Is the City able to transfer surface water during the winter to recharge the Soquel Creek Water District aquifers?
The City is not presently able to transfer surface water to Soquel, but interregional exchange of water is currently being actively investigated by the water agencies as a long term measure to improve water management. It is already clear that there are a number of challenges that would need to be met in order to accomplish this. The City’s water rights would need to be amended by the State to expand the allowed geographic area of use and to increase the allowed diversion rate. Such a water right amendment typically takes about 20 years. Any increase in surface water diversion could only be done between the months of December and April, and would require the approval of state and federal resource agencies. They are looking for solid documentation that the project would not adversely affect salmon and steelhead populations, but that it would go further and provide measurable benefits to the fish populations. While it is expected that fish should benefit on a long term basis from recover
