150/5370-2, which sets forth guidelines for operational safety on airports during construction, including the development of an Airport Construction and Phasing Plan that must be provided to and approved of by the Airport Manager/Airport Traffic Control Tower folks prior to construction. The City shall coordinate all associated construction activities with the Airport Manager/Airport Traffic Control Tower within 5 business days prior to the initiation of construction activities.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure HAZ-7: Comply with FAA Advisory Circular 70/7460-1M. The City and its contractors shall comply with all relevant sections of the FAA Advisory Circular 70/7460-1M, which sets forth guidelines for obstruction marking and lighting. The Proposed Project will exceed the RWY 09/27 Part 77 Transitional surface and therefore, the structure must be lighted with red obstruction lights in accordance with FAA Advisory Circular 70/7460-1, Obstruction Marking and Lighting, Chapters 4, 5, and 12. Copy of the current AC 70/7460-1 can be viewed and/or downloaded with red obstruction lights in accordance with FAA Advisory Circular 70/7460-1, Obstruction Marking and Lighting, Chapters 4, 5, and 12. Copy of the current AC 70/7460-1 can be viewed and/or downloaded at:
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.current/documentNumber/70_7460-
1. A separate notice shall be filed with the FAA if any of the construction equipment, such as temporary cranes, whose working limits would exceed the height and lateral dimensions of the current Proposed Project.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
10 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
Mitigation Measure HAZ-8: Fire Prevention and Control. The City shall comply with all federal, state, county and local fire regulations pertaining to burning permits and the prevention of uncontrolled fires. As appropriate, the following measures shall be implemented to prevent fire hazards and control of fires:
• The City shall develop and implement a fire prevention and suppression plan for the Proposed Project for those activities that have a risk of starting a wildfire. • A list of relevant fire authorities and their designated representative to contact shall be maintained on site by City and/or construction personnel.
• Adequate firefighting equipment shall be available on site in accordance with the applicable regulatory requirements.
• The level of fire hazard shall be posted at the construction office (where visible for workers) and workers shall be made aware of the hazard level and related implications. • The City or its contractor shall have sufficient fire suppression equipment to handle any possible fire emergency that could be caused by the Proposed project’s construction activities. As appropriate, this shall include, although not be limited to, water trucks; portable water pumps; chemical fire extinguishers; hand tools such as shovels, axes, and chain saws. Specifically, the City or its contractor shall supply and maintain in working order an adequate supply of fire extinguishers for each crew engaged in potentially combustible work such as welding, cutting, and grinding.
• All equipment shall be equipped with spark arrestors. • In the event of a fire, the City or its contractor shall immediately use resources necessary to contain the fire.
The City or contractor shall then notify local emergency response personnel. • Any and all tree-clearing activities (if any) are to be carried out in accordance with local rules and regulations for the prevention of forest fires.
• Burning shall be prohibited.
• Flammable wastes shall be removed from the construction site on a regular basis. • Flammable materials kept on the construction site must be stored in approved containers away from ignition sources.
• Smoking shall be prohibited on the construction site, except at designated safe areas with proper cigarette disposal containers.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
3.8 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
11 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
Mitigation Measure HWQ-1: Implement Construction Best Management Practices. The City, or its contractor, shall comply with applicable State Water Resources Control Board regulations for Construction and Municipal Stormwater Projects.
Prior to and
during
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
3.11 NOISE
Mitigation Measure NOI-1: Limit Construction Hours. Construction activities will be limited to the least noisesensitive times and will comply with the City’s noise ordinances. Construction, alteration, and other related activities shall be allowed on weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and on Saturdays between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Construction activities shall not exceed the outdoor ambient sound level (dBA) of 75 dBA.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure NOI-2: Locate Staging Areas away from Sensitive Receptors. The City’s construction specification shall require that the contractor select staging areas as far as feasibly possible from sensitive receptors.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure NOI-3: Maintain Mufflers on Equipment. The City’s construction specifications shall require the contractor to maintain all construction equipment with manufacturer’s specified noise-muffling devices.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure NOI-4: Idling Prohibition and Enforcement. The City shall prohibit and enforce unnecessary idling of internal combustion engines. In practice, this would mean turning off equipment if it will not be used for five or more minutes.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Mitigation Measure NOI-5: Equipment Location and Shielding. Locate all stationary noise-generating construction equipment such as air compressors and standby power generators as far as possible from homes and businesses.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
3.16 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION
Mitigation Measure TRA-1: Prepare and Implement Traffic Control Plan. As is consistent with existing policy, the City shall require the contractor to prepare and implement effective traffic control plans to show specific methods for maintaining traffic flows. Examples of traffic control measures to be considered include: 1) use of flaggers to maintain alternating one-way traffic while working on one-half of the street; 2) use of advance construction signs and other public notices to alert drivers of activity in the area; 3) use of “positive guidance” detour signing on alternate access streets to Prior to and
during
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Ukiah New Municipal Well Project City of Ukiah
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
12 Table A
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
City of Ukiah New Municipal Well Project
IS/MND
Mitigation Measure Timing Implementation1 Enforcement1
Dated Signature
for
Verification of
Compliance
minimize inconvenience to the driving public; 4) provisions for emergency access and passage; and 5) designated areas for construction worker parking.
Mitigation Measure TRA-2: Return Roads to Pre-construction Condition. Following construction, the City shall ensure that road surfaces that are damaged during construction are returned to their pre-construction condition or better.
After or
following
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
3.17 TRIBAL CULTURAL RESOURCES
Mitigation Measure TCR-1: Halt Work if Tribal Cultural Resources are Discovered. In the event that any tribal cultural resources are discovered during ground disturbing activities, all work within 100-feet of the resources shall be halted and after notification, the City shall consult with a qualified archaeologist and local tribes to assess the significance of the find. If any find is determined to be significant as a unique tribal cultural resource, the City shall treat the resource with culturally appropriate dignity, taking into account the tribal cultural values and meaning of the resource, including to, but not limited to, the following:
• Protecting the cultural character and integrity of the resource; • Protecting the traditional use of the resource; and
• Protecting the confidentiality of the resource.
In considering any suggested mitigation proposed by the consulting archaeologist and/or the appropriate tribe in order to mitigate impacts to any tribal cultural resources find, the City shall determine whether avoidance is feasible in light of factors such as the nature of the find, project design, costs, and other considerations. If avoidance is infeasible, other appropriate measures (e.g., data recovery) shall be instituted and coordinated with the appropriate tribe(s). Work may proceed on other parts of the project site while mitigation measures for tribal cultural resources or other unique archaeological resources are carried out.
During
construction of
the Proposed
Project
City of Ukiah City of Ukiah
Attachment 2
RESOLUTION NO. 2026 -
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF UKIAH ADOPTING AN INITIAL
STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND
REPORTING PROGRAM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY ACT FOR THE UKIAH NEW MUNICIPAL WELL PROJECT
WHEREAS, the City of Ukiah (City) prepared an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Public Works Ukiah New Municipal Well Project (Proposed Project) in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970, as amended (“CEQA”), and state and local guidelines implementing CEQA; and
WHEREAS, the City is the CEQA Lead Agency on the Proposed Project, and the City Council is the decision-making body for the Proposed Project; and
WHEREAS, the Proposed Project is located within the City of Ukiah limits on a vacant parcel that is owned by the City, located approximately 410 Talmage Road (APN# 003-150-40); and WHEREAS, the purpose of the Proposed Project is to construct a new well with a capacity of approximately 600 to 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm) to help the City maintain and continue to provide its existing customers with safe and reliable water supply; and WHEREAS, the Proposed Project would be constructed entirely on City owned property and would be of similar look, color, and size to the other City’s four (4) existing wells; and WHEREAS, the Proposed Project’s building would be located on a paved pad that would be approximately 150-feet by 150-feet and fenced with a locking gate; and WHEREAS, the Proposed Project would consist of construction and operation of a new municipal water well within an enclosed building approximately 20-feet by 40-feet by 10-feet high, which would occur in four phases; and
WHEREAS, the first phase would be the construction of a test well to determine the potential capacity of the well and to test for water quality of the aquifer. If the capacity of the well and the water quality meet California’s drinking water standards; and WHEREAS, then the second phase would be for drilling and developing the well. This phase would drill the well hole and install blank and louvered casing to the necessary depths for the well; and
WHEREAS, the third phase would be the installation of the pump and motor equipment. This would include the construction/installation of a drive motor, sand separator, as well as the construction of the building, fencing, site lighting, electrical equipment and other site improvements; and
WHEREAS, the fourth and last phase would be the construction of a 12-inch transmission line that would run to the west for approximately 25-feet and tie into the City’s existing 6-inch water transmission line in Waugh Lane. The pipeline would be trenched and buried approximately 3- feet deep below the existing ground surface. The new well will help provide water supply and pressure requirements for the area. Any damages to existing access roadways and fencing during construction will be returned to pre-construction conditions or better; and
WHEREAS, on April 20, 2026, to initiate public review of the Draft IS/MND, the City filed a Notice of Completion (NOC) for the project with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (State Clearinghouse or SCH) and a Notice of Intent (NOI)/Availability (NOA) with the County of Mendocino and released the Public Draft IS/MND for a 30-day public review; and WHEREAS, the State Clearinghouse identified the Project with SCH # 202604112; and WHEREAS, the 30-day public review period was established between April 20 and May 22, 2026, with copies of the Draft IS/MND available for review on the City’s website https://cityofukiah.com/ceqa-review/ and at the addresses below:
City of Ukiah, Public Works Administration
300 Seminary Avenue
Ukiah, CA 95482
Main Branch Library
105 North Main Street
Ukiah, CA 95482; and
WHEREAS, the Final IS/MND was prepared according to CEQA Guidelines and considers and incorporates all comments received by the State Clearinghouse and other agencies during the 30-day public review period, and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this document is to clarify facts set forth in the April 2026 Public Draft IS/MND, as necessary, to ensure accuracy, and
WHEREAS, the City must consider the IS/MND, together with any comments received, before approving the Proposed Project (Public Resources Code Section 21091(f); and CEQA Guidelines Section 15074); and
WHEREAS, the City has no affirmative duty to prepare formal responses to comments on the Public IS/MND, but should have adequate information on the record explaining why the comments do/do not affect the conclusion that there are no potential significant environmental effects; and WHEREAS, the City is required to, however, notify, in writing, any commenting agencies of the date of the meeting on the Proposed Project for which an IS/MND is prepared and will be decided upon for approval (Public Resources Code Section 21092.5(b); and CEQA Guideline Section 15073), and
WHEREAS, the Final IS/MND is being distributed to agencies, stakeholder organizations, and individuals who commented on the Public Draft IS/MND to ensure that interested parties have an opportunity to express their views regarding the environmental impacts of the Proposed Project, and to ensure that information pertinent to permits and approvals is provided to decision makers for the City and CEQA responsible agencies., and
WHEREAS, comments from the public have been incorporated into the Final IS/MND for the City’s City Council to consider whether to approve the Proposed Project, and WHEREAS, the City is scheduled to make a final decision on the Proposed Project at its regularly scheduled City Council Meeting on June 17, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, CA 95482.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF UKIAH AS FOLLOWS:
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL does hereby make the following findings: (1) it has independently reviewed, analyzed and based its decision on the whole of the record, which includes those items identified in Public Resources Code Section 21167.6(e), including, but not limited to, the Public Draft and Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, the staff reports and other information in the administrative record. The City Council has considered the information contained therein, prior to acting upon or approving the Project, (2) the Public Draft and Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for the Proposed Project has been completed in compliance with CEQA and consistent with state and local guidelines implementing CEQA, and (3) the Public Draft and Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration represents the independent judgment and analysis of the City as lead agency for the Proposed Project. The City Council designates the City’s Director of Public Works Department as the custodian of documents and records of proceedings on which this decision is based.
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL does hereby adopt the MMRP prepared for the Proposed Project.
The Public Draft, Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, and MMRP are: (1) on file with the City at its Public Works Department at 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, California 95482 and (2) available for inspection by any interested person.
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL does hereby authorize the Water Resources Director to file the Notice of Determination with the California State Clearinghouse and the Mendocino County RecorderClerk, along with a check for $3,093.75 for the required California Fish and Wildlife Filing Fee ($3,043.75) and the Mendocino County Processing Fee ($50) within five (5) days of this resolution as required by CEQA.
THAT THE CITY COUNCIL does hereby adopt the Ukiah Municipal Well Project, as currently written. The Ukiah Municipal Well Project Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and Notice of Determination is: (1) on file with the City at its Public Works Department at 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, California 95482 and (2) available for inspection by any interested person.
PASSED AND ADOPTED on June 17, 2026, by the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
_____________________________
Susan Sher, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Araceli Sandova, Deputy City Clerk
Attachments (available via link): https://cityofukiah.com/ceqa-review/ 1) Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration with Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
2) Notice of Determination
Attachment 3
NOTICE OF DETERMINATION
__________________________________________________________________________ TO:
X Office of Planning and Research From: City of Ukiah
1400 10th Street, Room 121 300 Seminary Avenue
Sacramento CA 95814 Ukiah, CA 95482
_ X __ Mendocino County Clerk Recorder
County of Mendocino
501 Low Gap Road, Room 1020
Ukiah, CA 95482
Subject: Filing of Notice of Determination in compliance with Section 21108 or 21152 of the Public Resources Code.
Project Title: Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Ukiah New Municipal Well Project (Proposed Project)
SCH # 202604112 Jared Walker (707) 463-6231
State Clearinghouse Number Contact Person Area Code/Telephone/Extension Project Description and Location: The Proposed Project is located within the City of Ukiah limits on a vacant parcel that is owned by the City, located approximately 410 Talmage Road (APN# 003-150-40).
The purpose of the Proposed Project is to construct a new well with a capacity of approximately 600 to 1,000 gpm to help the City maintain and continue to provide its existing customers with safe, reliable, and redundant water supply. The Proposed Project would be constructed entirely on City owned property and would be of similar look, color, and size to the other City’s four (4) existing wells. The Proposed Project’s building would be located on a paved pad that would be approximately 150-feet by 150-feet and fenced with a locking gate. The Proposed Project would consist of construction and operation of a new municipal water well within an enclosed building approximately 20-feet by 40-feet by 10-feet high, which would occur in four phases. The first phase would be the construction of a test well to determine the potential capacity of the well and to test for water quality of the aquifer. If the capacity of the well and the water quality meet California’s drinking water standards, then the second phase would be for drilling and developing the well. This phase would drill the well hole and install blank and louvered casing to the necessary depths for the well. The third phase would be the installation of the pump and motor equipment. This would include the construction/installation of a drive motor, sand separator, as well as the construction of the building, fencing, site lighting, electrical equipment and other site improvements.
The fourth and last phase would be the construction of a 12-inch transmission line that would run to the west for approximately 25-feet and tie into the City’s existing 6-inch water transmission line in Waugh Lane. The pipeline would be trenched and buried approximately 3-feet deep below the existing ground surface. The new well will help provide water supply and pressure requirements for the area. Any damages to existing access roadways and fencing during construction will be returned to pre-construction conditions or better.
