Watsonville City Council
January 17, 2023

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
10 Sediment; Newell - Miscellaneous, Sediment;
Shingle Mill Creek - Nutrients, Sediment
Soquel 42 West, East Branch
Soquel Creek; Noble,
Porter, Tannery
Gulches; Borregas
Creek
Laurel Creek Soquel Creek - Pathogens, Sediment; Nobel
Gulch - Pathogens; Porter Gulch - Pathogens;
Corcoran Lagoon - Pathogens, Miscellaneous
Pajaro 1,300 Pajaro River, Corralitos
Creek, Salisipuedes
Creek, Watsonville
Slough
No Pajaro River – Pesticides, Pathogens,
Nutrients, Low DO, Sediment, Turbidity, pH,
PCBs; Corralitos – Pathogens, Turbidity, ph;
Salsipuedes – Pathogens, Low DO, Turbidity,
pH; Watsonville Slough – Pathogens, Low DO,
Pesticides, Turbidity.

Scott 39 Big, Little, Queseria,
Berry, Boyer, Dead
Man's, Winter,
Archibald Creeks
No No
Waddell 27 Last Chance, East and
West Branch Waddell
Creeks
No No
Aptos 25 Valencia Creek;
Mangels, Trout Gulches
No Aptos Creek - Pathogens, Sediment; Valencia
Creek - Sediment, Pathogens
Baldwin /
Wilder
20 Lombardi, Sandy Flat,
Old Dairy Gulches,
Wilder, Moore Creeks
No No
San Andreas 15 Busch Gulch No No
San Vicente 14 Mill Creek Mill, San Vicente Creeks San Vicente - Sediment Watsonville
Sloughs
14 Harkins, Gallighan,
Hanson, Main and
West Branch Struve
Soughs
No Hanson Slough - Pathogens; Harkins Slough -
Pathogens, Nutrients; Watsonville Slough -
Pathogens, Nutrients, Sediment
Año Nuevo 10 Whitehouse, Cascade,
Elliot, Wilson, Green
Oaks, Finnery Creeks,
Willows Gulch
No No
Davenport 8 Molino Creek No No
Laguna 8 Reggiardo Creek Reggiardo, Laguna Creeks No

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
11 Liddell 3.5 West Liddell, East
Liddell,
Liddell Creek, Liddell Spring,
Plant Spring
No
Yellow Bank 2 No
Majors 5 N / A Yes No
Swanton
Bluffs
5 N / A No No
Arana GulchRodeo3.5 Arana Gulch, Leona
Creek, Schwan Lake,
Rodeo Creek Gulch
No Arana: Chlorpyrifos, E. coli, fecal coliform
Below is a detailed description of each of the watersheds in the SWRP boundary.

San Lorenzo River
The San Lorenzo River is a 138 square mile watershed located in northern Santa Cruz County. It is the largest watershed lying completely within Santa Cruz County. Originating in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the watershed consists of a 25-mile long main stem and 9 principal tributaries that include the following (with associated smaller waterways shown in parentheses: Branciforte (Glen Canyon Creek, Redwood Creek, Granite Creek, Crystal Creek, Tie Gulch, and Blackburn Gulch), Carbonera (Camp Evers Creek and several unnamed streams), Zayante (Lompico Creek, Mill Creek, and Mountain Charlie Gulch), Bean, Fall, Newell (Loch Lomond Reservoir), Bear (Hopkins Gulch, whalebone Gulch, Deer Creek, Connely Gulch, and Shear Creek), Boulder (Foreman Creek, Silver Creek, Pea Vine Creek, Bracken Brae Creek, Jamison Creek, and Hare Creek), and Kings Creeks (Logan's Creek). Smaller creeks and waterways include Powder Mill Creek, Eagle Creek, Gold Gulch, Shingle Mill Creek, Bull Creek, Bennett Creek (Fall Creek and South Fall Creek), Mason Creek, Love Creek (Smith Creek and Fritch Creek), Hubbard Gulch, Alba Creek, Clear Creek, Malosky Creek, Spring Creek Gulch, Two Bar Creek, Spring Creek, and numerous unnamed streams and creeks.

The watershed includes the cities and communities of Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Felton, Ben Lomond, and Boulder Creek. Much of the watershed is forested with the exception of these pockets of urban areas. The San Lorenzo River is listed on the 2012 Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Water Quality Limited Segments for sediment, pathogens, pesticides, and nutrients, with temperature proposed. A Sediment Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the San Lorenzo River (and associated tributaries Carbonera Creek, Lompico Creek, and Shingle Mill Creek) has been adopted by the Regional Board.

Soquel Creek

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
12 Located between the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville, the Soquel Creek watershed drains an area of 42 square miles. Major tributaries include the West Branch (Burns, Laurel, Hester Creek, Amaya Creek, Fern Gulch, Ashbury Gulch, Hinkley Creek, and numerous unnamed waterways) and the Main Branch (fed by Moore’s Gulch, Grover Gulch, Love Creek and Bate's Creek). Smaller tributaries include Noble Gulch, Porter Gulch, Tannery Gulch and Borregas Creek. Principal land use in the watershed includes urban development, rural residential development, agriculture, parks and recreation, and mining and timber harvesting. The unincorporated town of Soquel and the City of Capitola are both located in the lower reaches of the watershed. Sedimentation and impairment of important fish habitat have been identified as principal resource concerns in this watershed. Soquel Lagoon is listed on the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Water Quality Limited Segments for nutrients, pathogens, and sedimentation/siltation.

Scott Creek
Scott Creek encompasses a 39 square mile watershed in northern Santa Cruz County. Big Creek and Little Creek are the major tributaries to Scott Creek. Smaller tributaries include Queseria Creek, Berry Creek, Boyer Creek, Deadman Gulch, Winter Creek, Mill Creek, Archibald Creek, and numerous unnamed streams and creeks. Principal land uses in the watershed include agriculture and timber, industrial use (particularly in the vicinity of lands held by Lockheed-Martin), residential use, and recreation. The stream provides salmonid habitat for both spawning and rearing anadromous salmonids. Coho salmon spawn naturally in Scott Creek, making it the only major stream south of San Francisco where this occurs. Serious aggradation has occurred in the lower reaches of Scott Creek resulting in accelerated sedimentation that threatens to impair critical spawning habitat of the coho and steelhead. Invasive and exotic plant species such as French broom (Genista monspessulana), Cape ivy (Senecio mikanioides), and other nonnative invasive species are also a problem and are present throughout the riparian corridors of the watershed.

Waddell Creek
The Waddell Creek watershed drains an area of approximately 27 square miles and is comprised by Last Chance Creek, the two major tributaries of Waddell Creek, East Waddell and West Waddell, and numerous unnamed tributaries. East Waddell Creek is fed by Blooms Creek, Sempervirens Creek, Maddocks Creek, Rogers Creek, Opal Creek, and Union Creek. West Waddell is fed by Henry Creek and Berry Creek. Big Basin State Park constitutes the majority of land cover in the watershed with small pockets of rural residential and agricultural use near the coast.

Aptos Creek

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
13 The Aptos Creek watershed drains an area of approximately 25 square miles in southern Santa Cruz County. Aptos Creek and Valencia Creek are the principal tributaries in the watershed. Aptos Creek converges with Valencia Creek approximately one mile inland of the Bay. Bridge Creek and Mangels Gulch empty into the Aptos Creek portion of the watershed and Trout Gulch empties into Valencia Creek. Land use in this watershed is comprised of forested lands, state parks and some rural residential areas. More than half of the Aptos Creek portion of the watershed is forested, with the majority of the creek running through the southern portion of the Nisene Marks State Park. Land use in the Valencia Creek portion of the watershed is primarily rural residential and urban development. There are historical and modern day logging sites in both sub-watersheds. The Aptos Creek watershed provides important habitat to coho salmon and steelhead trout. Excessive sedimentation, low stream flow resulting from overpumping of groundwater in the region, fish barriers, loss of channel complexity, and poor water quality in the coastal lagoon are some principal resource concerns associated with the Aptos Creek watershed.

Baldwin Wilder
The Baldwin Wilder watershed is located just south of and adjacent to Majors watershed and the San Lorenzo River watershed. It drains an area of approximately 20 square miles and is comprised of Baldwin Creek, Lombardi Gulch, Sandy Flat Gulch, Old Dairy Gulch, Wilder Creek (Peasley Gulch, Adams Creek, and Cave Gulch), and Moore Creek. The majority of the watershed lies within the boundary of Wilder Ranch State Park with some agriculture along the coast and a quarry along Old Dairy Gulch.

San Andreas
The San Andreas watershed is bordered on the north and east by the Pajaro River watershed and to the west by the Aptos Creek watershed. San Andreas drains an area of approximately 15 square miles and is comprised of Bush Gulch and two unnamed streams. Land use is predominantly agricultural with some rural and urban residential areas.

San Vicente Creek
The San Vicente watershed drains an area of approximately 14 square miles and is comprised of San Vicente Creek fed by Mill Creek and several unnamed tributaries. Land use in the watershed is predominantly residential with two quarries located on Mill Creek and on one of the unnamed tributaries to San Vicente Creek. There is also a small pocket of agricultural land along the coast.

Anadromous fish passage is thought to be limited to about 4 miles due to past quarry activities.

Año Nuevo Creek

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
14 The Año Nuevo watershed is located in the northwestern portion of the County along the border of San Mateo County. The watershed covers an area of approximately 10 square miles. The headwaters of this watershed begin in Santa Cruz County but empty into the Monterey Bay along the San Mateo coastline. The portion of this watershed in Santa Cruz County includes the headwaters of Whitehouse Creek, Cascade Creek, Elliot Creek, Wilson Creek, Green Oaks Creek, Año Nuevo Creek, Finney Creek, and Willows Gulch. Big Basin Redwood State Park is present in the eastern portion of the watershed. Other land uses in the watershed include residential and agricultural land use.

Davenport
Davenport watershed is located between Scotts Creek and San Vicente and drains an area of approximately 8 square miles. Molino Creek and several unnamed creeks comprise this watershed. Major land uses in this area include agriculture and mountain residential commercial and residential uses in the town of Davenport.

Laguna Creek
The Laguna Creek watershed drains an area of approximately 8 square miles and is comprised of Laguna Creek, Reggiardo Creek, and several unnamed streams. This watershed is habitat for both coho and steelhead. Approximately half of the land use in the watershed is agriculture with the remaining area comprised of residential and resource conservation uses. Laguna Creek has karst interconnectivity with Liddell Creek.

Liddell Creek
The Liddell Creek watershed drains an area of approximately 3.5 square miles and is comprised of Liddell Creek, West Liddell Creek, and East Liddell. Laguna Creek has several springs as well as karst interconnectivity with Laguna and other watersheds; it's a primary drinking water source watershed for the City of Santa Cruz, and supports marginal habitat for both coho and steelhead spawning and incubation. The watershed is home to several special status species including the tidewater goby, steelhead trout, coho salmon, western pond turtle, American badger and the California red-legged frog. While much of it is zoned for agriculture, much of that is not currently in use with the remainder comprised of mountainous residential areas.

Yellow Bank Creek
The Yellow Bank Creek Watershed is a small coastal watershed draining approximately 2 miles.

The land is under BLM control. Special status species in the watershed include red-legged frogs, western pond turtle, and American badger.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
15 Majors
Majors watershed is located between the Laguna and Baldwin Wilder watersheds. It drains an area of approximately 5 square miles and is comprised of Majors Creek and three un-named tributaries. Majors also supports steelhead spawning and incubation and the California red-legged frog. It is an important drinking water supply watershed for the City of Santa Cruz. Land use is predominantly parkland with the remainder comprised by rural residential and a small area of agricultural production including one large vineyard.

Swanton Bluffs
Swanton Bluffs is a small watershed adjacent to the Scotts Creek and Waddell Creek watersheds.

The watershed is approximately five square miles and is comprised of two unnamed streams.

Land use is predominantly agricultural with small strips of parkland along the coast as well as some residential areas.

Arana Gulch-Rodeo
The Arana Gulch-Rodeo watershed drains a 3.5 square-mile area at the outer (eastern) edges of the City of Santa Cruz. Major waterways and water bodies in this watershed include Arana Gulch, Leona Creek, Schwann Lake, Rodeo Creek Gulch, and several unnamed waterways. Principal land uses in the watershed are urban, primarily residential, commercial, and light industrial, plus institutional areas such as schools, hospitals, and cemeteries. Habitat types present in the watershed include wetlands and freshwater marsh, streambank vegetation, mixed evergreen/mixed broadleaf forest, and a few patchy areas of chaparral habitat. High sediment loads threaten the quality of habitat for the steelhead trout and other aquatic species in Arana Gulch. Reducing the delivery of sand and sediments to Arana Gulch, its tributaries, and the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor, as well as providing passage for anadromous fish to the eastern and central branches of Arana Gulch are identified as principal goals for the Arana Gulch watershed. The City of Santa Cruz provides potable water to residents living in this watershed, and pumps groundwater from the Beltz wells near Rodeo Gulch.

Pajaro River
The Pajaro River Watershed drains an area of approximately 1,300 square miles of land in Central California in Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Monterey Counties. Approximately fifteen percent, or 200 square miles, of the Pajaro River Basin lies within the SWRP Boundary, which ends at the Pajaro River. Most of the watershed falls within the Pajaro Watershed IRWM region, who are not currently developing a SWRP. The Pajaro River watershed is comprised of the Watsonville Slough System (fed by Gallighan Slough, Harkins Slough, and Struve Slough), Corralitos Creek (fed by Rider Creek, Eureka Gulch, Diablo Gulch, Redwood Creek, Browns Creek,

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
16 and Ramsey Creek), and Salsipuedes Creek (fed by College Creek, Green Valley Creek, Hughes Creek, Pinto Lake, Casserly Creek, and Gaffey Creek). Predominant land use practices in the Lower Pajaro and its tributaries include irrigated croplands, rangelands, timberlands, urbanization, and rural residential development. The watershed is home to several special status species including the tidewater goby, steelhead trout, Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, and the California redlegged frog. The Pajaro River and several tributary streams have been designated as impaired due to sedimentation. The City of Watsonville Public Utilities supplies potable water from groundwater wells and surface water diversion from Corralitos creek to customers from within the Pajaro River watershed. The Pajaro Valley Groundwater Management Agency is responsible for the hydrologic health of the basin and assesses fees on agricultural, municipal, and private wells to implement the Basin Management Plan.

Watsonville Slough Sub-Watershed
Watsonville Slough drains 14 square miles from the hills of southern Santa Cruz County into the Pajaro River and Monterey Bay. The Watsonville Slough system is comprised of six individual sloughs including Watsonville Slough, Harkins Slough, Gallighan Slough, Hanson Slough, the main branch of the Struve Slough, and the western branch of Struve Slough. The Sloughs represent significant water supply resources, part of which is being used to offset salt-contaminated coastal wells in the region. Nutrient loading, oftentimes exacerbated by the absence of marsh vegetation, coupled with poor water circulation has resulted in eutrophic conditions in many areas of the Sloughs. Watsonville Slough is listed on the 2002 Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Water Quality Limited Segments for pathogens, pesticides, and sedimentation/siltation (Swanson Hydrology and Geomorphology 2003).
3) Plan includes an explanation of why the watershed(s) and sub-watershed(s) are appropriate for storm water management with a multiple-benefit watershed approach; The watersheds described in the Storm Water Resource Plan are appropriate for stormwater management with a multi-benefit watershed approach based on the variety of scales. Having watersheds, subwatersheds, and catchments described facilitates local commitment to capture and infiltrate stormwater to maintain natural watershed function, reduce runoff and erosion, replenish groundwater and increase summer baseflow. Additionally, many surface runoff models within these watersheds are tied to groundwater recharge models. Santa Cruz County is entirely dependent on local surface and groundwater for our water supply, and there is a high degree of collaboration between stormwater permit holders (MS4s) and local water utilities to share information and implement projects that enhance infiltration of surface water run-off to restore base flows in local creeks and increase recharge in overdrafted coastal aquifers threatened by

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
17 seawater intrusion. Another important reason that these specific watersheds are named in the Storm Water Resource Plan are that sub-catchments within a particular watershed are more appropriate for decentralized low impact development retrofits of existing stormwater infrastructure.
4) Plan describes the internal boundaries within the watershed (boundaries of municipalities; service areas of individual water, wastewater, and land use agencies, including those not involved in the Plan; groundwater basin boundaries, etc.; preferably provided in a geographic information system shape file); The SWRP contains many internal boundaries which may play a role in future storm water management as described below. These boundaries are shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

Five Municipalities:

The County of Santa Cruz
The City of Scotts Valley
The City of Santa Cruz
The City of Capitola
The City of Watsonville
Multiple Water Providers:

San Lorenzo Valley Water District
Scotts Valley Water District
City of Santa Cruz Water Department
Soquel Creek Water District
Central Water District
City of Watsonville Public Works and Utilities
135 public water systems
8000 private wells
Groundwater Basins/ Groundwater Sustainability Agencies:

Santa Margarita Basin/ Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency Santa Cruz Mid-County Basin/ Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency Pajaro Valley Basin/Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Areas:

Santa Cruz IRWM Region
Pajaro IRWM Region (partial)
Other:

University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC)
State Parks

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
18 Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County
School Districts
Caltrans right of ways
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
Santa Cruz Port District
Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Agency
Figure 2: Water Agency and IRWM Boundaries

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
19 Figure 3: Municipalities and park land in the SWRP
5) Plan describes the water quality priorities within the watershed based on, at a minimum, applicable TMDLs and consideration of water body-pollutant combinations listed on the State’s Clean Water Act Section 303(d) list of water quality limited segments (a.k.a impaired waters list);
TMDLs have been prepared to address the following pollutants in Santa Cruz County:
● Pathogens (Fecal coliform, Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB)): Fecal indicator bacteria, including fecal coliform, E. coli and enterococcus indicate the potential presence of disease-causing organisms that may originate from human or animal feces, which can make the water unsafe for swimming or drinking. However, it is important to note the FIB are not actual pathogens, and recent studies have shown that concentrations of FIB may be affected by a variety of factors other than presence of fecal material. ● Sediment: Although sediment transport is a natural occurrence, excessive levels of sediment can fill pools, clog stream bottoms, greatly diminish habitat, create high levels of turbidity and render water unsuitable for municipal water supply.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
20 ● Nutrients (Nitrate): Excessive nutrients (particularly nitrate) may exceed drinking water standards, or may cause nuisance algae growth, which reduces dissolved oxygen for aquatic habitat, impacts (?)taste and odor which makes water difficult to treat for drinking water supply, and may lead to the formation of algal biotoxins which are hazardous to aquatic life and human health.

Table 2: Water bodies with established and proposed TMDLs in Santa Cruz County.

TMDL MS4 and Responsible
Parties
Impaired Waterbody Allocation
Attainment
Date
Pathogens
Resolution R3-2009-
0023
City of Santa Cruz
County of Santa Cruz
City of Scotts Valley
San Lorenzo River
Estuary
San Lorenzo River
Branciforte Creek
Camp Evers Creek
Carbonera Creek
Lompico Creek Jun 8, 2024
Pathogens
Resolution
R3-2009-0024
City of Capitola
County of Santa Cruz
Soquel Lagoon
Soquel Creek
Noble Gulch Sep 15, 2023
Pathogens
Resolution
R3-2009-0025 County of Santa Cruz
Aptos Creek
Valencia Creek
Trout Gulch Oct 29, 2023
Pathogens
Resolution R3-2006-
0025
City of Watsonville, County
of Santa Cruz
Watsonville Slough
Struve Slough
Harkins Slough
Gallighan Slough
Hanson Slough Nov 20, 2016
Fecal Coliform
Resolution RB3-2009-
0008
County of Santa Cruz, City
of Watsonville Pajaro River Jul 12, 2023
Fecal Coliform
Resolution
R3-2009-0009
County of Santa Cruz,
City of Watsonville
Corralitos Creek
Salsipuedes Creek Sep 8, 2024

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
21 Sediment
Resolution R3-2002-
0063
County of Santa Cruz, City
of Scotts Valley, City of
Santa Cruz
San Lorenzo River
and Carbonera,
Lompico, Shingle Mill
Creeks Dec 18, 2028
Sediment
Resolution R3-2005-
0132
County of Santa Cruz,
City of Watsonville
Llagas Creek, San
Benito
River, Rider Creek,
Mouth of Pajaro
River Nov 27, 2051
Nitrate
Resolution R3-2000-01 County of Santa Cruz
City of Scotts Valley
San Lorenzo River
Carbonera Creek
Shingle Mill Creek 2045
Nutrients
R3-2015-004
To be considered July
30, 2015
County of Santa Cruz
City of Watsonville
Various Streams and
Sloughs in the Pajaro
Watershed
Nutrients and Algal
Toxins
Adoption anticipated in
2016 County of Santa Cruz Pinto Lake
Source: Phase II Small MS4 General Permit NPDES General Permit No.S000004 Order No. 2013-0001-DWQ - Attachment G: Region Specific Requirements Nitrate TMDL for San Lorenzo River Watershed is not listed in Attachment G, but is included here for completeness; stormwater is not identified as a source.

Pajaro River and Pinto Lake Nutrient TMDL’s are in preparation and included for completeness.
6) Plan describes the general quality and identification of surface and ground water resources within the watershed (preferably provided in a geographic information system shape file);
Streamflow
Streamflow is a major element of the water cycle, and refers to the flow of water in streams, rivers, and other channels. Ephemeral streams only flow during periods of storm water runoff during the winter months, whereas perennial streams flow year-round, supplied by groundwater discharge. Streamflow is determined by topography, geology, soils, land use, and the frequency, intensity, and timing of rainfall events.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
22 Streamflow has historically been measured in many county streams by the US Geological Survey (USGS), County, water agencies, and others. Currently operating USGS gages exist on only four streams in the Region – the San Lorenzo River and Soquel Creek, Corralitos Creek, and the Pajaro River. The vast majority of streamflow volume on an annual basis is derived from precipitation and direct runoff primarily during the five-month period between December and April.

