In March 1995, Soquel Creek Water District entered into a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) with Central Water District to prepare a groundwater management plan for the Soquel-Aptos Area consistent with Assembly Bill 3030. Under the provisions of the JPA, a Groundwater Management Plan Committee was established.

The Committee, comprised of two board members from Soquel Creek Water District, two board members from Central Water District, and one member from a mutual water company drafted a groundwater management plan in accordance with a joint resolution adopted by the respective boards.  The initial Soquel-Aptos Area Groundwater Management Plan was adopted in April 1996.

Subsequently, Senate Bill 1938 was passed in 2002 and requires agencies seeking state funds administered by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) for the construction of most groundwater supply or quality projects to have adopted groundwater management plans containing prescribed elements. The 1996 Soquel-Aptos Area Groundwater Management Plan (GMP) did not meet all of the new requirements and, therefore,  it needed to be revised and updated. It was also timely to update the existing plan to reflect the current understanding of groundwater conditions, as well as policies and practices that have been implemented since the 1996 GMP was adopted.

Thus, the Board of Directors for the Soquel Creek Water District and the Central Water District, meeting in separate sessions on December 20, 2005, adopted a joint resolution of Intention to draft a Groundwater Management Plan update for the Soquel-Aptos Area of Santa Cruz County.  

A Public Hearing was conducted  at a joint meeting of the SqCWD and CWD Board of Directors on March 20, 2007 to hear public comments on the 'Groundwater Management Plan-2007 for the Soquel-Aptos Area', to approve said Plan and pass a  joint ordinance. 

The 2007 GMP for the Soquel-Aptos area is currently available on-line and  can be downloaded from this website (see box at right).  

The Groundwater Management Plan consists of the following sections:

Section 1-  Introduction and Purpose

Section 2 -  Groundwater Management Plan Process

Section 3 -  Existing Groundwater Conditions

Section 4 -  Basin Management Goals and Objectives

Section 5 -  Projects, Programs, and Policies

Section 6 -  Implementation Plan

Section 7 - References

Appendices