This notice is to advise that the City of Ukiah has approved the Proposed Ukiah New Municipal Well Project on June 17, 2026, and has made the following determination regarding the Proposed Project described above:
2 • The conclusion of the Draft and Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Ukiah City Council is that the proposed Ukiah New Municipal Well Project will not result in significant impacts with the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures identified in the Proposed Project’s Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.
This is to certify that the Public Draft and Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and other supporting documents, along with consideration of comments received and the record of project approval, are available for review upon request at the City of Ukiah’s Public Works Department offices located at 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, CA 95482. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Signature (Public Agency) Date Title
Agenda Item No: 12.b.
MEETING DATE/TIME: 6/17/2026
ITEM NO: 2026-1001
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
SUBJECT: Conduct a Public Hearing to Discuss the City Of Ukiah’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, and Adopt a Resolution Approving the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan.
DEPARTMENT: Water Resources PREPARED BY: Sean White, Water Resources Retired Annuitant PRESENTER: Jared Walker, Water Resources Director
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2025 UWMP - UKIAH
2. 2025 UWMP Resolution
3. Presentation Given
Summary: Council will conduct a public hearing to discuss the City Of Ukiah’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, and consider adopting a Resolution approving the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan.
Background: Adoption of an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) is required every five years by the Urban Water Management Planning Act for urban retail water suppliers that “directly provide potable municipal water to more than 3,000 end users or that supply more than 3,000 acre-feet of potable water annually at retail for municipal purposes.” The proposed 2025 UWMP complies with requirements of the Urban Water Management Planning Act.
The City of Ukiah (City) currently has over 5,000 active water service connections and provided 3,030 acrefeet of potable water to customers in 2025. Therefore, the City is required to comply with the requirements of the Urban Water Management Planning Act, which was originally established by Assembly Bill 797 (AB797) on September 21, 1983.
Discussion: In 2025, the City entered into an agreement with West & Associates to develop the City’s 2025 UWMP (Attachment 1). UWMPs are required to be updated and submitted to the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) every five years under the Urban Water Management Planning Act.
As a component of the agreement, West & Associates reviewed the City’s data, and established the base percapita water usage for the water system, and compared calculated Gallons Per Capita Day (GPCD) targets based on the methodologies developed by the DWR. Prior to adoption of the 2025 UWMP, the City must conduct a Public Hearing to discuss, as well as, approve the UWMP and Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
With the completion of the 2025 UWMP, water supply and demand projections are provided in five-year increments to the year 2050 to provide for a 25-year planning horizon. Submittal of the adopted UWMP fulfills compliance with the Urban Water Management Planning Act and enables the City to be eligible for State Water Management grants or loans.
In accordance with California Water Code Section 10621(b), the City notified Mendocino County and other stakeholders that the City was preparing the 2025 UWMP more than 60 days prior to the date of public hearing. The Draft 2025 UWMP was made available to the public and interested parties for review and comment. A notice of public hearing was published in the local newspaper and posted at City facilities in accordance with Section 6066 of the Government Code.
Within 30 days following adoption, the adopted 2025 UWMP will be submitted to DWR and the California State Library.
Staff is recommending that Council adopt the Resolution (Attachment 2) to approve the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan.
Recommended Action: Conduct a public hearing to discuss the City of Ukiah’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan, and adopt a Resolution approving the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan.
BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED: N/A
CURRENT BUDGET AMOUNT: N/A
PROPOSED BUDGET AMOUNT: N/A
FINANCING SOURCE: Water Fund
REVENUE: No GRANT: No
PREVIOUS CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER NO.: N/A
COORDINATED WITH: Jared Walker, Water Resources Director STRATEGIC PLAN (SP): N/A
GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS (GP): N/A
2025
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT
PLAN
City of Ukiah, CA
2025
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT
PLAN
City of Ukiah, CA
Water Resources Department
300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, CA 95482
(707) 463-6228
June 2026
Prepared by:
West & Associates Engineering, Inc.
78 Anacapa Ct. Foothill Ranch, CA
(949) 716-7670
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1 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction.....................................................13
1.1. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 13
1.2. COORDINATION ............................................................................................................ 16
1.3. DWR UPDATES FOR THE 2025 UWMPS ........................................................................ 18
1.4. UPDATES TO THE CITY’S UWMP ................................................................................... 19
1.5. FORMAT OF THE 2025 UWMP...................................................................................... 20
1.6. LAY DESCRIPTION.......................................................................................................... 22 Section 2: Service Area Description..................................23
2.1. CITY AND WATER SYSTEM HISTORY.............................................................................. 23
2.1.1. Early Stages.......................................................................................................................23
2.2. CURRENT WATER SERVICE AREA .................................................................................. 24
2.3. LAND USE & ECONOMY ................................................................................................ 25
2.3.1. Development in City .........................................................................................................28
2.3.2. Recent Developments.......................................................................................................29
2.3.3. Western Hills Annexation .................................................................................................29
2.3.4. Proposed Annexation Project...........................................................................................30
2.4. CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 30
2.4.1. Climate Change.................................................................................................................31
2.5. POPULATION................................................................................................................. 35
2.5.1. Population Projections......................................................................................................35
2.6. CITY WATER SYSTEM..................................................................................................... 36
2.6.1. City Water System Overview ............................................................................................36
2.6.2. Imported Water................................................................................................................36
2.6.3. Groundwater.....................................................................................................................36
2.6.4. Surface Water...................................................................................................................37
2.6.5. Water Treatment Facility..................................................................................................37
2.6.6. Distribution System...........................................................................................................38
2.6.7. Water Storage...................................................................................................................38
2.6.8. Booster Stations................................................................................................................38
2.6.9. Emergency Interconnections............................................................................................38
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Section 3: Water Sources & Supplies................................45
3.1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 45
3.2. SURFACE WATER (RUSSIAN RIVER)............................................................................... 45
3.2.1. Surface Water Production in City .....................................................................................51
3.2.2. Imported (Surface) Water.................................................................................................53
3.3. GROUNDWATER............................................................................................................ 53
3.3.1. Groundwater Sustainability ..............................................................................................56
3.3.2. Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan........................................................57
3.3.3. City Wells ..........................................................................................................................57
3.3.4. Groundwater Production..................................................................................................58
3.4. PROJECTED WATER SUPPLY.......................................................................................... 58
3.5. ALTERNATE WATER SOURCES....................................................................................... 59
3.5.1. Recycled Water (Wastewater)..........................................................................................59
3.5.2. Recycled Stormwater........................................................................................................59
3.5.3. Greywater.........................................................................................................................59
3.6. TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES ......................................................................................... 60
3.6.1. Ukiah Valley Water Authority ...........................................................................................60
3.7. PLANNED SUPPLY PROJECTS......................................................................................... 60
3.8. ENERGY INTENSITY OF SUPPLY ..................................................................................... 61 Section 4: Recycled Water Opportunities.........................63
4.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 63
4.2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM............................................................................ 63
4.2.1. Wastewater Flows ............................................................................................................65
4.3. RECYCLED WATER ......................................................................................................... 68
4.3.1. Projected Recycled Water Use .........................................................................................69
4.3.2. Planned Recycled Water Infrastructure............................................................................69
4.3.3. Potential Recycled Water Use ..........................................................................................73
4.4. ENCOURAGING AND OPTIMIZING RECYCLED WATER USE........................................... 73 Section 5: Water Quality ..................................................75
5.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 75
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5.2. WATER QUALITY STANDARDS....................................................................................... 75
5.2.1. Federal Regulations ..........................................................................................................75
5.2.2. State Regulations..............................................................................................................76
5.2.3. State Drinking Water Standards .......................................................................................76
5.2.4. Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6) .............................................................................................77
5.2.5. City Standards...................................................................................................................77
5.3. QUALITY OF WATER SOURCES ...................................................................................... 78
5.3.1. Surface Water...................................................................................................................78
5.3.2. Groundwater.....................................................................................................................80
5.4. IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY ...................................................................................... 80
5.4.1. Impacts of Abandoned Wells............................................................................................81
5.4.2. Groundwater Contamination Response ...........................................................................81
5.4.3. DDW Sanitary Surveys ......................................................................................................82
5.4.4. Source Water Assessment................................................................................................82
5.4.5. Impacts on Management & Reliability .............................................................................82
5.4.6. Cross-Connection Plan Update .........................................................................................83 Section 6: Water Use........................................................85
6.1. OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 85
6.2. COVID PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON THE WATER SYSTEM.................................................. 85
6.3. CURRENT CITY WATER NEEDS....................................................................................... 86
6.3.1. Current Water Needs........................................................................................................87
6.4. CLIMATE IMPACTS ON WATER USE .............................................................................. 88
6.4.1. California Water Plan Update 2023 ..................................................................................89
6.5. WATER USE ................................................................................................................... 89
6.5.1. Past Water Use .................................................................................................................89
6.5.2. Recent Water Use .............................................................................................................90
6.6. WATER USE BY SECTOR................................................................................................. 90
6.6.1. Service Connections/Accounts .........................................................................................90
6.6.2. Water Use by Sector.........................................................................................................91
6.6.3. Distribution System Losses...............................................................................................92
6.6.4. 2028 Water Loss Standard................................................................................................93
6.7. URBAN WATER USE OBJECTIVE .................................................................................... 93
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6.7.1. Key Highlights from the Report ........................................................................................94
6.7.2. Objectives Calculated with Future Standards...................................................................94
6.8. WATER CONSERVATION ACT ........................................................................................ 95
6.8.1. Act Background (SBx7-7)...................................................................................................95
6.8.2. Exempt Agencies...............................................................................................................99
6.8.3. SBx7-7 Baseline & Target..................................................................................................99
6.8.4. SBx7-7 Target Compliance ..............................................................................................101
6.9. PROJECTED WATER DEMAND..................................................................................... 102
6.9.1. Passive Savings................................................................................................................102
6.9.2. Low-Income Water Demands.........................................................................................102
6.9.3. Current Low-Income Housing Needs..............................................................................102
6.9.4. Projected Low-Income Housing Needs...........................................................................103 Section 7: Reliability Planning ........................................ 105
7.1. OVERVIEW................................................................................................................... 105
7.2. HISTORIC STATEWIDE DROUGHTS.............................................................................. 105
7.3. RECENT DROUGHT (2020-2022) ................................................................................. 106
7.3.1. Drought Impacts on City Water Supply ..........................................................................108
7.4. CITY SUPPLY RELIABILITY............................................................................................. 111
7.4.1. Physical Constraints........................................................................................................112
7.4.2. Legal Constraints.............................................................................................................112
7.4.3. Environmental Constraints.............................................................................................113
7.4.4. Water Quality Constraints..............................................................................................113
7.4.5. Climate Impacts on Water Supply ..................................................................................113
7.5. DROUGHT RISK ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................... 113
7.5.1. Basis for Projected Demands..........................................................................................114
7.5.2. Basis for Projected Supplies............................................................................................114
7.5.3. Tabular Comparisons......................................................................................................115
7.6. ENSURING ADEQUATE SUPPLY ................................................................................... 125
7.7. WSCP SUPPLY AUGMENTATION ................................................................................. 125
7.8. WATER SUPPLY OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................ 125
7.9. RELIABILILTY MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................... 125
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Section 8: Contingency Planning .................................... 127
8.1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 127
8.2. NEED FOR CONTINGENCY PLANS................................................................................ 128
8.2.1. Recent California Water Code Amendments..................................................................129
8.3. LEGAL AUTHORITY ...................................................................................................... 129
8.4. WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ....................................................................... 130
8.5. ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS .............................................................................................. 132
8.5.1. Decision Making Process ................................................................................................132
8.5.2. Key Data Inputs...............................................................................................................132
8.6. CONTINGENCY PLANS ................................................................................................. 133
8.6.1. City Contingency Plan .....................................................................................................133
8.6.2. Health & Safety (1st Priority)..........................................................................................134
8.6.3. Stages of Action ..............................................................................................................135
8.6.4. Communication Protocols ..............................................................................................136
8.6.5. Limitations/Prohibitions.................................................................................................136
8.6.6. Penalties for Non-Compliance ........................................................................................137
8.7. DISASTER MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................... 137
8.7.1. Seismic Risk and Emergency Backup ..............................................................................139
8.7.2. Emergency Backup for City Wells...................................................................................139
8.7.3. Emergency Water Supply................................................................................................140
8.7.4. Additional Aid .................................................................................................................142
8.7.5. Summary of Emergency Response .................................................................................142
8.8. WSCP ENFORCEMENT & EVALUATION....................................................................... 142
8.8.1. Monitoring ......................................................................................................................142
8.8.2. Enforcement ...................................................................................................................143
8.8.3. Reporting ........................................................................................................................143
8.9. FISCAL IMPACTS .......................................................................................................... 143
8.9.1. Impacts to Revenue ........................................................................................................143
8.9.2. Impacts to Reserve Funds...............................................................................................144
8.10. WSCP ADOPTION AND REFINEMENT...................................................................... 144
8.10.1. Council Resolution ..........................................................................................................144
8.10.2. WSCP Refinement Procedures........................................................................................144
