Santa Clara Valley Water District

Last updated
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Water district overview
Formed 1968 (1968-MM)
Preceding agencies
  • Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District
  • Santa Clara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
Headquarters San Jose, California
Water district executive
  • Rick Callender, Chief Executive Officer [1]
Website www.valleywater.org

The Santa Clara Valley Water District (also known as Valley Water) provides stream stewardship, wholesale water supply and flood protection for Santa Clara County, California, in the southern San Francisco Bay Area.

Contents

The district encompasses all of the county's 1,300 square miles (3,400 km2) and serves the area's 15 cities, 2 million residents and more than 200,000 commuters. In terms of acres, the district includes 138,000 acres, and 120,700 of those acres are lands that people have built cities, roads or cultivate farms on. [2] Almost 2,000 pumping wells supply the districts fields, houses and businesses with a clean reliable source of water. [2] The water district has about 150 miles of pipelines and operates 10 dams and reservoirs, three treatment plants, many groundwater recharge basins, three pump stations and an advanced water purification plant. [3] The district's three water treatment plants can produce as much as 210,000,000 US gallons (800,000 m3) of drinking water a day.

Facilities

Water Supply

The water that supplies the Santa Clara Valley Water District comes from various locations. Some of it comes from snowpack melt miles away. [3] This water is brought to the county through the many infrastructure projects in California, including the Federal Central Valley Project. [3] Santa Clara county also gets some of its water from recycled water. This water is purified to remove impurities and is used in multiple areas such as in agriculture. [3] Santa Clara Water District has historically extracted water from under the ground in aquifers as well. Alluvial aquifers are the source of this ground water. [4]

Purification

The district treats wastewater in stages. Solids are removed first, followed by the disinfection of water using ozone. After that, microscopic particles are eliminated and the ultimate step involves disinfection with chlorine. Chlorine kills organisms that may have survived the previous water purification stages, and helps prevent contamination from other organism after the stages are complete and while the water is transported. [3]

Watersheds

There are five major watersheds in the Santa Clara Valley Water District. They include the Coyote Watershed, Guadalupe Watershed, Lower Peninsula Watershed, Uvas-Llagas Watershed, and West Valley Watershed. [3]

Dams

The district owns many dams, including: [5]

Challenges

Water over-extraction

Over the years people have over-extracted the district's groundwater causing problems. In 1916-1934 there was a drought due to lack of rainfall; this coupled with excessive water withdrawal dropped the average water level in wells in the Santa Clara Water District by 108 feet. [2] Excessive water consumption over many years has led to groundwater drops of more than 200 feet in some areas. [4] When water levels in these aquifers drop below their threshold, compaction causes the aquifer to not store as much water as it originally did before overextraction. This causes further issues as there is less available water to meet the needs of the people, farm and ecosystems that rely on this water. This also led to land subsidence up to 12.7 feet between the 60-year gap from 1900 to the 1960s. [4] Meaning that not only did water levels sink, but the ground surface sank, or subsided, too.

Climate Change Adaptation

Flood detention basin on Permanente Creek at Rancho San Antonio County Park Flood detention basin on Permanente Creek at Rancho San Antonio County Park 2011-09-03.jpg
Flood detention basin on Permanente Creek at Rancho San Antonio County Park

The Santa Clara Water District has a guide to address "climate change" as they expect the area to experience changes that will impact people and wildlife. They expect changes to occur in such things as the amount of rain received to the temperature of the air. In fact, the driest start of the year the Santa Clara Water District ever recorded was noted on 3/14/2022. They also expect severe weather events such as droughts, heat waves and even wildfires to increase. This guide is known as the CCAP, or Valley Water's Climate Change Action Plan. [3]

The action plan comprises seven key objectives: the reduction of direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, expansion of renewable energy portfolios, improvement of energy efficiency, water supply adaptation, flood protection adaptation, and emergency preparedness.

