In a unanimous decision, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) approved Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s (PV Water) water right application for the College Lake Integrated Resources Management Project.
The approval, coming nearly four years after application submittal, means that PV Water will have the right to divert and utilize up to 3,000 acre-feet of water per year to help eliminate groundwater overdraft and seawater intrusion.
The approval marks a major milestone in the implementation of the College Lake Project, and ultimately in achieving sustainable groundwater resources.
The College Lake Project is a key part of the community-developed plan to bring the Pajaro Valley into sustainable groundwater management by the year 2040. It will provide an average of 1,800 to 2,300 acre-feet per year of surface water, offsetting that amount of groundwater pumping.
Groundwater accounts for more than 90% of water demand in the Pajaro Valley. PV Water will use water from College Lake to supplement existing water supplies to help reduce the average annual 12,100 acre-foot groundwater deficit.