Table 3: U.S. Geological Survey Surface Flow Gages
Watershed Gages Period of Record
San Lorenzo River San Lorenzo River @ Santa
Cruz (11161000) 1952-1960, 1987-current
San Lorenzo River @ Big Trees
(11160500) 1952-1960, 1987-current
Soquel Creek Soquel Creek @ Soquel
(11160000) 1952-1960, 1987-current
Pajaro River Corralitos Creek @ Freedom
(11159200) 1956-current
Pajaro River Pajaro River @ Chittenden
(11159000) 1938-current
Water Supply Watersheds
The fact that the Region’s water supply is locally derived provides special opportunities to adopt and enact land use policies that protect that supply. There are a number of watersheds with supply streams that are directly used for municipal or domestic water supply and are designated as water supply watersheds. Objective 5.5a of the County’s General Plan is to manage the watersheds of existing and future surface water supplies to preserve the quality and quantity of water produced and stored in these areas to meet the needs of county residents, local industry, agriculture, and the natural environment. Several General Plan policies are in place to protect these watersheds through minimum parcel sizing for development and runoff retention (please refer to Chapter 13, Relationship to Local Water and Land Use Planning for additional information).

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
23 Table 4: Water Supply Watersheds and Related Water Systems North Coast Watersheds
San Vicente Creek, Mill Creek Davenport Water System
Liddell Spring, Laguna Creek, Majors Creek City of Santa Cruz Reggiardo Creek City of Santa Cruz
Redwood Spring (Trib. to Majors Ck.) Redwood Spring Mutual Water Company Sempervirens Creek Big Basin State Park
San Lorenzo River Watersheds
San Lorenzo River City of Santa Cruz
Hare Creek, Jamison Springs, Corvin
Spring, Forest Spring
Big Basin Water Company
Forest Spring Forest Spring Mutual Water Company / Big
Basin Water Company
Bracken Brae Creek / Spring trib. to
Bracken Brae
Bracken Brae Country Club
Peavine, Silver, Foreman, Clear,
Sweetwater Creeks
San Lorenzo Valley Water District
Newell Creek (aka Loch Lomond) City of Santa Cruz
Fall, Bennet, Bull Creeks San Lorenzo Valley Water District Lompico Creek Lompico County Water District
Spring (Trib. To Zayante Creek) Zayante Acres Mutual Water Company Tunnell Gulch (Trib. to Gold Gulch) River Grove Mutual Water Company Soquel Creek – Aptos Creek Watersheds
Laurel Creek Villa del Monte Mutual Water Company
Laurel Creek Summit Mutual Water Company

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
24 Spring (Trib. to W.B. Soquel Ck.) Redwood Lodge Mutual Water Company Spring (Trib. to W.B. Soquel Ck.) Cathedral Wood Mutual Water Company Pajaro
Corralitos, Browns Valley Creeks City of Watsonville
Groundwater
There are three major groundwater basins in the Santa Cruz IRWM Region – the Santa Margarita (Scotts Valley, north region), Mid-county (Soquel-Aptos, Purisima and Aromas, central region), and Pajaro Valley (south region). The Region’s water purveyors generally utilize permeable bedrock aquifers due to both the limited extent of alluvial basins as well as the presence of the large, permeable geologic formations in the county. Alluvial groundwater basins coincide with surface watershed areas, whereas bedrock basins can underlie and interact with multiple watersheds. For example the Purisima formation begins under the eastern portion of the San Lorenzo Watershed and extends under the Soquel, Aptos, and Pajaro watersheds. The Aromas formation overlies the Purisima and provides water supply beginning in the eastern portion of the mid-county area, but extends under the Pajaro watershed and serves as the primary waterbearing formation of the Pajaro groundwater basin.

Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin
The Santa Margarita Basin, located in the San Lorenzo River watershed, is roughly triangular shaped and bounded on the west by the Ben Lomond Fault, on the north by the Zayante Fault, and on the east by a granitic bedrock high. The basin consists of a sequence of Tertiary-age sandstone, siltstone, and shale underlain by the granite. The sedimentary rocks are divided into several geologic formations that are defined on the basis of rock type and relative geologic age.

The majority of the water supply in the Scotts Valley area is derived from three main formations – the Santa Margarita, Lompico, and Butano, although limited amounts are drawn from sandy zones within the Monterey formation and the Locatelli Formation.

In 2006, the consultant for Scotts Valley Water District completed a groundwater model of the Santa Margarita Basin. The model calculated that sustainable yield for the Scotts Valley subarea was estimated to be 2,600 AFY. At that average groundwater withdrawal rate, the model results indicate that there should be no additional groundwater level declines or stream baseflow loss beyond the current conditions. Although current pumping rates are less than the modeled sustainable yield, because groundwater pumping is concentrated in the Lompico formation, groundwater levels are depressed in many parts of the Scotts Valley subarea. Therefore,

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
25 recharging the Lompico formation is a priority for the region. A Groundwater Sustainability Agency for the basin will be formed, consisting of the Scotts Valley Water District, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, and the County. At the time this document is being written, Santa Margarita is not yet in Bulletin 118, but has been tentatively approved by DWR for designation Mid-County Groundwater Basin
The Mid-County Groundwater Basin, formerly referred to as the Soquel-Aptos Groundwater Basin, consists of the Purisima formation, an older undifferentiated Tertiary sandstone that occurs in the western portion of the mid-county area, and the Aromas formation that overlies the Purisima in the eastern portion of the basin. Both the Purisima formation and the Aromas formation extend under the Pajaro Valley. The basin is bounded on the north by the Zayante Fault, to the south by Monterey Bay, and to the west by a granitic high. The boundary to the east is less well defined by a slight hydrologic high before the formations and the groundwater gradient dip beneath the Pajaro Valley. Where uneroded, the Purisima is approximately 2,000 feet thick. The Purisima consists of several distinct water bearing units separated by aquicludes, and the Aromas directly overlays the permeable upper layers of the Purisima. In the western area, most of the younger Purisima has been removed by erosion.

A detailed groundwater model for the basin is currently in development by Hydrometrics Water Resources, Inc and is funded by the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency (MGA).The MGA is a Joint Powers Authority consisting of the County, the Soquel Creek Water District, the City of Santa Cruz, and the Central Water District. Historic over-pumping of the basin beyond the sustainable yield has created serious problems in the basin. Because the Purisima and Aromas Formations extend offshore beneath Monterey Bay, the aquifer is in hydrologic connection with the Pacific Ocean. Consequently, overdraft of the basin has the potential to pull seawater into the aquifer beneath the inland areas. Seawater influence has already been detected in the western portion of the Purisima at Soquel Point and in the eastern part of the basin in the Aromas formation. In 2014, the Department of Water Resources defined this basin as being in critical overdraft.

Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin
The Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin consists of younger and older alluvium overlying the Quaternary-Tertiary aged Aromas formation. The Purisima formation is encountered at depth, but groundwater production from the Purisima in Pajaro Valley usually only occurs along the margins of the basin. The basin extends into Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara, and San Benito counties. In Santa Cruz County the basin is bounded on the north by the San Andreas Fault, on the southwest by Monterey Bay, and on the northwest by the shallow hydrologic high at the

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
26 eastern edge of the mid-county basin. The Aromas formation has been generally divided into upper and lower units that are often separated by a low permeability clayey zone.

All the water bearing units of the Pajaro Basin extend offshore and are in hydrologic connection with Monterey Bay. Groundwater use in the basin is estimated at 55,000 to 60,000 AFY.

Sustainable yield is estimated to be between 30,000 and 50,000 AFY. A key symptom of overdraft in coastal basins is seawater intrusion. Seawater intrusion has been an ongoing problem in the Pajaro Basin and was first documented in a 1953 Department of Water Resources report.

Currently, constituents of seawater have been detected in wells in excess of two miles inland from the coast. In the Pajaro Valley, seawater intrusion has been expanding inland from the coast at an average rate of 100-250 feet per year. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) has detected seawater with chloride concentrations greater than 500 mg/L in wells one mile inland. Sixty percent of the basin now has groundwater levels below sea level. PVWMA is the Groundwater Sustainability Agency for the basin. 7) Plan describes the local entity or entities that provide potable water supplies and the estimated volume of potable water provided by the water suppliers Santa Cruz County Potable Water Suppliers
Domestic water supply within the Santa Cruz County Storm Water Plan Area is provided by seven public agencies, by small public water systems, and by individual and shared wells and springs.

Groundwater provides 55-60% of public water agency supply in the Santa Cruz Region, with the remainder coming from local surface water sources. With the exception of a small volume obtained through surface diversions, the non-agency water users (agriculture and rural residences and businesses) rely entirely on groundwater. Except for 200-300 parcels in the Summit area that receive water through the Monte Vina pipeline from the San Jose Water Company, the Santa Cruz Region is supplied exclusively by local water sources. This situation is unusual in California; most communities rely to some extent on imported water to support their populations. Although the water agencies are independent, they share the same water resources and are facing similar constraints and resource management issues, and have conducted collaborative planning and project implementation accordingly. The following sections describe the region’s seven public water agencies and the estimated volume of potable water supplied by each.

City of Santa Cruz Water Department
The City of Santa Cruz Water Department (SCWD) is a municipal utility that is owned and operated by the City. The SCWD service area extends roughly 20 square miles including the entire City of Santa Cruz, adjoining unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County, a small part of the City of Capitola, and coastal agricultural lands north of the City limit. The total population of the

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
27 service area is approximately 95,000 with an estimated 64,000 people living inside the City.

Current SCWD customer service records list 24,815 connections of which 88% are residential accounts. The SCWD water system relies predominantly on local surface water supplies which include the San Lorenzo River, Loch Lomond Reservoir, and the North Coast sources.

Approximately 95% of the supply is diverted from north county watersheds with the San Lorenzo River and Newell Creek (tributary to San Lorenzo River) being the largest and the smaller watersheds for the North Coast sources being Reggiardo, Liddell, Majors, and Laguna. The remaining portion of water supply is produced at the Beltz or Live Oak a production and monitoring well field located in the mid-county area drawing water from the Purisima Formation.

All water diverted from surface sources is treated at the Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant and the SCWD treats groundwater at the well field location. In addition to diverting water for production, SCWD pumps water to Loch Lomond Reservoir, an 8,600 acre-foot (2.8 billion gallon) capacity storage reservoir on Newell Creek near the town of Ben Lomond in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Soquel Creek Water District
The Soquel Creek Water District (SqCWD) serves a portion of the City of Capitola as well as the unincorporated areas of Soquel, Aptos, Seacliff, Rio Del Mar, Seascape, La Selva Beach, and Canon del Sol. The district’s service area encompasses 14 square miles including seven miles of coastline.

The district serves 13,570 connections with 94% residential and a total population of approximately 37,000. The district is entirely dependent on groundwater from two aquifer, 62% of its water supply is drawn from the Purisima Formation and 38% from the Aromas Red Sands aquifer. All water is treated at the wellheads. These aquifers are shared with adjoining water agencies and a multitude of private well users. Increasing salt concentrations have been detected in coastal monitoring wells for much of the Aromas and at limited locations in the Purisima Formation. The Aromas is experiencing seawater intrusion along the coastline in the SqCWD service area. Depressed groundwater elevations in the Purisima indicate a strong potential for future seawater intrusion into the aquifer.

San Lorenzo Valley Water District
The San Lorenzo Valley Water District serves a 60-square-mile area that covers most of the western portion of the San Lorenzo River Watershed and serves an average of 2,450 AFY to 7,400 service connections in Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Zayante, Lompico, Felton, and portions of the City of Scotts Valley. The District relies on both surface water and groundwater resources, including eight currently active stream diversions, one groundwater spring, and eight active groundwater wells. These sources are derived solely from rainfall within the San Lorenzo River watershed. Each service area is supplied as follows:

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
28 • North Service Area – Supplied by both stream diversions and groundwater wells. Six points of diversion draw from Peavine, Foremen, Clear, and Sweetwater creeks. Two active groundwater wells draw from the Santa Margarita Sandstone aquifer in each of the Quail Hollow and Olympia areas.
• South Service Area – Supplied by groundwater wells producing from the Lompico Sandstone aquifer, and the overlying Santa Margarita Sandstone aquifer where saturated.

These include three active Pasatiempo wells and one active Mañana Woods well. • Felton Service Area – Supplied by three points of diversion: Fall Creek, Bull Creek, and Bennett Spring.

The district derives approximately half of its water from surface sources, and half from groundwater.

Scotts Valley Water District
The Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) service area encompasses a six-square-mile area that includes the City of Scotts Valley and unincorporated areas to the north. The district currently serves 3,700 connections, of which 93% are residential, and includes a population of approximately 10,000. According to its 2010 Urban Water Management Plan, the district is projecting build-out in 2020. Water supply is obtained from three water-bearing formations within the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin: the Santa Margarita Sandstone, the Lompico, and the Butano. Storage capacity is equivalent to 2.25 times average day demand. Groundwater production from the various formations is approximately 1,140 AFY. The SVWD also owns and operates a wastewater tertiary-level treatment plant that provides an average of 140 AFY of recycled water for irrigation. The part of the Santa Margarita groundwater basin from which SVWD extracts groundwater has experienced significant declines in groundwater levels since the mid-1980s. Groundwater levels in the vicinity of Scotts Valley have dropped between 100 and 200 feet since that time.

Central Water District
The Central Water District (CWD) has a five-square-mile service area in the rural area of Aptos.

CWD serves 2,700 customers through 842 connections, all of which are residential with the exception of seven commercial and 16 for irrigation and public facilities. Approximately 5% of the water demand is for agricultural use; the water supplied is all potable. The district relies on groundwater from the Aromas Red Sands and Purisima aquifers for supply. The district has five wells. Because CWD is smaller than the state threshold for UWMP reporting, no formal projections for future water use in the district have been made.

City of Watsonville Public Works and Utilities

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
29 The City of Watsonville Water Service Area (WSA) is larger than the City limits, extending into the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County. The City's regional water system delivers to a population of 65,966 customers. Fourteen groundwater wells pumping from the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin currently provide the City with an approximate average of 7,000 AFY of water.

During years of normal rainfall, the City utilizes a combination of surface water and groundwater supply sources. The City possesses pre-1914 water rights on the Corralitos and Browns creeks, north of the city limits. The surface diversions are piped to the Corralitos Filter Plant (CFP) and are treated via slow sand filtration and disinfection. The CFP averages approximately 900 AF of water per year, though it has a capacity of 2,400 AFY. Its operation is limited by the amount of surface water available in the Corralitos and Browns Creeks. At the Eureka Canyon Intake, minimum bypass flows must be maintained by the City to allow for fish passage. The CFP operates seasonally, typically starting in late spring through the fall. During the rainy season the CFP is usually shut down due to the high turbidity of the intake water.

Davenport County Sanitation District
The Davenport County Sanitation District serves 114 water connections in the Old Town, New Town, and San Vicente areas of Davenport. The district relies on surface water diverted from Mill Creek and San Vicente Creek for supply.

Small Drinking Water Systems and Private Users
There are three other small water systems that are not public agencies: Big Basin Water Company (598 connections, 85% surface water); Mount Hermon Association (530 connections, groundwater) and Forest Lakes Mutual Water Company (330 connections, groundwater). There are an additional 130 small water systems serving 5-199 connections in the county and roughly 2,500 households. The large majority of these use groundwater. The Davenport County Sanitation District provides water from surface sources to 87 households in the town of Davenport. Additionally, there are at least 8,000 private wells in Santa Cruz County that serve between 1 and 4 households.

Table 5: Estimated volume of potable water supplied by Santa Cruz County public water agencies (source: 2010 or 2015 Urban Water Management Plans)
Water Agency Actual Volume of Potable Water
Supplied in 2015 (AFY)
Projected 2020 Water
Demand
City of Santa Cruz Water Dept. 7,525 10,210

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
30 Soquel Creek Water District 2,830 3,622
San Lorenzo Valley Water
District
2,456 2,396
Scotts Valley Water District 1,133 1,348
Central Water District 580 580
City of Watsonville Public
Works and Utilities
6,870 7,934
TOTAL 21,394 AFY 26,090 AFY
8) Plan includes map(s) showing location of native habitats, creeks, lakes, rivers, parks, and other natural or open space within the sub-watershed boundaries;

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
31 Figure 4: Natural Resources
The lands within the SWRP boundary are diverse in type, featuring grasslands, redwood forests, sand hills, and coastline. Land uses include urban, parkland, and agriculture. Figure 4 provides a visual of the habitats and natural resources found throughout the County. The 2014 report Healthy Lands and Healthy Economies: Nature’s Value in Santa Cruz County, provides in-depth analysis into the county’s natural resources and the benefits derived from them. The results are staggering: Natural capital in Santa Cruz County provides a stream of ecosystem services valued at $800 million to $2.2 billion to the local and regional economy every year. Importantly, in contrast to built capital, the value of natural capital can actually appreciate with effective conservation and stewardship.

As a county that is almost entirely reliant on local water resources, one of Santa Cruz’s biggest challenges today is to manage and invest in its landscapes in a way that protects water sources and ensures a continued water supply.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
32 9) Plan identifies (quantitative, if possible) the natural watershed processes that occur within the sub-watershed and a description of how those natural watershed processes have been disrupted within the sub-watershed (e.g., high levels of imperviousness convert the watershed processes of infiltration and interflow to surface runoff increasing runoff volumes; development commonly covers natural surfaces and often introduces non-native vegetation, preventing the natural supply of sediment from reaching receiving waters).

Urbanization in the San Lorenzo River, Arana-Rodeo, Soquel, Aptos, and Pajaro River watersheds have disturbed multiple watershed processes. Urbanization has resulted in less infiltration and groundwater recharge and more overland flow; faster delivery of surface runoff from the upland to the receiving water, and less upland sediment delivery from stabilized hillslopes. Urbanization has also resulted in reduced biotic activity and biological processes, such as delivery of coarse organic debris to streams or biological uptake/breakdown of nutrients or pollutants in soil or waterbodies. An increased peak in the hydrograph due to impervious surfaces throughout urbanized watersheds results in greater in-channel erosion, specifically in urban sections of the San Lorenzo, Pajaro, Aptos, and Soquel watersheds. The impact is often localized and may be greater on small tributaries then the main stem waterways. Figure 5 below demonstrates the extent of impervious surfaces within the SWRP boundary.

Additionally, there are many land uses throughout the rural areas of the SWRP that also disrupt the natural watershed processes in the less populated areas. Examples of landuses include agriculture, livestock, forestry, unpaved/private rural roads, and quarry operations.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
33 Figure 5: Hydromodification through impervious surfaces

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
34 Water Quality Compliance
10) Plan identifies activities that generate or contribute to the pollution of storm water or dry weather runoff, or that impair the effective beneficial use of storm water or dry weather runoff.

Storm drain systems and urban runoff have been identified as a primary or secondary sources of pollutants to many water bodies in the San Lorenzo, Soquel Creek and Pajaro Watersheds. It is critical that stormwater management programs be conducted to reduce controllable sources of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable. Current receiving water conditions and trends over time have been established through the following data sources:
● MS4 monitoring program data
● Current and historical monitoring data
● Water quality investigations and management programs
● Basin Plan beneficial use designations
● CWA Section 303(d) lists
● Established TMDLs
● Regulatory and other data repositories
Table 6 ranks the significant controllable sources of impairment for each water body, based on available data. These sources were estimated by Regional Board staff during preparation of TMDLs for County watersheds as being the most important.

Table 6: Impaired Water Bodies and Pollutant sources
Sources, in order of importance, with 1 the most important, when determined. ND= Not Determined Water Body
Constituent
MS4,
Urban
lands
Sewers
and
Laterals
Home‐
less Pets
Live‐
stock
Onsite
Systems
Agriculture
Manure
Fertilizer
Landfill
runoff Extent of Impairment
Aptos/Valenci
a Creek
Pathogens 1 3 No 2 4 No
ND ND
Aptos downstream of
Valencia Cr, Valencia
Cr. downstream of Cox
Rd and Valencia Rd,
Trout Gulch
Corralitos Cr
Pathogens 1 6 2 3 4 5
ND ND
Downstream of Browns
Valley Rd and Salsipudes
Cr.

Pajaro River
Fecal Coliform 1 3 No 2 No
ND ND Pajaro River
Pajaro River
Sediment Yes
ND ND
Pajaro River and Corralitos
Cr.

Pajaro River
Nitrate/
Nutrients
2 3 3
1 ND
Various streams in Pajaro
Watershed

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
35 Pinto Lake Nutrients Yes Yes Yes Yes ND TMDL in preparation San Lorenzo
Estuary
Pathogens 2 1 4 3 6 5
ND ND
San Lorenzo,
Lompico
Pathogens 2 3 5 4 6 1
ND ND
Branciforte Pathogens 1 3 4 2 6 5 ND ND
Carbonera,
Camp Evers
Pathogens 1 6 3 2 5 4
ND ND
San Lorenzo
Watershed
Nitrate 4 2 3 1
ND ND SLR, Shingle Mill, Carbonera
San Lorenzo
Watershed
Sediment Yes
ND ND
Soquel Creek
and Lagoon
Pathogens 1 2 4 3 3 No
ND ND
Soquel Creek
downstream of Porter
St. and Noble Gulch
Watsonville
Sloughs
Pathogens Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Watsonville,
Harkins, Hanson,
Gallighan, Struve
Sloughs
Source Assessment for Pathogens (Fecal Indicator Bacteria) The Beach Water Quality Assessment (2006), which used ribotyping to determine relative concentration of source organisms applied to the total concentration and load of FIB in the Lower San Lorenzo River, lower Aptos Creek, and lower Soquel Creek, indicated a high component of FIB load from birds and wildlife. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to reduce bacteria levels from bird and wildlife sources in order to meet standards. Follow up testing in the lower San Lorenzo River in 2014 using human specific bacteroides, caffeine, and fecal sterols, further confirmed the very low level of human fecal contamination in the River (San Lorenzo Alliance, 2015).

