STATE ACTIONS
“Drought or no drought, demand
for water in California always
outstrips supply. Continued con-
servation is key.”
Governor Jerry Brown
volume and speed of water coming out
of the mountains — data that’s vital to
farmers, ranchers, and water managers
at all levels of government.
In late March, the Sierra snowpack
was somewhere in the neighborhood of
160 percent of average for that time of
year. An early spring with above-normal
temperatures will cause a snowmelt
flow that exceeds the capacity of our
water systems to capture it. Long-term
projections based on data models
suggest that the snowpack will continue
to shrink over time.
SOUTH COUNTY
WATER
NASA photo of earth
(United States) from space
Santa Clara County’s groundwater
basins and treatment plants. It’s the
source of half the water we use here.
Water district contracts with the state
and federal governments and other
water agencies determine how much
“imported” Sierra Nevada water South
County receives each year. It’s a safe bet
that competition for this water will rise
in the coming years.
Effective management of this
precious natural resource requires
scientific knowhow. Researchers at
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labs say there’s
an “enormous void in quantitative
knowledge of mountain snowpacks.”
They developed the Airborne Snow
Observatory (ASO) to fill that void
with data. The ASO is piloted over
Sierra peaks to measure snowpack
depth and melt rate to determine the
South County is in District 1 of the
Santa Clara Valley Water District
(SCVWD). John Varela is Board Chair
of SCVWD and Director of District 1,
which also includes part of the San
Jose-Santa Teresa and Evergreen areas.
According to Varela, we get the lion’s
share of our water from groundwater
supplies drawn from the Llagas and
Coyote Subbasins, which are managed
by the water district. These water-
sheds are replenished by local rainfall,
water captured and stored in local
reservoirs, and water imported from the
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
SCVWD reports show that between
2006 and 2016, groundwater pumping
in South County averaged 55,331 acre-
feet per year; and managed recharge
was 35,600 acre-feet per year. Despite
some years of record snowpack and
heavy rainfall, on average, natural
groundwater recharge is no longer
enough to meet demand. When that
happens, the water district imports
water from its partners in other
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
MAY/JUNE 2017
In 2011, Governor Brown lifted the
state’s drought emergency order.
Who knew that 2012 would kick
off a four-year drought cycle?
In 2014, voters passed Proposition
1, the Governor’s $7.5 billion
Water Bond. Of the bond funds,
$2.7 billion was pre-authorized for
water storage. Allocations for other
water needs began moving through
the multi-year budget appropriations
process: $725 million for recycling,
$800 million for groundwater clean-
up and management, and $1.5
billion for watershed and habitat
restoration projects.
In 2015, the state “fast-tracked”
more than $1 billion for drought
relief and critical water infrastructure
projects and asked Californians to
reduce water use by 20 percent.
In 2016, the State Water Resources
Control Board and other agencies
issued a draft plan for long-term
water-use efficiency standards,
permanent prohibition of waste-
ful practices, regular reporting by
water suppliers, tightening up of
leaky systems, and stronger plans to
address water shortages.
In January and February of 2017,
a series of storms brought the
Sierra snowpack, reservoirs, and
waterways to above-normal levels.
In April, Governor Brown lifted the
drought emergency order, but cau-
tioned that “the next drought could
be around the corner. . .conserva-
tion must remain a way of life.”
gmhtoday.com
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