Water Supply

The economy of the Pajaro Valley relies on the availability of water. 84% of water use is for agriculture, and is almost all supplied by groundwater (Hanson, 2003). Because the Pajaro River watershed crosses multiple county lines, water supply is monitored by several agencies.

The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) is the main agency responsible for managing the existing and supplemental water supplies within its service boundaries. Some of the goals of the agency are to reduce long-term overdraft and to ensure the availability of sufficient water supplies to meet current and projected needs. The agency is only responsible for the availability of non-potable (irrigation) water.

The following local water purveyors are responsible for supplying potable (drinking) water:

• The City of Watsonville is a major urban service area within PVWMA boundaries. The City provides various municipal and industrial services including wastewater collection and treatment and water supply service for the residents of Watsonville.

• Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District is a water supplier for smaller communities in the Pajaro Valley and has consolidated water delivery service for a number of mutual water companies in northern Monterey County.

• Aromas Water District is located on the easterly edge of the PVWMA service area.  This special district provides water treatment and supply service for approximately 750 customers.

History and Background

The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) conducted an extensive investigation on water supply in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties in 1953. It was concluded that the Pajaro Valley groundwater basin was in a state of overdraft causing saltwater intrusion. By the 1970's,groundwater levels in Watsonville were below sea level the majority of the year. In 1980, the SWRCB identified the Pajaro Valley basin as one of eleven California basins with critical conditions of overdraft.  By 2000, 54 square miles of the basin were below sea level.

Overdraft is caused by pumping more groundwater than is naturally put in. Incoming sources of water that recharge the basin include rainfall, snowmelt, rivers, and lakes. One result of the imbalance of input v. output of water is the reversal of the natural flow of the basin. Saltwater begins to replenish the basin instead of freshwater.

The PVWMA estimates the current saltwater intrusion rate to be 100-250 ft/yr and with its effects already extending several miles inland.  The SWRCB estimated a loss of 300,000 af (acre-feet) of freshwater storage in the basin from 1964-1997, with approximately 200,000 af of loss due to saltwater intrusion and 100,000 af due to chronic overdraft.

PVWMA groundwater modeling has indicated that a sustainable yield for the Pajaro Valley groundwater basin to be 24,000 af/yr. However, the sustainable yield can be increased to 48,000 af/yr if coastal pumping is eliminated and the groundwater basin is replenished with a different source. In 2008, 62,000 af were pumped and if recent trends continue, the volume of pumped water will continue to increase in the future (see Pajaro Valley Water Usage and Precipitation Table). The PVWMA estimates that by 2025, the water demand for its service area will be 76,900 AFY (acre-feet per year).

• Pajaro Valley Hydrologic Model Base-Case Scenario
  See PVWMA Hydrologist Brian Lockwood's presentation to the Board of Directors regarding a new hydrologic model for the Pajaro Valley as presented March 23, 2011.

• Pajaro Valley Water Usage & Precipitation Table
  This table shows the volume of water used and total precipitation from 1999-2010.

Efforts to Increase Water Supply

The most current plan for increased water supply in the Pajaro Valley is the PVWMA Basin Management Plan (BMP). The strategy adopted by the PVWMA was the “Modified BMP 2000 Alternative” and included the following five major projects and programs:

1. Coastal Distribution System pipelines
2. Recycled Water Project
3. Harkins Slough recharge Project
4. 54-inch import water pipeline project (11,900 acre-feet of imported supply) with local aquifer storage and recovery
5. Water conservation program

The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) has begun the Basin Management Plan Update (BMP Update). PVWMA is forming an Ad Hoc BMP Committee to allow the Pajaro Valley community to help guide the development of the BMP Update and serve as advisors to the PVWMA Board of Directors. The mission of the Committee is to integrate ideas, concepts and identify potential projects to mitigate long term groundwater overdraft, stop seawater intrusion, and protect water quality through a community wide effort involving all interested stakeholders. The Basin Managment Plan committee released a presentation in July 2011 regarding preliminary project ideas. Check our calendar for upcoming Ad Hoc BMP Update Committee meeting dates and agendas.

 

Community Dialogue Effort

Statement of Purpose:

To provide a forum for a diverse and representative group of Pajaro Valley stakeholders, committed to a common vision, to be educated on the facts behind the water issue and the potential solutions, exchange ideas and leverage each other in order to spur individual and collaborative action within the community. 

We will work together to develop a set of recommendations to influence related water efforts that comprehensively and systematically address the imbalance of water supply and demand while ensuring agricultural viability in the Pajaro Valley.

 

Letter of Commitment:

The Pajaro Valley is an unusually valuable agricultural resource. Despite being the most northerly coastal valley in California, it is in many ways more mild than those to the south. While the primary crops have changed through the years and will likely continue to change, there is no doubt that as long as there is land and water available, the Pajaro Valley’s extraordinary climate will be sought after for the production of important and highly valued crops. It is our desire to see the Pajaro Valley continue as a vibrant and valuable agricultural resource.

