Summary: Tuesday, April 1, 2014 It’s April Fools’ Day, but I am not fooling around when I tell you we have a big water supply problem. As noted yesterday, water supply is a problem in all of the major geographic areas of Monterey County. It’s a problem in all of the major geographic areas of Santa Cruz County, too. Current drought conditions make everything worse, but the basic problem in Santa Cruz County is that growth and development and water use have exceeded the resources available. Water resources are simply “oversubscribed.” The problem is most obvious in the Pajaro Valley, where groundwater overdraft has been progressing for seventy-five years or more. In 1984, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency was established to deal with this problem. So far, there is no solution. Action on a Basin Management Plan Update has been scheduled for April 16th. The City of Santa Cruz relies on surface water, and residents and businesses in the City’s Water Service Area are facing the fact that demands exceed reliable supply (at least if the City complies with laws to protect endangered fish species). In mid-county, groundwater overdraft, coupled with the drought, is propelling the Soquel Creek Water District into action. There is a meeting tonight at 7:00 p.m., to discuss the District’s new “water use reduction program.” Get more information at kusp.org/landuse. More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog City of Santa Cruz Water Department Website PVWMA Basin Management Plan Update PVWMA Basin Management Plan Memo – Next Meeting April 16th Soquel Creek Water District Notice of April 1, 2014 Meeting