Santa Cruz County has utilized qPCR, which is a protocol that quantifies DNA by tracking a target concentration, since 2008 in an effort to test for the presence of human specific bacteroides in various locations. Human contamination has been detected at times in the San Lorenzo Estuary, Soquel Lagoon, Noble Gulch, Aptos Lagoon, and Corralitos Creek.

Ten storm drains that discharge to the lower San Lorenzo River were each sampled 19 times from 2007-11. The log mean of E. coli ranged from 91 to 2,187 MPN/100 ml, with only 3 of the drains meeting the standard of a log mean less than 200. The percent of samples exceeding 400 MPN/100 ml ranged from 13 to 83%, with none of the locations meeting the standard for less than 10% exceedance.

Five storm drains draining to Soquel Creek or the beach in Capitola were sampled in 2005-06.

Only one had a log mean fecal coliform level less than 200 MPN/100 ml, while the other 4 ranged

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
36 from 314 to 3,069. These were primarily sampled after wet weather. Most storm drains that drain to Aptos and Soquel Creeks do not run during dry weather conditions, and thus there are limited storm drain sample results from those areas.

The County has also done extensive testing for FIB in the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley, including Bean Creek, Camp Evers Creek and Carbonera Creek. Ribo-typing and testing for human specific bacteroides has indicated that human sources of FIB are limited to completely nondetectable during summer months. Human contamination has been observed in winter and spring when high groundwater levels result in failing septic systems, discharging to roadside ditches, stormwater conveyances and receiving waters.

Results from two microbial source tracking studies CCLEAN (2011) and Hager et al (2004) were inconclusive at tracing persistent exceedances of REC-1 beneficial use water quality standards in the Watsonville Slough and Pajaro River to urban runoff discharges from the City of Watsonville.

The variability in the concentrations of FIB monitored were not directly linked to any specific land use or activity. It is possible that fundamental physical conditions including flow regime, water temperature, depth, exposure to sunlight, aquatic and riparian vegetation also significantly influence the concentration of the loadings of FIB and the potential for regrowth of FIB at the sampling site.

Source Assessment for Sediment
The Sediment TMDLs for the Pajaro Watershed and San Lorenzo Watershed include mathematical load calculations and wasteload allocations for land use classes and sub-basins. It is difficult to translate these allocations to specific sources or source control measures. The primary objective is to minimize all controllable sources of sediment discharge in these watersheds. The same objectives should also be applied to other watersheds where sediment has been identified as an impairment, such as the Aptos/Valencia watershed.

In addition to erosion and sediment control practices, it is important to note that increased runoff from impervious surfaces can cause substantial downstream channel erosion and down-cutting, with increases in fine sediment accumulation in creeks. This is particularly an issue in sandy soil areas that are found in the San Lorenzo Watershed, Aptos/Valencia watershed and the Pajaro/Corralitos watershed. It is therefore important to implement low impact development practices that maintain natural infiltration and runoff rates. Figure 6 below shows land use types around the county including urbanized areas where impervious surfaces prevail.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
37 Storm water runoff from the City of Watsonville has been identified as a source of sediments to the Pajaro River. In contrast to most urban locations, the primary source of sediments within the City of Watsonville is from agricultural activities. Surrounded by rich agricultural land, many of the City’s roads are used by growers and farm workers. The area’s clay-loam soils readily adhere to the wheels of farming equipment. Significant loadings of sediment are transported into the City’s residential neighborhoods by agricultural workers’ vehicles. Wind-based erosion, transport, and subsequent deposition of field sediments inside the City can be significant.

Source Assessment for Nutrients (Nitrate)
The Pajaro River Nitrate TMDL identifies urban lands as potential sources of excessive nitrate and includes a calculation of nitrate load based on general land use type. The wasteload allocation was established to ensure any urban discharge not exceed the drinking water standard of 10mgN/L. The implementation measure for urban lands is to develop and implement a SWMP. The nutrient TMDL for streams in the Pajaro Watershed, adopted July 2015, identifies agriculture related pollutants as the primary source, followed by urban stormwater runoff. It establishes dry season nitrate targets of 1.3-3.9 mg-N/L, depending on the water body, to prevent biostimulation.

The San Lorenzo River Nitrate TMDL assessed sources of nitrate upstream of the City of Santa Cruz water supply intake. It did not identify urban stormwater or residential fertilizer as significant sources of nitrate and primarily called for improved septic system and livestock management. The nitrate target for the San Lorenzo River and Carbonera Creek is set at 0.31 mgN/L (1.5 mg/L as nitrate). Three of the ten storm drains discharging to the lower San Lorenzo River showed nitrate levels of 0.5-1.0 mg-N/L. These were the same drains that had very high FIB, and presence of human contamination, likely conducted sewer leakage. Any reduction in nitrate discharge from urban areas and storm drains will reduce the potential for eutrophication and have benefits to aquatic habitat in urban lagoons, particularly the San Lorenzo Estuary and Aptos Creek Lagoon.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
38 Figure 6: Landuse types in Santa Cruz County
11) Plan describes how it is consistent with and assists in, compliance with total maximum daily load implementation plans and applicable national pollutant discharge elimination system permits.

Based on source assessments, the County and its municipalities selected BMPs to address the controllable sources of contaminants from urban lands delivered through the storm drain system. The BMPs identified in Table 7 are intended to address specific Waste Allocation Achievement Plan (WAAP) and NPDES permit requirements and reduce controllable sources of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
39 Table 7: Priority BMPs to Address Pollutants of Concern. Key: 1-High Effect, 2- Medium Effect, 3-Lower Effect; County-wide TMDL
Pollutants Included in Coordinating Agencies’ Permits
BMPs
P
a
t
h
o
g
e
n
s
S
e
d
i
m
e
n
t
N
u
t
r
i
e
n
t
s
County of
Santa Cruz
City of
Santa Cruz
City of
Scotts
Valley
City
of
Capitola
City of
Watsonville
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
Field investigations of storm
drain outfalls and creeks. 1 2 X X X X X
Correct sewer leaks and
cross-connections, including
laterals
1 2 X X X N/A X
Septic Systems Maintenance
and Management Program 1 2 X N/A N/A N/A N/A
Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control Program
Grading, Erosion Control,
and Riparian Corridor
Ordinances
1 3 X X X X X
Conduct site inspections.

Use legal authority to
implement procedures for
inspecting public and private
construction projects and
conduct enforcement if
necessary
1 X X
X X X
Respond to public
complaints 1 X X X X X
Post-Construction Storm Water Management in New Development and Redevelopment Review and update PCR
(hydromod) criteria as
needed
2 1 3 X X X X
Provide for ongoing
monitoring and
maintenance. Implement
program to ensure long-term
BMP inspection and
Maintenance including spot
inspections.
3 1 2 X X X X X
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations Street Sweeping 2 1 2 X X X X X
Municipal Parking Lot
Sweeping 2 1 2 X X X X X

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
40 12) Plan identifies applicable permits and describes how it meets all applicable waste discharge permit requirements.

The SWRP will be implemented in accordance with all applicable waste discharge permits, including:
 State Small MS4 General Permit (Water Quality Order No. 2013-0001-DWQ),  The Drinking Water System Discharges NPDES (WQ 2014-0194-DWQ),  Waste Discharge Requirements regulated by the State Water Board (Title 27 CCR, Section 20005 et seq.)
 Industrial General Permit (Order 2014-0057-DWQ)
This SWRP was written in accordance with existing permits, and reviewed by permit holders. All projects submitted to the Plan were thoroughly reviewed as well; projects that could pose a waste discharge risk were not be included in this plan. None of the agencies in the region covered by the Plan have Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS) and thus are not subject to ASBS compliance requirements.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
41 Organization, Coordination, Collaboration
13) Local agencies and nongovernmental organizations were consulted in Plan development.

The development of the SWRP for the Santa Cruz IRWM Region and the North Pajaro Valley Watershed was an extensive collaborative effort. As part of the SWRP development, representatives from the following agencies and organizations attended at least one planning meeting. An asterisk (*) following the organization name indicates a position on the SWRP Development Committee:
● Regional Water Management Foundation (organization that oversees the IRWM process) ● City of Capitola Department of Public Works
● City of Santa Cruz Public Works Department*
● City of Santa Cruz Water Department
● City of Watsonville Department of Public Works and Utilities* ● County of Santa Cruz Department of Public Works
● County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health*
● Ecology Action*
● Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County*
● Scotts Valley Water District
● Scotts Valley Public Works Department*
● Soquel Creek Water District
● University of California Santa Cruz*
14) Community participation was provided for in Plan development. And 18) Plan includes identification and discussion of public engagement efforts and community participation in Plan development.

The intent of SWRP stakeholder engagement is to inform the region’s resource agencies, municipalities, local districts, interest groups, and residents and to provide them with opportunities to actively participate in storm water pollution prevention efforts. Preliminary outreach that helped shape the SWRP included:
● Civinomics conducted a survey in 2014 entitled “Santa Cruz County Storm water: Public awareness and Behaviors Baseline Assessment.” Results found that County residents are familiar with storm water concepts, though there is a large gap between Spanish speaking residents and English speaking residents. The final report offers suggestions for effective outreach techniques.
● The 2015 Community assessment report from United Way surveyed 656 residents, who indicated that water availability and drought was the highest concern about the natural environment in the county.
● Connecting the Drops, a public event held in January 2016 ● Earth Day, 2016

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
42 ● Citizen science lectures through the public libraries, ● Project solicitation results, based on June 2016 solicitation. ● Santa Cruz County Fair booth, September 2016
● Public Comment Period on Draft Plan, October 7th-November 4th 2016. Notification was sent through the IRWMP stakeholder email list, and posted online.

The stakeholder engagement sought to ensure the diverse interests and perspectives were considered in establishing the region’s storm water management goals, objectives, strategies and priorities. Local agencies, organizations, and stakeholders had opportunities for input on Plan development and specific projects through the comment period after the draft was completed, and comments were discussed and incorporated as deemed appropriate by the Development Committee.
15) Plan includes description of the existing integrated regional water management group(s) implementing an integrated regional water management plan.

The SWRP encompasses sections of IRWM regions: Santa Cruz and Pajaro Valley.

Santa Cruz IRWM:

The SWRP boundary encompasses the complete Santa Cruz IRWM region. Although relatively small geographically, the Santa Cruz IRWM region features a complex mix of water resource managers, who face a number of water supply, environmental, and social issues. The region generally mirrors Santa Cruz County, and includes approximately 95% of the population and 85% of the geographic extent of County. The Regional Water Management Foundation (RWMF) was created to fill the administrative role for the first IRWM Implementation grant awarded to the region in 2007. In addition to serving as the fiscal agent, the RWMF also provides ongoing management and administration for the IRWM grants awarded to the region. The RWMF acts as a central hub and provides technical expertise, consolidation of items for review, reporting, invoicing, and inter-agency coordination, as well as an interface between the implementing Partner Agencies and the funding state agency.

The main guiding body for the Santa Cruz IRWM is the Regional Water Management Foundation Steering Committee, which is made up of three regional water and resource managers selected from the Partner Agencies. The Steering Committee is appointed by the IRWM Partner Agencies to ensure representation for each of the four functional areas – water supply, water quality, watershed resources, and flood and stormwater management. The Steering Committee currently includes the County of Santa Cruz Water Resources Division Director, the Executive Director of the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, and the City of Santa Cruz Water

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
43 Department Director. All Steering Committee decisions with material financial implications are ratified by a majority vote of the Partner Agencies.

Pajaro IRWM:

In October 2004, Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA), San Benito County Water District (SBCWD), and Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the purpose of coordinating water resources planning and implementation activities for the Pajaro River Watershed (see Appendix A). The three agencies, collectively known as the Pajaro River Watershed Collaborative (Collaborative), led to the development and implementation of the 2007 Pajaro River Watershed Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Plan. The Collaborative was recognized as the Regional Water Management Group (RWMG) for the Pajaro River Watershed IRWM effort during the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR’s) Plan Review Process in 2009. Only a small portion of the IRWMP boundary is included in this SWRP: the south end of the Santa Cruz IRWM region extending to the Pajaro River.
16) Plan includes identification of and coordination with agencies and organizations (including, but not limited to public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and privately owned water utilities) that need to participate and implement their own authorities and mandates in order to address the storm water and dry weather runoff management objectives of the Plan for the targeted watershed.

The primary entities necessary for stormwater management are the local jurisdictions: The County of Santa Cruz, the City of Scotts Valley, the City of Watsonville, the City of Capitola, and the City of Santa Cruz. UC Santa Cruz oversees stormwater management on their campus. All of the jurisdictions and UCSC have been involved in the Plan development. The water utilities were involved preliminarily, however their role will be focused on project-specific implementation.

The region also has three Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) that will be in charge of managing the three groundwater basins in the County: the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin, the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin, and the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin. These GSAs must write Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP). Where appropriate, these GSAs should review the SWRP and provide for support where projects in the SWRP positively impact groundwater sources.
17) Plan includes identification of nonprofit organizations working on storm water and dry weather resource planning or management in the watershed.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
44 The following non-profit organizations are doing work on storm water and dry weather resource planning within the SWRP boundary:
● Central Coast Water Quality Preservation Inc,
● Coastal Watershed Council
● Ecology Action
● Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
● National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
● Regional Water Management Foundation
● Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County
● Save Our Shores
● Save the Waves
● Sierra Club
● Surfrider
● Valley Women's Club
● Watsonville Wetlands Watch
18) See 14 above.
19) Plan includes identification of required decisions that must be made by local, state or federal regulatory agencies for Plan implementation and coordinated watershed-based or regional monitoring and visualization
To ensure Plan implementation and coordinated watershed-based and regional monitoring, and visualization, the Plan must have broad support by local agencies. The County, the cities, and UCSC have all signed onto the SWRP. The final SWRP has been adopted as an Appendix to both the Santa Cruz and Pajaro IRWM Plans. In order for this adoption to take place, the nine partner organizations making up the Regional Water Management Group for the Santa Cruz IRWM region and the three partner organizations for the Pajaro IRWM, reviewed and approved the document.

Additionally, the SWRP will be referenced by the storm water programs of each of the public agencies as well as UCSC.
20) Plan describes planning and coordination of existing local governmental agencies, including where necessary new or altered governance structures to support collaboration among two or more lead local agencies responsible for plan implementation.

AMBAG
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) was organized in 1968 for the purpose of regional collaboration and problem solving. AMBAG was formed by a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) governed by a 24-member Board of Directors comprised of elected officials from each city and county within the AMBAG region, which includes Monterey, San Benito, and Santa

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
45 Cruz counties. AMBAG coordinates planning activities within the region and carries out selected state and federal statutory duties
LAFCO
To provide for better coordination of local land use planning, the California Legislature created Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs) within each county to discourage urban sprawl and to reserve open space and agricultural lands while meeting regional housing needs and planning for the efficient provision of public services and utilities, including water and wastewater service. In 2010, Santa Cruz LAFCO amended its policies and guidelines to specifically address water issues: LAFCO recognizes that the water resources of Santa Cruz County are limited, and the Commission’s objective is to ensure that its decisions relating to water do not lead to adverse impacts on the natural resources of Santa Cruz County. In reviewing sphere of influence adoptions and amendments, LAFCO shall be guided by the potential impacts of the proposal on water resources and will consider the efforts of the water agencies and land use agencies to maintain stream and river flows, promote high water quality of surface waters and groundwater, and reduce groundwater overdraft.

Regional Water Management Foundation
Through the Regional Water Management Foundation, the mechanism to support collaboration among two or more lead local agencies responsible for plan implementation already exists in the Santa Cruz IRWM Region. For the execution of projects in the SWRP, the Pajaro IRWM region will defer to the RWMF to provide oversight and management.
21) Plan describes the relationship of the Plan to other existing planning documents, ordinances, and programs established by local agencies.

The SWRP does not take the place of local water planning, but rather uses existing plans as a basis for developing a regional perspective for stormwater management with consideration of water quality, water supply and ecosystem services. The following plans were referenced as a basis for the SWRP, and staff from the entities involved with overseeing them were consulted during development. Since the background information used in this SWRP was derived from these local planning documents, the SWRP is entirely consistent with them. Many of these documents are regularly updated, so the information below is current to the date this SWRP is finalized.

Stormwater Management Plans and Flood Protection
Flood protection and stormwater drainage in the SWRP boundary is provided by Santa Cruz County and the four cities. There are many flood control districts within the Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
46 Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 7A, 8. . All of the cities, the county, and UCSC are subject to Phase II of the MS4 NPDES permit for stormwater discharges administered by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. This permit is one of the primary mechanisms for addressing water quality in stormwater. The stormwater management plans written by the cities, the County, and UCSC are closely related to this SWRP.

The highest flood protection priority in the Pajaro River Valley is to reach consensus on the Pajaro River Flood Risk Reduction Project. The Project will involve a comprehensive approach that considers land and water resources on a watershed scale and employs both structural and nonstructural measures to address flood risks. Several flood risk management strategies could include:
● Setting back, rebuilding in place, or sheet piling levees; ● Bench excavation and riparian restoration to restore the natural function of the river; ● High flow diversions into adjacent lands to temporarily store flows; ● Maintaining facilities to secure the long-term preservation of flood management facilities; ● Floodplain function restoration to preserve and/or restore the natural ability of undeveloped floodplains to absorb, hold, and release floodwaters; ● Floodplain regulation;
● Development and redevelopment policies;
● Housing and building codes and;
● Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for flood risk management.

The benefits of flood risk management include improved drought preparedness, improved water quality, reduced impacts from flooding, environmental benefits, energy benefits, and reduced groundwater overdraft.

Wasteload Allocation Attainment Program (WAAP)
The WAAP for watersheds in Santa Cruz County was drafted through the combined resources of the County of Santa Cruz and the Cities of Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville to outline the implementation of activities that will achieve TMDL wasteload allocations. It addresses: development of an implementation and assessment strategy; source identification and prioritization; BMP identification, prioritization, implementation, analysis, and assessment; monitoring program development and implementation; coordination with stakeholders; and other pertinent factors.

Integrated Regional Water Management Plans
As previously discussed, this SWRP is closely aligned with the Santa Cruz IRWM Plan, and is consistent with the goals of the Pajaro IRWM.

Water Supply Agency Plans

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
47 Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs) are long-range planning documents for water supply, written and updated every five years by water service providers with more than 3000 connections. The five largest water agencies within the SWRP boundary are required to write these plans: San Lorenzo Valley Water District, Scotts Valley Water District, City of Santa Cruz Water Department, the City of Watsonville Public Works and Utilities, and the Soquel Creek Water District. The update to the plans is underway concurrent with the development of this SWRP.

In addition to the UWMPs, several other water supply planning documents exist. The City of Santa Cruz developed a Water Supply Assessment General Plan 2030 as part of the City’s update of its’ general plan. This document includes an assessment of water supply sources and projected demand. Soquel Creek Water District updated their Integrated Resources Plan in 2012 to evaluate alternatives and establish preferred supply options for the District.

Sewer System Management Plans
The State Water Resources Control Board requires all public sanitary sewer collection system agencies to create a plan to provide for the proper and efficient management, operation, and maintenance of the collection system. These plans informed both IRWM priorities and are considered in this SWRP.

Groundwater Sustainability Plans
Groundwater Sustainability Plans for the three groundwater basins in the SWRP boundary have not yet been written, however the GSAs overseeing their development will be provided with the SWRP.

Pajaro Basin Management Plan
The Pajaro Basin Management Plan is the key, principal document that guides all of the major projects and programs pursued by the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency. The current, “revised” version of the PBMP was adopted by PVWMA’s Board of Directors in February 2002.

During the preparation and review of the current PVBMP, the Agency analyzed combinations of 14 different project components and five different management strategies.

The final strategy adopted by the Board was called the “Modified PVBMP 2000 Alternative” and included the following five major projects and programs: 1) Coastal Distribution System pipelines, 2) Recycled Water Project, 3) Harkins Slough recharge Project, 4) 54-inch import water pipeline project (11,900 acre-feet of imported supply) with local aquifer storage and recovery and, 5) a water conservation program.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
48 In addition to providing a plan for the Agency to pursue, the PVBMP is also a “basin-wide groundwater management plan” meeting the requirements of California’s AB 3030 Groundwater Management Act.

Land Use Planning
All of the jurisdictions in the SWRP boundary - the County of Santa Cruz, and the cities of Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Watsonville and Capitola, have adopted General Plans. Additionally, all of them also have Local Coastal Plans except the City of Scotts Valley. All of the plans have zoning requirements that guide development.

Local ordinances are adopted by the jurisdictions which can at times impact storm water management issues. These include:
● Santa Cruz County Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Chapter 13.13), ● Santa Cruz County Runoff and Pollution Control Ordinance (Chapter 7.79), ● Santa Cruz County Grading (Chapter 16.20), Erosion Control Ordinance (16.22), and Riparian Corridor and Wetlands Protection (16.30).
● Santa Cruz County Illegal Dumping (7.26), Sewage Disposal (7.38), Public Sewers (7.39), and Septic Tanks (7.42)
● City of Santa Cruz Storm Water Runoff and Urban Pollution Control Ordinance (Title 16, Chapter 16.19),
● City of Santa Cruz Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance (Title 16, Chapter 16.16), ● City of Watsonville Stormwater Post-Construction Standards (Resolution 4-14), ● City of Capitola Storm Water Pollution Prevention and Protection Ordinance (Title 13, Chapter 13.16)
● City of Scotts Valley Storm Water and Urban Runoff Pollution Control (Chapter 12.14) The IRWM plans integrated heavily with the local general plans through communication with local land use planners during IRWM Plan development and through project solicitation and development. This SWRP builds on those outcomes and is consistent with the important land use planning documents in the boundary.

