Urban Water Management Plan 2015

August 2016

3-1

City of Morgan Hill

2015 Urban Water Management Plan

2015

City of Morgan Hill

3.0

CHAPTER 3 – SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

The UWMPA requires that a description be provided of the water purveyor’s service area, and

include various aspects of the service area, including: climate, population, and land use.

3.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION

This section documents the location, service area, and land use for the City.

3.1.1

Location

The City is located in Santa Clara County, approximately 20 miles southeast of the city of San

Jose and 24 miles northwest of the city of Hollister (

Figure 3-1

). The City’s closest neighbor, the

city of Gilroy, is located 10 miles to the south. Highway 101 bisects the eastern boundary of the

City in the north-south direction. In 2001, the City outlined the long-term Ultimate Growth

Boundary (UGB), which was approved by City Council, and identified lands intended for future

urbanization within the City service area.

3.1.2

Water Service Area

The City is in the process of updating their General Plan, which outlines the UGB boundary.

Infrastructure improvements necessary to serve lands within the UGB were outlined in the City’s

water distribution, sewer collection, and storm drainage master plans. The City UGB incorporates

approximately 27.7 square miles and is the City’s ultimate growth boundary for the life of the

current General Plan; it is assumed that the UGB describes the future water system service area.

3.1.3

Land Use

The City UGB encompass approximately 17,702 acres of varying land use types, which are

defined as follows: 5,325 acres of residential; 220 acres of mixed use; 2,148 acres of non-

residential, including but not limited to commercial, industrial, institutional, and landscape

irrigation; and 10,009 acres of other non-demand generating land use types such as rural county

and open space. The residential component can be further subdivided, with 94 percent of the total

residential acres designated for single family dwellings and the remaining 6 percent for multi-

family dwellings. The City’s general plan map is shown in

Appendix B

3.2 CLIMATE DATA

The City has historically had a temperate climate due to its location in Santa Clara Valley and its

proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The mean annual temperature in the City is 74.3 degrees

Fahrenheit (

F), with the hottest month being July at approximately 88

F for the average high,

and the coldest month being December, with an average low of approximately 37

F. High

temperatures for the year average at 74

F and low temperatures average annually 46