Santa Cruz Wins Water Steward Award
April 10, 2030
The State Department of Water Resources named Santa Cruz California’s Model Water Steward City. Santa Cruz has received honorable mention in previous years. “The results of the statewide composting toilet survey put Santa Cruz on top,” explained City Water Sustainability Director, Jenna Cavelle. “Forty percent of Santa Cruz residents now use the City’s curbside compost-brick pick-up service.” Due in part to the City’s free composting toilet installation program, per capita water consumption has dropped to 50 gallons per person per day.
Cavelle gave credit to the City’s Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) for installing the toilets and training owners in their use. YACC director, David Stearns, accompanied a busload of YACC’ers to Sacramento to receive the award. “These young adults have made such a contribution to our community, it’s great to for them to get the appreciation,” said Stearns. Stearns has led YACC since its inception in 2013. A timeline of City water sustainability milestones and YACC accomplishments is printed below.
Timeline: City's Sustainable Water Initiatives
2012-
A ballot initiative passes with over 75% of the vote, requiring a referendum before the City can commit more funds for a desalination plant.
2013-
• The City Council drops plans for a desalination plant. The City launches a year-round water conservation campaign to maximize reservoir water levels and reduce water diversion from native fish habitat.
• The City Council initiates a Water-Neutral Development Policy. New growth must be offset by water-saving retrofits in existing properties.
• The City redirects funds from the desal project to establish a Young Adult Conservation Corps. The Corps begins a free toilet/shower/faucet retrofit program.
• The City and National Marine Fisheries Service agree on a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to restore native fish populations in the San Lorenzo River and North Coast streams. The settlement with state and federal agencies grants Santa Cruz water rights to exchange water with Soquel Creek Water District. As part of the agreement Santa Cruz agrees to reduce diversion of water from the San Lorenzo River and North Coast streams during key periods of fish development. Santa Cruz is given permission for an eight-foot inflatable dam extension at Loch Lomond Reservoir.
• Santa Cruz and Soquel Creek Water District sign an agreement that allows Soquel to use Santa Cruz water in normal winter months in exchange for Soquel well water in drought years. Soquel Creek District is able to reduce pumping, allowing the aquifer to recharge during winter months.
2014
90% of Santa Cruz toilets are now low-flow toilets, due in part to the retrofit program of the Young Adult Conservation Corps.
2015
YACC concentrates on providing low-cost replacement of lawns with drought tolerant landscaping. YACC’s turf replacement program results in the amassing of a surplus of water credits. The City Council sets aside water credits for housing that is affordable to teachers, service workers and tourist industry employees who work in Santa Cruz.
2016
YACC begins receiving County support and opens its employment to young adults in the County. YACC begins restoration work in the San Lorenzo Watershed. YACC crews implement a County policy to plant trees on old logging roads and illegal private roads.
2022
YACC opens its Youth Conservation Camp in the San Lorenzo Valley. Elementary, middle, and high school groups spend a week doing watershed conservation work and learning water stewardship practices. Conservation clubs sprout in area schools, doing public education and assisting YACC.
2030
Over 15 years YACC has restored two hundred miles of old logging roads and illegal private roads in the watershed. Watershed restoration has significantly reduced the amount of sediment clogging stream habitat for native fish. Populations of native steelhead have quadrupled since 2010, and coho salmon have made a comeback in the San Lorenzo River.
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