Watershed and Habitat Restoration Plans
Watershed restoration plans have been written for seven watersheds in the SWRP boundary. A collaborative Integrated Watershed Restoration Program provides a framework through which projects in these plans can be implemented. IWRP defined environmental goals and objectives for the region that have been considered in this SWRP.

UCSC Long-Range Development Plan

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
49 Universities within the University of California system prepare long-range development plans (LRDP) that guide physical development and land use to meet the academic and institutional objectives for their campus. The Regents of the University of California adopted an LRDP for the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) in 2005 to guide development through the planning horizon of 2020. Updates to the LRDP generally occur when Campuses are reaching upper bounds within the planning horizon.

Santa Cruz County Primary Groundwater Recharge zones
The County of Santa Cruz designates the areas where an aquifer is exposed at the ground surface and allows water to move downward into the aquifer as primary groundwater recharge (PGR) zones. PGR designation provides for special consideration and protection from development, the intent of which is to allow aquifers to maintain an adequate quantity and quality of groundwater recharge. Parcels outside the urban services line and within mapped PGR cannot be subdivided smaller than 10-acres. The rationale for this is to minimize the blockage of the aquifer recharge areas inherent to development and to reduce the amount of impacts to the recharge water quality from septic systems and other site activities. An indirect benefit of the lower development density is that it reduces the amount of potential groundwater extraction from those areas.

San Lorenzo Wastewater Management Plan
Santa Cruz County has over 23,000 septic systems, 13,500 of which are in the San Lorenzo River watershed. The majority of the septic systems in the watershed are over 25 years old and are located on parcels that could not fully meet today's standards for installation of a new septic system due to small lot size, close proximity to a stream, high groundwater, steep slope, or clay soil. Many of these systems have already been repaired or replaced at least once. However, many of the repairs were done prior to 1980 when there were little or no standards for septic system repairs. There were no minimum size requirements and systems were allowed to go in very deep, with little regard to soil conditions or winter groundwater levels.

Poor septic system conditions in the San Lorenzo Valley during the 1970s and early 1980s led to frequent failures, high bacteria levels in the river and elevated nitrate levels which threatened the City of Santa Cruz water supply. In 1986, County Environmental Health proposed a solution whereby septic systems could continue to be used provided that they were upgraded over time to meet a minimum set of standards necessary to improve the water quality in the river. In May, 1995, the State Water Board lifted the septic system prohibitions and adopted the San Lorenzo Wastewater Management Plan, including the repair standards as they substantially are today.

Climate Action Plans

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
50 Several municipalities within the Santa Cruz Region have developed climate action plans that partially address this issue, including the Cities of Capitola, Santa Cruz and Watsonville and the County of Santa Cruz. These plans outline the actions the cities and their partners may take to meet state land use requirements pertaining to climate change, achieve the policies identified in the General Plan 2030, and accomplish the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. The County’s Climate Action Strategy also addresses various measures to adapt to the projected effects of climate change and explicitly supports IRWM as a venue to help mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Coho and Steelhead Recovery Plan
In September 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a Recovery Plan for the Evolutionarily Significant Unit of the Central California Coast Coho Salmon. A comparison has been performed between the Recovery Plan and the IRWM Plan for Northern Santa Cruz County in order to determine opportunities for collaboration, and to potentially attract needed restoration funds for projects that will have both water resources and fishery benefits. The Steelhead Recovery Plan was also approved in October 2016.

Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans
The California Industrial General Permit (IGP, Order No. 2014-0057-DWQ) is a statewide, general NPDES permit that regulates the discharge of storm water associated with industrial activity as defined by the US EPA. Any facility covered under an IGP is required to have developed and implemented site-specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans. These SWPPPs include minimum and advanced Best Management Practices (BMPs) in order to reduce pollutant loading in storm water discharges. Within the SWRP there are several SWPPPs including: the City of Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Facility, the City of Watsonville Landfill, the City of Watsonville Municipal Services Corp Yard, the City of Wastonville Municpal Airport, the Buena Vista Landfill, and Ben Lomond Transfer Station. These facilities conduct monitoring, including visual observations and analytical storm water monitoring for indicator parameters; compare monitoring results to applicable numeric action levels (NALs); perform appropriate Exceedance Response Actions (ERAs) when there are exceedances of NALs; and certify and submit data and permit-related compliance documents to the state via database.
22) (If applicable)Plan explains why individual agency participation in various isolated efforts is appropriate.

Not applicable: there are no agencies interested in isolated efforts within the boundary.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
51 Quantitative Methods
23) For all analyses: Plan includes an integrated metrics-based analysis to demonstrate that the Plan’s proposed storm water and dry weather capture projects and programs will satisfy the Plan’s identified water management objectives and multiple benefits.

The regional partners who developed this SWRP are committed to appropriate, integrated analysis of projects and programs, with the understanding that projects to manage and utilize storm water can have a variety of benefits and goals. Thus, there is no one-size-fits-all analysis appropriate for all project proponents to the SWRP. The following are tools available to project proponents to help with project analysis. Other tools that may be developed will be reviewed and considered as they become available.

Surface water/Groundwater modeling
Modeling is currently underway in the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin and the Mid-County Groundwater Basin to enhance our understanding of the link between surface and groundwater.

This has implications in storm water management because it can identify areas where stormwater recharge into the basin will have the most benefit. It can also identify areas where recharge is not likely to be as beneficial, and therefore alternative capture projects such as rainwater harvesting would be most effective.

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Suitability Analysis
The recently completed MAR Suitability Analysis examined a series of surface and subsurface data sets to identify locations that could most effectively recharge groundwater within the study area. MAR suitability was assessed using a Geographical Information System (GIS) framework for collection, creation, modification, classification, and manipulation of existing and new spatial and temporal data sets, to help guide the placement of implementation projects.

Runoff and Precipitation Modeling
Stormwater runoff for the MAR analysis was analyzed based on past, current, and potential future precipitation and land use conditions. Runoff distribution and collection potential for individual catchments within the study area were assessed using the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS), a publically available watershed model developed by the U.S.

Geological Survey. PRMS has been extensively tested and is a widely used and accepted tool for assessing the impacts of changes in climate and land use on hydrologic basin response. PRMS model inputs consist of numerous spatially distributed data sets, including some of the same datasets developed for MAR suitability analyses, along with historic precipitation data to model

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
52 how much runoff can be expected at any given location under specific precipitation conditions, including soil, topography and land cover/use characteristics.

Results of both the MAR suitability analysis and the Runoff and Precipitation Modeling are available at http://rcdsantacruz.org/managed-aquifer-recharge.

Geosyntec LPR Model
To address MS4 Permit requirements and information requests from the CCRWQCB, the County of Santa Barbara, and the Cities of Buellton, Solvang, Goleta, and Carpinteria, along with Geosyntec Consultants, developed a pollutant load quantification, catchment prioritization, and BMP load reduction model (LPR Model). Now that it is developed, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties and the municipalities within them are interested in using this approach. The LPR Model is accessible from an easy to use non-proprietary Excel interface and consists of five main components:

1. calculating baseline (i.e., existing conditions) annual average wet weather pollutant loads and runoff volumes by catchment, MS4 Permit Area, and watershed;

2. prioritizing MS4 catchments to support program improvement planning;

3. tracking structural BMP implementation details (e.g., BMP type, catchment location, tributary drainage area and land uses, etc.);

4. quantifying (or taking credit for) non-structural and structural BMP pollutant load and runoff volume reductions (e.g., post-construction requirement projects); and

5. summarizing, formatting, and graphically presenting all results for easy reporting.

The LPR Model utilizes local jurisdictional GIS data and scientifically defensible modeling assumptions to calculate baseline loads using land use areas, runoff coefficients (based on land use, estimated imperviousness, and hydrologic soil groups), average annual precipitation data, and average event mean concentrations (EMCs). The EMCs for land use-pollutant combinations can be based on published datasets with summary statistics taken from recent Regional Boardapproved modeling efforts used by other coastal California regions, or can be customizable with equivalent local data, as available.

BMP Rapid Assessment O&M (BMP RAM)
Second Nature, a local consultant, has developed the Tool to Estimate Load Reductions (TELR) and BMP Rapid Assessment O&M (BMP RAM) Tool. Proposed projects may be quantitatively evaluated for their potential to reduce TMDL pollutants based on TELR and BMP RAM results from analyses of similar types of projects. More information can be found at http://www.2ndnaturellc.com/client-access/central-coast-stormwater-ms4-support/.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
53 BMP RAM is a web-based application that can be used to inventory structural BMPs, assess their performance condition, and prioritize maintenance actions. BMP RAM is a simple and repeatable field observation and data management tool that can assist resource managers in determining the relative condition of urban stormwater treatment (structural) BMPs. BMP RAM evaluates the relative treatment performance of structural BMPs installed to reduce runoff volumes and/or pollutant loads generated from impervious surfaces.

BMP RAM identifies the primary treatment processes upon which structural BMPs reduce, retain and/or remove pollutants from urban stormwater, such as infiltration, particle capture, biogeochemical cycling, or media filtration. Structural BMP types are standardized based on the BMP configuration and the process(es) relied upon for treatment. BMP RAM field observations are proxies, either independently or in combination, to document the relative performance of each respective treatment process. Field observations may include runoff, substrate type, remaining capacity, conveyance, etc. depending on the BMP assessed, and are designed to be relatively simple and quick to collect, while providing consistent and reliable results across a range of users. The results of the individual observations are integrated by the BMP RAM tool and compared to user-defined benchmark (best; score = 5) and threshold (failure; score <2) values to determine the current condition at the time of observation. The condition results will inform where maintenance is required to ensure the water quality benefits of specific BMPs are maintained over time.

Tool to Estimate Load Reductions (TELR)
The Tool to Estimate Load Reductions (TELR) provides a system to track and account for the cause and effect linkage between urban land management and the resulting receiving water quality benefits. The outputs are estimates of pollutant loads discharged from the urban landscape to the receiving waters, utilizing runoff volume and total suspended sediment as proxies for other pollutants, which are directly influenced by the quantified outcomes of urban stormwater improvement actions.

TELR uses regionally relevant precipitation data, local soils, slope, and land use to inform a probability distribution approach to estimate average annual catchment volumes. All of the required inputs will be readily available through a variety of information sources including MS4 mapping products and online source. Pollutant generation by land use will be further refined by the defined relative condition of the individual catchment’s land use. The pollutant load reductions associated with the installation and condition of treatment BMPs will be directly integrated into catchment load estimates. The effectiveness of source control and small scale structural BMPs at reducing pollutants of concern will be a function of the density of

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
54 implementation by land use, literature values regarding performance, PCR design requirements, and/or annual effectiveness assessments.

Central Coast Action Tracker
The Action Tracker was developed as a way for the Greater Monterey County IRWM region, in conjunction with local Resource Conservation Districts, to track the cumulative benefits of multiple projects at multiple scales. The tool allows project managers to enter detailed information about the project that is stored in a database and spatially displayed on an interactive map. Reports can then be generated by program, by watershed, or by jurisdiction.

More information can be found at www.ccactiontracker.org. 24) For water quality project analysis (section VI.C.2.a) Plan includes an analysis of how each project and program complies with or is consistent with an applicable NPDES permit. The analysis should simulate the proposed watershed-based outcomes using modeling, calculations, pollutant mass balances, water volume balances, and/or other methods of analysis. Describes how each project or program will contribute to the preservation, restoration, or enhancement of watershed processes (as described in Guidelines section VI.C.2.a)
Each project and program submitted to the SWRP is required to indicate whether it would have water quality benefits, and if so, to be prioritized for implementation it must be able to quantify those benefits. During the project ranking, the subcommittee of the Development Committee, which is made up of the entities responsible for overseeing applicable NPDES permits, reviewed all projects submitted to the SWRP. Projects that were perceived to be out of compliance were not included in this SWRP.

The project proponents are responsible for project specific monitoring. The tools listed above can be used by proponents to appropriately analyze each project, as well as the cumulative analysis of the impacts of multiple projects. Results of the project specific planning and monitoring can be validated through the regional water quality monitoring programs mentioned below.
25) For storm water capture and use project analysis (section VI.C.2.b): Plan includes an analysis of how collectively the projects and programs in the watershed will capture and use the proposed amount of storm water and dry weather runoff.

The SWRP is intended to be a “living document” meaning that it will be regularly updated with new projects. Storm water capture and use projects are written individually at the time of project

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
55 solicitation. However, the maximum benefit to the region must be evaluated through cumulative impact of potential projects. For this purpose, “Capture and Use” projects are defined in this plan as projects that collect storm water, either in a rain barrel or cistern, or into a recharge mechanism, then use that water to offset potable water extraction through direct use or groundwater recharge. During the ranking, capture and use projects score highest when they quantify their benefit. They also receive more points if they can demonstrate that the location of the project matches the project benefits, for example groundwater recharge projects should be located in zones known to facilitate recharge.

Table 8: Capture and Recharge projects in the SWRP
Project
Amount Captured
(AFY)
Amount Recharged
(AFY)
Recharge Net Metering (ReNeM) Basin
Construction 1000
Porter College Stormwater to Toilet 3.07
38th Ave Detention Basin 13
Anna Jean Cummings Park Bioretention Project 1.8
Watsonville City Hall Bioretention Project 0.81
Santa Cruz City Hall Bioretention Project 1.08
Scotts Valley Transit Center Stormwater
Recharge Project TBD
Managed Aquifer Recharge on Private and
Public Lands TBD
Total 3.07 1016.69
26) For water supply and flood management project analysis (section VI.C.2.c): Plan includes an analysis of how each project and program will maximize and/or augment water supply There is a great deal of overlap in recharge projects and water supply projects, as the recharged stormwater that enters the groundwater basin eventually becomes a source of water supply.

That said, no large scale water supply projects, or flood management projects that offer a source

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
56 of water supply other than groundwater recharge, were submitted to the SWRP. 27) For environmental and community benefit analysis (section VI.C.2.d): Plan includes a narrative of how each project and program will benefit the environment and/or community, with some type of quantitative measurement.

Appendix I has a narrative description of all of the projects and programs submitted. Within each project description is a discussion of the environmental and community benefits. Depending on the project type, direct community benefits claimed range from the number of people trained in water quality monitoring, number of people attending water tours, number of youth educated through school programs, and number of jobs created. Environmental benefits range from square footage of turf replaced with native habitat, reduction in water quality contaminant loading, and slope stabilization. As described in Healthy Lands & Healthy Economies: Nature’s Value in Santa Cruz County, produced by the Resource Conservation district, benefits to the environment also benefit the community in numerous ways. 28) Data management (section VI.C.3): Plan describes data collection and management, including:
a) mechanisms by which data will be managed and stored; b) how data will be accessed by stakeholders and the public; c) how existing water quality and water quality monitoring will be assessed; d) frequency at which data will be updated; and
e) how data gaps will be identified
Project specific data collection, management, and dissemination is the responsibility of the project proponent. Regionally however, there are several ongoing water quality monitoring programs that can provide useful data for trend monitoring before and after project implementation, and to prioritize project implementation to places most in need of improvement. Figure 7 displays the locations of all of these monitoring programs, which are discussed further below.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
57 Figure 7: Water Quality Monitoring locations throughout the SWRP Data is managed and stored by the individual municipalities listed below. The monitoring performed by the County of Santa Cruz can be accessed by the public at the website:
http://gis.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/PublicWaterQuality/. Water Quality monitoring associated with grant funded projects such as those submitted to the SWRP, and regulatory compliance will be entered and stored through the California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN), which can be accessed at http://www.ceden.org/. Low Impact Development projects may choose to use the BMP RAM or alternate approved method as part of project effectiveness monitoring.

Results are available at: http://www.bmpram.com/login.php County of Santa Cruz
Two completely different approaches are needed for monitoring pathogens and nitrate versus sediment. Table 9 and Figure 7 provide information about sampling sites.

Pathogens and Nitrate

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
58 The County conducts ongoing monitoring programs for FIB and nitrate, as shown in Table 9, which also includes additional stations to ensure that all areas with TMDLs or pending TMDLs are addressed. (This table does not include the ocean stations tested.) Samples are collected weekly, monthly or seasonally, depending on the station. Testing for FIB is generally done for E. coli and total coliform in freshwater systems, with the addition of enterococcus in marine waters and some coastal freshwaters. The County discontinued testing for fecal coliform, but extensive parallel testing showed that there is not a statistically significant difference between the two results. The fecal coliform numeric standard is applied to E. coli results.

Table 9: Stations to be Monitored for Fecal Indicator Bacteria (E. coli) and Nitrate: (W-Weekly, M-Monthly, S- Seasonally (3-4 times/year) B-Bathing Areas (weekly in summer)).

Stanum LOCATION E. coli NITRATE
003 SAN LORENZO RIVERMOUTH @ TRESTLE W
006
SAN LORENZO RIVER @ BROADWY/LAUREL ST

BRIDGE W W
010 BRANCIFORTE CREEK @ SAN LORENZO RIVER M M
0110 CARBONERA CREEK @ BRANCIFORTE CREEK M M
01160 CARBONERA CREEK ABOVE SPRING LAKES CREEK M M
0121 BRANCIFORTE CREEK @ ISBEL DRIVE M M
0141 BRANCIFORTE CREEK @ DELAVEAGA PARK B
022 SAN LORENZO RIVER @ SYCAMORE GROVE W W
030 GOLD GULCH @ SAN LORENZO RIVER, HWY 9 M M
0332 SOUTH FORK GOLD GULCH @ DAM B
050 SHINGLE MILL CREEK @ SAN LORENZO RIVER M M
060 SAN LORENZO RIVER @ BIG TREES W W
070 ZAYANTE CREEK @ SAN LORENZO RIVER M M
0709 ZAYANTE CR @ BEAN CR M M
071 BEAN CREEK AB ZAYANTE M M
07528 LOMPICO CREEK @ CARROL AVE M M
0762 ZAYANTE CREEK @ ZAYANTE M M

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
59 149 SLR @ HIGHLANDS PARK B
150
NEWELL CREEK @ SAN LORENZO RIVER IN GLEN

ARBOR M M
180 SAN LORENZO RIVER ABOVE LOVE CREEK W
245 SAN LORENZO RIVER @ RIVER ST W W
2499 SAN LORENZO RIVER BELOW BOULDER CREEK B
250 BOULDER CREEK @ SAN LORENZO RIVER M M
270 BEAR CREEK @ SAN LORENZO RIVER M M
290 TWO BAR CREEK @ SAN LORENZO RIVER M M
300 SAN LORENZO RIVER @ TWO BAR CREEK M M
310 KINGS CREEK @ HWY 9 M M
A0 APTOS CREEK @ MOUTH W S
A03 APTOS C @ BRIDGE ON SPRECKLES M S
A1 VALENCIA CREEK @ APTOS CREEK M S
A11 TROUT GULCH @ VALENCIA CREEK M S
A12 VALENCIA CREEK @ TROUT GULCH M S
A2 APTOS CREEK @ VALENCIA CREEK M S
P0 PAJARO RIVER @ MOUTH M S
P301 CORRALITOS CREEK AT GREEN VALLEY RD M S
P3049 CORRALITOS CREEK BELOW BROWNS M S
P3051 BROWN CREEK @ 621 BROWNS V RD M S
P3062 CORRALITOS CREEK @ RIDER ROAD M S
P3112 SALSIPUEDES CR BELOW FAIRGROUNDS M S
P47 PAJARO RIVER @ CHITTENDEN PASS M M
Pinto Lake @ City Dock M
Pinto Lake @ County Dock M
Pinto Lake @ Villas del Paraiso M

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
60 Pinto Creek M
Amesti Creek M
CCC Creek M
Todos Santos Creek M
S0 SOQUEL CREEK @ FLUME OUTLET W
S1 NOBLE GULCH @SOQUELCR M M
S23 SOQUEL CR AT NOB HILL M M
S3 BATES CREEK @ SOQUEL CREEK S S
S4 SOQUEL CREEK @ BATES CREEK S S
S51 EAST BRANCH SOQUEL CREEK @ 152 OLIVE S. S S
S6 WEST BRANCH SOQUEL C @ SAN JOSE-OLIVE S M S
The focus of testing is on dry weather flows, not storm flows. Due to the high variability of flow and pollutant load during a storm event, it is difficult to accurately characterize loading conditions without frequent sampling throughout the event. Both FIB and nutrient loads tend to be very high during storms, but they flush through the system. Some storm water testing is provided by the First Flush monitoring program conducted by the Coastal Watershed Council using volunteers during the first significant rainfall of the season.

Sediment
Monitoring sediment load is very challenging as it is storm dependent and highly variable from storm to storm and year to year. The County utilized grant funds to conduct sediment load monitoring for 3 years from 2009-2012 on the San Lorenzo River, Zayante Creek, Bean Creek, Soquel Creek, Corralitos Creek and Valencia Creek, at a cost of approximately $60,000/ year.

Sediment load does not directly measure impairment, and the County is now considering some form of channel condition monitoring to assess the presence of fine sediment. In both the San Lorenzo and Pajaro TMDLs, the Regional Board indicated that a sediment monitoring program would be developed by the Regional Board staff, and supplemented by voluntary efforts of other agencies. The County has also collected grab samples of suspended sediment during storm events at a number of locations to provide an indication of relative sediment transport conditions throughout the county.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
61 The load measurements from 2009-12 indicate that sediment loads in Soquel Creek and the San Lorenzo River are significantly reduced as compared to historical USGS records from 1976-1991.

On Soquel Creek, for a given flow, the sediment current load is 30% of what was measured in 1976-1991. The San Lorenzo River shows a comparable load reduction of 50% from 1972-93 compared to 2009-12 (Balance Hydrologics, 2012). This compares favorably to the TMDL target for the San Lorenzo River of a 27% load reduction from conditions observed in 2001.