Protection and Reintroduction of endangered Species

The district has over 800 miles of waterways to protect and care for. Within the counties' waterways live endangered species that need protection. One goal of the Santa Clara Valley Water District is to reintroduce the "Red-legged Frog", an endangered amphibian. They also encourage the reestablishment and protection of other endangered species such as the "Steelhead Trout", and the "Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse". [3]

Incidents

There was a leak in one of the pipelines in 2015 resulting in an estimated loss of 20 million gallons of water and resulted in $1.2 million in repairs and property damage. [6] The failure affected about 500 customers before it was fixed. [6]

Projects

The Santa Clara Valley Water District has been involved in several significant projects. Calabazas Creek Bank Rehabilitation Project aims to restore and maintain a healthy steelhead population in Stevens Creek watershed, and to maintain healthy steelhead and Chinook salmon populations in the Guadalupe River watershed.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District operates under the "Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program", which has several key objectives. These include providing a reliable water source, reducing water contaminants such as toxins and hazards, offering a safety net of the water source in case of natural disasters like earthquakes, helping restore and protect wildlife habitats, and aiding in protecting people by supplying flood protection for their businesses, homes, and schools, and providing the community with public health support. [3]

Santa Clara Valley Water District also provides "Water Education Programs and Events". They hold virtual events and distance learning, as well as school classroom programs. [3]

Awards

In December 2010 the Santa Clara Valley Water District was chosen as the water agency award recipient for the California Sustainability Alliance's Sustainability Showcase Award. [7] This award honors the District's commitment to sustainability as shown through their award-winning water use efficiency and conservation program. [8]

Leadership

Each year the Board of Directors elects a director to serve as the chair of the board; the 2022 Chair originally was Gary Kremen. [9] Kremen, however, was forced to step down due to a sexual harassment scandal in March, 2022. [10] Kremen, who was found to have committed multiple acts of bullying and abuse of power, [11] never returned as Chair, having faced increased criticism for his inappropriate behavior. [12] In November, 2022, Kremen was defeated by newcomer Rebecca Eisenberg, Silicon Valley attorney, columnist, and environmentalist. [13]

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The Santa Clara River is an 83 mi (134 km) long river in Ventura and Los Angeles counties in Southern California. It drains parts of four ranges in the Transverse Ranges System north and northwest of Los Angeles, then flows west onto the Oxnard Plain and into the Santa Barbara Channel of the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coyote Creek (Santa Clara County)</span> Creek in California, United States

Coyote Creek is a river that flows through the Santa Clara Valley in Northern California. Its source is on Mount Sizer, in the mountains east of Morgan Hill. It eventually flows into Anderson Lake in Morgan Hill and then northwards through Coyote Valley to San Jose, where it empties into San Francisco Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pajaro River</span> River in California, United States of America

The Pajaro River is a U.S. river in the Central Coast region of California, forming part of the border between San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, the entire border between San Benito and Santa Cruz County, and the entire border between Santa Cruz and Monterey County. Flowing roughly east to west, the river empties into Monterey Bay, west of Watsonville, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alameda Creek</span> River in California, United States

Alameda Creek is a large perennial stream in the San Francisco Bay Area. The creek runs for 45 miles (72 km) from a lake northeast of Packard Ridge to the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay by way of Niles Canyon and a flood control channel. Along its course, Alameda Creek provides wildlife habitat, water supply, a conduit for flood waters, opportunities for recreation, and a host of aesthetic and environmental values. The creek and three major reservoirs in the watershed are used as water supply by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Alameda County Water District and Zone 7 Water Agency. Within the watershed can be found some of the highest peaks and tallest waterfall in the East Bay, over a dozen regional parks, and notable natural landmarks such as the cascades at Little Yosemite and the wildflower-strewn grasslands and oak savannahs of the Sunol Regional Wilderness. After an absence of half a century, ocean-run steelhead trout are able to return to Alameda Creek to mingle with remnant rainbow trout populations. Completion of a series of dam removal and fish passage projects, along with improved stream flows for cold-water fish and planned habitat restoration, enable steelhead trout and Chinook salmon to access up to 20 miles (32 km) of spawning and rearing habitat in Alameda Creek and its tributaries. The first juvenile trout migrating downstream from the upper watershed through lower Alameda Creek toward San Francisco Bay was detected and documented in April 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Gatos Creek (Santa Clara County)</span> River in California, United States

