Yesterday, a 100-foot rubber dam emerged from the bottom of the Russian River.
Raising this dam is a three day process. It's been happening since the 1970s to ensure that the residents of Sonoma and Marin counties have enough drinking water to last them through the summer.
Most of the year, the 600,000 residents of the area consume up to 40 million gallons of water a day. But, at the height of summer, when temperatures are hotter and the river level wanes, consumption can reach up to 60 million gallons a day.
When the dam goes up, it creates a pool of water that is diverted into ponds to be filtered and then piped directly to residents.
Seasonal dams like this one also tend to be less invasive for local wildlife.
A "fish ladder" helps local species, like the Coho and Chinook salmon, continue their migration to and from spawning sites on the river.
If you’re in Sonoma, you can actually watch them make this journey at the Water Agency’s Viewing Gallery in Forestville.