City of Capitola
The monitoring program plan provides baseline conditions for the TMDL associated with Soquel Lagoon, Soquel Creek and Noble Gulch in Capitola. The resulting data can be used to facilitate pollution prevention efforts and BMP effectiveness to reduce pathogen loading in the lagoon and creeks. The monitoring program data tracks changes in the water quality over time and provides a basis for modifying the BMPs aimed at the attainment of water quality goals of the Soquel and Arana Rodeo Watersheds.

Wet and dry weather monitoring was conducted at seven sites within the city limits: three Soquel Creek stream sites, two Noble Gulch Creek sites, and two storm drainages. The selected sites represent the upper, middle, and lower reaches of Soquel Creek and its tributaries within the boundaries of Capitola. Each site was monitored to determine the relative urban runoff contribution to local waterbody impairment. All samples were analyzed for Indicator Parameters specified on Table 1, Page 34 of the Phase II MS4 General Permit and known pollutants as identified by Attachment G TMDLS of the same permit.

Pathogens
E.coli and total coliform are indicators of fecal pollution that may originate from animals or humans. Sources of bacterial contamination include leaky sewer pipes, failing septic systems, pets, and wildlife, especially birds. Eight of twenty-two (36%) samples met the USEPA Water Quality (WQ) Criterion of 126MPN/100 mL for E. coli. Fourteen of twenty-two (64%) samples exceeded the USEPA WQ criterion for E. coli during the 2014 monitoring season (June 13-October 6). All samples for total coliform exceed the Basin Plan WQO of <240 MPN/100mL during the monitoring season. However, there were no exceedances in any sample from Creekside Storm Drain or Soquel Creek Mid during the monitoring season. Historically, the highest E.coli results are from Noble Gulch Creek at Monterey Avenue, 92% across ten years; Noble Gulch Creek Upper, 95% across five years; and Soquel Creek Lagoon, 100% across seven years.

City of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
62 The City has implemented its monitoring program in San Lorenzo River since the promulgation of TMDL for pathogens in 2010, both to (a) develop information on the trends of bacteria levels order to assess the effectiveness of the interventions and management practices implemented; and (b) also to develop information for controlling anthropogenic sources of the bacteria so as to subsequently implement measures to affect those and other identifiable controllable sources of bacteria in the river.

Pathogens
The City samples and analyzes for indicator bacteria along San Lorenzo River from Tate Street and from the Branciforte Creek junction through the estuary into the Ocean. The City also initiated testing for domestic sources of bacteria by directly monitoring for caffeine associated with high FIB in the river, and by working within a regional framework to identify Fecal sterols associated with high FIB in the river. In 2015, the City added the analyses of sediments and nutrients to aid in the unraveling of the emerging bacterial profile in the lower San Lorenzo River (SLR). The results, presented in Appendix A and B, indicate as follows:

1. Bacteria levels generally increase as the river courses through the City to and through the estuary;

2. Bacteria concentrations from Branciforte Creek into the river are very high and would be expected to keep the river’s bacteria levels high in spite of interventions taken within the city’s lower stretches of the river;

3. Bacteria levels in Branciforte Creek feeding into lower San Lorenzo River increase with rainfall events, and can be expected to correlate with sediment inflows from Branciforte into the SLR.

4. Initial 6-month studies of the fecal tracer chemicals in the river indicate the preponderance of non-human sources for the bacteria, and implicate avian sources.

5. The City’s data as well as other regional data sources are now leading to the conclusion that the SLR bacterial sources are largely avian, and sediment influenced.

Trends and Observations:
● SLR bacteria levels remain high and increase in concentration as the river courses through the city, and especially as it receives input from Branciforte Creek; ● Bacteria input from Branciforte Creek is elevated post significant rainfall events, which are also likely associated with higher levels of sediment input from the creek into the river.
● Highest levels of association of fecal sterols with high bacteria levels are related to avian sources, as per the finding of the SLR Alliance funded largely by the City, with trace chemistries performed by the City and two contract laboratories.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
63 Future Considerations:

Work will continue to confirm the initial finding of the characterization of the source of FIB in SLR and in Branciforte Creek. Planned work includes:
● Studies of sediment loads and fecal sterol ratios;
● Studies of sediment loads and caffeine concentrations and; ● Additional tracer studies from identified pump stations feeding into SLR.

City of Scotts Valley
The goal of the monitoring plan is to assist in characterizing baseline conditions for the TMDLs associated with Camp Evers and Carbonera Creeks in Scotts Valley. The resulting data may be used in evaluate BMP effectiveness to reduce sediment, nutrient, and pathogen loading in those creeks. The data may also be used to track changes in water quality over time and as a basis for adjusting the BMPs aimed at the attainment of water quality goals of the San Lorenzo River Watershed.

The monitoring plan includes identification and assessment of the existing BMPs, and whether or not their implementation will be maintained, reduced, or ceased. Many of the City’s existing BMPs already meet or exceed the new General Permit requirements: the City is not required to conduct wet weather monitoring, but is doing so in order to obtain data on baseline water quality within city limits and locate potential sources of pollution.

Historically, water quality standards laid out in the Basin Plan have not been met in Scotts Valley’s receiving waters. Water quality monitoring was conducted in both Carbonera and Camp Evers Creeks from the year 2000 to 2014 by the County of Santa Cruz and others. Analytical results indicate fecal coliforms in the creeks ranging from 2 to 15,701 MPN with an average of 522. These values are above the pathogen TMDL for these water bodies. Historical data of samples analyzed for nitrates yielded an average of 0.42 mg-N/L in Carbonera and 1.01 mg-N/L in Camp Evers Creek.

Dry and wet weather monitoring was conducted to determine relative urban runoff contribution to local waterbody impairment. All samples were analyzed for Indicator Parameters specified on Table 1, Page 34 of the Phase II MS4 General Permit and known pollutants as identified by Attachment G TMDLs of the same permit. The sampling locations roughly correspond to many of the historical sites noted in the Regional Board’s 2009 TMDL project report. The sites were also determined to be sources of pollution during dry weather flows; an indication that pollutants may be present during wet weather. Of the twelve sampling sites, four are urban/rural interface sites. Additionally, these locations were separated by at least a mile in almost all cases, usually

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
64 at the location of an outfall or confluence and therefore represent a reasonable representation of each relevant waterbody.

City of Watsonville
City of Watsonville staff performed monthly surface water quality monitoring for FIB at four longterm monitoring station (LTMS) sites between May 2009 and April 2014. This local water quality monitoring effort included analyses for concentrations of fecal coliform and E. coli in the Pajaro River, Salsipuedes Creek, Watsonville Slough, and Pinto Lake. Analyses for fecal coliform in the water samples used multiple tube fermentation (SM 9221E) and results for water concentrations of E. coli were obtained using Colilert® (SM 9223B). Over 70 water samples were collected for FIB from each of the LTMS sites.

Following the consultation between City of Watsonville staff and Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) staff in May 2014, the City discontinued the LTMS monitoring effort. The RWQCB indicated that the City should direct our water quality sampling efforts towards a TMDL monitoring plan that could better model sources and loadings during dry and wet weather discharges in the City’s urban runoff.

Future TMDL water quality monitoring to be performed by the City of Watsonville will include collecting samples for FIB analyses during IDDE outfall inspections and investigations in addition to the indicator parameters (p. 35 Phase II Small MS4 General Permit). Collection of dry and wet weather urban runoff samples will be added to the to the Draft 303(d) Monitoring Plan currently under review by RWQCB.

Pathogens
The City of Watsonville continues to collaborate with the volunteer water quality monitoring efforts of the Watsonville Wetlands Watch by performing analyses for E. coli and total coliform analyses of bimonthly surface water samples from the Watsonville Wetlands. Preferred source tracking techniques including water quality monitoring for caffeine, BMP modeling, and genetic assays are being discussed amongst the stakeholders in this WAAP with the intention of enhancing data comparison and consistency of method. Such enhanced collaborative TMDL monitoring for FIB should enable a better understanding of the significance of urban runoff to the impairments identified in the listed surface water bodies.

Pajaro valley Water Management Agency

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
65 There are three main watersheds located inside the Agency boundaries, which are the Corralitos Creek Watershed, the Carneros Creek Watershed, and the Watsonville/Harkins Slough Complex. The Pajaro River Watershed extends east of the Agency into San Benito County and is 1,200 square miles in size. The area contributing to the flow in the Pajaro River is much larger than all of the local watersheds combined. PVWMA monitors the surface water in the watersheds for electrical conductivity, calcium concentration, magnesium concentration, sodium concentration, chloride concentration, carbonate and bi-carbonate concentration, sulfate concentration, boron concentration, nitrate concentration, iron concentration, manganese concentration, potassium concentration, turbidity, and in select locations pesticides and fertilizers.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
66 Identification and Prioritization of Projects
29) Plan identifies opportunities to augment local water supply through groundwater recharge or storage for beneficial use of storm water and dry weather runoff.

Storm Water Reuse Opportunities
With the prospect of long-term drought conditions increasingly probable, it is imperative to empower individual water users to reduce their dependency on potable water for non-potable uses. Storm water offers an affordable alternative to potable water, when the consumer follows all the applicable regulations. Decentralized stormwater reuse systems may lower GHG emissions by reducing the energy needed to pump water from reservoirs to the treatment facility, reduce the energy needed to treat the water, and reduce the energy needed to pump the treated water.

Small-scale mitigation through projects that involve retrofitting fixtures or residential rain barrels for landscape irrigation are helpful, but do little to reduce our dependence on already limited groundwater and surface water resources. Real water savings will be realized with projects that involve renovating existing infrastructure, capturing rainwater on a large scale, and incentivizing water reuse systems in future development projects. We need to move beyond residential and into commercial, industrial, educational facilities, and public facilities. These decentralized stormwater harvesting systems would decrease the volume of stormwater, and therefore pollutants, discharged into our watersheds while also decreasing the demand for water drawn from the municipal water system for non-potable uses.

A 2014-2016 Prop 84-funded monitoring study found that indoor, non-potable residential rainwater harvesting systems offset between 5-26% of a household’s average indoor, potable water use, and between 11-36% of a commercial building’s average indoor potable water use.

What monitoring sites with higher offsets percentages had in common were high-efficiency fixtures that reduced system demand, large roof catchment surfaces, and a cistern capacity that maximized rainwater storage to meet monthly demand during dry months.

The average water savings for a single family home using rainwater to supply two high efficiency toilets and 1 clothes washer was 8,371 gallons/year in comparison with 2,065 gallons/year for a home where only two toilets were connected to the system. The study also found that using rainwater for indoor, non-potable uses allowed cisterns to refill between 1.5-8 times throughout the rainy season. One residential rainwater harvesting system supplied rainwater to toilets and a clothes washer through the entire 2014-15 drought year, when ½ of annual precipitation fell in the month of December. This case study and several others in the Prop 84-funded monitoring study demonstrate that when rainwater systems are designed to match demand with available precipitation in a worst-case drought scenario, rainwater harvesting for indoor, non-potable uses

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
67 can be a reliable potable water conservation strategy, even in years with below-average precipitation.

Importantly, the Prop 84 study concluded that at current water utility rates, the gains from investing in rainwater harvesting systems for toilet flushing and clothes washing did not exceed the cost of investment for the residential and commercial systems installed. High installation costs relative to the payback from water savings at current Monterey Bay area water utility rates ranging from $2.11-$6.80 per ccf (748 gallons) contributed greatly to negative ROI and lengthy payback period for the rainwater harvesting systems in the study. Until water utility rates have increased sufficiently to justify a positive return on investment and net present value, financial incentives such as tax credits, rebates, grants, water demand offset credits, and discounted permit and development fees are critical for encouraging homeowners and business owners to install rainwater harvesting systems for indoor, non-potable uses.

The following projects have been ranked in the SWRP and are expected to provide opportunities to augment local water supply through storage for beneficial use of storm water:
● Monterey Bay Friendly Landscaping Rebate Program
● Anna Jean Cummings Park LID Project
● UCSC Porter College Dormitory Rainwater Harvesting Project ● Managed Aquifer Recharge Program
● Recharge Net Metering (ReNeM)
Additionally, the County has identified over 3 million square feet (70 Acres) of impervious area on publicly-owned land that is irrigated or provides public restroom facilities where stormwater may be captured and stored for non-potable water uses such as irrigation, toilet flushing, fleet washing, and process water.

Karst Terrain
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors passed a motion at the September 13, 2016 meeting to direct various County departments to initiate the incorporation of karst protection zone standards into County code and General Plan updates. Karst formations occur throughout much of the area covering the North Coast to San Lorenzo River, and the prevention of polluted runoff into the karst terrain is a crucial element towards protecting the City of Santa Cruz drinking water supply and overall water quality in the North Coast streams and in the San Lorenzo River.

Groundwater Recharge Opportunities
Santa Cruz County SWRP stakeholders have created two GIS spatial analysis tools to identify areas of opportunity to redirect stormwater and dry weather run-off for groundwater recharge for the

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
68 beneficial uses of drinking water production, agricultural irrigation, and maintaining an adequate water table to sustain base flows and habitat in urban streams.

1. Prop 84 Monterey Bay regional planning grant mapping of decentralized urban LID retrofit on parcels greater than 15,000 square feet with the potential to infiltrate and recharge <25 AFY.

2. A county-wide site-suitability analysis for managed aquifer recharge. A complementary runoff analysis was paired with the suitability analysis to identify areas where MAR implementation might be most advantageous.

The Proposition 84 analysis included an estimate of potential runoff available for capture from impervious surfaces and drainages altered by development. This estimate provides Santa Cruz County MS4s and water agencies with a gross estimate of marginal increase in runoff volume due to these surfaces, which can serve as a benchmark from which we can measure progress towards increasing groundwater recharge in overdrafted groundwater basins that have been negatively impacted by rapid runoff and reduced infiltration that results from paving and soil compaction.

Additionally, Proposition 13 funded a Natural Drainage Filtration Project completed by Santa Cruz County in 2006. That project identified 32 sites that were large and undeveloped and/or in public ownership. Many of the sites identified in the project were developed further to be submitted as projects in this SWRP.

Groundwater Recharge via Urban LID Retrofits
With Prop 84 stormwater planning grant funding, Ecology Action, on behalf of Storm Water Management Plan Stakeholders (SWMP) awarded a contract to Fall Creek Engineering to develop a GIS spatial analysis and modeling tool to create LID bioretention opportunity maps for urban service areas within MS4 permit holder boundaries. The LID bioretention opportunity maps identify and rank potential areas of opportunity and parcels with soils suitable for the implementation of bioretention facilities that, when constructed, will result in increase in infiltration and groundwater recharge from existing impervious area (such as parking lots, streets, and roof tops). Mapped areas are within CCRWQCB Watershed Management Zone (WMZ) 1 or 4, overlie a mapped groundwater aquifer used to supply drinking water, and drain to a storm water collection system within an urban boundary. Urban areas in Santa Cruz County and associated aquifers selected for analysis included the boundaries of the following:
● Scotts Valley Water District (Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin) ● Soquel Creek Water District (Purisima and Aromas Red Sands Groundwater Basins) ● City of Santa Cruz & Live Oak (West Santa Cruz Terrace and Purisima Groundwater Basins) ● City of Watsonville (Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin)

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
69 Areas within these urban boundaries were prioritized into very high, high, moderate high, and moderate infiltration and recharge potential based on characteristics such as soil infiltration rate (NRCS hydrologic soil type A or B), surface slope (less than 5%), avoidance areas impacted by chemical pollution, and where GIS spatial data was available (unincorporated County), subsurface hydrologic suitability of the underlying aquifer for recharge. Additional ranking points were awarded for areas that drained to a 303(d) impaired water body and areas located in a nuisance flooding zone. Thus, projects that are located in very high or high opportunity areas have multiple benefits.

Figure 8: Example of LID Bioretention Opportunity Map for Soquel Creek Water District. All of the maps can be found in Appendix IV.

In addition to the production of LID bioretention opportunity maps, corresponding focus area maps were created to identify priority parcels for future LID retrofits projects. Each LID bioretention opportunity parcel map identifies more than 100 commercial and public properties greater than 15,000 square feet within very high or high potential infiltration and recharge areas.

Annual infiltration and recharge potential for watershed catchments within LID opportunity maps were estimated based on average annual rainfall runoff and runoff during a design storm (24-

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
70 hour 85th percentile rainfall event). The Simple Method was used to estimate annual runoff within the selected catchments. To estimate the total volume of runoff during the design storm, Autodesk’s Storm and Sanitary Sewer Analysis (SSA) software was employed. Because variations in soil and land use characteristics across the catchments will likely result in less infiltration occurring than if 100% of all the runoff from the design storm, or annually, were to infiltrate, runoff available for infiltration was conservatively adjusted based on the infiltration and recharge potential categories in the LID GIS modeling tool. It was assumed that 100% of the areas within a catchment designated as very high potential would be available for infiltration, 75% available for high potential areas, 50% for moderate high, and 25% for low. These reduced infiltration capacities were applied on a weighted-area basis, depending on the area of each category within each catchment. These adjusted infiltration percentages were multiplied by the predicted runoff volumes to provide a lower-bound, estimate of achievable infiltration within each catchment.

The table below summarizes the average annual runoff and adjusted infiltration potential for the urban watershed catchments identified in the LID bioretention opportunity maps created for Santa Cruz County. The average annual runoff and infiltration potential represent a conservative estimate of the storm water that is currently ‘lost’ to the system, that could be infiltrated if LID bioretention retrofits were implemented on developed parcels located in mapped, high priority areas. Total adjusted annual infiltration and recharge potential for six major urban watershed catchments overlying overdrafted coastal groundwater basins of Santa Cruz County is estimated to be 6,325 acre feet. This volume of storm water available for infiltration and groundwater recharge is equivalent to annual water use of 45,841 Central Coast residents and amounts to 39% of 2015 potable water production by Santa Cruz County water utilities. Again, these estimations attempt to quantify the potential for infiltration and should not be considered as targets for each watershed given the complexity of implementing retrofits in existing developed parcels on private properties.

Table 10: Runoff and Infiltration potential for key locations within the SWRP Storm Water Agency
Jurisdiction and
Underlying Groundwater
Basin
Urban
Watershed
Catchment
Average Annual Runoff/Infiltration Potential
Average
Annual
Rainfall (in)
Annual
Runoff
(in)
Annual
Runoff
(AF)
Adjusted
Infiltration
Potential (AF)
City of Scotts Valley –
Santa Margarita Basin
Carbonera
Creek- Subwatershed of

49.46 22.8 2,179 674

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
71 San
Lorenzo
City of Santa Cruz -
West Santa Cruz
Terrace Sub-Basin,
Purisima Formation
Lower
San Lorenzo
River

31.22 18.1 1,833 1,097
County of Santa Cruz –
Mid-County Basin
Arana-Rodeo 31.22 15.3 4,240 2,880
County of Santa Cruz –
Mid-County Basin
Lower
Soquel Creek

31.22 13.5 1,742 659
County of Santa Cruz –
Pajaro Valley Sub-Basin
San Andreas 21.21 8.6 1,059 336
City of Watsonville –
Pajaro Valley Sub-Basin
Salsipuedes
subwatershed of
Pajaro River

23.4 11.7 936 679
The annual design storm runoff modeling funded by the Prop 84 planning grant provide an estimate of what the corresponding infiltration potential could be within identified areas if LID infiltration BMPs were implemented on a large scale. Not all of the identified infiltration areas necessarily translate into recharge for water supply and/or overdrafted aquifers. A potential project site must be further evaluated by determining the actual soil infiltration rate and subsurface hydrology in the LID retrofit area.

The product of the infiltration and recharge estimation analysis, the bioretention opportunity maps, GIS shapefiles, and a GIS modeling tool, are available for SWMP stakeholders to use in their planning and implementation projects. LID bioretention opportunity maps, parcel focus maps, and a detailed description of the GIS mapping methodology and prioritization process, sensitivity analysis, and methodology for estimating annual acre feet of urban storm water runoff available for infiltration and potential groundwater recharge via bioretention can be found in Attachment IV (Fall Creek Engineering Prop 84 Technical Memo).

Managed Aquifer Recharge

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
72 Distributed Stormwater Collection and Managed Aquifer Recharge (DSC-MAR) is a landscape management strategy that can help to reduce aquifer overdraft and maintain long-term water supply reliability. A DSC-MAR study targeted relatively small drainage areas (generally 100-1000 acres) from which stormwater runoff could be collected to infiltrate 100-300 acre-feet of water per year. Infiltration can be accomplished in surface basins, typically having an area of 1-5 acres, or potentially through flooding of agricultural fields or floodplains, use of drywells, or other strategies. Smaller projects might provide additional benefit, but unit costs may be greater.

Larger projects may require more infrastructure and/or maintenance costs.

In 2014, the RCD partnered with UCSC’s Hydrogeology Group, securing support from the California State Coastal Conservancy, to complete a Regional Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and Runoff Analysis for Santa Cruz and Northern Monterey Counties, and to develop information and decision support tools to optimize storm runoff collection and MAR project implementation.

The focus of this project was to quantify, in a documented and consistent way, where there is the highest potential for both suitable hydrologic conditions and enough stormwater runoff to justify implementation of a field project. For this analysis, the study region was extended so as to include the complete drainage area that generates stormwater (hillslope) runoff flowing into Santa Cruz County, and the region overlying the Pajaro Valley Groundwater Basin, part of which is located in southern Santa Cruz County, but also including northern Monterey County.

Hydrologic drainage regions included in this study were those delineated by the USDA for Santa Cruz County, comprising four subregional basins. The first set of data listed below (and available for download) includes GIS files that delineate the complete project region and the four drainage subregions. The project was conceptualized as having two related components - MAR suitability analysis and runoff and precipitation modeling.

