In order to protect fish habitat and drinking water supplies during the current drought, the State Water Resources Control Board has begun restricting water diversions in the upper Russian River basin.

The restrictions affect 930 “junior” water rights holders whose rights date from after 1914 and come in the wake of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s April drought emergency declaration for Sonoma and Mendocino counties. That declaration now includes 41 counties.

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Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.