Conjunctive water use in Santa Cruz County

It may involve complex processes and it may be controversial, but conjunctive use may provide the solution to many of the water woes in Santa CruzCounty. The term “conjunctive use” is applied to a system of actively managing ground water and surface water systems such that overall water supply is increased. The main underlying idea is simple: store water underground in wet years so that it will be available during dry years to supplement diminished water supplies.
In 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 was passed by the state legislature. The purpose of the act was to provide a framework for local authorities to manage the sustainability of groundwater supplies. The act provides for the formation of local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs.) Their purpose is to assess the situations respecting their local water basins and to adopt management plans to increase sustainability.
In February, the Santa Cruz City Council dipped their toes into conjunctive use when they took several actions to move the recommendations of the Water Supply Advisory Committee (WSAC) forward. The Council approved an agreement between the Santa Cruz Water Department and Soquel Creek Water District to begin a pilot water transfer program, known as “In Lieu” water transfers.
Eileen Cross, Community Relations Specialist from the City of Santa Cruz reported that “During normal rainfall years, the City of Santa Cruz receives more rainfall than can be stored in Loch Lomond Reservoir. During these years, the excess water would be pumped to Soquel Creek for them to use “in lieu” of pumping water from their over-drafted aquifer.” She said “this strategy would allow the Soquel Creek aquifer to rest and recharge, making water potentially available to Santa Cruz for an exchange during future dry years”.
The Council approved a pilot program to begin this year, if rainfall levels improve. As part of the water transfer pilot project, the Council approved a Resolution to adopt a Negative Declaration for the cooperative water transfer, groundwater recharge, and resource management pilot. “We’re moving quickly to be prepared to implement water transfers when conditions allow,” said Rosemary Menard, Water Director. “This project will allow us to learn more about the potential for water transfers and water exchanges, which may be an important strategy in long-term water sustainability for our region.”
The Santa Cruz City Council also authorized the amount of $446,370 to be used for the evaluation of Aquifer Storage and Recovery opportunities in Santa Cruz. The City Manager also received authorization to execute a contract with Kennedy/Jenks for $486,000 for the evaluation of recycled water opportunities in Santa Cruz, the back-up recommendation preferred by the WSAC.
According to Cross, the Council approved a Joint Powers Agreement with the Soquel Creek and Central Water Districts and the County of Santa Cruz to create the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Management Agency. This new agency will take a regional approach to planning for groundwater sustainability in the Soquel Aptos basin.
Since the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 is a part of statewide water plan to ensure a reliable water supply for Californians, it can be expected that other Water purveyors in Santa CruzCounty will be approaching the management of their local surface and groundwater sources in a similar manner.