Santa Cruz County Local News: Water


All Local Water News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment

Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation projects have helped to build California, but they are also damaging the state’s environment for people, plants and animals by eliminating essential wetlands.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis

Almost one million California residents are forced to drink from contaminated water supplies, or pay for bottled water. Economic inequality makes the crisis worse. What is the state doing to fix it?

Image caption: Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think

2023’s torrential rainstorms have eased California's drought conditions. But there’s a lot more to drought than the amount of rain, and this drought isn't over yet.

Image caption: There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

Image caption: Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained

Residential wells are drying up in the state’s main agricultural region at the same time that agricultural businesses consume almost 90 percent of the water there.

Image caption: In Santa Cruz County, 10 separate entities manage the water supply.
Santa Cruz County Water, Explained

Santa Cruz County's water system is run by a decentralized collection of entities.

Image caption: The city of Santa Cruz gets just over 20 percent of its water from Loch Lomond in the mountain community of Lompico.
Where’s Our Water?

Santa Cruz is one of the few California communities that receive 100 percent of its water from local rainfall.

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

07/23/2024
Image for display with article titled Keep Cool Cross-Training at the Best Swimming Holes and Beaches

Swimming holes and beach-swims near Santa Cruz that let you work in some exercise.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/16/2024
A Kings County judge today issued a temporary restraining order against the state that pauses its unprecedented move to crack down on groundwater depletion in California’s agricultural heartland.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/10/2024
Harnessing clean energy is a venture of unprecedented scope in California, bringing big changes to Humboldt and the Central Coast, and requiring 26 ports along the coast.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

07/03/2024
Image for display with article titled San Lorenzo Valley Water District Tank Replacement

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) announced on June 2, 2024 that it will be replacing 12 water storage tanks in several locations in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/03/2024
The measures are substantially weaker than a previous proposal after an onslaught of criticism. But they will still save enough water through 2050 to supply the state’s entire population for a year, at a cost of $4.7 billion.

KSQD logo From KSQD...

06/29/2024
Image for display with article titled All About Sea Otters With PK Hattis

With the recent reemergence of otter 841, the surfboard swiping sea critter raised in captivity, I'll be facilitating a panel conversation that includes several sea otter experts and the local photographer whose photos went viral about a year ago.

Press Banner logo From Press Banner...

06/27/2024
Image for display with article titled Boulder Creek Businesses Face Financial Strain Amid SLVWD’s Water Shutoffs

Residents of Boulder Creek have been through hell and high water over the past several years, but the San Lorenzo Valley Water District is adding to the dismay of neighborhoods and small businesses in town with a decisive lack of communication about their ongoing infrastructure repair efforts.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/25/2024
Almost 400 suppliers, two-thirds in communities of color, don’t meet safety and reliability standards. Fixing them would cost billions.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

06/24/2024
Image for display with article titled Bryan Largay Appointed to SLVWD Board of Directors

Felton resident Bryan Largay was appointed to the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) Board of Directors on June 13, 2024.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

06/18/2024
A new round of litigation began when environmental groups opposed to the Sites reservoir in Colusa County filed an appeal on a ruling which dismissed their suit seeking to halt the project from proceeding.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/17/2024
Legal rights to use water — particularly those obtained prior to 1914 — lie at the heart of California’s perpetual wrangling over the allocation of increasingly limited water supplies.

California Local Pin Marker From SF Gate...

06/13/2024
Young Great White sharks are convening in the warm waters of Soquel Cove off Seacliff State Beach between Capitola and Rio Del Mar.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/12/2024
Aiming to store more water and protect the public, legislators are negotiating with the governor to restore $50 million to help repair 42 aging dams throughout the state.

Press Banner logo From Press Banner...

06/07/2024
Image for display with article titled Scotts Valley Makes a Splash With Reopening of Siltanen Family Swim Center

While the City of Scotts Valley has exploded with retail and dining opportunities in the past several years, city leaders have discovered another way to help local residents keep their cool during the summer heat.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

06/05/2024
The $4.5 billion Sites Reservoir project is advancing after a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by environmental groups.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/05/2024
A new study, conducted by researchers at three University of California campuses, projects that a combination of factors will reduce California’s water supply by up to 9 million acre-feet a year.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

06/01/2024
Cal State Fullerton researchers released findings of ancient floods in Southern California which indicate the state may be more prone to mega flooding than previously thought.

Press Banner logo From Press Banner...

05/31/2024
Image for display with article titled Scotts Valley Looks Ahead to Infrastructure Upgrades as Costs Increase

At its May 15 meeting, Scotts Valley City Council forged ahead with wastewater system improvements.

Press Banner logo From Press Banner...

05/30/2024
Image for display with article titled Free Water Testing Available for Santa Cruz County Individuals With Household Wells

Santa Cruz County has launched a free water quality testing program that includes opportunities for Point of Use treatment and drinking water replacement for residents of Santa Cruz County who rely on household groundwater wells for their drinking water.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/30/2024
Researchers say if California could collect and treat more stormwater in cities, it could provide enough water to supply a quarter of the state’s urban population.
Join Us Today!