The Los Gatos Creek runs 24 miles (39 km) in California through Santa Clara Valley Water District's Guadalupe Watershed from the Santa Cruz Mountains northward through the Santa Clara Valley until its confluence with the Guadalupe River in downtown San Jose. The Guadalupe River then continues onward into San Francisco Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coyote Lake (Santa Clara County, California)</span> Reservoir in Santa Clara County, California

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uvas Creek</span> River in California, United States

Uvas Creek is a 29.5-mile-long (47.5 km) mainly southward-flowing stream originating on Loma Prieta peak of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The creek descends through Uvas Canyon County Park into Uvas Reservoir near Morgan Hill, and on through Uvas Creek Preserve and Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. Upon passing U.S. Highway 101 it is known as Carnadero Creek, shortly before the confluence with the Pajaro River at the Santa Clara County - San Benito County boundary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uvas Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Morgan Hill, California

Uvas Reservoir is an artificial lake located west of Morgan Hill, California, in the United States. The reservoir is surrounded by a 626-acre (253 ha) park managed by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department. The park provides limited fishing ("catch-and-release"), picnicking, and hiking activities. Boating is not permitted in the reservoir.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson Lake (California)</span> Reservoir in Santa Clara County, California

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesbro Lake</span> Reservoir in Santa Clara County, California

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almaden Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Santa Clara County, California

Almaden Reservoir is an artificial lake in the hills south of San Jose, California in the United States. It borders on the 4,163-acre (1,685 ha) Almaden Quicksilver County Park, which provides limited fishing ("catch-and-release"), picnicking, hiking, and horseback riding activities. Swimming and boating are not permitted in the reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calero Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Santa Clara County, California

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llagas Creek</span> River in California, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamitos Creek</span> River in California, United States

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San Felipe Creek is a 14 miles (23 km) stream that originates in the western Diablo Range in Santa Clara County, California. It flows south by southeast through two historic ranchos, Rancho Los Huecos and Rancho Cañada de San Felipe y Las Animas before it joins Las Animas Creek just above Anderson Reservoir. One of the nine major tributaries of Coyote Creek, the creek's waters pass through the Santa Clara Valley and San Jose on the way to San Francisco Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calero, San Jose</span> Neighborhood of San Jose in Santa Clara, California, United States

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References

  1. "Executive Management | Santa Clara Valley Water".
  2. 1 2 3 Tolman, C. F.; Poland, J. F. (1940). "Ground-water, salt-water infiltration, and ground-surface recession in Santa Clara Valley, Santa Clara County, California". Transactions, American Geophysical Union. 21 (1): 23. doi:10.1029/tr021i001p00023. ISSN   0002-8606.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Where Your Water Comes From | Santa Clara Valley Water". www.valleywater.org. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  4. 1 2 3 "USGS SIR 2004-5231: Documentation of the Santa Clara Valley Regional Ground-Water/Surface-Water Flow Model, Santa Clara Valley, California". pubs.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  5. "Dams Within the Jurisdiction of the State of California" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-01-06.
  6. 1 2 Ndah, Tony (2016-04-01). "The Buried Pipeline Replacement Era: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Pipeline Replacement Strategies for the Santa Clara Valley Water District". Master's Projects. doi:10.31979/etd.6zcq-378b.
  7. California Sustainability Alliance, Sustainability Showcase Awards, Received January 31st, 2011
  8. Santa Clara Valley Water District, WET Program, Received January 31st, 2011
  9. "Valley Water Board names Gary Kremen as 2022 chair". Santa Clara Valley Water District. 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  10. "Santa Clara Valley Water District chairman to step down for 60 days following controversy over semi-nude photos". The Mercury News. 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  11. "UPDATE: Will Silicon Valley water official face discipline for abuse of power?". The San Jose Spotlight. 2022-10-30. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  12. "Editorial: Report shows why voters should oust Kremen from Santa Clara Valley Water board". Mercury News. 2022-10-29. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  13. "Gary Kremen concedes Santa Clara Valley water district race; Eisenberg vows to oppose Pacheco Dam". Mercury News. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2023-02-23.