MAR Suitability Analysis: This part of the project examined a series of surface and subsurface data sets to identify locations that could most effectively recharge groundwater within the study area. MAR suitability was assessed using a geographical information system (GIS) framework for collection, creation, modification, classification and manipulation of existing and new spatial and temporal data sets, to help guide the placement of implementation projects. Of course, hydrologic suitability is only part of the story, but it is an important part, and can be used as a "screen" to assess where to put effort initially to achieve the greatest and most rapid benefit.

Many other factors must be considered before implementing a project, including (but not limited to): available water supply, water quality, available land and associated land use, interest among landowners and tenants, availability of incentives and resources for both capital costs and operation/maintenance of MAR systems, ease of measurement to document benefits, governance and management responsibility, comparison to alternatives, and permitting. Figure 9 shows results of the GIS analysis.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
73 Figure 9: Managed Aquifer Recharge Suitability, produced by Dr. Andrew Fisher, University of California Santa Cruz, in conjunction with the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County.

Runoff and Precipitation Modeling: Stormwater runoff was analyzed based on past, current and potential future precipitation and land use conditions. Runoff distribution and collection potential for individual catchments within the study area were assessed using the PRMS, a publically available watershed model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. PRMS has been extensively tested and is a widely used and accepted tool for assessing the impacts of changes in climate and land use on hydrologic basin response. PRMS model inputs consist of numerous spatially distributed data sets, including some of the same datasets developed for MAR suitability analyses, along with historic precipitation data to model how much runoff can be expected at

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
74 any given location under specific precipitation conditions, based on soil, topography and land cover/use characteristics.

The RCD hosts a webpage, http://rcdsantacruz.org/managed-aquifer-recharge, where interested parties can download publicly accessible products from this analysis, including: GIS datasets, maps, input data, data processing descriptions, and precipitation and runoff model outputs to:
a) identify and prioritize suitable areas for groundwater recharge, and b) evaluate hydrologic response (runoff vs. infiltration) under different climate scenarios.

The following projects have been ranked in the SWRP and are expected to provide opportunities to augment local water supply through groundwater recharge of storm water and/or dry weather runoff:

Projects with more than 25 AFY of recharge benefit:

Santa Cruz County RCD Managed Aquifer Recharge Projects Santa Cruz County RCD/ Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency ReNeM Projects with less than 25 AFY of recharge benefit:

Anna Jean Cummings Park LID Retrofit Project
City of Capitola Parking Lot LID Retrofit Project
City of Watsonville Upper Struve Slough LID Retrofit Project City of Scotts Valley Lundy Lane LID Retrofit Project
City of Watsonville Middle Struve Slough LID Retrofit Project City of Santa Cruz City Hall Annex-Church St. LID Retrofit Project County of Santa Cruz 38th Ave. Detention Basin Dry Well Retrofit Project Scotts Valley Water District Scotts Valley Transit Center LID Retrofit Project City of Watsonville City Hall-Main St. LID Retrofit Project 30) Plan identifies opportunities for source control for both pollution and dry weather runoff volume, onsite and local infiltration, and use of storm water and dry weather runoff.

Various entities of the Region have worked together to prioritize pollution source control measures in urban and rural lands on a watershed scale. Several municipal Storm Water Management Programs and the regional Wasteload Allocation Attainment Plan (WAAP) that was completed in 2015 incorporate urban source control measures to address impairments of several water bodies in the planning area. As described in Section 21, all of the jurisdictions have pollution control ordinances. Additionally, rural pollutant sources and source control measures are also identified in the San Lorenzo Valley and North Coast Watersheds Sanitary Survey completed by the Santa Cruz Water Department in January 2013.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
75 Primary human sources of pollutants of concern have been identified throughout the Santa Cruz County area and include:
● Urban runoff,
● Sanitary sewers and laterals,
● Onsite sewage systems,
● Livestock and confined animal facilities,
● Homeless encampments,
● Roads including timber-harvest roads,
● Pet waste,
● Agricultural runoff and landfill runoff.

Prioritized urban source control BMPs to address regional TMDLs are included in Table 3 of the Regional WAAP (Attachment III). These prioritized BMPs address illicit discharge detection and elimination, construction site stormwater runoff control, post-construction requirements, and pollution prevention in municipal operations. The San Lorenzo Valley and North Coast Watersheds Sanitary Survey also identifies several programs and projects that have been implemented to help control sources of pollutants throughout the Santa Cruz watersheds, including the County Wastewater Management Program (onsite wastewater system management), Ecology Action’s Livestock and Land Program (livestock facility manure and sediment management), the Santa Cruz Resource Conservation District’s rural roads erosion control assistance program, conservation easements on private lands adjacent to creeks, riparian corridor patrols and homeless camp cleanups, and culvert repairs.

In addition to regional pollution source control efforts, the municipalities of the region and UC Santa Cruz have adopted the Central Coast Regional Post-Construction Requirements or more stringent requirements, which help capture and reduce pollutants from new development or retrofit projects, as well as capture dry weather runoff. These requirements are further detailed in Section 35 below.

Water managers have not identified opportunities to capture dry weather flows for re-use. Dry weather runoff is prohibited throughout the SWRP region by water conservation ordinances the prohibit runoff from sources such as irrigation and washing. The dry-weather runoff that does occur is natural, benefits habitat, augments baseflows, and should not be captured.

One question in the project submittal form for the SWRP addresses pollution source control.

Question no. 3 asks “Does the project preserve, restore, or enhance watershed processes that yield a broad suite of water quality benefits and support beneficial uses” with several options listed for alternative means by which the project can meet that objective, including “increased filtration or treatment of runoff”, “non-point source pollution control” and “reestablished natural

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
76 water drainage”. Based on this question and the development committee’s assessment, the following projects will contribute to pollution source control, and use of stormwater runoff:
● Monterey Bay Friendly Landscaping Rebate Program, Ecology Action ● Anna Jean Cummings Park Bioretention Project, Santa Cruz County Parks ● Capitola Parking Lot LID, City of Capitola
● Lundy Lane Wastewater Treatment Plant Bioretention Project, City of Scotts Valley ● Santa Cruz City Hall Bioretention Project, City of Santa Cruz ● Watsonville City Hall Bioretention Project, City of Watsonville ● Porter College Stormwater to Toilet, University of California Santa Cruz ● Scotts Valley Transit Center Stormwater Recharge Project, Scotts Valley Water District ● 38th Ave Detention Basin, County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health ● Recharge Net Metering (ReNeM) Basin Construction, RCDSCC ● Middle Struve Slough, City of Watsonville
● Upper Struve Slough Watershed Enhancement and Public Access Project, City of Watsonville
● Buena Vista Landfill, Santa Cruz County DPW
● Rio Del Mar Improvement, Santa Cruz County DPW
31) Plan identifies projects that reestablish natural water drainage treatment and infiltration systems, or mimic natural system functions to the maximum extent feasible.

The Region has been prioritizing restoration of natural hydrologic function for several years due to the multiple benefits that are achieved through such processes, including: reducing peak flows for flood protection, improving water quality, and providing habitat protection. The message “slow it, spread it, sink it” is being promoted by all of the agencies and the Resource Conservation District (http://rcdsantacruz.org/publications ) as a way to slow storm water down, spread it across a larger area, and sink it into the groundwater, mimicking natural drainage patterns. UCSC developed a Storm Water and Drainage Master Plan in 2006 that assessed all the watersheds and subwatersheds on campus and listed projects to be done to improve the health of the watersheds. The campus has been implementing the projects in phases. UCSC also developed a Drainage Master Plan for the Coastal Science Campus which guides storm water management to best mimic the existing natural system. The IRWM Plan has a goal to “reduce flood hazards and manage stormwater runoff through economic policies and projects that enhance natural hydrologic function and protect communities.”
Question number three of the SWRP project submittal form focuses on natural hydrography, and specifically asks whether the project will “reestablish natural water drainage and treatment.” If the applicant replies in the affirmative, they are required to describe how the project meets that statement. During the project ranking, the development committee reviewed whether programs

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
77 or projects did, in fact, meet this criteria. The following projects identified in the SWRP are expected to reestablish natural water drainage treatment and infiltration systems, or mimic natural system functions to the maximum extent feasible:
● Monterey Bay Friendly Landscaping Rebate Program, Ecology Action ● Managed Aquifer Recharge on Private and Public Lands, Resource Conservation District Santa Cruz County (RCDSCC)
● Anna Jean Cummings Park Bioretention Project, Santa Cruz County Parks ● Arana Gulch Sediment Basin, RCDSCC
● Road Raise for West Beach Road and Shell Road at Watsonville Slough, Santa Cruz County Department of Public Works (DPW)
● Capitola Parking Lot LID, City of Capitola
● Upper Struve Slough Watershed Enhancement and Public Access Project, City of Watsonville
● Lundy Lane Wastewater Treatment Plant Bioretention Project, City of Scotts Valley ● Middle Struve Slough, City of Watsonville
● Recharge Net Metering (ReNeM) Basin Construction, RCDSCC ● Santa Cruz City Hall Bioretention Project, City of Santa Cruz ● 38th Ave Detention Basin, County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health ● San Lorenzo River Bankfull Channel Design, City of Santa Cruz ● Scotts Valley Transit Center Stormwater Recharge Project, Scotts Valley Water District ● Watsonville City Hall Bioretention Project, City of Watsonville ● Porter College Stormwater to Toilet, University of California Santa Cruz 32) Plan identifies opportunities to develop, restore, or enhance habitat and open space through storm water and dry weather runoff management, including wetlands, riverside habitats, parkways, and parks.

There are ongoing commitments within the SWRP boundary by partners to develop, restore, or enhance habitat and open space. Many of these efforts will utilize storm water as either a primary or ancillary water management benefit. Some examples include: the San Lorenzo 2025 effort being undertaken by agencies within the San Lorenzo River watershed to implement projects that benefit fish, habitat, and water supply within the watershed; and the ongoing programmatic efforts of Watsonville Wetlands Watch to perform habitat restoration in and around the Watsonville Sloughs. The IRWM Plan has also has a goal to “improve the condition of riparian and aquatic ecosystems to support the native species, watershed functions, and regional water needs.”
Two questions in the project submittal form for the SWRP address habitat and parkland. Number six asks “Does the project benefit the Environment” with several options listed for alternative means by which the project can meet that objective. Number five asks “Does the project benefit

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
78 the community” with one alternative being “Enhance and/or create recreational and public use areas.” Based on these questions and the development committee’s assessment of their accuracy, the following projects will develop, restore, or enhance habitat and open space through storm water and dry weather runoff management, including wetlands, riverside habitats, parkways, and parks:
● Arana Gulch Sediment Basin, RCDSCC
● Road Raise for West Beach Road and Shell Road at Watsonville Slough, DPW ● Buena Vista Landfill, DPW
● Upper Struve Slough Watershed Enhancement and Public Access Project, City of Watsonville
● Middle Struve Slough, City of Watsonville
● Peery Park, City of Capitola
● Rio Del Mar Flats, Santa Cruz County Flood Control District ● San Lorenzo River Bankfull Channel Design, City of Santa Cruz 33) Plan identifies opportunities to use existing publicly owned lands and easements, including, but not limited to, parks, public open space, community gardens, farm and agricultural preserves, school sites, and government office buildings and complexes, to capture, clean, store, and use storm water and dry weather runoff either onsite or offsite Within the SWRP Boundary, there are over 12,000 acres of land in public ownership, including parks, open space, universities and government buildings (see Figure 5). This provides for enormous opportunity to do numerous different project types on public land, particularly given the partnership of public agencies and UCSC working together as part of the development committee. Projects that can be done on public land include park development, LID retrofits of parking lots, habitat restoration, groundwater recharge, and rainwater catchment. On public land there are buildings which have a total of 3,078,238 square feet of rooftop. That creates potential for rainwater catchment which can be used for irrigation and toilet flushing, and potentially groundwater recharge.

Additionally, on the Project submittal form, there is a question asking “Is the project located on lands in public ownership?” Twenty of the 23 projects and programs submitted for ranking, and 10 of the 11 opportunity projects are on public land.
34) For new development and redevelopments (if applicable): Plan identifies design criteria and best management practices to prevent storm water and dry weather runoff pollution and increase effective storm water and dry weather runoff management for new and upgraded infrastructure and residential, commercial, industrial, and public development In 2014, the Cities of Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville, and UC Santa Cruz modified their development plan review procedures to implement the Central Coast PostPage 348 of 965 Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
79 Construction Requirements adopted by the CCRWQCB in July 2013. The PCRs apply to new and redevelopment projects and emphasize protecting and, where degraded, restoring key watershed processes to create and sustain linkages between hydrology, channel geomorphology, and biological health necessary for healthy watersheds.

The PCRs utilize (1) a tiered approach based on the impervious area created or replaced by a proposed project and (2) a geographic component based on the watershed properties of the project location to determine the types of BMP treatment required. The PCR tiers are shown in Table 11 below:

Table 11: PCR Tiers

POST-CONSTRUCTION BMP REQUIREMENT TIERS
Project
Impervious Area
Tier 1
Runoff
Reduction
Requirement
Tier 2
Water Quality
Treatment
Requirement
Tier 3
Runoff
Retention
Requirement
Tier 4
Peak
Management
Requirement
Project Type: Single-Family Homes
< 15,000 SF of net
impervious area
Required Exempt Exempt Exempt
15,000SF –
22,500SF of net
impervious area
Required Required Required Exempt
≥ 22,500 SF of new
and replaced imp.
area
Required Required Required Required
Project Type: all other Regulated Projects
≥ 2,500 SF new and
replaced
impervious area; <
5,000 SF of net
impervious area
Required Exempt Exempt Exempt
5,000 SF net
impervious area; <
Required Required Exempt Exempt

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
80 15,000 SF of new
and replaced imp.
area
15,000 SF – 22,500
SF of new and
replaced imp. area
Required Required Required Exempt
≥ 22,500 SF of new
and replaced
impervious area
Required Required Required Required
For projects subject to Tiers 1 and 2, the same performance requirements apply throughout the municipalities. Tier 1 is a qualitative requirement requiring good site design to minimize runoff and Tier 2 requires onsite retention or treatment of the 85th percentile 24-hour storm. For projects subject to Tiers 3 and 4, performance requirements are also associated with specific Watershed Management Zones (WMZs). In the majority of urban areas, Tier 3 requires onsite retention of the 95th percentile 24-hour storm, and Tier 4 requires that post-development peak flows not exceed pre-project peak flows for a 10-year 24-hr storm event; however, depending on specific WMZs or site conditions, these requirements may be reduced or exempted. A key principle underpinning the WMZs is that every location does not require the same set of storm water mitigation measures, because of intrinsic differences in the key watershed processes at each location and the sensitivity to those processes of the downstream receiving water(s). The urbanized portions of the Central Coast Region are categorized into 10 WMZs, based on common key watershed processes and receiving water type (creek, ocean, lake, etc). Designated Groundwater Basins of the Central Coast Region underlie some but not all WMZs in urbanized portions of the Central Coast Region. Each WMZ and, where present, Groundwater Basin, is aligned with specific performance requirements to address the impacts of development on watershed processes and beneficial uses.

Once applicable BMP requirements have been identified for a site, LID must be incorporated into site design. There are four LID strategies that can be combined together to manage runoff from buildings and other impervious areas:
● Optimize the site layout by preserving natural drainage features and designing buildings and circulation to minimize impervious areas.
● Use pervious surfaces such as turf, gravel, or pervious pavement, or surfaces that retain rainfall such as “green roofs”.
● Disperse runoff from impervious areas to adjacent pervious areas (e.g. downspouts to landscaping)

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
81 ● Use engineered LID BMPs such as bioretention facilities to manage runoff from impervious surfaces.

LID strategies can help improve site design and provide several complementary benefits such as creating more attractive development, reducing irrigation water use, reducing heat island effects, and reducing the need for drainage infrastructure.

The County of Santa Cruz already had existing rigorous post-construction stormwater management requirements prior to the CCRWQCB’s adoption of the Central Coast PCRs and proposed to continue implementation of their pre-existing requirements in lieu of the PCRs as permitted in Resolution R3-2012-0025. This proposal was conditionally approved by the Regional Board in April 2013, contingent on the County updating its existing criteria to include: numeric water quality treatment requirements, biofiltration design parameters, and off-site treatment options.

In compliance with the conditions, the County updated its Design Criteria (available at http://www.dpw.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Portals/19/pdfs/DESIGNCRITERIA.PDF)to include numeric water quality treatment requirements, biofiltration design parameters, and off-site treatment options. At the same time, updates to comply with the source control measures required in the State’s General Permit were also included in this round of updates. The County Board of Supervisors reviewed and approved these updates in February 2014. New project proposals submitted after March 2014 have been subject to the updated criteria.

These criteria require that all projects be designed to maintain predevelopment discharge rates while maintaining predevelopment groundwater recharge rates. Projects that result in an addition or redevelopment of 500-5,000 square feet of impervious area must utilize site design measures in order to qualitatively meet this requirement. Large projects that add or redevelop more than 5,000 square feet of impervious area are required to quantitatively demonstrate maintenance of both the predevelopment 2 year, 2-hour and 10 year, 15-minute discharge rates during the post development 2 and 10 year storms. Mitigation is required to utilize infiltration and retention when technically feasible. When it is technically infeasible to utilize infiltration to maintain the 2 year 2 hour storm biofiltration (and non-retention based systems) may be utilized.

These requirements are uniform for development in all unincorporated areas of the County. This conservative approach was taken because while it is not true everywhere, much of the County is underlain by a groundwater basin, located within a water supply watershed or upstream of an impaired water body or high use beach. The County chose to keep thresholds for mitigation in the County Design Criteria generally lower than those in the CCRWQCB PCRs because of the types

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
82 of development typically seen in the County is of a smaller scale compared to other areas within the Central Coast Region.
35) Plan uses appropriate quantitative methods for prioritization of projects. (This should be accomplished by using a metrics-based and integrated evaluation and analysis of multiple benefits to maximize water supply, water quality, flood management, environmental, and other community benefits within the watershed.)
A project solicitation for the Storm Water Resources Plan was held during the month of June, 2016. Project proponents were allowed to submit their proposals as either “Projects” and “Programs” which are considered nearly ready for funding, or “Opportunities” which are concept level projects. The “Opportunities” were not ranked. The project solicitation application is Attachment II.

Due to the many different project types that could be considered “storm water projects” the ranking method (Table 12) was modified from the IRWM ranking process to favor projects that use a holistic approach to storm water management, and had quantifiable benefits. A subset of the Development Committee which included staff from the County of Santa Cruz, the City of Santa Cruz, Ecology Action, City of Scotts Valley, UCSC and the City of Watsonville then met and reviewed each project. Projects were awarded either full, half, or none of the possible points from each category based on how well the reviewers felt the project met the criteria.

Table 12: Project Ranking Criteria
Santa Cruz Storm Water Resource Plan Project Ranking
Criteria Total
Possible
Is there a clear project description that contains a valid estimate for quantified benefits Clear Description 5
Benefits (acre feet per year, concentration reductions, etc) documented and supported 5 subtotal 10
(Metrics Driven Approach) - Project is based on study or analysis that supports where the proposed project is to be implemented and the expected benefits
Clearly described by project description 10

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83 Readiness to proceed - extent to which project designs, applicable permits, CEQA, etc. have been completed
CEQA Complete 3
CEQA Started 1
Site control established via ownership / agreement / easement 5 Preliminary designs complete 5
Project has funding / commitment for the project, ongoing operations and management 7 subtotal 20
(drinking water augmentation) Project has hydrologic connection to drinking water aquifer (for recharge projects) or provides new supply
Within highly-suitable recharge areas as mapped by the UCSC-MAR study and/or within a very high or high priority infiltration/potential recharge area within an urban boundary as mapped by the Prop 84 study
3 directly offsets existing supply with new potable supply 3 Recharges or increases water supply by an estimated > 100AFY (not cumulative) 4 Recharges or increases water supply by an estimated > 25 AFY (not cumulative) 2 Recharges or increases water supply by an estimated < 25 AFY (not cumulative) 1 Project employs conjunctive use 2
Project employs elements of water conservation or stormwater reuse that offset potable water supplies
2 subtotal 14
Extent to which project enhances watershed processes
(hydromodification) Project measurably reduces runoff volume 3 Project reduces or eliminates dry-weather flows (irrigation run-off) 1 (water quality) project will increase filtration of water through soil and/or vegetation 3 (water quality) project is located within a 303d listed watershed and/or addresses TMDL in the watershed
3 (Water quality) project reduces pollutant loads (i.e. sediment, pathogens, trash, other pollutants) to receiving waterbody or beaches
1 (stream conditions) project increases streamflow or reduces water temperature in receiving waters
3 (habitat) project re-establishes natural drainage 3
(habitat) project restores habitat for T/E or sensitive/special listed species 3 subtotal 20
Project directly benefits a disadvantaged community
Project is located in a DAC 2
Project directly improves water supply reliability for DAC 2

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84 Project reduces flooding or flooding risk in a DAC 2 Project restores/creates green space, parks, open space in DAC 1 Project provides opportunities for education (e.g. environmental, watershed, water conservation education) for DAC residents
1 Project improves water quality that reduces risk to human health for DAC residents (e.g. reduces nitrates in drinking water; reduces FIBs in recreational waters) 2 subtotal 10
Flood Protection
Project reduces flooding or flooding risk 5
subtotal 5
Match commitment (not cumulative)
In-hand match commitment of non-state funds >50% of total project cost 5 In-hand match commitment of non-state funds <50% of total project cost 2 In-hand match commitment of state funds > 50% of project cost 1 subtotal 5
Community
Project creates jobs 1
(recreation) project elements include new opportunities for recreation 1 Project restores/creates green space, parks, open space 1 Project provides opportunities for education (e.g. environmental, watershed, water conservation education)
2 Project improves water quality that reduces risk to human health for residents (e.g. reduces nitrates in drinking water; reduces FIBs in recreational waters) 1 subtotal 6
Total 100
36) Overall: Plan prioritizes projects and programs using a metric-driven approach and a geospatial analysis of multiple benefits to maximize water supply, water quality, flood management, environmental, and community benefits within the watershed.