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8.10.3. WSCP Re-Adoption .........................................................................................................145 Section 9: Conservation Measures................................. 151
9.1. OVERVIEW................................................................................................................... 151
9.2. DWR DMMs FOR 2020 UWMPs.................................................................................. 152
9.3. CalWEP BMPs.............................................................................................................. 152
9.4. CITY CONSERVATION MEASURES................................................................................ 154
9.5. CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................. 159 List of Tables
Table 1.1 Coordination and Public Involvement........................................................................... 17 Table 2.1 Current Land Use & Economic Statistics for Mendocino County and Ukiah ................ 27 Table 2.2 Recent Developments in City of Ukiah (Since 2020 UWMP) ........................................ 29 Table 2.3 Historical Climate (1949-2025) ..................................................................................... 30 Table 2.4 Recent Climate Characteristics (2025).......................................................................... 31 Table 2.5 City of Ukiah Population................................................................................................ 35 Table 2.6 Population Projections.................................................................................................. 36 Table 3.1 Typical River Flow Volumes in Ukiah Valley................................................................. 49 Table 3.2 Reservoir Releases ........................................................................................................ 49 Table 3.3 Surface Water Production............................................................................................. 53 Table 3.4 Ukiah Valley Basin Summary of Characteristics............................................................ 54 Table 3.5 Groundwater Production .............................................................................................. 58 Table 3.6 Projected Water Supply Availability (2026-2050)......................................................... 58 Table 3.7 Annual Energy Costs to Run All Well Motors................................................................ 61 Table 4.1 Wastewater Flows Collected at WWTP ........................................................................ 65 Table 4.2 Projected Wastewater Flows Collected at WWTP........................................................ 68 Table 4.3 Recycled Water Use in City ........................................................................................... 69 Table 4.4 Projected Recycled Water Use...................................................................................... 69 Table 4.5 Recent Infrastructure Construction .............................................................................. 72 Table 6.1 City Recent Water Use .................................................................................................. 90 Table 6.2 Number of Service Connections (2025) ........................................................................ 90 Table 6.3 Current and Historic Water Demand by Sector (AF)..................................................... 91 Table 6.4 Objectives Calculated with Future Standards............................................................... 94 Table 6.5 City of Ukiah Water (GPCPD) ...................................................................................... 101 Table 6.6 City of Ukiah SBx7 2020 Water Use Targets (GPCD)................................................... 101 Table 6.7 Projected Water Demand by Sector ........................................................................... 104 Table 7.1 City of Ukiah Water Supply Availability & Demand Projects (Normal Water Year) ... 116 Table 7.2 City of Ukiah Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections (Single Dry Year) ..... 117
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Table 7.3 City of Ukiah Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections (Multiple Dry Years, 2026 – 2030) ............................................................................................................................... 118 Table 7.4 City of Ukiah Water Supply Availability & Demand Projects (Multiple Dry years, 2031- 2035) ........................................................................................................................................... 119 Table 7.5 City of Ukiah Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections (Multiple Dry Years, 2036-2040).................................................................................................................................. 120 Table 7.6 City of Ukiah Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections (Multiple Dry Years, 2041-2045).................................................................................................................................. 121 Table 7.7 City of Ukiah Water Supply Availability & Demand Projections (Multiple Dry Years, 2046-2050).................................................................................................................................. 122 Table 8.1 Water Fixture: Health & Safety Personal Use (gal/day).............................................. 134 Table 8.2 Water Shortage Stages & Reduction Targets.............................................................. 135 Table 8.3 Prohibition on Water Use During Water Shortages.................................................... 147 Table 8.4 City Water Department Response Actions During Water Shortages ......................... 149 Table 9.1 City of Ukiah Water Rates (March 1, 2026) ................................................................ 156 List of Figures
Figure 1.1 UWMPs are Governed by State Law............................................................................ 14 Figure 1.2 UWMP Act Establishment and Amendment ............................................................... 15 Figure 2.1 City of Ukiah Water Service Area................................................................................. 39 Figure 2.2 City of Ukiah Water Service Area & Sphere of Influence (SOI).................................... 40 Figure 2.3 Mendocino County General Plan Land Use Map......................................................... 41 Figure 2.4 City of Ukiah Zoning Map............................................................................................. 42 Figure 2.5 City of Ukiah Organization Chart (March 2026) .......................................................... 43 Figure 2.6 Proposed Annexation Project “Sapling Option” .......................................................... 44 Figure 3.1 Russian River Watershed ............................................................................................. 47 Figure 3.2 Russian River Tributaries in City Water Service Area. ................................................. 48 Figure 3.3 Streamflow Data from Sonoma Water (May 31, 2026)............................................... 50 Figure 3.4 Streamflow in Russian River (May 2025 compared to May 2021).............................. 51 Figure 3.5 Radial Well (Ranney Collector) .................................................................................... 52 Figure 3.6 Ukiah Valley Groundwater Basin ................................................................................. 55 Figure 3.7 State Water Project...................................................................................................... 56 Figure 3.8 Greywater System........................................................................................................ 60 Figure 4.1 City Wastewater Network............................................................................................ 64 Figure 4.2 Schematic of City Wastewater System........................................................................ 66 Figure 4.3 Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)........................................................................ 67 Figure 4.4 Recycled Water Phasing Plan for City of Ukiah............................................................ 70 Figure 4.5 City of Ukiah Water Resources Balance (2024/2025 Water Year) .............................. 71 Figure 5.1 Ukiah Valley Groundwater Basin and Russian River Watershed................................. 79 Figure 6.1 Oak Manor Park ........................................................................................................... 87
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Figure 6.2 Current Water Demand by Sector (in 2025)................................................................ 92 Figure 6.3 California’s 2020 Water Conservation Goals............................................................... 97 Figure 6.4 North Coast Hydrologic Region.................................................................................... 98 Figure 6.5 Procedure for Determining Baseline Per Capita Water Use...................................... 100 Figure 6.6 Procedure for Determining Target Per Capita Water Use......................................... 100 Figure 6.7 Projected Water Demand by Sector (in 2050)........................................................... 104 Figure 7.1 Governor Newsom at Lake Mendocino in Ukiah on April 21, 2021 .......................... 108 Figure 7.2 Lake Mendocino Before Drought (2020) ................................................................... 109 Figure 7.3 Lake Mendocino During Drought (April 2021)........................................................... 109 Figure 7.4 California State Reservoir Levels (May 2026)............................................................ 110 Figure 7.5 Coyote Dam Spillway and City of Ukiah Hydroelectric Plant..................................... 112 Figure 7.6 Projected Normal Water Supply Year 2030............................................................... 123 Figure 7.7 Projected Normal Water Supply Year 2050............................................................... 124 Figure 8.1 Lake Oroville Failure (February 2017)........................................................................ 128 Figure 8.2 Basic Overview of Water Quality Contamination Response for City Wells............... 131 Figure 8.3 City Council Can Declare Shortage Stages................................................................. 135 Figure 8.4 USGS Fault Zone GIS MAP.......................................................................................... 140 Figure 8.5 Historical Earthquakes in Mendocino County with Known Faults (County’s HMP) .. 141 Figure 8.6 Potable Water Tank Trailer........................................................................................ 142 Figure 8.7 Well Production Meter .............................................................................................. 143 Figure 9.1 CUWCC became CalWEP in January 2018 ................................................................. 152 Figure 9.2 Conservation Measures for 2020 UWMPs: CalWEP and DWR Compared ................ 153 Figure 9.3 Irrigation Water Waste .............................................................................................. 154 Figure 9.4 AMI-Style Water Meters............................................................................................ 155
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Appendices
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
Appendix E
Appendix F
Appendix G
Appendix H
Appendix I
Appendix J
Appendix K
Appendix L
Appendix M
Appendix N
Appendix O
City Council Resolution Adopting 2025 UWMP
City Council Resolution Adopting 2025 WSCP
UWMP Act
Dept. of Water Resources UWMP Checklist
Dept. of Water Resources UWMP Data Tables
Dept. of Water Resources SBx7-7 Tables
UWMP Notices: 60-Day Notice, 2-Week and 1 Week Notices
Final Transmittals to County and State Library
City of Ukiah Land Use Element (with 2019 Amendment)
City of Ukiah Housing Element (2019-2027 Update)
2024 Consumer Confidence Report (Water Quality Report)
Characterization of the Ukiah Valley Groundwater Basin
City of Ukiah 2025 Climate Action Plan
City of Ukiah Planning Partner Annex (2026 Mendocino County Hazard Mitigation Plan)
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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
ACRONYMS
AF Acre-Feet
AFY Acre-Feet per Year
AMI Automatic Metering Infrastructure
AMR Automatic Meter Reading
AP Allocation Plan
BDCP Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
BMP Best Management Practice
CDP Census Designated Place
CDPH California Department of Public Health
CFS Cubic Feet per Second
CII Commercial Industrial Institutional
CIMIS California Irrigation Management Information System City City of Ukiah
County County of Mendocino
CUWCC California Urban Water Conservation Council
CalWEP California Water Efficiency Partnership
CDPH California Department of Public Health
DBPs Disinfection Byproducts
DDW Division of Drinking Water
DMM Demand Management Measure
DOE Department of Energy
DWSAP Drinking Water Source Assessment and Protection
DWR Department of Water Resources
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
ETo Evapotranspiration
GPCD Gallons per Capita per Day
GPM Gallons per Minute
HEN High Efficiency Nozzle
HET High Efficiency Toilet
HEW High Efficiency Washer
IPR Indirect Potable Reuse
IRP Integrated Resources Plan
MAF Million Acre-Feet
MBR Membrane Bioreactor
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MCL Maximum Contaminant Level
MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
MG Million Gallons
MGD Million Gallons per Day
mg/L Milligrams per Liter
μg/L Micrograms per Liter
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
ng/L Nanograms per Liter
NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units
PCA Possible Contaminating Activities
PHG Public Health Goal
PPCPs Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
PVP Potter Valley Powerhouse
RHNA Regional Housing Needs Assessment
SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act
SB Senate Bill
SBx7-7 Senate Bill x7-7
SGMA Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
SWP State Water Project
SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board
TDS Total Dissolved Solid
ULFT Ultra-Low-Flow Toilet
USACE US Army Corps of Engineers
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
UVBGSA Ukiah Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency
UWMP Urban Water Management Plan
WSAP Water Supply Allocation Plan
WSDM Water Surplus & Drought Management Plan
WSS Watershed Sanitary Survey
WTP Water Treatment Plant
WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant
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13 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
1.1. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
This is the 2025 Urban Water Management
Plan (“UWMP” or “Plan”) for the City of
Ukiah (hereinafter “City”). This Plan has
been prepared in compliance with the Urban
Water Management Planning Act (Act),
which was established in 1983 and has been
codified into the California Water Code
sections 10610 through 10657. A copy of the
Act can be found in Appendix C.
As part of the Act, the legislature declared
that waters of the state are a limited and
renewable resource subject to ever
increasing demands; that the conservation
and efficient use of urban water supplies are
of statewide concern; that successful
implementation of plans is best
accomplished at the local level; that
conservation and efficient use of water shall
be actively pursued to protect both the
people of the state and their water
resources; that conservation and efficient
use of urban water supplies shall be a
guiding criterion in public decisions; and that
urban water suppliers shall be required to
develop water management plans to
achieve conservation and efficient use.
The Act requires “every urban water supplier
providing water for municipal purposes to
more than 3,000 customers or supplying
more than 3,000 acre-feet of water annually,
to prepare and adopt, in accordance with
prescribed requirements, an Urban Water
Management Plan.”
1 Section 1:
Introduction
In accordance with the
Water Code, an Urban
Water Management
Plan is required to be
updated every five
years.
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These plans must be filed with the California
Department of Water Resources (DWR)
every five (5) years, describing and
evaluating reasonable and practical efficient
water uses, reclamation, and conservation
activities. The Water Code mandates that
each water supplier shall update its plan at
least once every five years on or before July
1, in years ending in six and one.
Figure 1.1 UWMPs are Governed by State
Law
The Act has been amended multiple times
since its initial passage in 1983. A summary
of the amendments is provided in Figure 1.2.
The intent of the amendments was to
broaden the scope of the UWMPs,
encourage public participation, and add
financial incentives to the UWMPs. A
significant amendment to the Act was a 2009
amendment (Senate Bill SBx7-7) signed by
former Governor Schwarzenegger. The
Senate Bill, also known as the “Water
Conservation Act” required that per capita
water use within an urban water supplier's
service area decrease by twenty percent
(20%) by the year 2020 in order to receive
grants or loans administered by DWR or
other state agencies. Each urban retail water
supplier developed water use “targets” for
2015 and for 2020. The
“target” date for 2020
passed on December 31,
2020. Urban water
suppliers whose 2020
actual water use does
not meet the target
requirements established by this bill are not
eligible for State water grants or loans. This
included, but was not limited to, the
following funding sources:
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
Primarily a source for funds to help
correct deficiencies.
• Proposition 1
Primarily a source for funds related
to supplies & infrastructure.
• Proposition 50
Primarily a source for funds related
to security & treatment technology.
• Proposition 84
Primarily a source for funds related
to protection from pollution.
Agencies that submit their UWMPs past the
July 2026 deadline are still technically
eligible for grants or loans, provided that the
UWMP addresses the requirements of the
Act. However, applications for such funds
are subject to legal challenges coming
Amendments to
the Act have
added financial
incentives to
UWMPs.
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Figure 1.2 UWMP Act Establishment and Amendment
Present: The UWMP guidebook was released on
November 17, 2025 with no UWMP Act Amendments.
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from competing agencies for the same
funding, if the competing agencies become
aware of the timeframe in which an UWMP
was submitted.
UWMPs are considered to be a foundation
document and a source of information for
Water Supply Assessments (Senate Bill 610)
and Written Verifications of Water Supply
(SB 221). In addition, an UWMP may serve as
a long-range planning document for water
supply, a source of data for development of
a regional water plan, and a source
document for cities and counties as they
prepare their General Plans. These planning
documents are linked, and their accuracy
and usefulness are interdependent.
One of the primary objectives of the Act is
the assessment of demands and supplies
over a 20-year or a 25-year planning horizon
under normal rainfall conditions, as well as
under various drought conditions. The Act
also requires water shortage contingency
planning and drought response actions be
included in an UWMP. In short, this Plan is a
management tool that provides a general,
long-term framework for action, rather than
a detailed blueprint for supply and demand
management. This Plan evaluates the City’s
supply and demand projections over a 25-
year planning horizon, and what mix of
programs should be explored for ensuring
that such water will be available. As part of
the City's past and current water
conservation policies, the City is currently
implementing many facets of this plan to
achieve its water conservation goals.
1.2. COORDINATION
The process of preparing and submitting an
UWMP is a transparent process that requires
opportunities for outside-agency and
general public involvement. In preparing this
2025 UWMP, the City has encouraged broad
community participation. The City notified
the agencies that the City interacts with
more than 60 days in advance of the City
Council’s adoption of
the 2025 UWMP. The
City has also made the
draft 2025 UWMP
available at City Hall
and on the City’s
website, leading up to
a public hearing on the
2025 UWMP. Notices of the public hearing
were published in the local press and on the
City’s website for a two-week period. On
June 17, 2026, the City held a noticed public
hearing to review and accept comments on
the 2025 UWMP. Following the public
hearing, the City officially adopted the 2025
UWMP through Council resolution. A copy of
the council resolution adopting this UWMP
is included in Appendix A.
The City's 2025
UWMP is a
collaborative effort
involving its own
staff, outside
agencies, and the
general public.
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17 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Table 1.1 Coordination and Public Involvement
Agency
Participated
in Plan
Preparation
Contacted
for
Assistance
Commented
on Draft
Notified
of Public
Hearing
Attended
Public
Hearing
City Water Staff x x x x x
River Estates Mutual Water
Corporation x
Mendocino County x
Mendocino Local Agency
Formation Commission x
Mendocino
County Planning and Building
Services
x
Mendocino County
Water Agency x
Russian River Flood Control
and Water Conservation
District
x
Hopland Public Utility District x
Ukiah Valley Basin
Groundwater Sustainability
Agency
x
Ukiah Valley Sanitation District x
Capella County Water District x
Millview County Water District x
Redwood Valley Count Water
District x
Rogina Water Company x
Sonoma Water x
Willow County Water District x
General Public x x
Notes:
1. “60-Day” notice letters were sent out to all agencies (except the City’s own) as required by CWC § 10621(b):
2. 2-week and 1-week notices were published in the local press.
3. Appendix G contains copies of the 60-day notice and the 2-week and 1-week notices.
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As required by the Act, the 2025 UWMP is
being prepared by the City and will be
submitted to DWR, the California State
Library, and any city or county within which
it provides water no later than thirty (30)
days after adoption. The 2025 UWMP has
been made available to the public on the
City’s website and at City Hall during normal
business hours for thirty (30) days prior to
submitting the 2025 UWMP to DWR.
1.3. DWR UPDATES FOR THE 2025
UWMPS
There have been minor changes to the
Water Code affecting the 2025 UWMPs. The
changes include:
• Clarified Reporting Requirements for
SBx7-7: Agencies must provide a
description in the 2025 UWMP of how
their water use goals of the 20x2020
were met. An urban retail water
supplier’s failure to meet those goals will
be a violation of law and potentially
result in a state administrative or judicial
proceeding. If the agency did not achieve
its targeted reduction in 2020, the
agency must show in its 2025 UWMP
whether it met their 2020 Target in 2025
to be eligible for state funds. Currently,
the CWC does not set an end date for
reporting on a supplier’s progress in
meeting the 2020 Target. (CWC §
10608.40)
• Water Losses: Retail Suppliers must
indicate the quantity of water losses for
five years by reporting data from their
Validated Water Loss Audits, discuss
their progress toward compliance with
the 2028 Water Loss Standard, and show
whether they met the Water Loss
Performance Standard enacted by the
State Water Resources Control Board
(SWRCB). (CWC § 10631 (d) (3) (C), SB
1414, 2019). Suppliers can simply
provide a link to their water loss reports
submitted to DWR’s Water Loss Audit
Program.
