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City of Morgan Hill
2015 Urban Water Management Plan
of water has been treated. The plume of perchlorate in groundwater was at one time ten-miles
long, according to the 2010 UWMP, but has been getting smaller and approximately extends from
Tennant Avenue to the San Martin Airport according to SCVWD.
6.2.2
Groundwater Management
This section documents relevant plans addressing groundwater supply and quality.
Law
6.2.2.1 Groundwater Management Plan
The Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) prepared a Groundwater Management Plan
report published in 2012 (2012 GMP). The 2012 GMP delineates the role of SCVWD as
groundwater managers within the County, as well as provides details of the basins to which the
District maintains. The following are excerpts taken from the Executive Summary section of the
2012 GMP.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District (District) is the groundwater management agency for
the Santa Clara and Llagas Subbasins in Santa Clara County. The District is also the
primary water wholesaler, flood manager, and watershed steward for the county.
The District was formed in 1929 by an act of the California legislature through the Santa
Clara Valley Water District Act1 (District Act) for the purpose of providing comprehensive
management for all beneficial uses and protection from flooding within Santa Clara
County.
Per Sections 4 and 5 of the District Act, the District’s objectives and authority related to
groundwater management are to recharge groundwater basins, conserve, manage and
store water for beneficial and useful purposes, increase water supply, protect surface
water and groundwater from contamination, prevent waste or diminution of the District's
water supply, and do any and every lawful act necessary to ensure sufficient water is
available for present and future beneficial uses.
Using the District’s overall water supply management objectives, the following basin
management objectives (BMOs) were developed:
BMO 1: Groundwater supplies are managed to optimize water supply reliability and
minimize land subsidence.
10631. (b) …if groundwater is identified as an existing or planned source of water available to the
supplier, all of the following information shall be included in the plan:
10631 (i) A copy of any groundwater management plan adopted by the urban water supplier…or
any other specific authorization for groundwater management.
10631 (ii) For basins that a court or the board has adjudicated the rights to pump groundwater, a
copy of the order or decree adopted by the court or the board and a description of the
amount of groundwater the urban water supplier has the legal right to pump under the
order or decree.