The SWRP project scoring and prioritization tool was crafted so that projects with multiple benefits and quantifiable results that are in alignment with SWRP priorities would score highest (see scoring criteria in Table 12). Within the SWRP project prioritization scoring tool:
● 15% of points possible are assigned to projects that have documented, quantifiable metrics associated with construction/implementation.
● 14% of all possible points are reserved for projects that have a hydrologic connection to a drinking water aquifer or provide a new supply. Within this priority, the project

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
85 prioritization and scoring tool assigned points to projects that are located within Prop 84 stormwater planning grant-funded LID opportunity maps or Managed Aquifer Recharge maps. As described above, the LID opportunity maps are a result of geo-spatial analysis that identify high-priority areas for LID implementation projects by assigning higher scores for catchment areas where multiple benefits relating to storm water infiltration, improvement of water quality in TMDL listed waterbodies, and flood management are possible from a project. Managed Aquifer Recharge project maps also provide geographical information system (GIS) framework based on hydrologic suitability to help guide the placement of implementation storm water infiltration projects that may result in groundwater recharge of more than 100 Acre-feet/year. ● 20% of all possible points are available for projects that enhance watershed processes, such as reducing runoff volume, reducing or eliminating dry-weather flows (irrigation runoff), and reduction of pollutant loads to receiving water bodies and beaches, among others. 5% of points possible are awarded to projects that reduce flooding. ● 6% of points possible are available to projects that benefit communities by creating jobs, restoring and creating parks and open space, protect public health, or provide opportunities for public watershed education. An additional 10% of points possible are awarded for projects that provide these same benefits within disadvantaged communities as defined by the Department of Water Resources disadvantaged community mapping tool (https://gis.water.ca.gov/app/dacs/).
37) Multiple benefits: Each project in accordance with the Plan contributes to at least two or more Main Benefits and the maximum number of Additional Benefits as listed in Table 4 of the Guidelines. (Benefits are not counted twice if they apply to more than one category.)
The project submittal form (Appendix II) has checkboxes for each of the Main Benefits and the Additional Benefits listed in Table 4 of the Guidelines. The projects were then ranked on their ability to meet multiple benefits - the more benefits achieved, the higher the project will rank.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
86 Implementation Strategy & Schedule
38) Plan identifies resources for Plan implementation, including: 1) projection of additional funding needs and sources for administration and implementation needs; and 2) schedule for arranging and securing Plan implementation financing.

Funding is the primary obstacle in the Santa Cruz Region for implementing many of the projects and programs in this SWRP. Grant sources and funding mechanisms have been utilized to implement projects contained in the IRWM Plan, and will likely be used to fund storm water projects as well. In-kind services play a large role in project implementation, supporting the technical and administrative oversight required by the projects and the grants themselves.

The majority of the project proponents have not yet successfully identified local funding sources to support implementation of their proposed projects. The combined estimated costs of the Projects and Programs within the SWRP is more than $9 million. Most of the projects included within the SWRP were submitted with the recognition that additional funding from sources such as those listed below will be required for implementation. It should also be recognized that statewide from 1995-2010, 84% of water project funding has come from local sources Each implementing organization has a unique set of revenue and financing methods and sources.

This Plan does not provide an exhaustive list of funding sources available. Potential funding sources and their timelines for implementing projects are listed in Table 13, and the funding mechanisms are further described below. Many of the local funding sources require some sort of approval by the ratepayers as specified in Proposition 218.

Table 13: Possible Funding Mechanisms
Funding
Mechanisms
Project/
Program
Implementation
Project
O&M
Certainty & Longevity of
Funding
Timeline
User Rates/User
Fees
X X Dependent upon rate
structure adopted by
project proponents
Ongoing, many jurisdictions are
updating these annually
Capacity/Impact
Fees
X X Dependent upon rate
structure adopted by
project proponents
Currently adopted by Soquel
Creek Water District, other
jurisdictions may choose to
adopt in the future

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
87 Special
Assessments
X X Dependent upon the
ability to demonstrate
direct and unique benefits
to parcels. Once in place
this represents high
certainty of funding.

Dependent on individual
jurisdictions. Some currently in
place, others likely to be
developed in the next 2-5 years.

General or
Capital
Improvement
Funds
X Dependent upon budgets
adopted by project
proponents and
participating agencies
Dependent on individual
jurisdictions. Some currently in
place, others likely to be
developed in the next 2-5 years.

Revenue Bonds X Dependent upon debt
carried by project
proponents, revenue
stream, and bond market
Dependent on individual
jurisdictions. May be developed
in the next 5 years, with
payback over a period of 20-30
years
Local, State, or
Federal Grant
Programs
X Dependent upon future
local, state, and federal
budgets, and success in
application process
Ongoing applications from the
region are submitted annually
to the various funding sources
Low-interest
Loan Programs
X Dependent upon future
local, state, and federal
budgets, and success in
application process
Dependent on individual
jurisdictions. May be developed
in the next 5 years, with
payback over a period of 20-30
years
Private
Philanthropic
Funding
X Dependent on willingness
of donors, and success of
outreach
Ongoing applications from the
region are submitted annually
to the various funding sources
Ratepayer Fees and Users Fees
Ratepayer and user fees provide a source of revenue for a water agency or districts for the operation and maintenance of the water system infrastructure. The fee charged to users typically includes two elements: a fixed cost component for providing service that does not vary depending upon the amount of supplied water, and a variable cost component that is based upon on the amount of water supplied, including the associated costs (e.g., pumping, electrical, treatment costs). Customers typically pay a monthly or bi-monthly fixed rate and a variable rate based on the metered usage.

Tiered water rates have a variable fee increases with water consumption. Rates may also vary in response emergency water shortages, such as droughts. For example, in response to the 2013 –

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
88 2014 drought, user rates at some agencies in the Region have increased in response to water cutbacks and the need to maintain operating revenue. As users conserve more water, the agency generates less revenue based upon decreased water supplied but the operational costs of maintaining the system do not decrease accordingly.

Regional stakeholders understand the need to fully vet projects before passing the costs of projects on to ratepayers in the form of increased water and wastewater rates. Additionally, regional stakeholders have expressed the need for projects designed to address existing water management needs to be economically sustainable given the population and ratepayer base. As such, the certainty of funding for projects which propose rate increases will be largely dependent on the support garnered for the project and ratepayers’ understanding of the project need.

Increases in user rates require approval by ratepayers through an opportunity to protest rate increases, as provided under Proposition 218.

Capacity/Impact Fees
Capacity fees are charged to users who create new or additional demand on water or wastewater systems. They are typically charged per connection. Impact fees can also be charged to offset the costs and/or fund mitigation of other potential impacts such as parks, transportation, drainage, or ecosystem services. The Soquel Creek Water District Water Demand Offset requires development projects to pay a WDO fee equivalent to $55,000 per acre foot of offset. This fee represents the cost of achieving actual water savings for existing customers through retrofits of old inefficient fixtures to new water efficient fixtures.

California law requires that these charges comply with the Impact Fee Mitigation Act (AB1600, Government Code 66000 et seq.), which states that there needs to be nexus between the connection and costs, and that fees should be proportionate to the cost of providing service.

Special Assessments
When a government agency funds a public project that provides a direct and unique benefit to certain parcels, the agency can assess a charge against those parcels as compensation for the benefit. The amount of the assessment is limited by the measurable benefit or increase in value provided to the parcel, and must be approved by a two-thirds majority of voters or a weighted majority of property owners, depending on the type of fee. As the region works to address critical flood management needs, it may benefit from the formation of a Flood Control Zone or a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) comprised of agencies with authority over flood management. The Flood Control Zone or JPA could focus on the creation of drainage areas, flood control zones, and other special assessment areas to support design, construction, and maintenance of flood and stormwater management facilities that would reduce flood hazard for the parcels in that zone.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
89 Groundwater Sustainability Agency Funding
The SWRP boundary contains three GSAs. The agencies are still in their infancy, however it is possible that they will be able to provide funding for storm water projects that benefit groundwater basin sustainability.

General or Capital Improvement Funds
General or capital improvement funds are monies that an agency sets aside to fund general operations and/or facility improvements, upgrades, and at times development. These funds are usually part of the overall revenue stream and may or may not be project specific.

Revenue Bonds
In cases in which large facilities are needed to support current services and future growth, revenue bonds may be issued to pay for new capital. In this way, large facilities can be paid for by bonded debt service at the time of construction with repayment of the debt service over a 20- to 30-year timeframe. This is a preferred approach to paying for high-cost facilities because it avoids the perceived over-collection of fees from past customers that go toward facilities that serve present and future customers. The drawback to bonded debt is that it cannot be accomplished with capacity fees alone due to the variability and uncertainty of new development over time. A user rate is needed as a bond covenant in the event that development fees are not adequate to make the required annual payment for the debt service.

Private Philanthropic Funding
Private funding has been used by non-governmental entities and small districts such as the Resource Conservation District to conduct studies and develop new efforts or fund ecosystem restoration projects. The amount of funding available is generally variable and dependent on numerous factors. Private funding was the primary funding source for the Ecosystem Services Valuation described below.

Payments for Ecosystem Services
Payments for ecosystem services (PES), also known as payments for environmental services (or benefits), are incentives paid in exchange for land management or other activities that provide some sort of ecological service. For example, payments could be made to protect forests that filter and clean source water instead of the more traditional approach of building treatment systems for polluted water. In short, payments for ecosystem services promote the conservation of natural resources using market forces.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
90 The Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County is leading an ecosystem services valuation project entitled, Healthy Lands and Healthy Economies: Demonstrating the Economic Value of Natural Areas and Working Landscapes. This project used the latest advances in natural resource valuation methods and geographic information systems data, this study identified and assigned dollar values to bundles of ecosystem services by land cover type, and it estimated the total asset value of natural system within the County.

Local, State, and Federal Grant Programs
This section describes potential grant programs that may be used to fund, either partially or fully, the projects included in this Plan. Grant programs typically require local matching funds, sometimes as high as 50%. The matching fund requirement demonstrates a local commitment to promoting and completing the study or project. Grant programs that have supported and may be assessed for future funding include the following:

Proposition 1
Proposition 1 (Assembly Bill 1471, Rendon) authorized $7.545 billion in general obligation bonds for water projects including surface and groundwater storage, ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration, and drinking water protection. The most likely sources for storm water project funding are:
● State Water Resources Control Board - Storm Water Grant Program ● Department of Water Resources - IRWM Grant Program
Other State and Federal
● State Water Resources Control Board - Water Recycling Facilities Planning Grant Program ● State Water Resources Control Board - Clean Beaches Initiative Grant Program ● State Water Resources Control Board - Federal 319 Non-Point Source Grant Program ● Regional Water Quality Control Board - Supplemental Environmental Protection (SEP) ● California State Parks Recreational Trails Program
● U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Justice Grants and Cooperative Agreements
● U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Grant Assistance ● U.S. Economic Development Administration Investment Programs ● U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program Low-interest Loan Programs
Several funding agencies provide low-interest loans through a revolving fund program for public water system infrastructure needs specific to drinking water. Low interest loans can provide for significant long-term cost savings by reducing interest payments as compared to traditional

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
91 bonds. Through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan program the SWRCB offers lowinterest loans for wastewater and recycled water projects. CDPH administers the Safe Drinking Water SRF loan program for drinking water-related projects. The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) administers the Infrastructure SRF loan program for financing implementation projects such as sewage collection and treatment, water treatment and distribution, and water supply projects.

The Clean Water SRF program generally has approximately $200 to $300 million available in loans each year to help cities, towns, districts, Native American tribal governments, and any designated and approved management agency under Section 208 of the Clean Water Act to construct publicly-owned facilities including wastewater treatment, local sewers, water reclamation facilities, nonpoint source projects, and development and implementation of estuary comprehensive conservation and management plans. The interest rate is half of the most recent General Obligation (GO) Bond Rate at the time of the funding commitment. In recent years, the Clean Water SRF loan interest rate has ranged from 1.8% to 3.0%. Amounts available through the CDPH Safe Drinking Water SRF loan program vary, but $100 to $200 million is typically available each year. Available loan funding is dependent upon federal appropriations to each program.

Schedule for arranging and securing Plan implementation financing.

The cost to implement the SWRP will require ongoing capital and operating expenditures that require continuing funding sources, in addition to one-time infrastructure investments. Each organization and jurisdiction will need to work collaboratively with regional partners as well as internally with their constituents to find the right balance of funding sources for their needs over time.
39) Plan projects and programs are identified to ensure the effective implementation of the storm water resource plan pursuant to this part and achieve multiple benefits Implementation of the SWRP will happen simultaneously at three different levels: individual project, individual program, and regional programs.

Individual Project
The development and implementation of the individual projects listed in this plan are the responsibility of individual project proponents and their partners. The project proponents are actively working on funding of their projects, looking at all the possibilities listed in section 38.

Individual Programs

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
92 In many cases, the implementation of the SWRP will be incorporated into the individual jurisdictions and organizations existing programs, including MS4 permit compliance. These programs are already effectively meeting their requirements. Below are the ongoing stormwater programs:
● City of Santa Cruz Stormwater Management Program
● City of Scotts Valley Stormwater Management Program
● City of Watsonville Stormwater Management Program
● City of Capitola Stormwater Management Program
● County of Santa Cruz Stormwater Management Program
● UCSC Stormwater Management Program
Regional Programs
Large scale implementation of storm water programs and projects may fall beyond traditional boundaries and require a broad approach. Several mechanisms are in place to allow those projects to move forward through regional collaborations and agreements:
● Storm Water Action Group (SWAG)
● Stormwater Information Network (SIN)
● Integrated Regional Water Management Planning (IRWMP) ● Regional Monitoring Programs including those described in the Water Quality Compliance section above.
40) The Plan identifies the development of appropriate decision support tools and the data necessary to use the decision support tools.

The project ranking system for both the IRWMP and the SWRP were developed as decision support tools for region to prioritize projects and programs. The projects and programs that score the highest are generally those that will have the greatest benefits and are most likely to succeed based on readiness to proceed. The SWRP project ranking criteria are listed above in Table 12 and the IRWMP project ranking information can be found at http://www.santacruzirwmp.org/.

The Central Coast Water Board, Central Coast Low Impact Development Initiative (LIDI), and regional municipalities are developing two tools to support compliance with stormwater quality program assessment and implementation requirements, the BMP RAM and the TELR. Both programs are described for their use in project assessment in the Quantitative Analysis section above. They can also be used as decision support tools as follows:

TELR will be used to generate two pollutant load scenarios for an urban catchment; a “Land Use Load” and a “Current Load”.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
93 ● Land Use Load: A catchment land use load is the baseline estimated average annual load without any stormwater program actions or improvements. The land use load is based solely on land use distribution and unmodified hydrologic connectivity of the catchment to the receiving waters.
● Current Load: The current load is the estimate of the average annual pollutant load with the implementation and assumed effectiveness of stormwater program actions including source control and structural BMP implementation in the catchment for the respective year evaluated.

The difference between the Land Use Load and Current Load is the estimated Load Reduction achieved as a result of the stormwater program for the year and catchment of interest. The catchments with the highest Current Loading Rate per unit area will be the catchments with the potential greatest risk to receiving water quality for the current year. The results of this prioritization will be mapped to simplify communication of priority catchments and to inform proposed program improvements in subsequent permit terms.

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
94 Figure 10: Example of how MS4 catchment pollutant loading results could be mapped using TELR to illustrate the catchments with the greatest potential risk per unit area to the receiving water quality (i.e., purple and red catchments) and priorities for stormwater
The two tools are still in the development and testing process and should be available as decision support tools in FY 2016-17.

An alternate model, the Geosyntec LPR model also discussed in the Quantitative Analysis section above, can also be used as a decision support tool as shown in Figure 11. The LPR model uses the existing, proven Structural BMP Prioritization and Analysis Tool (SBPAT) for BMP siting and prioritization purposes. It does this by quantifying currently pollutant loads, and pollutant load

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
95 reductions achieved by a specific BMP or by a program as a whole. The user inputs watershed and land use data and the model will provide pollutant-specific catchment priority rankings.

Figure 11: Geosyntec catchment prioritization demonstrated for the Goleta area. 41) Plan describes implementation strategy, including:
a) Timeline for submitting Plan into existing plans, as applicable; The SWRP will need to be adopted into relevant Stormwater Permits for all the MS4s, the IRWM Plans, and potentially updates to General Plans and Climate Action Plans. These Plans are all overseen by the same municipalities. Once their governing Boards adopt the Plan, they will begin to get adopted into revisions of existing Plans as they take place:
● SWRP Final Draft completed: December 2016
● Adoption by governing Boards: January – March 2016
● Adoption by RWMGs into IRWM Plans: March 2016 (see Section 42 below) ● Adoption into Storm Water Management Plans, Storm Water Permits, General Plans, and Climate Action Plans: Ongoing as updates are undertaken. b) Specific actions by which Plan will be implemented;

Santa Cruz Storm Water Resources Plan December 2016
96 Firstly, the Plan will be adopted by governing bodies as described above. Many actions described throughout the project, including LID implementation as part of new construction, water quality monitoring, and identification of ideal storm water recharge projects are already being implemented as part of existing storm water programs and grants. For those projects and programs in need of additional funding, project proponents and municipalities will look for funds as described in Section 38 above.
c) All entities responsible for project implementation; Project implementation is the responsibility of the project proponents. Project proponents are listed in Attachment I.
d) Description of community participation strategy;
Community participation is described under Education, Outreach and Public Participation below. e) Procedures to track status of each project;
Project Proponents are responsible for implementing their own projects. The IRWM process offers the mechanism by which project implementation can be tracked, as the RWMG meets regularly and discusses projects.
f) Timelines for all active or planned projects;
Many of the projects do not have a final timeline as they are not yet funded. Once funding is acquired, the timelines can be established.
g) Procedures for ongoing review, updates, and adaptive management of the Plan; This Plan will be reviewed in line with relevant grant funding cycles, to allow for additional project solicitation. At the time of solicitation, the Plan itself will be updated when necessary. h) A strategy and timeline for obtaining necessary federal, state, and local permits.

The programs and projects described in this Plan will be responsible for their own environmental review and for acquiring the necessary permits.
42) Applicable IRWM plan: The Plan will be submitted, upon development, to the applicable integrated regional water management (IRWM) group for incorporation into the IRWM plan.

Upon completion, this Storm Water Resources Plan will be adopted into the Santa Cruz and Pajaro Valley IRWM Plans. Each of the IRWM plans has different approaches for adoption of companion plans. In Santa Cruz, the SWRP would need to be adopted by a majority of the Partner Agencies in the Regional Water Management Group. These agencies are: County of Santa Cruz, City of Santa Cruz, Soquel Creek Water District, Scotts Valley Water District, Resource

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97 Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County Sanitation District, Davenport Sanitation District, City of Watsonville, Central Water District, City of Capitola, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, and City of Scotts Valley.

The Pajaro Region may also choose to adopt this plan. If they do so, they will need approval from their Regional Water Management Group: The Santa Clara Valley Water District, the San Benito County Water District, and the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency.

The time from when the SWRP is approved by the Development Committee, to the adoption by the IRWM steering committees is likely to be 3 months.
43) Plan describes how implementation performance measures will be tracked.

As described below, project-specific tracking and monitoring will be conducted by the project sponsor and reported on an ongoing basis to ensure that projects are implemented as designed and functioning as intended. Results will be communicated to granting agencies, as appropriate, and to a wider stakeholder audience through workshops, posting to various websites, or through other events. Project proponents funded through the SWRP will be responsible for the following project-specific monitoring responsibilities.

1. Prepare project-specific monitoring and quality assurance project plans, as necessary, prior to the start of project construction or implementation.

2. Conduct pre, during, and post-project monitoring in accordance with the project-specific monitoring plan.

3. Ensure that data is recorded and managed according to all local and state requirements (i.e., California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN), California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM), etc).

4. Seek opportunities to integrate, where possible and practical, multi-benefit elements in order to better achieve regional goals.

5. Compile, organize, and provide updated project-specific monitoring information to the RWMG for posting on the website or including in fact sheets.

6. Identify a point person for contact regarding monitoring methods, results, and data.

7. Comply with grant requirements, including submitting project information to the Natural Resources Project Inventory (NRPI), as identified by the funding agency, RWMF, or other organizations.

In line with the IRWM Plan performance assessment, projects will be evaluated with respect to stated performance measures, usually described in a project’s PAEP or similar document. The PAEP will guide monitoring activities that will characterize whether or not the project was implemented according to designs and whether or not it is functioning as intended.

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98 Project-specific monitoring plans shall reflect various grant program guidelines, such as the State Water Resources Control Board’s Stormwater Project Guidelines, and the Department of Water Resources requirements identified in the 2012 IRWM Grant Program Guidelines, which include the following:

1. A description of what is being monitored. Examples include:
a. Water quality: Estimated pollutant load reduction
b. Water supply: Increase in local water supplies
c. Water supply: Amount of water conserved
d. Water supply: Acre-feet water storage and conjunctive management of surface and groundwater resources
e. Climate change mitigation: Megawatt or kilowatt reduction in energy use

2. A description of measures to remedy problems encountered during monitoring.

3. A description of the location of monitoring and monitoring frequency.

4. A description of monitoring protocols and methodologies, and assignment of responsibility for monitoring.

5. A description of what data will be shared with SWRP and IRWM Plan Stakeholders and with what frequency.

6. Identification of the state databases that information will be provided to, and requirements for data submittal.

7. Resources and procedures to ensure the monitoring schedule will be maintained (e.g., identify responsible parties and alternates, and funding for monitoring).

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99 Education, Outreach, Public Participation
44) Outreach and Scoping: Community participation is provided for in Plan implementation.

