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About Us

The Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency is an 11-member board comprised of two elected officials from Central Water District, City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, and Soquel Creek Water District and three private well representatives who oversee the groundwater management activities of the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin in Santa Cruz County, California.

Information on the Board Members is available in the Board Member Profiles.

Staff and support from other the partner agencies and organizations has also been instrumental.

Joint Powers Agreement (March 17, 2016)

By-Laws (May 19, 2016)

Notice of Intent submitted to the CA Department of Water Resources to become a GSA (May 19, 2016)

Sustainability Goal

A Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Basin was submitted to DWR in January 2020 and is now posted on the DWR website.  DWR recently extended its public comment period on the Basin GSP to June 3, 2020

The Sustainability Goal is set out in the Basin GSP:

Manage the groundwater Basin to ensure beneficial uses and users have access to a safe and reliable groundwater supply that meets current and future Basin demand without causing undesirable results to:

  • Ensure groundwater is available for beneficial uses and a diverse population of beneficial users;
  • Protect groundwater supply against seawater intrusion;
  • Prevent groundwater overdraft within the Basin and resolves problems resulting from prior overdraft;
  • Maintain or enhance groundwater levels where groundwater dependent ecosystems exist;
  • Maintain or enhance groundwater contributions to streamflow;
  • Ensure operational flexibility within the Basin by maintaining a drought reserve;
  • Support reliable groundwater supply and quality to promote public health and welfare;
  • Account for changing groundwater conditions related to projected climate change and sea level rise in Basin planning and management;
  • Do no harm to neighboring groundwater basins in regional efforts to achieve groundwater sustainability.

Current Focus

The MGA has been working and focusing on:

  • Formation of a Groundwater Sustainability Agency - Complete
  • Request Basin Boundary Revision to DWR - Complete
  • Hiring a Senior Planner to assist with preparing a GSP - Complete
  • Develop Groundwater Model of the Mid-County Groundwater Management Area - Complete
  • Develop a GSP Advisory Committee to review technical information and make recommedations to the Board - The final meeting was held in June 2019
  • GSP development - The Basin GSP was submitted to DWR and posted to the DWR website on February 19, 2020.  A public comment period on the Basin GSP through DWR is open through June 3, 2020. 
  • Public Outreach and Education - Ongoing

Meetings

The MGA Board and GSP Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public.  For more information on meetings, including the agendas, packets, and minutes, click here.