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August 2016
3-3
City of Morgan Hill
2015 Urban Water Management Plan
Yearly extremes in temperature vary, with the peak high rising to above 100
°
F and winter lows
receding to the 20
°
F range. The City has a historical average annual rainfall of approximately 21
inches, with the majority of the rainfall occurring from November to March. These months typically
see over 3 inches of rain each. The average annual evapotranspiration (Eto) is 49.4 inches.
3.3 SERVICE AREA POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS
The City is a growing community, with over 2 percent of the Santa Clara County population
residing within the City limits. Department of Finance records estimate the 2015 population of
Morgan Hill at 42,382.
Located on the Highway 101 corridor, Morgan Hill has historically been a growing city. Between
1970 and 1980 the City saw dramatic growth, with the population increasing from 5,579 to 16,924
at an average annual growth rate of approximately 18 percent. This rapid growth led to the City’s
adoption of a growth management system, known as the Residential Development Control
System (RDCS), which regulates growth by limiting the number of new homes approved annually.
Following the implementation of the RDCS the average annual growth rate between 1980 and
2000 fell to approximately 4.7 percent. From 2000 to present, the City has seen an average
annual growth rate of approximately 2.4 percent.
The 2016 General Plan Update is currently planning for a 2035 population of 58,200 and
projected populations consistent with this growth are used to project demands as part of the 2015
UWMP. The current and projected service area population is summarized in
Table 3-1
. It should
be noted that potential changes to the in progress General Plan may occur, but are expected to
decrease the population. As such, the numbers in this UWMP are conservative.
Table 3-1 Population - Current and Projected
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
42,382
48,000
51,400
54,800
58,200
61,600