The Sonoma County Water Agency will begin deflating the rubber dam on the Russian River near Forestville on Monday in anticipation of elevated water levels. 

The National Weather Service said a series of storms will lash the region starting Sunday, with upwards of 1 to 5 inches of rain projected throughout the Bay Area.

The dam is just downstream of the Wohler Bridge and is typically inflated in the spring or early summer when water demand increases, according to Sonoma Water officials. 

It creates a pool of water that raises Sonoma Water’s well levels in the area.

In order to prevent damage on the rubber dam, it is deflated when the Russian River water flow is expected to rise above 1,600 cubic feet per second.

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.