Lake Sonoma Recreational Area is located in western Sonoma County, near the communities of Healdsburg, Cloverdale and Geyserville in Northern California. It is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, through management of the Sonoma County Water Agency, is the main source of water for more than 600,000 residents and businesses in the North Bay.
The Friends of Lake Sonoma (FOLS) is a non-profit support group that assists the Corps with its educational and visitor services programs. Due to declining federal budgets, the role of FOLS is rapidly increasing as the demand for volunteers to take up some of the slack continues to grow.
As the largest freshwater recreational area in Sonoma County, Lake Sonoma contributes more than $12 million annually to the local economy. It also plays a pivotal role in the reproduction of threatened and endangered species of trout and salmon. It is home to the Congressman Don Clausen Fish Hatchery and the Milt Brandt Visitors Center, which currently is open to the public only through the efforts of the Friends of Lake Sonoma.