• Updates to Demand Management
Measures (DMMs): Retail Suppliers with
an annual actual water use above their
Urban Water Use-Objective (UWUO)
must include a narrative describing
additional DMMs the supplier plans to
use to achieve its UWUO by January 1,
2027. (CWC § 10609.25, AB 1414, 2019)
• UWUO and Water Use Reporting: The
standard for indoor residential water use
from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2030
was lowered from 52 to 47 Gallons per
Capita per Day (gpcd). Until January 1,
2025, the standard was 55 gpcd.
Beginning January 1, 2030 the standard
was lowered from 50 to 42 gpcd. DWR, in
coordination with SWRCB, will conduct
an investigation to determine if the date
for the 2030 indoor residential use
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19 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
standard will be changed. The City will
not be subject to enforcement pursuant
to this chapter solely for failing to meet
the indoor residential use standard.
(CWC § 10609.4).
• Irrigation of Nonfunctional Turf:
”Functional turf” is ground cover surface
of turf located in a recreational use area
or community space. ”Nonfunctional
turf” means any turf that is not
functional turf, and includes turf located
within street rights-of-way and parking
lots. Turf enclosed by fencing or other
barriers to permanently preclude human
access for recreation or assembly is
Nonfunctional turf. The use of potable
water to irrigate nonfunctional turf is
wasteful and incompatible with state
policy relating to climate change, water
conservation, and
reduced reliance on
the SacramentoSan Joaquin Delta
ecosystem (CWC §
110). The use of
potable water to
irrigate Nonfunctional turf on all
properties owned by the City are to be
phased out by January 1, 2027. All other
Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional
(CII) properties are to be phased out by
January 1, 2028. After which it will be
prohibited with a few exceptions (CWC §
10618.14). The website
https://saveourwater.com/ provides
information and resources on converting
nonfunctional turf to native vegetation.
• Definitions: New definitions were added
or existing definitions were modified,
which include Nonfunctional Turf, CII
water use, Large landscape, Gross water
use, Potable reuse, Urban water use
objective, Affordable housing, and
Disadvantaged community to name a
few (CWC § 10608.12).
In addition, there are several optional or
voluntary categorical and data reporting
changes to the UWMP Act. These include an
optional Planning Tool that suppliers can use
to report and assess water use and supply in
order to better conduct the Reliability
Assessment and Drought Risk Assessment, a
Potable and Non-Potable Planning Tool,
Potable and Non-Potable Submittal Tables,
as well as various optional data reporting.
1.4. UPDATES TO THE CITY’S UWMP
In addition to the required updates
described in the previous section, the City’s
2025 UWMP has undergone some changes
from the 2020 UWMP. A summary of the key
changes to the UWMP are:
• DWR & Water Code: A listing of DWRrequired UWMP updates (see previous Section).
The use of
potable water to
irrigate
nonfunctional turf
is wasteful.
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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
• City Development Growth: An updated
review of development which took place
in the City since the 2020 UWMP.
• Water Sources and Supplies: A broader,
more in-depth discussion of water
sources and supplies.
• Recycled Water: An updated review of
recycled water opportunities in the City.
• Water Quality: An update to new
regulations and contaminants affecting
water quality and treatment.
• Water Use: Updated information on
recent water use quantities and a more
in-depth discussion on water use
parameters.
• Supply v Demand: Updated information
on projected supplies vs demands, and a
discussion on recent regional droughts
affecting the City. There is also an
expansion on the discussion of the City’s
source water reliability.
• Contingency Planning: Updated
information on the City's contingency
plans, including the City’s Ordinances.
• Conservation Measures: Updated
information on the City's conservation
measures, which reflect the previous
(2020) changes by DWR.
In addition to these changes, there are
multiple minor changes. The changes reflect
both those that are required by the Water
Code and those that are voluntarily included
for the benefit of the City.
1.5. FORMAT OF THE 2025 UWMP
The information contained in this 2025
UWMP corresponds to the items in the
UWMP Act and other amendments to the
Water Code. The sections of the UWMP are:
Section 1 - Introduction
This section describes the UWMP Act, the
UWMP preparation and adoption process,
updates to the UWMP, and a lay description
of this entire document.
Section 2 – Service Area Description
This section outlines the history and
development of the City and the City’s water
supply system, a description of its existing
service area, the local climate, population
served, and basic statistics on the City’s
water distribution system.
Section 3 – Water Sources & Supplies
This section describes the existing water
supplies available to the City, including
surface water from the Russian River and
groundwater from the Ukiah Valley
Groundwater Basin (Basin). Production
volumes of surface water and groundwater
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21 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
over the past five (5) years are tabulated in
this section. In addition, this section
discusses potential future water supplies
Section 4 – Recycled Water Opportunities
This section describes the City’s wastewater
collection and treatment at the Ukiah
Wastewater Treatment Plant (UWWTP), and
the uses and benefits of the City’s new
recycled water system. In addition, this
section discusses the future outlook for the
City on potential recycled water users.
Section 5 – Water Quality
This section discusses the quality of the
City’s potable water supply sources,
including imported, surface, and
groundwater. This section also discusses
drinking water standards and the effect that
water quality has on management strategies
and supply reliability.
Section 6 – Water Use
This section describes past, current and
projected water usage within the City’s
service area. This chapter also discusses the
requirement of the Water Conservation Act
(SBx7-7), including the 2020 Water Use
Targets.
Section 7 – Reliability Planning
This section presents a drought risk
assessment of the City’s water system which
compares projected future water demands
with expected available water supplies
under three different hydrologic conditions:
normal year; a single dry year; and multiple
dry years. This 2025 UWMP concludes that if
projected imported and local supplies are
developed as anticipated, no water
shortages are anticipated in the City’s
service area during the planning period.
Section 8 – Contingency Planning
This section describes the City’s response
plan to water shortages, as well as the
efforts that will be utilized in the event of
water supply interruptions, such as power
outages, earthquakes, or droughts. This
section also describes regional response
efforts to water supply interruptions.
Section 9 – Conservation Measures
This section addresses the City’s compliance
with water conservation measures that
correspond to the seven (7) Demand
Management Measures (DMMs) described
in the 2025 UWMP Guidebook, which were
previously the fourteen (14) DMMs listed in
the Act. The DMMs also correspond to the
current Best Management Practices (BMPs)
from the California Water Efficiency
Partnership (CalWEP).
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Appendices
The appendices contain references, specific
documents, and data used to prepare this
2025 UWMP.
1.6. LAY DESCRIPTION
To facilitate effective and efficient
management of water supplies, and in
compliance with the UWMP Act and the
Water Conservation Act of 2009, the City has
prepared this 2025 UWMP. This UWMP
includes background information regarding
the City’s history, water system, and water
supplies. This UWMP also analyzes recent
water demands and projects future water
supply capacity and water demands through
2050. The effects of water quality, drought,
and emergencies on the City’s water supply
reliability are also analyzed.
As indicated by Section 7:, the City does not
expect to have a water supply shortage
through 2050. Furthermore, this UWMP
concludes that the City’s water supplies,
which are obtained from local groundwater
basins and surface water, are resilient to
droughts. A basic overview of the City’s
water system can be found in Section 2:.
This 2025 UWMP recommends that the City
continue its current net positive water
footprint operations, through the use of
recycled water mentioned in Section 4:. This
2025 UWMP also recommends conservation
tools that will enable the City’s residents to
conserve water and maximize water use
efficiency. These are described in Section 9:.
These are described in Section 5:.
If water consumption rates in the City
decrease as this 2025 UWMP projects, the
City will have an adequate water supply
despite projected population growth over
the next twenty-five (25) years. Finally, this
2025 UWMP recommends that severe
droughts or sudden supply interruptions be
addressed by following the criteria of the
Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP), as
described in Section 8:.
Since UWMPs are due for revision every five
years, this UWMP will be in effect until the
year’s end of 2030. At that time, the City will
begin development and adoption of their
2030 UWMP.
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23 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
1. 2.
2.1. CITY AND WATER SYSTEM HISTORY
The City of Ukiah was incorporated on March
8, 1876. The City is a general-law City per the
State of California Govt Code § 34102. Per
the US Census Bureau, the City qualifies as
an “urban area”, but is listed under the
“urban cluster” category which is a Census
category for small to mid-size cities. The City
operates under a City Council/City Manager
form of government. The City Council
consists of five (5) Council Members elected
to four-year terms, one of which is
appointed mayor by Council for a one-year
term. The City Manager, who serves on
behalf of the City Council, runs the day-today operations of the City. Under the City Manager’s general oversight, the City’s
Director of Water and Sewer Utilities runs
the City’s Water Resources Department. The
City’s Water Resources Department performs
all activities related to the water system.
2.1.1. Early Stages
Prior to the City’s incorporation, Ukiah was
part of a Mexican Land Grant, and the City
began its history as a valley settlement in
1856. Lumber production became a major
industry by the end of the 1940s because of
the City's moderate climate and productive
soil; currently, agriculture is the largest
industry in Ukiah and the rest of Mendocino
County. Ukiah is home to wineries, grape
vineyards, pear orchards, wood production
plants, and non-agricultural manufacturers.
2 Section 2:
Service Area
Description
The City's Water
Service Area is
roughly 3,000 acres
or 4.7 square miles
in size.
24 2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
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2025 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
2.2. CURRENT WATER SERVICE AREA
The City of Ukiah is located in the
southeastern portion of Mendocino County,
approximately 60 miles north of Santa Rosa,
20 miles south of Willits, and 5 miles southwest of Lake Mendocino. The City is bounded by the Mendocino Range to the
west and the Mayacamas Mountains to the
east. Interstate Highway 101 runs north and
south through the City along its eastern
boundary. The Russian River flows from
north to south through the Ukiah area. The
City’s total land area is roughly 3,000 acres
or 4.7 square miles. The City is also the
county seat for Mendocino County. See
Figure 2.1 for the City’s Service Area Map.
The City’s water service area comprises
nearly one-hundred percent (100%) of the
population residing within the City limits,
with a small amount (less than one percent
(1%)) of City residents being served by other
water purveyors. The City's Water Service
Area is predominantly equivalent to the
City’s total land area mentioned above.
The City’s “Sphere of Influence” (SOI) is a
large, unincorporated area surrounding the
City. The SOI is included in the City’s General
Plan. The City recently updated the SOI in
2024, which is reflected in Figure 2.2. For
planning purposes, this UWMP analyzes
potential growth in the City’s SOI (see
Section 6: and Section 7:)
The City is a retail agency within the Ukiah
Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin). The City
draws water from the Russian River and the
Ukiah Valley Groundwater Basin. The City
shares these water sources with several
agencies including: Redwood Valley County
Water District, Willow County Water District,
Millview County Water District, Calpella
County Water District, Rogina Water
Company, Mendocino County Russian River
Flood Control and Water Conservation
District (Flood Control District), and Sonoma
County Water Agency. Most of these
agencies, including the City, have unified to
form the Ukiah Valley Water Authority
(UVWA), a joint powers authority (JPA)
(Section 3.6.1).
The City is also a member of the Russian
River Watershed Association (RRWA), which
is a coalition of eleven cities, counties and
special districts in the Russian River
watershed that have come together to
coordinate regional programs for clean
water, habitat restoration, and watershed
enhancement. RRWA was formed in 2003 to
create opportunities for member agencies to
expand their stewardship role in the
watershed. These member agencies include
the Cities of Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg,
Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and
Ukiah, as well as Mendocino and Sonoma
County, Sonoma Water, and the Town of
Windsor.
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25 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
Finance Department staff read water meters
monthly for billing purposes and
recommend change-outs of damaged water
meters in order to keep accurate accounts of
water consumed by customers. The City's
Water Resources Department staff are
certified by the State of California to
operate, maintain and repair the water
distribution system, the City’s wells, the
Water Treatment Plant (WTP), and the
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).
The Water Resources Department’s key
objectives can be summarized as the
following:
• Respond to all water quality
complaints
• Flushing mains
• Efficiently operate groundwater
facilities and the Water Treatment
Plant (WTP)
• Efficiently operate wastewater and
recycled water facilities, and the
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
• Maintain and make repairs to all
components of the water distribution
system
• Comply with Division of Drinking
Water (DDW) regulations, including
laboratory testing
• Promote water certification and safety
training
Most of the water consumption is by
residential users, with an even amount
distributed to both single-family and multifamily residences, and the remaining water users in the City include, commercial/
institutional, industrial, landscape irrigation,
and other. Water use by the fire service is
reported under the other category. In 2025
residential users accounted for about sixtyone percent (61%) of the City’s total water usage.
2.3. LAND USE & ECONOMY
The City is one of four (4) incorporated cities
located in Mendocino County. Mendocino
County encompasses an area of 3,510
square miles or 2.2 million acres, and is
bordered on the west by the coast, on the
north by Humboldt County and Trinity
County, on the South by Sonoma County,
and on the east by Lake and Glenn County.
According to a County Report, nearly
500,000 acres are used for agriculture in
Mendocino County, including acreage in
both unincorporated and incorporated
County. Overall, Mendocino County’s
agricultural production consists of more
than one-hundred twenty (120) types of
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commodities. In addition, timber cut in the
County have significant economic impact. In
fact, according to County Agricultural
Reports, timber accounts for the second
highest-ranking value at over $190 million
gross. Total combined agricultural
production in Mendocino County is just
under $321 million.
In addition to agricultural and livestock
production, the County has a substantial
manufacturing economy. According to
County estimates, total manufacturing
production in Mendocino County is
estimated to be over $455 million.
The Mendocino County General Plan,
updated August 2009, identifies fourteen
(14) Specific Area Plans within Mendocino
County. This includes a mixture of suburban
residential, rural community, industrial, and
agricultural lands. No specific developments
are identified within the City in the current
version of the County’s Plan because the City
is governed by its own general plan.
Table 2.1 provides some basic statistics on
current land use and economy for
Mendocino County and the City. Figure 2.3
in this Section shows the Mendocino County
General Plan Land Use Map, which includes
the agricultural, open space, and community
areas.
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Table 2.1 Current Land Use & Economic Statistics for Mendocino County and Ukiah Land: Total (sq. miles)
Item Mendocino County City of Ukiah
Land Area (sq. miles) 3,510 square miles 4.68 sq. miles Land Area (acres) 2,246,000 acres 2,989 acres
Agricultural Land (acres) 497,000 acres 20 acres*
Developed Land (acres) 7,500 acres 2,240 square miles
Population
Item Mendocino County City of Ukiah
Population 88,122 16,325
Housing
Item Mendocino County City of Ukiah
Total Housing Units 42,013 6,572
Median Home Price $512,200 $458,400
Owner Occupancy Rate 61.7% 44.7%
Economy
Item Mendocino County City of Ukiah
Employed (16yrs +) 56.4% 59.0%
Unemployment Rate 5.2% 7.1%
Median Household Income $68,092 $66,160
Percent in Poverty 13.4% 17.9%
Retail & Wholesale Sales $1.1 Billion $442 Million
Agriculture/Crops $321 Million N/A**
* Does not include surrounding Ukiah Valley. Within City Boundaries only. Some of these lands are designated in the City’s current Zoning Map ( http://www.cityofukiah.com/documents-and-maps/) for pending development. ** The areas immediately surrounding the City contribute to the County’s agricultural production.
