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The Lompico Watershed Conservancy is one of a very few Santa Cruz County organizations that comments formally on local and state water policy. Water policy can be separated into two areas, water use and water pollution. This division is based upon how water is regulated. Water pollution is a problem everywhere but water use only becomes a major issue when water resources are scarce as they are in most of California. All water resources in Santa Cruz County fall as rain in this region and are diverted from streams or pumped from wells. We do not import any water and we must deal with this fundamental limitation upon population growth and development. One of the reasons for salmon extinction is the draw down of stream flows for human use and waste. This is a zero sum game. The only water we can "create" would be from a desalinization plant which the City of Santa Cruz Water Department and the Soquel Creek Water District are engaged in now. Below are the four principle offices that regulate water resources in Santa Cruz County, besides the various water supply districts such as the San Lorenzo Valley Water District or the City of Santa Cruz Water Department. Other agencies like the State Department of Water Resources or DWR do not involve this county because their mission is different. DWR's principle job is to run the Sate Water Project, one of two major water aqueduct systems in the central valley that transport water from Northern California south.
State Water Resources Control Board part of CA EPA Five members, plus staff appointed by the Governor 1) Issues permits for surface water diversions and adjudicates water rights disputes. This includes the enforcement of these water allocation permits. 2) Supervises the nine Regional Boards that regulate water pollution. 3) Issues grant funds for water resource protection and water resource efficiency programs. 4) Sets Water Resource Policy for CA with the Legislature and Governor.
Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board nine members plus staff, appointed by the Governor 1) Regulates water pollution discharges and issues discharge permits. The Regional Boards are the primary regulator of water pollution. They supervise all local governments and industries that generate water pollution such as: a) Storm Water Management Plans and Coastal Pollution b) Logging and agriculture c) Chemicals and industrial uses from dry cleaning to oil refining d) Sewer systems and storm water drains. c) Building construction d) Ground water contamination 2) Prepared and amends the Basin Plan for water quality 3) Enforces the Porter Cologne Water Quality Control Act and the Federal Clean Water Act
County Department of Environmental Health This department is part of the County Health Department. EH is supervised by the Central Coast Regional Board. They issue permits for septic systems and regulate aspects of construction sites and other actions that impact water pollution such as hazardous materials, well permits, and underground storage tanks. Environmental Health tests surface water streams and near shore ocean waters for contaminants such as human waste. They work with various State agencies to enforce Sate water pollution law and monitor for pollution problems. EH is responsible for the County role is watershed planning, management and biological health.
California Department of Fish and Game five member Fish and Game Commission appointed by the Governor, plus game wardens, biologists, hydraulic engineers etc. Fish and Game has many obligations, for water resources they are the “first responders” for pollution spills and illegal dumping into waterways. Fish and Game Wardens respond to pollution complaints and file pollution enforcement actions with the County District Attorney. Fish and Game provides the field staff for a quick response to reports of stream and ocean pollution.
Does this work? Sometimes it does, however our modern world is extremely complex with many types of problems for water resources that are only becoming more acute. There are many bad septic systems in the rural areas of the County that are not being fixed. The County often does not follow up on the plans it writes. As for the State, the Department of Fish and Game has been reduced to a shell agency that cannot do basic jobs it is legally obligated to do. Why? The answer is political expediency. For instance, many industries and landowners prefer Fish and Game to be a weak agency and our Governors cooperate in this scandal. It is vital that citizens play a role in this process or these problems will continue to get worse. The Water Boards are only marginally better. Water Resources may be our most interconnected environmental issue. Intersecting with everything from vanishing salmon, to development and zoning, to global climate disruption. The agencies listed above are government bureaucracies and they are subject to all of the problems that follow from bureaucratic function. They are very subject to political pressure and may avoid prosecution of violations, or simply neglect to address specific problems for reasons of political expediency or simple inertia. In other words they do their job when the public demands it, but if the public is not paying attention they tend to become ineffective. This is a basic explanation for why organizations like the Conservancy are so important. These government agencies have the authority to protect water resources but they may not have the will. Individual agency staff people may be dedicated public servants but their supervisors may be more concerned with the Governor's political agenda. Advocates for water pollution prevention like the Conservancy can provide the drive that motivates government accountability. Outside actors like the Conservancy must seek performance from these agencies and their governing boards. |