The current method of water use is likely to radically diminish the valley’s future agricultural potential. We are extracting water well in excess of the replenishment capacity that currently exists. It is our desire to reach equilibrium of use and replenishment over the next decade.

As the dream of large scale water importation has faded, we must now find ways to live within our means. Undoubtedly we will have to capture more of our rainfall for recharge and irrigation. We will have to embrace opportunities to reuse water more effectively and learn to take some advantage of the water flows in the Pajaro River. In addition, we must be prepared to conserve even more in our irrigation practices, create fallow periods for our land and perhaps retire some land from production altogether. 

In any case, achieving the goal of equilibrium will disrupt current practices of land and water use. While this disruption is likely to cause significant pain as we adjust to new systems, it is far better than the likely destruction of much of the valley as an agricultural resource that we are now facing.

Landowners, farmers and citizens of this valley will all need to make changes in order to secure the long-term agricultural viability of this precious resource. There are a number of reasons to act now:

1)The slow, steady decline in water quality and quantity is continuing

2)Farming practices are intensifying and could exaggerate the water issues unless they are addressed soon

3)Ultimately, agricultural land values in the valley are likely to be impacted because of water concerns

4)If adjudication were to occur, it would take a long time, involve massive legal expenses and would be unlikely to produce a result as appropriate as one designed by local people.

As landowners and land users benefiting greatly from the uniqueness of this beautiful Valley, we recognize that we are contributors to the issue and must be ready to make very significant changes to “business as usual.” We are prepared to step forward and make those changes in partnership with our colleagues across the valley. It is time for us to guide our future and not just let it happen.

The issues surrounding water in the Pajaro Valley have been extraordinarily divisive over the past several decades. Our sense is that there is significant unity regarding what we are trying to accomplish, but intense disagreement over how to do so. We believe we must simplify the issues first in order to make progress and are seeking concerned stakeholders who share the following:

1)A commitment to protect the Pajaro Valley as an important agriculture resource

2)A recognition that the solution will not be an importation pipeline

3)A willingness to pursue diverse strategies which entail costs and sacrifices in order to bring our aquifer into balance

The human race faces incredibly difficult global issues of resource exploitation and environmental degradation. With so many differences in cultures, wealth and resource use across vast distances, we will be severely challenged to make progress on a global basis. On the other hand, one can cross our little valley on a bicycle in an hour. With only one or two intermediaries we all know each other. All our fates are closely linked in real and tangible ways. We are in a position to create long term solutions for our water issues with the resources we have at hand. We ask our fellow citizens to commit to preserving this precious resource and to set an example that not only will benefit the people of this valley and our two counties, but provide leadership in solving some of the broader issues we all face.

The 4 working groups within the Community Dialogue Effort are listed below with contact information and associated documents.

Land Management and Irrigation Best Practices
Focus: Training and education, and irrigation technology
John E. Eiskamp: jefarms@aol.com

• "Performance-based Conservation Incentives in the Pajaro Valley" (July 12 2011)
• "Irrigation Management Technology Network" (July 12, 2011)
• "Working Group Meeting minutes" (Aug 31, 2011)

 

Big Projects
Focus: College Lake, nightly/in-season use, and winter/off-season storage
Chuck Allen: chuckallenpginc@gmail.com 

 

If you are interested in joining our commitment and the pursuit of solutions that we can own for ourselves, please email your comments to pvwatercommitment@yahoo.com. 

Upcoming Meeting

NOTE: MEETING TO BE RESCHEDULED

On January 27th from 1 to 4 PM  , we are hosting the next Community Dialogue meeting at the Watsonville Civic Center in Community Rooms A & B. (Please come straight to the meeting rooms on the top floor to get your parking pass which you can place inside your windshield.)

This upcoming meeting we expect to give you the first look at the plan for the Soil Sensor Technology Project and hope to get your feedback on the best way to get good grower participation and provide training and outreach to ensure success. We are very excited about the development of this effort and look forward to your input. We will also have some updates on other work as well as a presentation highlighting best practices. Look for an agenda closer to the meeting date. The meeting is at the end of the day on Friday because many felt that we should take time afterwards to gather for a drink at Jalisco’s. We want to take a moment together to appreciate the changing conversation around water in the Valley and thank everyone for their participation in the Dialogue effort. Please join us.

To keep the conversation focused and productive we will continue with the same ground rules for participation:

1. You must agree with the principals as laid out in the Statement of Purpose (above)
· A commitment to protect the Pajaro Valley as an important agriculture resource
· A recognition that the solution will not be an importation pipeline
· A willingness to pursue diverse strategies which entail costs and sacrifices in order to bring our aquifer into balance

2. The conversation will be focused on solutions, and will therefore not include:
· A review or rehash of past failures
· Discussion about the past actions or character of any individual community member in relation to the water issue

Please visit the Calendar for upcoming meetings and events regarding the Community Dialogue Effort.

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