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2.3.1. Development in City
The City 2040 General Plan update was
completed in December 2022. The Ukiah
General Plan contains the following
elements, as mandated by Government
Code Section 65302: Open Space and
Conservation, Noise, Safety, Energy, Airport,
Parks & Recreation, Historic and
Archeological Resources, Community
Facilities & Services, Circulation &
Transportation, Housing, Community
Design, Economic Development, and Land
Use.
In addition to the mandated elements, CEQA
Guidelines stipulate that the City’s General
Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
identify the potential environmental impacts
associated with the implementation of the
General Plan. This analysis will assess and, if
necessary, include measures to mitigate
potential impacts related to CEQA-required
topics for proposed developments.
The City’s Land Use Element separates land
within the City limits into a total of 16
residential, commercial, mixed-use,
public/quasi-public areas, and agricultural
land use designations; which are listed
below:
Residential
• Hillside Residential (HR)
• Rural Residential (RR)
• Low Density Residential (LDR)
• Medium Density Residential (MDR)
• High Density Residential (HDR)
Mixed Use / Commercial / Industrial
• Downtown Core (DC)
• Mixed Use Brush Street (MUBST)
• Mixed Use: AIP-PD (AIP-PD)
• Neighborhood Commercial (NC)
• Community Commercial (CC)
• Highway Commercial (HC)
• Industrial (I)
Public / Quasi-Public
• Public (P)
• Recreational (REC)
• Open Space (OS)
Other
• Agriculture (AG)
Within each of the zone districts listed
above, there are several types of individual
developments that are included. The Land
Use Element included in the Ukiah General
Plan was meant to promote an orderly
pattern of development in the City (including
the City’s ability to provide water service to
the various land uses).
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29 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
2.3.2. Recent Developments
The City has completed multiple
developments in recent years. Notable
developments are listed in Table 2.2:
Table 2.2 Recent Developments in City of
Ukiah (Since 2020 UWMP)
No. Development
1 New Courthouse
2 Palace Hotel
3 City’s New Municipal Corporation
Yard
4 Mendocino Community Health
Clinic (MCHC) Urgent Care &
Administration Building
5 Commercial Shell Building
Total Five (5) Developments
The new courthouse is along Perkins Street.
The Palace Hotel is under consideration for
rehabilitation. The City’s new Corporation
Yard replaces the existing Corporation Yard
located near the airport. Mendocino
Community Health Clinic (MCHC) proposes
to convert an existing ±7,129-square-foot
structure at 1240 Airport Park Boulevard
into a new Urgent Care and Administrative
Office facility. The Commercial Shell Building
project proposes the construction of a
single-story commercial shell building
totaling approximately 3,261 square feet,
intended for retail or restaurant use. The
new building would be located on the
southern portion of 1294 N. State Street at
the former site of Diamond Jim’s Sporting
Goods & Liquor, which was lost to fire in
2011. The building is designed to
accommodate retail stores and restaurants
in keeping with the City of Ukiah’s
Community Commercial (C-1) zoning district.
2.3.3. Western Hills Annexation
In 2022, consistent with direction received
from the City Council, the adopted
Annexation policy, and the 2040 General
Plan, the City submitted a request to the
Mendocino Local Agency Formation
Commission (LAFCo) to annex property
adjacent to its western jurisdictional
boundary. Known as the Western Hills, this
property has a total area of 665 acres,
including 15 acres for the development of
three (3) residential parcels and the
remaining area comprised of open space.
On March 15, 2024 an updated application
was submitted to LAFCo for review and
evaluation that included a Sphere of
Influence Amendment to account for an
additional parcel (APN 003-190-11). On
November 4, 2024, the Mendocino LAFCo
voted unanimously to approve the City’s
annexation and sphere of influence
amendment request. The City’s Limited
Development Agreement allows for the
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development to have a maximum of twenty
(20) dwelling units.
2.3.4. Proposed Annexation Project
On April 23, 2026, the City released a revised
proposal of its Proposed Annexation Project,
called the “Sapling Option,” which reflects a
significantly smaller study area than was
originally proposed. The updated map
reduces the extent of land included north of
the City, while maintaining much of the
southern area. While this refined approach
responds to community input that strongly
opposed the original “Valley Oaks Study
Area”, it also includes fewer revenuegenerating areas, meaning the City anticipates a short-term fiscal strain in the
early years following annexation but over
time, financial balance would be achieved
through the phased implementation of the
Master Tax Sharing Agreement that was
negotiated and adopted previously with the
County.
Before any changes occur with potential
annexation, the proposal must be reviewed
and approved by the Ukiah City Council,
followed by submission of a formal
application to LAFCo. From there, it enters
an official review process that includes
public notification, hearings, and an
opportunity for affected property owners
and voters to participate in a protest vote
process in accordance with California law.
Water is already provided to the entire
proposed area through the Ukiah Valley
Water Authority and sewer would continue
to be provided by the City of Ukiah or the
Ukiah Valley Sanitation District. Therefore,
this proposed annexation project will not
increase the City’s service area population,
nor affect the City’s projected water
demand. The “Sapling Option” map is shown
in Figure 2.6 and additional information is
available at CityofUkiah.com/annexation.
2.4. CLIMATE
The City’s climate is influenced by the Pacific
Ocean and is divided into wet and dry
seasons. The City is considered a
“Mediterranean” climate: a semi-arid
environment with mild winters, warm
summers and moderate rainfall. The area
has an average summer temperature of 71°F
and an average winter temperature of 47°F.
The average annual rainfall for the region is
32.61 inches. Evapotranspiration (ETo) in the
region averages approximately 52.15 inches
annually. Table 2.3 lists the historical
average rainfall for the City:
Table 2.3 Historical Climate (1949-2025)
(www.wrcc.dri.edu)
Station: Ukiah Municipal AP, California (049127)
Month Rainfall (in) Avg. Temp (°F)
Jan 5.53 47.8
Feb 5.36 49.5
Mar 4.49 52.6
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Month Rainfall (in) Avg. Temp (°F)
Apr 2.18 56.1
May 0.87 63.0
Jun 0.25 69.8
Jul 0.01 75.6
Aug 0.03 74.3
Sep 0.26 69.9
Oct 1.96 61.7
Nov 3.62 52.0
Dec 7.69 46.9
Totals: 32.61 59.9
City rainfall levels have tracked lower than
historical averages, due in part to recent
drought conditions throughout California.
ETo and rainfall data for the past year
indicate that rainfall totals for all months,
except for May, July, and August are lower
than the historical levels. Table 2.4 shows
the recent data for the region.
Table 2.4 Recent Climate Characteristics
(2025)
CIMIS Station 106 (Sanel Valley)
(cimis.water.ca.gov)
Month Rainfall (in) ETo (in)
Jan (2025) 0.96 1.60
Feb (2025) 9.35 1.63
Mar (2025) 4.81 2.76
Apr (2025) 0.87 4.72
May (2025) 0.15 6.99
Month Rainfall (in) ETo (in)
Jun (2025) 0.00 7.68
Jul (2025) 0.00 7.69
Aug (2025) 0.03 7.30
Sep (2025) 0.49 4.62
Oct (2025) 1.28 2.94
Nov (2025) 4.50 1.61
Dec (2025) 4.56 1.15
Totals: 27.0 50.69
The recorded rainfall in the City for Calendar
year 2025 was 27.0 inches, which amounts
to 83% of the average historical rainfall
(32.61 inches). It is important to note that
despite the recent drought, local rainfall has
limited impacts on surface water and
groundwater replenishment within the City.
Due to the low population density of
Mendocino County compared to the
quantity of water flowing through the
Russian River and held in the Basin, the
impact to the City is minimized.
2.4.1. Climate Change
The DWR Guidebook requires water
suppliers to include a discussion of climate
change in their UWMPs, specifically with
regard to Drought Risk Assessments (DRA).
Section 7: provides an overview of droughts.
The rise of anthropogenic activities
producing carbon dioxide in the world has
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changed the earth’s climate by emitting
greenhouse gases responsible for global
warming. This has resulted in extreme
weather events occurring more frequently.
The severity and frequency of climate
change impacts on temperature and
precipitation patterns can be difficult to
forecast due to dramatic shifts in weather
patterns as a result of increased
concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. While the precise timing,
severity, and regional impacts of these
temperature and precipitation changes are
uncertain, climate researchers have
identified several important issues of
concern for water planners in California.
The climate change impacts of concern
include increases in temperature,
precipitation pattern changes. and see-level
rise. More winter precipitation falling as rain
than snow leads to reduced snowpack water
storage, reduced long term soil humidity,
reduced groundwater and downstream
flows, and reduced imported water
deliveries. Higher temperatures alter
evapotranspiration rates and growing
seasons become longer. Precipitation
pattern changes leads to increase flooding
from intense storms. Although the extent of
these changes is uncertain, the District is
already planning ahead to ensure long
lasting reliability of its source for their
customers.
The California Natural Resources Agency
released a draft of the 2024 California
Climate Adaptation Strategy (Strategy),
which builds on the successes and lessons
learned since the first iteration in 2009 and
the California Adaptive Planning Guide
issued in 2012. It also integrates and
connects key elements of the latest specific
State of California action plans, such as the
Extreme Heat Action Plan, Water Supply
Strategy, Climate Smart Lands Strategy,
Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan,
and Climate Action Plan for Transportation
Infrastructure. Key elements of the
approach:
01.Set updated, strategic direction and
identify outcome-based priorities:
The Strategy links the State’s existing,
planned, and resourced climate adaptation
efforts, showing how they fit together to
achieve broad climate resilience priorities.
The Strategy also specifies needed actions,
with timeframes and metrics, to drive
progress and enable accountability.
02.Unify efforts across all sectors and
regions:
The Strategy is organized around outcomebased priorities, rather than individual sectors, enabling a coordinated, integrated
approach to building climate resilience. This
approach recognizes how climate
adaptation is implemented on the ground,
and reflects our commitment to integrating
climate resilience into the work of all state
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agencies. The priorities have been
developed based on input from Californians
across all regions of the state and in
consultation with California Native American
tribes.
03. Help all Californians understand and
contribute to California’s climate resilience:
The 2024 Strategy updates the interactive
website that serves as a hub for state climate
resilience action. This website will continue
to be updated to enable easier navigation, to
follow the state’s progress and to find
adaptation information and resources easily.
The DWR Guidebook requires water
suppliers to include a discussion of climate
change in their UWMPs, specifically with
regard to Drought Risk Assessments (DRA).
Section 7: provides an overview of droughts.
The rise of anthropogenic activities
producing carbon dioxide in the world has
changed the earth’s climate by emitting
greenhouse gasses responsible for global
warming. This has resulted in extreme
weather events occurring more frequently.
The severity and frequency of climate
change impacts on temperature and
precipitation patterns can be difficult to
forecast due to dramatic shifts in weather
patterns as a result of increased
concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. While the precise timing,
severity, and regional impacts of these
temperature and precipitation changes are
uncertain, climate researchers have
identified several important issues of
concern for water planners in California.
The climate change impacts of concern
include increases in temperature,
precipitation pattern changes. and see-level
rise. More winter precipitation falling as rain
than snow leads to reduced snowpack water
storage, reduced long term soil humidity,
reduced groundwater and downstream
flows, and reduced imported water
deliveries. Higher temperatures alter
evapotranspiration rates and growing
seasons become longer. Precipitation
pattern changes leads to increase flooding
from intense storms. Although the extent of
these changes is uncertain, the District is
already planning ahead to ensure long
lasting reliability of its source for their
customers.
The California Natural Resources Agency
released a draft of the 2024 California
Climate Adaptation Strategy (Strategy),
which builds on the successes and lessons
learned since the first iteration in 2009 and
the California Adaptive Planning Guide
issued in 2012. It also integrates and
connects key elements of the latest specific
State of California action plans, such as the
Extreme Heat Action Plan, Water Supply
Strategy, Climate Smart Lands Strategy,
Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan,
and Climate Action Plan for Transportation
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Infrastructure. Key elements of the
approach:
01.Set updated, strategic direction and
identify outcome-based priorities:
The Strategy links the State’s existing,
planned, and resourced climate adaptation
efforts, showing how they fit together to
achieve broad climate resilience priorities.
The Strategy also specifies needed actions,
with timeframes and metrics, to drive
progress and enable accountability.
02.Unify efforts across all sectors and
regions:
The Strategy is organized around outcomebased priorities, rather than individual sectors, enabling a coordinated, integrated
approach to building climate resilience. This
approach recognizes how climate
adaptation is implemented on the ground,
and reflects our commitment to integrating
climate resilience into the work of all state
agencies. The priorities have been
developed based on input from Californians
across all regions of the state and in
consultation with California Native American
tribes.
03. Help all Californians understand and
contribute to California’s climate resilience:
The 2024 Strategy updates the interactive
website that serves as a hub for state climate
resilience action. This website will continue
to be updated to enable easier navigation, to
follow the state’s progress and to find
adaptation information and resources easily.
The City’s geography, physical terrain, land
use, and Mediterranean climate create
conditions that put the City at severe risk for
climate forces including extreme heat,
extreme drought, extreme weather, wildfire,
and flooding. In 2022, the City of Ukiah
adopted a resolution endorsing the
declaration of a climate emergency and a call
to action to restore a safe climate. The Ukiah
2040 General Plan as well as the 2024 City
Council Strategic Plan set the initial tone for
climate action, sustainable development,
and conservation of Ukiah’s natural
resources. The Ukiah 2040 General Plan
established a local goal “to create a more
resilient community that is prepared for,
responsive to, and recoverable from hazards
created or made worse by climate change”
and calls for the adoption of a Community
CAP.
A communitywide GHG inventory was
subsequently produced in 2023, in advance
of the development of the 2025 Climate
Action Plan (CAP). Ukiah’s GHG Inventory
demonstrates that 97% of the City’s
emissions derive from two sectors: Building
Energy & Transportation. The CAP addresses
this and provides the City with sizeable
opportunities for sustainable electrification.
Due to the City’s proximity to the Mendocino
National Forest and recently annexed
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Western Hills, as well as its rich agricultural
heritage, intriguing opportunities are
available for carbon sequestration
initiatives. Section 7: provides greater detail
of droughts and their impact on the City’s
supplies.
2.5. POPULATION
According to the most recent population
figures from the California Department of
Finance (DOF), the current 2025 resident
population of the City is approximately
16,325 persons. Since the City's water
service area comprises nearly one-hundred
percent (100%) of the population residing
within the City limits, the total current
resident population served by the City’s
water system is also 16,325 persons. This is
only approximately 264 persons more than
the population total in 2020. Although, the
City experienced a peak population of
16,607 persons in 2022, the number has
fluctuated over the last five (5) years. Table
2.5 lists the City’s recent and current (2025)
populations:
Table 2.5 City of Ukiah Population
Year Service Area
Population
2021 15,995
2022 16,607
2023 16,108
2024 16,227
2025 16,325
As the County seat, daytime populations
fluctuate significantly. On special occasions,
daytime populations can be more than twice
the City’s resident population listed above.
