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Residents of Felton, Ben Lomond and Scotts Valley are invited to attend a public workshop on the formation of a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) to help guide the long-term protection of critical aquifers and local water supplies.The workshop on the new agency will held Wednesday, Feb. 22, 7-9 p.m. at the Scotts Valley Water District, 2 Civic Center Dr., Scotts ValleyThe three communities form a roughly triangular area of the Santa Margarita Basin, which is losing water, called “ a state of overdraft,” resulting in lowered groundwater levels and reduced streamflow. Under the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, a new agency must be formed to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040, a solution that will likely involve a combination of water efficiency, increased groundwater recharge and supplemental supply.The County of Santa Cruz, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, and the Scotts Valley Water District are working together to address overdraft of the basin and comply with state requirements. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District, Scotts Valley Water District, and commercial and private well owners are all users of the basin.Residents and private well owners are encouraged to stay informed and participate in the process by visiting www.smgwa.org, where they may also sign up for a newsletter.

The San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District received an update about Highway 9 traffic improvement plans last month. Sarah Christensen, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s senior transportation engineer told trustees that while proper road upgrades are still a ways off, serious progress is...