City of Santa Cruz Water Rights and the SLV

Water rights in California have a long and sometimes counterintuitive history. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) has water rights for various streams that flow into the San Lorenzo River (e.g., Fall Creek, Bull Creek, and Bennett Springs in Felton, Clear Creek in Brookdale, and several creeks that flow into Boulder Creek). However, rights to the water in the San Lorenzo River itself belong exclusively to the City of Santa Cruz.

In March, 2021 the Santa Cruz City Water Department (SCWD) submitted five separate petitions to the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) seeking changes to its permits and water rights associated with the San Lorenzo River. What are the implications of these petitions for SLVWD? FSLVW offers answers in the following overview:

City of Santa Cruz Water Department Petitions to Modify its Use of San Lorenzo River Water