2.5.1. Population Projections
As shown in Table 2.2 of the City’s Housing
Element Update 2019-2027, between 2000
and 2010, the City added 545 residents, or
0.35% annual growth rate, to its population.
The DoF used an annual growth rate of
0.36% for their projections, which is very
close to the annual growth rate between
2000 and 2010 of 0.35%. As a result, this
annual growth rate of 0.36% was used in the
2020 UWMP for the City's population
projections and will also be used in this 2025
UWMP for the City's population projections
for 2026-2050. This amounts to a growth of
approximately 58 persons per year for 25
years to 2050. This is much greater than the
growth rate for Mendocino County, which
CA DoF projects will decrease in population
at an annual rate of 0.39%.
It is expected that the planned Western Hills
development (Section 2.3.3) will feature a
maximum of twenty (20) dwelling units, and
at the City's average 3.3 persons per
connection, this would add approximately
sixty-six (66) people. For conservative
planning purposes, it is assumed that this
population would be added in 2030.
Population projections for 2050, and every
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five-year increment from 2025 until then is
shown in Table 2.6.
Table 2.6 Population Projections
Year Service Area
Population
2030 16,685
2035 16,979
2040 17,272
2045 17,566
2050 17,860
As the City continues to grow and attract
additional businesses the City may likely
experience periodic spikes in the number of
daytime or short-term residents due to
schools or daytime commercial employees.
2.6. CITY WATER SYSTEM
An overview of the City’s water system is
provided herein. More information on the
City’s water sources, water treatment, and
water demands can be found in Section 3:
through Section 6: of this report. Since this
UWMP is a water resource planning
document, it does not provide technical
details on water system components.
2.6.1. City Water System Overview
The City’s water system consists of the
following components:
• Ranney Collector (Radial Well) & Well
#3
• Groundwater supply wells
• Water treatment facility
• Imported Water Connections
• Water distribution pipeline network
• Water storage facilities
• Booster stations
• Emergency interconnections
• Recycled Water
2.6.2. Imported Water
Up until 2020 the City maintained an
agreement with the Flood Control District for
“imported” water. Under that agreement,
the City was allowed to pump up to 800 AFY
of surface water (underflows from the
Russian River) under the District’s Permit
12947B. The surface water was available
through the same pumping equipment
(Ranney collector and Well #3) that currently
collects surface water underflows under the
City’s Pre-1914 Right and Permit 12952. The
agreement with the Flood Control District
was discontinued in 2014, which became
effective in December of 2020. The City
decided not to renew a contract with the
Flood Control District, due to sufficiency of
the City’s current water supplies.
2.6.3. Groundwater
Water produced from four (4) groundwater
wells account for about seventy-two percent
(72%) of the City’s potable water supply.
These 4 wells (Wells #4, #7, #8, and #9) pull
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37 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
water from the Ukiah Valley Groundwater
Basin, which currently is an unadjudicated
basin.
Prior to 2019, Well #4 had been offline for
rehabilitation. Well #8 experienced some
problems during installation and had not
produced as anticipated from the beginning
of its operation; however since the 2020
UWMP it has been rehabilitated and
upsized. The total pumping capacity of Wells
#4, #7, and #8 are 2,200 gpm (or 3,548 AFY).
Well #9 went online in 2017 with a pumping
capacity of 700 gpm (about 1,129 AFY). This
brings the total pumping capacity of all four
(4) groundwater wells to 4,677 AFY.
2.6.4. Surface Water
Water is produced from two (2) surface water
sources, the Ranney Diversion/Collector and
Well #3 (ground water under the direct
influence of surface water), which
collectively account for about 28% of the
City’s potable water system. Both sources
produce water from the Russian River. The
Ranney Collector has a capacity of 4.6 million
gallons per day (MGD) (5,155 AFY) and Well
#3 has an estimated pumping capacity of 300
GPM (484 AFY). The Total available surface
water pumping capacity is 5,638 AFY.
However, the City has total water rights to
16,507 AFY of the Russian River. Well #3 is
planned to be rehabilitated in April 2026.
2.6.5. Water Treatment Facility
The City’s Water Treatment Plant (WTP) was
constructed and began operation in April
1992, and treats water collected in the
Ranney Collector. The WTP is located about
300 feet away from Ranney collector and
uses the Microfloc contact clarificationfiltration system. Treatment processes include pre-chlorination, adsorption,
clarification, mixed-media gravity filtration,
and disinfection.
Filter backwash water generated from the
water treatment plant processes is
discharged to two 216,000-gallon
clarification reservoirs for recycling. Treated
water is pumped to a 1.5 MG clearwell /
reservoir for post chlorination. From the
clearwell, the water is pumped into the
distribution system by vertical turbine high
service pumps. Operation of the treatment
plant is controlled through the use of a
pressure transducer in the City’s new 1.5 MG
reservoir.
The most-recent improvements to the WTP
included an additional Microfloc contact
clarification-filtration unit for redundancy,
new chlorine scrubber, new sodium
hydroxide tank and dispensing system, new
water distribution SCADA system, and high
service pumps.
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2.6.6. Distribution System
The City distributes water to residential,
commercial, and other customers through
approximately 5,030 service connections
using a 62-mile network of distribution
mains. The water system consists of four (4)
pressure zones that provide modified
pressure to customers. Zone 1 is the main
zone, and it serves ninety-seven percent
(97%) of the City’s water system. Zone 1 is
served by gravity from the two largest
storage tanks. Smaller pressure zones are
supplied by booster pump stations. The
water service area is shown in Figure 2.1. A
1941 main is planned to be replaced, as it
was damaged in a recent earthquake.
2.6.7. Water Storage
For storage needs, the City maintains eight
(8) operating storage reservoirs with a
combined storage capacity of 6.1 MG The
reservoirs include a 2.5 MG concrete tank, a
100,000-gallon steel tank, a 13,000-gallon
redwood tank, a 30,000-gallon steel tank
(constructed in 1996), a 135,000-gallon
concrete clearwell with transfer station, and
three storage tanks completed in 2005 (two
1.5 MG tanks and one 315,000-gallon tank).
Since the 2020 UWMP, the City upsized the
aforementioned steel tank from 100,000 to
165,000 gallons.
2.6.8. Booster Stations
The City of Ukiah maintains and operates
three (3) booster stations throughout its
service area. The booster stations are
located on the westerly side of the City, near
the base of foothills. The booster stations
range in capacity from 40 gpm to 350 gpm.
These pumps serve only a few service
connections.
2.6.9. Emergency Interconnections
The City does not transfer or exchange water
with its neighboring water agencies.
However, the City maintains emergency
agreements as follows:
• Emergency agreement with Willow
County Water District
• Emergency agreement with Millview
County Water District
Besides the two agencies above, the
Redwood Valley County Water District
(Redwood), benefits indirectly from the
City’s actions. For instance, the City’s
relinquishing of its agreement with the Flood
Control District as noted in Section 2.6.2 has
allowed Redwood to obtain additional surface
water from the Flood Control District.
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Figure 2.1 City of Ukiah Water Service Area
WATER
SERVICE AREA
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
PLANT
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Figure 2.2 City of Ukiah Water Service Area & Sphere of Influence (SOI)
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Figure 2.3 Mendocino County General Plan Land Use Map
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Figure 2.4 City of Ukiah Zoning Map
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Figure 2.5 City of Ukiah Organization Chart (March 2026)
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Figure 2.6 Proposed Annexation Project “Sapling Option”
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45 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
3. 3.1. INTRODUCTION
The City uses both potable water and nonpotable (recycled) water to meet the needs of its service area. Recycled water is covered
in Section 4:. The City’s potable water comes
from local water sources only, including
surface water from the Russian River and
groundwater from the Ukiah Valley
Groundwater Basin. The groundwater basin
is not currently limited with water rights
agreements, whereas the City has water
rights agreements with the State for use of
surface water from the Russian River. The
City maintains groundwater wells, a Ranney
collector, surface well, and a potable water
treatment plant to produce water in the City.
This Section describes the current and
projected water resources available to the
City over a 25-year period (through 2050).
3.2. SURFACE WATER (RUSSIAN RIVER)
The City currently uses underflow from the
Russian River and plans to continue doing so
in the future. The Russian River hydrologic
unit encompasses 1,485 square miles in
Mendocino and Sonoma counties, bounded
by the Coast Ranges on both the east and
west (see Figure 3.1). The head of the
Russian River is located about sixteen (16)
geographic miles north of the City, wherein
the river picks up additional flows from
smaller tributary creeks before reaching the
Ukiah Valley. The river flows southward from
Redwood and Potter valleys (north of City) to
its confluence with Mark West Creek near
3 Section 3:
Water
Sources &
Supplies
Surface water
accounts for about
twenty-eight percent
(28%) of the City’s
water supply over the
past five (5) years.
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the City of Santa Rosa, where it turns
westward to cut through the coastal
mountain range and empty into the Pacific
Ocean at the town of Jenner. The total
length of the main river is about 110 miles
long.
Elevations in the watershed range from sea
level (0 feet) at the estuary near the town of
Jenner to as high as 4,300 feet at the summit
of Mt. St. Helena in the Mayacama
Mountains. The Ukiah Valley sub-region of
the watershed ranges from 600 feet to 700
feet in elevation. The principal tributaries of
the Russian River include the East Fork
Russian River, and several, smaller creeks,
including the Feliz, Pieta, Big Sulfur, Dry,
Mark West (including the Laguna de Santa
Rosa), Green Valley, and Austin creeks. Some
of the tributary creeks within the Ukiah
Valley include the Orrs Creek, Gibson Creek,
Doolin Creek, Mill Creek, and Ackerman
Creek. The Ukiah Valley creeks are shown in
Figure 3.2.
The volume of surface flows in the Russian
River within the Ukiah Valley are influenced
by the operations of the Potter Valley
Powerhouse (PVP) and Lake Mendocino. The
PVP is managed by Pacific Gas & Electric
Company (PG&E). Lake Mendocino is
managed by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE), San Francisco District.
Sonoma Water and the Mendocino County
Russian River Flood Control and Water
Conservation District (Flood Control District)
own storage space in Lake Mendocino.
These agencies coordinate water releases
from Lake Mendocino with the USACE and
the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS). During the recent drought (2020-
2022) as described in Section 7.3, a
temporary water-rights variance was
requested by PG&E in 2021, which aimed to
reduce minimum flow from the PVP into the
East Fork of the Russian River from 45 cubic
feet per second (cfs) to 15 cfs. The temporary
variance wasfiled with regards towaterrights
decisions issued by the State Water
Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and is no
longer in effect.
The SWRCB issued Decision 1030 in 1961
which clarified water-rights to agencies
along the Russian River. Decision 1610 was
issued in 1986 which stipulated minimum
flow requirements in
the river as a condition
for the water rights.
The minimum flow
requirements help
protect marine life and
to maintain the quality
of water in the river’s
watershed. According to the individual
permits issued under Decision 1610, dam
releases from Lake Mendocino into the East
Fork of the Russian River must be 25 cfs at all
times. As such, Sonoma Water must release
sufficient
SWRCB Decision
1610 reaffirms
water rights given
in Decision 1030
with minimum
flow stipulations.
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Figure 3.1 Russian River Watershed
See Figure 3.2
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Figure 3.2 Russian River Tributaries in City Water Service Area.
City
Boundaries
Tributary
Creeks
Russian
River
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49 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2025
water from Lake Mendocino to maintain a
river flow of 150 cfs to 185 cfs during normal
conditions. Dry conditions are considered to
be 75 cfs, and critical conditions are
considered to be 25 cfs. Thus, the City can
expect the following flows available in the
Russian River adjacent to the City’s water
service area as shown in Table 3.1:
Table 3.1 Typical River Flow Volumes in
Ukiah Valley
Climate Condition Volume
Normal Water Year 150 cfs to 185 cfs
Dry Water Year 75 cfs
Critical Drought 25 cfs
Sonoma Water maintains a geographic
information system (GIS) inventory of flow
sensors along the entire Russian River. Flow
data captured on April 30th, 2021 indicated
that a flow of 53.80 cfs was measured just
north of the City’s water service area. This is
shown in Figure 3.4 .
Two (2) reservoirs provide flood protection
and water supply storage for the Russian
River Watershed: 1) Lake Mendocino on the
East Fork Russian River near the City of
Ukiah, and 2) Lake Sonoma on Dry Creek
west of Healdsburg. Lake Mendocino was
formed when the Coyote Dam was
constructed in 1958, and Lake Sonoma was
formed in 1984 after completion of the
Warm Springs Dam. Both dams were
constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers as flood control projects, but also
provide both water storage and hydroelectric power. The City’s hydroelectric plant, located at the outlet conduit for
Coyote Dam, became operational in 1986. It
contains two turbine/generator units: a
1,000-kW unit and a 2,500-kW unit. The City
is responsible for maintaining and operating
the Hydroelectric Plant. As such, the City
coordinates water releases from the dam
with the USACE, Sonoma Water, the
Northern California Power Agency (NCPA),
and the NMFS. The releases from the dam
are also reported to the Department of
Water Resources (DWR).
DWR’s online Data Exchange Center keeps
records of all dam releases in the State.
Reservoir operators in the State schedule
reservoir releases and report the time/date
and flow to DWR. Recent releases for Lake
Mendocino are shown in Table 3.2:
Table 3.2 Reservoir Releases
Date - Time Volume
05/12/2026 - 06:00 70 cfs
05/20/2026 - 15:00 72 cfs
The releases shown in Table 3.1 correlates
with the flow data shown on Sonoma
Water’s GIS database. For instance,
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Figure 3.3 Streamflow Data from Sonoma Water (May 31, 2026) City Surface Water
Treatment Plant
See Figure 3.4
City Wastewater
Treatment Plant
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Figure 3.4 Streamflow in Russian River (May 2025 compared to May 2021) the flows in the East Fork of the Russian River
immediately downstream of the Coyote
Dam on May 12th, 2026 9:00 am were
measured to be 70 cfs. This correlates with
the dam release of 70 cfs at the same point
in time. Figure 3.4 shows the flow data in the
East Fork from May 1, 2026 to May 31, 2026
and compares it May 1, 2021 to May 31,
2021. The graph
indicates a spike in the
flow during the
scheduled releases
shown in Table 3.1. The
flow sensor at the
confluence of the East
Fork and the main branch of the Russian
River (i.e. upstream of the City’s surface
water intake) were unavailable during
preparation of this UWMP. Near the City’s
lower boundary, adjacent to the City’s
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), the
peak flow was also unavailable. Additional
flows measured in the downstream sensor
are likely due to the tributary creeks shown
in Figure 3.2. This flow data is meant to show
the variability of flows through the Russian
River, and meant to show a comparison of
drought years (2020-2022) and normal
years. Although, it should be noted that
these flows are not linear to supply in any
way.
