About Us
The Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency (MGA or Agency) is a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) that formed in March 2016 under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). SGMA is the first legislation in California history to make sure groundwater is sustainably managed for future generations. The Agency is responsible for managing groundwater resources in the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin (Basin). The Basin includes the communities of Soquel, Aptos, Capitola, Live Oak, La Selva Beach, and portions of the surrounding areas (Maps).
Emphasizing regional collaboration, the MGA is governed by an 11-member board that includes two representatives each from the Central Water District, City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz and Soquel Creek Water District, as well as three private well owner representatives. Current Board Members are listed here.
Mission
The MGA’s mission is to ensure a safe and reliable groundwater supply is available for everyone who relies on water from the Basin, now and in the future.
Goals
The Groundwater Sustainability Plan contains an assessment of groundwater conditions in the Basin, establishes sustainability goals and criteria, describes the approach to monitor conditions, and explains how the MGA will implement and measure specific actions to achieve and maintain sustainability by 2040. As required by the SGMA regulations, the MGA developed a sustainability goal for the Basin, which is to: 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.
Goals include:
- Ensure groundwater is available for all Basin water users
- Protect groundwater quality to promote public health
- Protect groundwater supply against seawater intrusion
- Protect groundwater supply from over-pumping and resolve historical over-pumping impacts
- Protect groundwater supply from climate change and sea level rise impacts
- Maintain Basin groundwater reserves for use during times of drought
- Maintain or enhance groundwater levels where groundwater dependent ecosystems exist
- Maintain or increase groundwater available to support local stream flow
- Do no harm to neighboring groundwater basins in regional efforts to achieve groundwater sustainability