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| The Environment |
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Water Conservation & Recycling
Efforts to conserve and recycle water have been intensified in recent years, and over the past 12 years total water usage has increased by just 6 percent, while the county population increased by 13.5 percent in the same period. From 1998 to 2008, water conservation and recycling increased from 3.7 percent to 19 percent. 17,536 acre-feet, or 5.7 billion gallons, of water were recycled in 2008 alone.
Total Renewable Energy Production 2008
Sonoma County continues to lead the way in total installed renewable energy, demonstrating more capacity than many nearby and comparable counties. Unique incentive programs in Sonoma County, such as the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP), have helped bolster the existing California Solar Incentive and Self-Generation Incentive Program rebates. Furthermore, PG&E’s recent 500mw initiative and power purchase agreement, which allows utility companies to purchase excess energy from small producers, has also encouraged the installation of renewable energy.
Land Use
Sonoma County encompasses more than 1 million acres of land and water, rich in scenic beauty, and with an array of parks, recreational facilities, campsites and lakes. Open space and agricultural land accounts for a great majority of Sonoma County acreage. The county has approximately 123,070 acres of surface water area, of which 8,580 are bay waters.
| Types of Use |
% of Total |
| Commercial & Industrial |
5.05% |
| Residential |
25.84% |
| Agricultural* |
60.96% |
| Government |
8.00% |
| Recreation |
0.02% |
| Other |
0.13% |
Roadways in Sonoma County
Sonoma County Regional Parks
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| Sonoma County Maintains: |
| Number of Parks |
42 |
| Developed Acreage |
475 |
| Undeveloped Acreage |
6824 |
| Trails (Miles) |
105 |
| Park Users (Annual) |
4,925,117 |
| Vet/Community Bldgs. |
8 |
| Events (Annual) |
4,788 |
| Attendance |
372,211 |
| Source: Sonoma County Regional Parks
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