3.2.1. Surface Water Production in City
The City has Pre-1914 Right for at least 2.8
cubic feet per second (cfs) for diversion from
the Russian River for a maximum of 2,027
Acre-Feet per Year (AFY). This water right is
further recognized in Decision 1030 (1961).
Additionally, the City holds Water Right
Permit 12952 (Application 15704) which
provides for the diversion of Russian River
underflow for municipal purposes. The
Permit currently covers Well #2 (no longer in
use), Well #3, and the Ranney collector.
Under the Permit, water can be diverted at a
rate not to exceed 20.0 cfs from January 1
through December 31 with no annual limit.
Therefore, the City’s water right could
provide a water supply of up to 14,480 AFY
This flow data is
meant to show
the variability of
flows through the
Russian River.
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(20 cfs for 365 days). Combined with the
City’s Pre-1914 Appropriative Rights, the
total surface water rights for the City stand
at 16,507 AFY.
The Permit expired on December 31, 2000
and the City filed a Petition for Extension of
Time with the State Water Board. The City
has also filed petitions to add points of
diversion and expand the place of use. The
Permit is considered valid while the petitions
are processed. In 2013, the City published a
Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)
for the proposed Permit amendments. The
DEIR is available on the City’s website. This
year (2021), the City is filing a new petition
to extend Water Right Permit 12952.
The City’s surface water supply is obtained
from a Ranney collector (see Figure 3.5) and
Well #3. The Ranney collector was
constructed in 1966 and can draw up to
3,194 GPM (5,155 AFY operated
continuously) from the alluvial zone of the
Russian River at its current capacity of 4.6
million gallons per day (MGD). The Ranney
collector can be used only when turbidity in
the Russian River is low, a condition which
occurs during dry weather conditions.
During the rainy months, Russian River
turbidity increases and the Microfloc contact
clarification-filtration units located at The
Water Treatment Plant (WTP) cannot be
operated efficiently.
Figure 3.5 Radial Well (Ranney Collector)
Well #3 draws water from an alluvial zone
along the Russian River as well. The supply
source has been deemed groundwater
under the direct influence of surface water
by the California Department of Public
Health (now the State Water Resources
Control Board Division of Drinking Water)
pursuant to 22 CCR §64651.10 of the
California Water Works Standards. The
determination is based on turbidity of the
diverted water, which fluctuates with the
turbidity in the Russian River. Therefore,
water diverted from Well #3 is regulated
under the City’s surface water right. Well #3
has an estimated pumping capacity of 300
GPM (484 AFY operated continuously).
Combined with the City’s Ranney collector,
this results in a total surface water
production capacity of 5,639 AFY.
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The City’s Ranney Collector and Well 3 are
equipped with a flowmeter to measure
water production. Water production is
recorded monthly by City water staff and
reported annually to DWR. Over the past five
(5) years of operation, surface water
extraction has averaged 777 AFY. Table 3.3
displays the City's surface water supplies for
years 2021 to 2025:
Table 3.3 Surface Water Production
Year Production (AF)
2021 494
2022 1,189
2023 942
2024 589
2025 671
Average: 777
2016-2020 Avg.
(2020 UWMP) 1,537
As noted by Table 3.3, surface water
production was substantially less than the
City’s surface water production capacity of
5,639 AFY. The surface water production is
even further under the Critical Drought flows
of 25 cfs (18,098 AFY), shown in Table 3.1.
For these reasons, the City’s surface water
supplies even during severe droughts are not
adversely impacted.
3.2.2. Imported (Surface) Water
As noted in Section 2.6.2, the City previously
maintained an agreement with the Flood
Control District for “imported” water, but
the City relinquished this agreement in 2020.
3.3. GROUNDWATER
The City is located within the Ukiah Valley
Groundwater Basin (Basin). The City pumps
groundwater, and plans to do so in the
future. The Basin is located in east-central
Mendocino County, and underlies the entire
City of Ukiah and the communities of
Talmage, The Forks, Calpella, Laughlin, and
Redwood Valley. The Basin is about 22 miles
long and 5 miles wide (at the widest point).
The Basin is the largest of several
groundwater basins along the Russian River,
and covers the Ukiah Valley and the
Redwood Valley. The Basin has a total
surface area of about 38,000 acres, or 59
square miles. Surface elevations in the Basin
range from 500 feet at the southerly end to
1,000 feet at the northerly end. The surface
elevations within the City range from about
600 feet to 650 feet. Basin rainfall ranges
from 35 to 45 inches.
Groundwater in the Basin is stored in two (2)
main aquifers, which range in thickness and
depth as indicated in Table 3.4. The Ukiah
Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan
(GSP) depicts groundwater storage changes
for the entire Basin noting that the available
storage is estimated to be between 60,000
and 120,000 acre-feet annually in Principal
Aquifer I and 324,000 acre-feet annually in
Principal Aquifer II. Groundwater contour
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maps indicate that the depth of
groundwater in the City’s service area can be
up to 600 feet, with typical depths being less
than 200 feet for municipal supply wells.
The GSP states that vertical hydraulic
gradients exist within the Basin. Vertical
hydraulic separation and relationship are
observed between Principal Aquifer I and
Principal Aquifer II, as well as a general
downward vertical gradient within the Basin.
The GSP notes that this gradient is less
pronounced in nested wells located near the
City of Ukiah.
The Basin receives an average annual
recharge of about 23,000 AF from natural
sources. Approximately 2,000 AF came from
the percolation pond recharge at the City’s
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), but
these are no longer active as all collected
wastewater is used as recycled water.
Natural recharge sources include,
percolation from rainfall, percolation from
Lake Mendocino, and lateral movement
from the Russian River and its tributaries.
Due to lateral movement in Basin, a portion
of the recharge from streamflow exists
southerly into the Sanel Valley Basin. The key
characteristics of the Basin are summarized
in Table 3.4:
Table 3.4 Ukiah Valley Basin Summary of
Characteristics
Item Description
Surface Area 37,500 acres
(59 sq. miles)
Max. Depth to
Groundwater 600 ft.
Aquifer Thickness
Range 50 - 200 ft.
Storage 450,000 AF
Natural
Recharge/Safe Yield 25,300 AFY
Adjudicated Rights N/A
Artificial Spreading
Grounds 1
Injection Wells 0
Seawater Intrusion
Barriers N/A
Desalters N/A
As noted in Table 3.1, there is one (1) official
recharge/spreading grounds in the Basin
(the City’s spreading grounds at the WWTP).
Unofficially, there are multiple, albeit
smaller spreading grounds located
throughout the Basin. These are located on
private agricultural properties. Although the
lateral movement of groundwater is
generally in the southerly direction, the
recharge from the WWTP ponds provided a
direct benefit to the City by maintaining
inflows and reducing gradients in the Basin
aquifers.
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Figure 3.6 Ukiah Valley Groundwater Basin
See Figure 3.6
Groundwater
Basin
Boundaries
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Figure 3.7 State Water Project
3.3.1. Groundwater Sustainability
The Sustainable Groundwater Management
Act of 2014 (SGMA), a three-bill legislative
package composed of AB 1739 (Dickinson),
SB 1168 (Pavley), and SB 1319 (Pavley), was
passed in September 2014. The legislation
provides a framework for sustainable
management of groundwater supplies by
local authorities, with a limited role for state
intervention when necessary, to protect the
resource. The legislation lays out a process
and a timeline for local authorities to achieve
sustainable management of groundwater
basins. It also provides tools, authorities and
deadlines to take the necessary steps to
achieve the goal. For local agencies involved
in implementation, the requirements are
significant and can be expected to take years
to accomplish. The SWRCB may intervene if
local agencies do not form a Groundwater
Sustainability Agency (GSA) and/or fail to
adopt and implement a Groundwater
Sustainability Plan (GSP).
The SGMA applies to basins designated by
DWR as high or medium priority basins,
based on a statewide ranking that uses
criteria including population and extent of
irrigated agriculture dependent on
groundwater. According to May 2021
City
Boundaries
Ukiah Valley/
GW Basin
Boundaries
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updates on DWR’s SGMA Basin Prioritization
Dashboard, ninety-four (94) basins were
identified as medium or high priority and will
be required to form GSAs and develop GSPs.
These 94 basins, in
combination with
basins that already
have existing
governance and
oversight in place,
account for ninetyeight percent (98%) of
the pumping (20 million acre-feet), eightythree percent (83%) of the population (25 million Californians), and eighty-eight
percent (88%) of all irrigated acres (6.7
million acres) within the state’s groundwater
basins.
According to the current (June 2026)
rankings on DWR’s dashboard
(gis.water.ca.gov/app/bp-dashboard/final/),
the Basin has been ranked as a Medium
priority basin, with a score of 19.5 (same as
in the 2020 UWMP). This is mostly attributed
to no documented groundwater level
declines or groundwater extraction induced
inelastic subsidence, and active monitoring
of groundwater levels.
3.3.2. Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater
Sustainability Plan
In 2017, the City came together with the
County of Mendocino, Upper Russian River
Water Agency, and Russian River Flood
Control and Water Conservation and
Improvement District. to form the Ukiah
Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability
Agency (UVBGSA). The County of Mendocino
manages the UVBGSA Board Meetings,
provides information about UVBGSA, and
provides communication/outreach to the
public. The UVBGSA prepared a
Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), to
provide guidance for pumping activities in
the basin, that was submitted to DWR on
January 28th, 2022 and approved on July 27,
2023.
3.3.3. City Wells
The City maintains four (4) active wells,
including one (1) new well since the 2015
UWMP (Well #9), which went online in 2017.
The City’s wells are summarized as follows:
• Well #4 – 1,000 gpm
Lorraine St. & Betty St.
• Well #7 – 700 gpm
E. Gobbi St.
• Well #8 – 500 gpm
Oak Manor Dr.
• Well #9 (New) – 700 gpm
Orchard Ave.
Prior to 2019, Well #4 had been offline for
rehabilitation. Well #8 experienced some
problems during installation and did not
produce as anticipated from the beginning
The Ukiah Valley
Basin Groundwater
Sustainability Plan
represents a critical
milestone in the
Subbasin.
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of its operation. The total pumping capacity
of Wells #4, #7, and #8 are 2,200 gpm (or
3,548 AFY). Well #9 went online in 2017 with
a pumping capacity of 700 gpm (about 1,129
AFY). This brings the total pumping capacity
of all four (4) groundwater wells to 4,677 AFY.
3.3.4. Groundwater Production
All of the City’s groundwater wells are
equipped with a flowmeter to measure
water production. Water production is
recorded monthly by City water staff and
reported annually to DWR. Over the past five
(5) years of operation, groundwater
extraction has averaged 1,965 AFY. Table 3.5
displays the City's groundwater supplies for
years 2021 to 2025.
Table 3.5 Groundwater Production
Year Production (AF)
2021 2,253
2022 1,464
2023 1,770
2024 2,217
2025 2,120
Average: 1,965
2016-2020 Avg.
(2020 UWMP) 1,294
As noted in Table 3.5, average groundwater
production increased since the 2020 UWMP.
This is mostly attributed to drought
conditions, and the City’s preservation of the
Russian River. Comparing the groundwater
production shown in Table 3.5 to that in
Table 3.3, in normal water years the City
produces more surface water than
groundwater.
3.4. PROJECTED WATER SUPPLY
Table 3.6 displays the City's projected water
supply outlook through 2050. In the near
future, the City's overall water supply
reliability is expected to increase due to
increases in water use efficiency, and
through further use of the City’s recycled
water system.
Table 3.6 Projected Water Supply
Availability (2026-2050)
Supply Source
Supply
Available
(AF)
Projected
Supply
Use
(AF)
Surface Water 16,507 1,657
Groundwater 4,677 1,176
Recycled
Water
(See Section 4)
1,500 1,500
Total 23,684 4,333
As noted by Table 3.6, the City’s available
supply through permitted rights is sufficient
to meet the City’s needs. By maintaining the
City’s wells and WTP in excellent condition,
the City’s water supply capacity should be
able to meet demands for all climate
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scenarios through 2050. Section 7: discusses
the City's projected supply reliability for
normal, dry, and multiple dry years through
2050.
3.5. ALTERNATE WATER SOURCES
This section provides an overview of
alternative water sources (non-potable
supplemental supplies) and their potential
uses. Alternative water sources include
recycled water, recycled stormwater, and
greywater.
3.5.1. Recycled Water (Wastewater)
As mentioned in Section 4.3, the City
distributes recycled water through a 7.8-
mile network of recycled water distribution
mains. The City has completed all Phases of
a 4-Phase Recycled Water Plan. Section 4:
covers recycled water.
3.5.2. Recycled Stormwater
The City currently uses recycled water in its
service area, which comes from the City’s
sewer piping network. Currently, only onethird of the wastewater entering the City’s WWTP is recycled. This is an issue of timing
and investment in additional, tertiary-level
recycling infrastructure. If recycled water
needs increase in the future, the City can
expand its recycling capacity and recycle
additional wastewater entering the WWTP
from the City’s sewer piping network. Thus,
the City does not need additional sources of
water for recycling purposes. Finally, the
costs associated with expansion of the
WWTP to include stormwater recycling
would be prohibitive unless sufficient
recycled water customers are identified in
the future, or State regulations are enacted
requiring treatment of stormwater runoff.
Nonetheless, stormwater can provide
groundwater recharge benefits for the City,
provided that the stormwater entering Basin
aquifers does not compromise groundwater
quality. Development of land typically
increases impervious surfaces which can
compromise stormwater quality. In 2014,
the County of Mendocino published a Low
Impact Development Technical Design
Manual (LID Manual). This manual provides
technical guidance for redevelopment
projects that significantly impact the
impervious surface on a redevelopment site,
and therefore require permanent
stormwater best management practices
(BMPs) to offset the impact. In 2011, the City
of Santa Rosa and County of Sonoma
prepared a similar LID manual. The City of
Ukiah adopted the latter LID Manual by
Resolution No. 2014-27. The LID Manual is
available on the City’s website.
3.5.3. Greywater
Greywater systems have been used in
California to provide a source of water
supply for subsurface irrigation and also as a
means to reduce overall water use.
Greywater consists of water discharged from
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sinks, bathtubs, dishwashers, and washing
machines. Greywater systems consist of an
underground tank and pumping system.
Greywater is currently legal for subsurface
irrigation in the State of California; however,
strict regulations and high installation costs
have impeded installation of professional
greywater systems and have the unintended
consequence of undocumented and
noncompliant use of greywater. An example
of a Greywater System is shown in Figure
3.8. Figure 3.8 Greywater System
The City does not currently have a formal
program in place to support greywater use.
However, the promotion of greywater
systems as a means to reduce the City's
overall water use is not recommended since
the use of greywater is currently limited to
subsurface irrigation and therefore the
overall service area-wide reduction in water
use (in AF) would be minimal at best.
Additionally, any water diverted to
greywater systems would no longer be
available to be treated into recycled water.
3.6. TRANSFERS OR EXCHANGES
The City does not transfer or exchange water
with its neighboring water suppliers.
However, as discussed in Section 2.6.9, the
City has two (2) agreements with
neighboring agencies, including the Willow
County Water District and the Millview
County Water District. As part of the City’s
agreements with these agencies, the City
can choose to make emergency transfers to
these agencies. Since the 2020 UWMP,
agreements have been updated and
improved, including granting of two (2)
trailer able pumps.
