Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), one of the key responsibilities of the Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency (SGMWA) is developing, adopting, and submitting a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin (Basin). The Basin forms a roughly triangular area between Felton, Ben Lomond and Scotts Valley. The Basin provides drinking water for the Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley Water Districts, over a dozen small water systems and around 1100 parcels served by private wells. Additionally, the groundwater table influences the surface water in the San Lorenzo River, a primary drinking water source for the city of Santa Cruz and a home to endangered species.  

The 60-day public comment period for the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) closed on Thursday, September 23. The final GSP was adopted  by the Board of Directors on Wednesday, November 17. All written comments may be reviewed here.

The Groundwater Sustainability Plan Summary (8 pages) provides a clear and concise overview of the document.

The Groundwater Sustainability Plan (1,336 pages) is the final document which was adopted by the Board on November 17, 2021.

The Basin’s GSP was submitted to DWR and posted to the SGMA Portal on January 14, 2022. The public comment period for the GSP will be open for 75 days following the posted date. Click here for more information.