Summary: Tuesday, February 4, 2014 There are serious water issues in both Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Of course, the whole state faces very significant water supply challenges right now. On Friday, January 31st, the State Department of Water Resources cut back to zero water allocations to agricultural and other water users south of the Delta. The economic and other impacts of this action will be profound. With luck, the current drought is not the “new normal” for the state, and significant rain and snow will be returning to California (and hopefully soon). But even if significant rains return, the water issues facing Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties aren’t going away. Continuing groundwater overdraft exists in the Salinas Valley, in the Pajaro Valley, and in the Santa Cruz mid-county area. Either new water supplies must be developed, or conservation measures will have to be implemented. That can include using recycled wastewater, which is the topic that will be discussed tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Capitola City Hall. The Salinas City Council, meeting this afternoon at 4:00 p.m., is going to hear a presentation from Deepwater Desal. This private company thinks they have a good way to generate fresh water from seawater at their facility in Moss Landing. There has been some talk of building a large regional facility, perhaps serving areas from Salinas to Santa Cruz. Here is another good meeting to attend! More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog Salinas City Council Agenda For February 4, 2014 Meeting Soquel Creek Water District Website Deepwater Desal Website