3.6.1. Ukiah Valley Water Authority
The Ukiah Valley Water Authority (UVWA) is
a joint powers authority (JPA) that unifies
the formerly independent water agencies:
City of Ukiah, Millview County Water
District, Redwood Valley County Water
District, Calpella County Water District, and
Willow County Water District. The UVWA
aims to coordinate efforts in order to
optimize the region’s water resources.
Additional information is available at
cityofukiah.com/uvwa/.
3.7. PLANNED SUPPLY PROJECTS
The City continually reviews practices that
will provide its customers with adequate and
reliable supplies in an environmentally and
economically responsible manner. The City’s
water demand within its service area should
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remain relatively constant over the next
twenty-five (25) years due to minimal
population growth combined with water use
efficiency measures and the potential use of
recycled water. Although the current water
supply sources are considered adequate for
existing and projected water demands, the
City may add additional groundwater wells
in the future to improve the reliability of the
City’s overall water supply. The City will also
be focusing on replacement of pipelines,
water meters, valves, and fire hydrants to
improve water supply reliability and
enhance the operations of the City’s water
system.
Currently, the City is planning to construct a
new well (Well #10) with a capacity of
approximately 600 to 1,000 gpm to help the
City maintain and continue to provide its
existing customers with safe, reliable, and
redundant water supply. Construction will
include a 12-inch transmission line that
would run to the west of the well site for
approximately 25-feet and tie into the City’s
existing 6-inch water transmission line along
Waugh Lane. With the formation of the
UVBGSA, the City will continue coordinating
its long-term groundwater planning with
other local Ukiah Valley Basin agencies.
3.8. ENERGY INTENSITY OF SUPPLY
According to the City’s groundwater
production figures shown in Table 3.5, the
City utilized approximately forty-five percent
(45%) of its total well capacity (2,120 AF out
of 4,677 AF) in 2025. This means that on
average each well’s motor ran for a
cumulative 10.9 hours each day. Although,
this is not accurate of actual well operations,
which frequently run 24 hours a day and are
seasonally episodic, this assumption allows
for determination of approximate well
operating costs. With total (combined)
horsepower of about 325 HP for all wells, the
City uses about 240 kilowatts every hour,
which equates to approximately 2,620
kilowatt hours (kWh) per day, and
approximately 956,300 kWh each year. The
PG&E emergency cost is about $0.17 per
kWh (total energy cost). Thus, the typical
costs to operate the City’s groundwater
system are as shown in Table 3.7:
Table 3.7 Annual Energy Costs to Run All
Well Motors
KilowattHours (kWh)Cost ($)
per kWh
Total
Cost ($)
956,300 $0.17 $162,571
The costs shown in Table 3.7 only include
energy costs to run the motors of the wells.
The costs do not include smaller
miscellaneous costs such as lighting, control
valves, and instrumentation. However, since
the motor is the most significant component
of the total energy costs, these costs shown
in Table 3.7 provide a rough idea of what is
required do operate the City’s groundwater
wells each year.
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The energy costs to produce surface water at
the City’s WTP are greater than the typical
well costs, due to additional infrastructure at
the City’s WTP to treat surface water.
Combined with the WTP, total energy costs
to produce potable water are approximately
$275,000 each year.
Since the City does not have access to any
potable water sources other than surface
water and groundwater, the City cannot
offset the energy costs required to run the
City’s water system. Even if the City had
access to water from a wholesaler, the costs
for imported water from a wholesaler are
significantly greater than the total
production costs of groundwater, which
include not only the energy costs shown
above, but also additional costs of treatment
and distribution. For any water agency that
can produce water locally, it is more
economically feasible to produce local water
than to purchase imported water. Thus, the
City plans to continue to using groundwater
and surface water.
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4. 4.1. OVERVIEW
"Recycled" or "reclaimed" water is defined
as wastewater purified through primary,
secondary, tertiary (Title 22), or advanced
treatment. Recycled water is acceptable for
most non-potable water purposes such as
agriculture, golf course and park irrigation,
and industrial processes. The City of Ukiah
treats roughly 2.7 million gallons (MG) of
wastewater each day. Since 2019, a portion
of this wastewater is recycled within the
City’s service area. The remainder of the
wastewater is treated and discharged to
adjacent percolation ponds for groundwater
replenishment. Recycled water is considered
a reliable and drought-proof water source
that reduces the City’s reliance on potable
water. Recycled water will continue to be a
critical part of the City’s water supply
portfolio, with planned expansions under
design as of this UWMP.
This Section describes the existing and
future recycled water opportunities
available to the City. The section also
includes estimates of potential recycled
water supply and recycled water demand
through 2050 in five-year increments.
4.2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM
The City provides wastewater collection
services within its service area. The City’s
wastewater service area covers the
entirety of the City’s boundaries and also
collects some wastewater from the Ukiah
Valley Sanitation District (UVSD) service
area, located just outside of the City, as
4 Section 4:
Recycled
Water
Opportunities
Since 2019, the City
has used recycled
water for agriculture,
schools, and parks.
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Figure 4.1 City Wastewater Network
UKIAH VALLEY
SANITATION
DISTRICT
BOUNDARIES
CITY OF UKIAH
BOUNDARIES
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
PLANT
LIFT STATION
UKIAH VALLEY
SANITATION
DISTRICT
BOUNDARIES
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shown in Figure 4.1. Municipal wastewater
in the City is generated from a combination
of residential, commercial, and institutional
sewer discharges. The City does not have any
industrial properties that discharge high
amounts of industrial wastes, such as brine.
Sewage from the City is collected through
510,720 feet (97 miles) of local sewer
laterals and mains that range in size from 4
inches to 12 inches drains southerly, and
utilizes three (3) lift stations The wastewater
is discharged into trunk sewers that range in
size from 15 inches to 42 inches that proceed
southerly to the Wastewater Treatment
Plant (WWTP) (see Figure 4.1). The trunk
sewers travel about five (5) miles from the
northern portion of the City to the WWTP in
the southerly part of the City. The WWTP is
operated by the City of Ukiah, and treats
wastewater collected from the City and the
UVSD. The WWTP has a
dry-weather capacity
of 3.01 million gallons
per day (MGD), and a
peak wet-weather
capacity of 24.5 MGD.
The WWTP includes
primary, secondary,
and tertiary treatment. As of this UWMP,
about one-third of the wastewater at the
WWTP is recycled, and about two-thirds of
the wastewater is discharged to percolation
ponds at the WWTP. Recently construction
pipelines are shown in Table 4.5, and include
lengths of sewer mains, sewer laterals, and
water mains.
4.2.1. Wastewater Flows
The quantities of wastewater generated are
proportional to the population and the
water used in the City’s service area.
Estimates of the wastewater flows in the
City’s service area are included in Table 4.1.
The wastewater flows were calculated
assuming wastewater flow is equivalent to
about seventy-five percent (75%) of the
water demand, which is in accordance with
typical municipal wastewater master plans.
Table 4.1 Wastewater Flows Collected at
WWTP
Year Wastewater
(AF)
Wastewater
(MG)
2021 1,756 572
2022 1,735 565
2023 1,724 562
2024 1,830 596
2025 1,875 611
Avg: 1,784 581
Since housing development and population
growth are not expected to drastically
change over the course of this UWMP
planning period (2050), the City anticipates
that future wastewater flows can be
estimated using the projected demands
shown in Section 6: & Section 7:, multiplied
by a return rate of seventy-five percent
(75%).
The City's
wastewater
collection system
consists of 97
miles of sewer
mains and three
(3) lift stations.
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Figure 4.2 Schematic of City Wastewater System
Sewer Laterals
Serving individual properties, the sewer
laterals collect the flows from
underground plumbing.
Collector Sewers
Collector sewers or sewer main lines,
collect the flows from the sewer laterals
and carry the flows by gravity to
downstream sewers.
Lift Stations
Some sewer main lines flow through lift
stations as needed to avoid deep,
expensive burial. The lift stations then
discharge to shallower gravity sewers.
"Trunk" Sewers
Larger sewers collect all of the sewer
flows from different parts of the City
and carry it to the Treatment Plant.
Treatment
The City's Wastewater Treatment Plant
treats all flows by filtering out solids and
by providing aeration. Removed solids
(sludge) are allowed to digest and dry
for use in various applications.
Disinfection
All liquid flows remaining after sludge is
removed receive disinfection as the last
step prior to discharge.
Recycling & Re-Use
Agriculture, parks, industry, & recreation fields.
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Figure 4.3 Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
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Table 4.2 shows the projected wastewater
flows:
Table 4.2 Projected Wastewater Flows
Collected at WWTP
Year Flows (AF) Flows (MG)
2030 2,194 715
2035 2,178 710
2040 2,161 704
2045 2,143 698
2050 2,125 692
Avg: 2,160 704
As indicated by Table 4.2, wastewater flows
will be slightly less in 2050 than in 2025, in
spite of a projected nine percent (9%)
growth in population by 2050 as indicated in
Section 2:. This is due to increases in water
use efficiency as described in Section 6:.
4.3. RECYCLED WATER
As indicated by Figure 4.1, the City’s WWTP
is the only wastewater treatment plant in
vicinity of the City’s service area. The WWTP
underwent a $56.5 million upgrade in 2009
for expansion and regulation compliance
purposes. This expansion also enabled the
City to construct a recycled water pumping
and distribution system.
The City was previously awarded
$25,564,000 from the Clean Water State
Revolving Loan Fund (CWSRF) and
$9,996,000 in grants from the Water
Recycling Funding Program (WRFP) to
construct Phases 1 to 3 of the Recycled
Water Project. In 2019, the City completed
the first three phases of the City’s recycled
water system, which provides up to 1,000
acre-feet per year (AFY) of recycled water to
the City and surrounding Ukiah Valley.
The City received a $53.7 million grant to
complete Phase 4 of its Recycled Water
Project, and construction was completed in
2025. The Phase 4 improvements included a
new concrete-lined bay, a new tank and
pump station, and new pipeline(s). This has
enabled the City to recycle up to 1,500 AFY
of recycled water, which is approximately
sixty percent (60%) of its current water use.
Phase 4 expanded the City’s recycled water
system by 500 AFY to serve the Ukiah Valley
Golf Course (220 AF will be used at the Ukiah
Valley Golf Course), Ukiah High School,
Pomolita Middle School, Frank Zeke
Elementary, Todd Grove Park, an agricultural
field, adjacent parks, and softball fields.
The Recycled Water Project also addresses
regulatory requirements that limit the City’s
wastewater discharges to the Russian River.
Ultimately, it also creates a more diversified
and drought-resilient water supply for
agricultural and irrigation uses.
The new recycled water system includes
nearly eight (8) miles of pipeline, a 66-
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million-gallon (MG) water storage reservoir,
and upgraded treatment (tertiary) facilities.
The system also included recycled water
pipelines along Highway 101 and Oak Manor
Drive. This recycled water system allows the
City to serve approximately 325 MG of water
to farmers, parks, and schools each year.
The City meters the recycled water flow in
their system. As of 2019, the City’s recycled
water distribution system provides irrigation
to agricultural lots and softball fields as
shown in Figure 4.4. Table 4.3 indicates the
recent recycled water used by the City:
Table 4.3 Recycled Water Use in City
Water
Year
Recycled
Water Use
(AF)
Recycled
Water Use
(MG)
2021/2022 844 275
2022/2023 639 208
2023/2024 678 221
2024/2025 615 200
As indicated by Table 4.3, the amount of
recycled water used by the City since the
2020 UWMP has remained steady, and
useful during times of drought (2020-2022).
This shows the success of the City’s recently
completed Recycled Water Project.
4.3.1. Projected Recycled Water Use
The current annual capacity of the City’s
recycled water system is approximately
1,500 AFY. The City anticipates that about
the full amount of recycled water available
will be used in the current year (2026). As
noted in the previous sub-section, the fourth
phase of the recycled water project added
an additional 500 AFY of recycled water to
the City’s supply for agriculture and
recreational purposes. The City’s projected
recycled water use through 2050 is shown in
Table 4.4:
Table 4.4 Projected Recycled Water
Production
Year
Recycled Water
Production
(AF)
Recycled Water
Production
(MG)
2030 1,500 489
2035 1,500 489
2040 1,500 489
2045 1,500 489
2050 1,500 489
4.3.2. Planned Recycled Water
Infrastructure
The expansion of the recycled water system
beyond the pending capacity of 1,500 AFY
would be possible if the funding for recycled
water pipeline infrastructure was covered by
potential recycled water users, and an
agreement was in place for the use of
recycled water. The City would then be able
to expand the use of recycled water beyond
1,500 AFY.
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Figure 4.4 Recycled Water Phasing Plan for City of Ukiah
UKIAH VALLEY
GOLF COURSE
PERCOLATION
PONDS
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
PLANT
PHASE 4
(2025)
PHASE 3
(2019)
PHASES 1 & 2
(2019)
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Figure 4.5 City of Ukiah Water Resources Balance (2024/2025 Water Year)
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Table 4.5 Recent Infrastructure Construction
Project Spec. Sewer
Main (LF)
Sewer
Lateral (EA)
Water
Main (LF)
Dora Street 19-01 2,203 33 4,217
Streetscape I 19-17 2,849 73 1,679
Recycled Water Phase 3 17-08 1,890 39 2,558
Clara Avenue 20-08 2,522 59 750
Streetscape II 21-01 3,698 63 2,226
Recycled Water Phase 4 23-01 - - 1,685
Urban Core Project 23-07 7,555 81 8,740
TOTALS - 20,717 348 21,855
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4.3.3. Potential Recycled Water Use
A recycled water master plan has not been
prepared for the City to date, and the City
has not made a formal identification of
potential recycled water users other than
those mentioned in the Recycled Water
Project (see Figure 4.4). However, typical
recycled water users include the following:
• Landscape Users (parks, sports fields)
• Commercial/Manufacturing Users
• Energy/Power Production
The City has large landscape municipal
customers such as parks and schools located
in the center of the City. Theoretically, there
would be existing customers available to
purchase recycled water if and/or when
additional recycled water infrastructure is in
place. More specifically, the City will be able
to identify existing or future potential
recycled water users through the following
means:
• Existing water consumption records
(determine high volume users of water)
• Existing commercial website data (to
determine potential use of recycled water)
The additional recycled water pipelines
could be extended from the Phase 4
distribution pipeline located in the north of
the City, or the Phase 2 distribution pipeline
located west of the City. If the recycled water
pipeline were to be extended from the Phase
2 pipeline west of the City, this would
require a bridge crossing over Highway 101,
which is not feasible.
4.4. ENCOURAGING AND OPTIMIZING
RECYCLED WATER USE
By using recycled water, the City has offset
diversions from the Russian River and has
improved water supply reliability in Lake
Mendocino. The City can encourage recycled
water use by restructuring its water rates
and service charges for customers who use
recycled water for a
period of time. For
example, the City is
currently providing
recycled water to its
initial recycled water
customers at no cost.
The exact incentive
methods for recycled
water are currently in development. This
may include (1) monitoring, enforcement
and training for recycled water use, and (2)
delivery of recycled water at a reduced rate
or a rate less than that of potable water for
an initial period of time.
Recycled water use
has reduced
diversions from
the Russian River
and improved
water supply
reliability in Lake
Mendocino.