Santa Rosa Plain groundwater agency has seven advisory seats open, two for rural well owners. Apply by October 30

By The Downspout · Posted Oct 21, 2026 · 3 min read

The agency that manages groundwater in the Santa Rosa Plain needs seven people for its Advisory Committee. Two seats are for rural residential well owners. Apply by Friday, October 30, 2026. Terms run January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028.

Where it is and what it does

The Santa Rosa Plain is the area that runs from Healdsburg south to Cotati. It includes the Town of Windsor, the cities of Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, and rural areas outside city limits. Sonoma Mountain and the Mayacamas Mountains are to the east and the Mendocino Range is to the west.

The underground water supply beneath it is called the Santa Rosa Plain subbasin. It covers about 80,000 acres.

The Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency, the GSA, is the public agency that manages that groundwater. It was formed in June 2017 under a state law called the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. A March 2025 fact sheet from the county's groundwater agencies says about 32,000 people on the Plain rely only on groundwater for drinking and other basic needs. It estimates there are 4,000 to 5,500 home wells.

The GSA is run by a board of directors. The Advisory Committee advises the board. It has 18 members, and the board appoints eleven of them. The committee gives the board input on groundwater policies, programs and projects.

What happened

The GSA is taking applications for seven open seats on the Advisory Committee. The seven seats are:

Two for rural residential well owners.
Two for agricultural interests.
Two for environmental representatives.
One for the business community.

Applications are open from Monday, September 14 to Friday, October 30, 2026. The new terms run from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028. Members can apply again for later terms.

The GSA urges anyone who works in, or with, one of those groups on the Santa Rosa Plain to apply. The application page has a map where you can look up your home or work address to check.

The application asks for your education and experience, a written statement about why you want to serve, and references. A resume and letters of support are optional. You must read and acknowledge the committee's charter, which is posted on the application page. The GSA says it will give strong consideration to candidates backed by several organizations or people in the group they would speak for.

Two other county groundwater agencies, for the Petaluma Valley and the Sonoma Valley, are recruiting for their own advisory committees. Their applications also close October 30, 2026.

What it means for you

If you have a home well on the Plain, you can apply for a rural residential seat. The GSA's application page has a map to confirm your address is inside the subbasin. You can also find your area on our water map and read who manages groundwater in Sonoma County.
Plan the time. The committee meets quarterly, for two to three hours each time. The GSA says members should expect several hours of reading before meetings. Members are also expected to keep the group they speak for informed.
Apply by Friday, October 30, 2026. Apply through the GSA's application page, santarosaplaingroundwater.org/ac-application. For a paper form or any question, email info@santarosaplaingroundwater.org.
Not sure? Questions go to the same email address. The GSA lists its board and committee meetings on its meetings page.

What happens next

Applications close October 30, 2026. The GSA's board of directors makes the appointments. The new terms begin January 1, 2027. The GSA's meetings page lists board and committee events only from January 14, 2027 on, and says agendas will be added closer to each meeting.

For the same kind of planning in the neighboring basins, see our posts on Sonoma Valley and the Petaluma Valley.

Where this came from

The Santa Rosa Plain GSA's application page, home page and meetings page, and the joint notice on the Sonoma Valley GSA website covering all three county groundwater agencies, all read October 21, 2026. The population and well figures come from a county groundwater agencies' fact sheet dated March 3, 2025. The seat list, dates and application steps come from the GSA's application page.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-21. Rules and programs change. If something here is out of date, the source above wins. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.