Finding a Sustainable Water Solutions

By Bruce McPherson

Water regularly is recognized as our most valuable natural resource.  Everything else is in second place, for without water, we won’t last long as a society.

We in the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley watersheds are being challenged today to formulate a sustainable water plan for the future, and that plan needs to be done by January 2022.  That seems like a way off, but there’s a lot of work to do, with a cooperative effort, to make that timeline.

This plan will be formulated by the Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency (SMGWA), one of several such agencies established by state legislation in 2014. You may have read recently about the Mid-County Water Agency that is threatened by saltwater intrusion recently completing its plan.

The bad news, you might say, is that the state again is shoving something down the throat of local government.  The good news is that the state gave local governments — who know best about their own water challenges — time and authority to develop the plan. If we don’t meet the requirements, the state will step in and do the plan itself.

SMGWA — a 34-square mile basin which is comprised of well owners, the cities of Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz, the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley Water Districts and Mount Hermon — for the past few years has been compiling data and identifying preliminary options to address future needs in the watershed.

Recently, SMGWA heard from consultant Dave Ceppos and others about the projects and management actions which need to be addressed on our path to completing a long-range sustainable water plan. It’s no easy task, with climate change, possible droughts, increasingly intense storms, and more being part of the discussion before a five-year plan that would be reviewed every year is finalized.

Another point of good news: Ceppos said that of all the groundwater agencies he is dealing with in California, SMGWA has the most promise in providing an integrated, consolidated, agreeable plan for the future of its watershed.

As evidenced by the SMGWA membership, there are a lot of straws (not plastic, of course) being placed in our groundwater water. The decision we make on our water oversight is as important as any we will make for our future. I’m confident that with a lot of work we will succeed in coming up with a plan that fills our needs while protecting our watershed.

The next SMGWA meeting is 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Scotts Valley City Council Chamber, 1 Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley.

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As always, please contact my office at bruce.mcpherson@santacruzcounty.us or 831-454-2200 if you have questions or need assistance. supervisorbrucemcpherson.org