Rainwater Tanks to Fight North Bay Fires, Save Salmon

Protecting the endangered Coho salmon is one reason Sonoma County plans to use a rainwater harvesting system next spring. It will also be used to fight fires and support agriculture.

The "Save Our Salmon" program installs pipes and tanks at homes, businesses and farms in Sonoma County so that rain water caught in winter can be used in the summer.

"We've gotten indications from the funder that they'll be interested in spending more money and installing more rainwater system if this program is implemented successfully," said John Green the lead scientist on the project.

The funder, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration secured federal stimulus money for the $1.75 million project.

The idea is to protect salmon by taking less water from creeks.

Green says another tank will be installed at the Bodega Volunteer Fire Dept.

"They'll use it for any fires that come up during the dry season, and also for training purposes," said Green.

Bodega will be the first fire department in the state to use rainwater to fight fires.