Providing members of the public opportunities to become informed and engaged is an important element of the required process, as well as the spirit, of the regional framework for storm water management. While the general public is not in a direct decision-making role in project selection and design, individuals are afforded multiple opportunities to review and comment on storm water planning and projects. The SWRP does not stand alone in terms of outreach efforts, and effectively leverages existing efforts to ensure comprehensive outreach for Plan implementation.

The following programs engage stakeholders in stormwater management and project development and form the backbone of community participation in SWRP implementation:
● Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
● County of Santa Cruz Storm water permit
● City of Santa Cruz Storm water permit
● City of Watsonville Storm water permit
● City of Scotts Valley Storm water permit
● City of Capitola Storm water permit
● Resource conservation District storm water programs
● Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency (MGA).
● UCSC
45) Plan describes public education and public participation opportunities to engage the public when considering major technical and policy issues related to the development and implementation.

Major technical and policy changes related to storm water, and part of this plan, will require a public process through several means:

1. Public education and community involvement are both included in the project submittal form to the Plan. While not a required component to be included in the Plan, it does affect the ranking.

2. Nonprofits submitting projects engage their community about projects. This is especially important if the 50% match requirement is being provided by donations

3. Schools including UCSC and Cabrillo involve students in their work

4. Agencies that submit projects will need approval from their governing bodies to approve the funding request, which always takes place at public meetings, and results are part of the public records.

5. Large policy decisions will need to be approved by at least one governing agency, and may require a public hearing for approval.

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46) Plan describes mechanisms, processes, and milestones that have been or will be used to facilitate public participation and communication during development and implementation of the Plan.

Communication during Plan development was facilitated through outreach events in 2015 and 2016 as discussed in Section 14 above. Mechanisms and processes for public participation for Plan implementation include:
● Existing outreach events such as Earth Day and the County Fair ● Existing stormwater programs
● Project specific development, solicitation, implementation and outreach including signage.
● Comment period on the draft
● Ongoing special talks or workshops held by Development Committee members Milestones include
● Updating the Plan through project solicitations
● Meeting the goals outlined in the MS4 permits
● Implementing projects that achieve multiple benefits
47) Plan describes mechanisms to engage communities in project design and implementation.

Benefits of storm water projects are often fairly localized to one neighborhood. Thus, it is appropriate for the entity doing the design and implementation to be leading the effort to seek and apply community input on individual projects in the communities that will be impacted by them. The mechanism by which this is measured is the project submittal form to the SWRP, which includes a question about community involvement and benefit. Additionally, as discussed in the Organization, Coordination, and Collaboration section of this Plan, non-profit organization and agencies are already engaged in the process. They provide an avenue to public education and participation for this process through their own community engagement efforts as well. 48) Plan identifies specific audiences including local ratepayers, developers, locally regulated commercial and industrial stakeholders, nonprofit organizations, and the general public.

The following audiences will be notified when relevant stormwater outreach efforts are taking place:
● Developers/Contractors – The Development Team already has a list of local developers and contractors who work in the storm water field. A workshop was held in 2015 in Watsonville called “Calming the Storm” to inform developers and contractors about local

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storm water regulations. Based on that workshop, a listserve was developed, and an enewsletter is sent when appropriate. ● Ratepayers - The water agencies in the SWRP boundary have been engaged with the SWRP development process. When appropriate, a bill insert can be included in their regular mailers.
● Commercial and industrial – Commercial and industrial stakeholders are usually drawn in to storm water management issues through the local permitting process. ● Nonprofit organizations – Section 17 above has a list of local nonprofits who are engaged in storm water management and/or project development.
● General Public - The MS4s in the SWRP boundary have their own outreach methods for targeting the general public which range from meetings, to permits, to informational signs.
● Groundwater Sustainability Agencies – Members of the Development Committee regularly attend GSA meetings and can keep the Board members up to date. 49) Plan describes strategies to engage disadvantaged and climate vulnerable communities within the Plan boundaries and ongoing tracking of their involvement in the planning process.

The 2015 IRWM Implementation Guidelines define Disadvantaged Community (DACs) as communities with an annual median household income (MHI) that is less than 80% of the Statewide MHI (PRC §75005 (g)). The U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) data is the source of estimates of MHI for use in determining if a community is a DAC. Using the ACS data for the 5‐year period of 2009‐2013, the Statewide MHI is $61,094 and 80% of the Statewide MHI is $48,875. Based upon the MHI criteria, the proposed project serving much of the City of Santa Cruz water service area including UCSC, Beach Flats, Live Oak and the neighborhood around the harbor, the community of Davenport, and the City of Watsonville provide benefits to DACs.

Efforts to engage and assist DACs are underway through the IRWM process. The development team for the SWRP includes many of the same organizations as the IRWM DAC outreach, who will incorporate storm water management into the efforts Vulnerability is the susceptibility of a community to harmful impacts resulting from climate change. The most likely areas of risk in local communities is water supply, sea level rise, and flooding. The local climate change projections suggest longer and drier summers, an increased frequency of droughts, increased evapotranspiration rates, and reduced groundwater recharge.

These projected changes will exacerbate current water supply issues and reduce the reliability of the local water sources to meet demand. Global climate change projections include expected increases in sea level in the Santa Cruz region. Increased sea level elevation will increase the boundary elevation at the terminus of coastal streams, resulting in an increase of the flooding

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risk for coastal low lying areas. Statewide models predict an increased frequency of intense winter precipitation events, which will also increase the risk of flooding in Santa Cruz.

Although rising sea levels will impact the entire California coast, a disproportionate number of people and infrastructure will be vulnerable to sea level rise in the Santa Cruz Region. Based on population at risk, Santa Cruz County was identified as having the second highest flood-related risk and the fourth highest erosion-related risk of the 20 coastal counties, representing nearly a 100% increase in risk from existing conditions. The study also found a disproportionate impact on low-income households in 13 of the 20 coastal counties. These households are less likely than their counterparts to be able to afford emergency preparedness materials, purchase insurance policies, and obtain needed building reinforcements. In Santa Cruz County, the study estimates that approximately 30% of households are low-income, and of these households nearly 50% are vulnerable to sea level rise impacts.

The consequences of coastal storm events to people, infrastructure, and the economy will continue to increase as sea level increases. Some climate models predict that extreme storm events will become more common and high sea level events will last longer, increasing the potential for damage. In addition, more intense river flooding due to climate change compounded with sea level rise could lead to more extreme flooding and erosion events for coastal communities. As demonstrated by the previous El Nino events, existing coastal armoring will likely not always be able to protect against projected sea level rise.

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Figure 12: Coastal Flood Risk Area
Strategies that can reduce the potential impact of climate change include the following:
● Develop alternative/supplemental water supplies that will reduce groundwater overdraft and extraction of dry season streamflow.
● Increase potential to capture, store and utilize winter precipitation, runoff and streamflow
● Increase stormwater capture and infiltration where appropriate. ● Increase use of recycled water
● Increase decentralized greywater reuse systems where appropriate ● Increase water use efficiency
● Utilize more drought tolerant landscaping and crops to reduce irrigation demand

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Through the SWRP, Projects that benefit DAC communities and address the climate vulnerabilities, including those listed in the strategies above, will rank higher. Success will be tracked through the implementation of projects.
50) Plan describes efforts to identify and address environmental injustice needs and issues within the watershed.

California Code defines environmental justice (EJ) as the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Historically, disadvantaged communities and communities of color throughout the nation have been disproportionately burdened through land use policies, zoning, and related activities (i.e., pollution, industrial facilities, waste disposal sites) that have adversely impacted their neighborhoods and environment and in turn their health and well-being. Identifying economically Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) and EJ stakeholders is a critical initial step in ensuring that the RWMG and project proponents can facilitate and enable these communities and their representatives to participate in planning efforts and have a say in decisions that will affect them.

In developing the Santa Cruz region’s 2014 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Plan, the RWMG reviewed the Department of Water Resources (DWR) DAC mapping tool and the American Community Survey data (2006-2010) to identify potential communities. The California Public Resources Code define economically disadvantaged communities as those with a median household income (MHI) less than 80 percent of the state MHI. The U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) data is the source of estimates of MHI for use in determining if a community is a DAC. Using the ACS data for the 5‐year period of 2009‐2013, the Statewide MHI is $61,094 and 80% of the Statewide MHI is $48,875. While the MHI in Santa Cruz County is higher than the statewide MHI, there are local communities that meet the DAC criteria. The City of Watsonville (population 53,628) had a MHI of $46,603 in 2012.

Watsonville comprises almost 19% of the total population of the county (274,176). Within the City of Santa Cruz’s water service area there are 34,399 residents residing in DACs, this represents 36% of the total population (95,244) served. The coastal community of Davenport and other census tracts that meet the DAC designation are scattered throughout the County.

Ongoing efforts have been made to identify DACs in the region and to engage them in the IRWM planning process. Targeted outreach has occurred over the past decade in the communities of Watsonville and Davenport. In 2013, Santa Cruz was one of seven IRWM regions in the state awarded an IRWM Planning Grant for Disadvantaged Community Outreach.

As part of this effort, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water (EJCW) in conjunction with the University of California at Davis (UCD) Center for Regional Change (CRC) mapped socially vulnerable communities. In 2014, EJCW conducted outreach to engage key DAC community contacts to empower and engage DACs in the IRWM planning process. This included conducting

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community outreach by convening working groups of interested community members to participate in meetings, and interviews or discussions to identify and evaluate water resource needs and priorities.

DACs in the Santa Cruz Region are represented by water supply, sanitation, and resource agency members of the RWMG. These members receive communications regarding IRWM activities and provide updates to their respective governing boards and councils in public forums about IRWM projects and planning efforts. Participation from staff of the City of Santa Cruz, City of Watsonville Public Utilities and the Davenport County Sanitation District in the RWMG have effectively worked to ensure that these communities’ needs are included among the IRWM Plan’s strategies and projects.

Watsonville, Santa Cruz and Davenport have all benefitted from IRWM funding for planning and implementation projects, including, the rehabilitation of drinking water supply wells in Santa Cruz (2016), modernizing a drinking water treatment facility in Davenport (2013), and 17 projects to restore and enhance habitat and improve water quality in Watsonville Sloughs (2008 – 2013). In 2017, the Santa Cruz IRWM region will participate in the Proposition 1 funded Disadvantaged Community Involvement program to further assess the needs of DACs in region to inform project planning and future project implementation to address these needs. 51) Plan includes a schedule for initial public engagement and education.

Below is the schedule for public engagement and education related to storm water and the SWRP for 2016-2018:
● Summer (2016): Project submittal and ranking to SWRP
● Fall (2016): SWRP Draft available for public review
● Winter (2016/17): Individual agency education and outreach related to local storm water permits
● Spring (2017): Project-specific outreach by project proponents to their constituents to develop projects for submittal to Plan
● Summer (2017): Project submittal and ranking to SWRP
● Winter (2017/18): Individual agency education and outreach related to local storm water permits
● Spring (2018): Project-specific outreach by project proponents to their constituents to develop projects for submittal to Plan
● Summer (2018): Project submittal and ranking to SWRP

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References
Balance Hydrologics, June 2012, Suspended Sediment and Bed Monitoring for Bean and Valencia Creeks Including Bed Monitoring at Zayante Creek, Santa Cruz County, California:

Water Year 2011, prepared for Santa Cruz County Environmental Health.

California Stormwater Quality Association Effectiveness Assessment https://www.casqa.org/effectiveness_assessment
California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region, 2013. Technical Support Document for Post-Construction Stormwater Management Requirements for Development Projects in the Central Coast Region.

CCLEAN. 2011. Monitoring and Mitigation to Address Fecal Pathogen Pollution along California Coast. Prop 50 Coastal Management Program. California State Water Board Agreement No. 06- 076-553. Prepared by Applied Marine Sciences, Inc. University of California Davis, California Department of Fish and Game - Marine Wildlife and Veterinary Care and Research Center under the auspices of Central Coast Long-term Environmental Assessment Program.

Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/
Central Coast Region TMDL Projects
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/water_issues/programs/tmdl/303d_and_tmdl_p rojects.shtml
Central Coast Low Impact Development Initiative
http://www.centralcoastlidi.org/
City of Capitola, City of Santa Cruz, City of Scotts Valley, City of Watsonville, County of Santa Cruz, 2015. Wasteload Allocation Attainment Program for Watersheds in Santa Cruz County.

City of Santa Cruz Water Department, 2016. 2015 Urban Water Management Plan. http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/departments/water/2015-urban-water-mgmt-plan Corwin, E., 2014. Technical Summary Letter Low Impact Development Opportunity Analysis in the Monterey Bay Region. Fall Creek Engineering.

County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health Service, April 1, 2010, Water Quality Monitoring Report, Clean Beach Initiative Project, Capitola Esplanade

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County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health Services, July 2012, Dry Weather Diversion at San Lorenzo River Pump Stations #1B and #3,Water Quality Monitoring Results 2007-2011, prepared for the City of Santa Cruz
County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, 2006, Assessment of Sources of Bacterial Contamination at Santa Cruz County Beaches,
http://sccounty01.co.santacruz.ca.us/eh/environmental_water_quality/2006SCBeachWaterQu alityReport.pdf
Department of Water Resources. 20 x 2020 Water Conservation Plan. 2010 Geosyntec Consultants. New Pollutant Load, Prioritization, and Reduction Model for California. 2016. https://www.geosyntec.com/centralcoastbmploadmodel Hager, J. Watson, F., Le, and Olsen, B. 2004. Watsonville Sloughs Pathogen Problems & Sources.

The Watershed Institute, California State University Monterey Bay and University of California Irvine, Publication No. WI-2004-06.

Johnson, N. 2015. San Lorenzo Valley Water District 2010 Urban Water Management Plan. http://www.slvwd.com/pdf/2010%20UWMP%20Final/SLVWD2010%20UWMPFinal%20August %202015.pdf
Kennedy Jenks Consultants, 2016. 2015 Urban Water Management Plan. Prepared for Scotts Valley Water District. http://svwd.org/sites/default/files/documents/reports/SVWD-UWMPDRAFT051616.pdf Regional Water Management Foundation, 2014. Santa Cruz Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.

Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, 2016. Distributed Stormwater Collection and Managed Aquifer Recharge. http://rcdsantacruz.org/managed-aquifer-recharge Russo, T.A., Fisher, A.T., Lockwood, B.S. Assessment of Managed Aquifer Recharge Site Suitability Using a GIS and Modeling. Ground Water. 2015 May-Jun;53(3):389-400 Schmidt, R., Lozano, S., Robins, J., Schwartz, A., Batker, D., 2015. Nature’s Value in Santa Cruz County. Earth Economics, Tacoma, WA & the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, Capitola, CA.

Soquel Creek Water District, 2016. Urban Water Management Plan 2015. http://www.soquelcreekwater.org/planning-our-water-future/2015-urban-water-managementplan

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Technical Memorandum: Water Quality Monitoring in the San Lorenzo River Watershed, 2014, Prepared for: San Lorenzo River Alliance, Water Quality Working Group, Prepared by: Armand Ruby, Technical Director, Coastal Watershed Council, June 3, 2015 Attachment I: SWRP Ranked Projects
Attachment II: SWRP Project Submittal Form
Attachment III: Wasteload Allocation Attainment Program for Watersheds in Santa Cruz County
Attachment IV: Technical Summary Letter Low Impact
Development Opportunity Analysis in the Monterey Bay Region

SANTA CRUZ INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
2019 Addendum Appendix F
APPENDIX F: SANTA CRUZ INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER
MANAGEMENT PROPOSITION 1 IMPLEMENTATION GRANT

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

Version 2.0 Page 1 of 4
Project
Title:

New IRWM project Update to a project already submitted to the IRWM Plan Project to be included in the Stormwater Resources Plan (SWRP) Project
Proponent:

Contact Name: e: Title:

E-mail: Telephone:

Project
Partners:

Functional Area(s) Water Supply Flood and Stormwater Management addressed by Project: Water Quality Watershed Stewardship/Aquatic Ecosystems Project Description: Provide a brief description of the proposed work (2000 character limit)

SANTA CRUZ INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT
PROPOSITION 1 IRWM IMPLEMENTATION & SWRP SOLICITATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM
This submittal is for a:
(check all that apply)

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

Check box if the proposed project:

Responds to climate change
Contributes to regional water self-reliance
Note: Eligible projects must yield multiple benefits and include one or more of the following elements (Water Code §79743 (a - j))
ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES (check all that apply)
Water reuse and recycling for non-potable reuse and direct and indirect potable reuse Water-use efficiency and water conservation
Local and regional surface and underground water storage, including groundwater aquifer cleanup or recharge projects
Regional water conveyance facilities that improve integration of separate water systems Watershed protection, restoration, and management projects, including projects that reduce the risk of wildfire or improve water supply reliability Stormwater resource management, including, but not limited to, the following:
• Projects to reduce, manage, treat, or capture rainwater or stormwater • Projects that provide multiple benefits such as water quality, water supply, flood control, or open space
• Decision support tools that evaluate the benefits and costs of multi-benefit stormwater projects
• Projects to implement a stormwater resource plan developed in accordance with Part 2.3 (commencing with Section 10560) of Division 6 including Water Code § 10562 (b)(7) Conjunctive use of surface and groundwater storage facilities Water desalination projects
Decision support tools to model regional water management strategies to account for climate change and other changes in regional demand and supply projections Improvement of water quality, including drinking water treatment and distribution, groundwater and aquifer remediation, matching water quality to water use, wastewater treatment, water pollution prevention, and management of urban and agricultural runoff Regional projects or programs as defined by the IRWM Planning Act (Water Code §10537)

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

Does the project address critical water-related needs in the Santa Cruz IRWM Region by meeting any/all goals and objectives of the Santa Cruz IRWM Plan? Note: DWR guidelines in the Proposal Solicitation Package state that projects that address one or more of the goals and objectives in an IRWM plan will be considered to meet a critical need. (Check all that apply)
The Santa Cruz IRWM Plan goals are to:

Provide a safe, reliable, and affordable water supply to meet current and expected regional demand without causing undesirable environmental impacts.

Maintain and improve regional surface and groundwater quality to protect beneficial uses.

Improve the condition of riparian and aquatic ecosystems to support the native species, watershed functions, and regional water needs.

Reduce flood hazards and manage stormwater runoff through economical policies and projects that enhance natural hydrologic function and protect communities.

The Santa Cruz IRWM Plan objectives are to:

Ensure a reliable and sustainable local water supply through strategies that diversify the supply portfolio, develop production from alternative/supplemental sources, protect and enhance surface and ground water, protect against seawater intrusion, and maximize efficient delivery and use.

Reduce water demand as technically and economically feasible, particularly in relation to the cost of additional sources.

Reduce the sources of harmful pollutants (i.e., sediment, bacteria, nitrate, persistent organics and other toxic constituents) and their impacts on aquatic resources.

Increase the habitat quality and quantity of critical aquatic ecosystems (e.g., streams, tidal wetlands and fresh water wetlands).

Implement integrated flood management strategies that reduce hazards and impacts from floods and, where feasible, provide multi-benefits (e.g., improve stormwater quality, ecosystem benefits, Low Impact Development (LID) / redevelopment and groundwater recharge).

For construction projects, will the project have a lifecycle benefit of at least 15 years? Yes No
CEQA, Permits: Will all CEQA documentation be completed and certified (if applicable) and any permits acquired that are necessary to begin construction within six months of Final Awards (estimated early spring 2020)? Yes No Uncertain. If uncertain, provide additional information below.

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

Estimated Total Project Cost: Grant Request:

Can the 50% match requirement be met1? If not, describe further. Match requirement for a project benefiting a Disadvantaged Community (DAC) may be waived or reduced.

Source of Match: Local Federal In-Kind Other Undetermined Certainty of Match:

Statewide Priorities: Does the project address one or more of the Statewide Priorities as identified in CA Water Action Plan and DWR Prop1 IRWM Grant Program Guidelines? If so, identify which priorities are addressed. (See attached table for more detailed descriptions) Make conservation a California way of life
Increase regional self-reliance and integrated water management across all levels of government Achieve the co-equal goals for the delta
Protect and restore important ecosystems
Manage and prepare for dry periods
Expand water storage capacity and improve groundwater management Provide safe water for all communities
Increase flood protection
Increase operational and regulatory efficiency
Identify sustainable and integrated financing opportunities Does the project benefit Disadvantaged Communities2? Yes No If yes, describe how. 1 Costs incurred after January 1, 2015 can be used as local cost share; in-kind services may also be used for local cost share. 2 Refer to DWR’s DAC mapping tool https://gis.water.ca.gov/app/dacs/; contact RWMF staff for additional informational

SANTA CRUZ INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
2019 Addendum Appendix E
APPENDIX G: SANTA CRUZ INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER
MANAGEMENT PROPOSITION 1 IMPLEMENTATION GRANT

SUPPLEMENTAL PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

Version 2.0 Page 1 of 7
Project
Title:

New IRWM project Update to a project already submitted to the IRWM Plan Project to be included in the Stormwater Resources Plan (SWRP) Project
Proponent:

Contact Name: e: Title:

E-mail: Telephone:

Project
Partners:

Functional Area(s) Water Supply Flood and Stormwater Management addressed by Project: Water Quality Watershed Stewardship/Aquatic Ecosystems

1. Does the project address critical water-related needs in the Santa Cruz IRWM Region by meeting high and medium priority goals and objectives of the Santa Cruz IRWM Plan? Note: DWR guidelines in the Proposal Solicitation Package state that projects that address one or more of the goals and objectives in an IRWM plan will be considered to meet a critical need.

Check all that apply – “H” denotes a high priority, “M” a medium priority in the 2014 IRWM Plan.

Objective 1: Ensure a reliable and sustainable local water supply through strategies that diversify the supply portfolio, develop production from alternative sources, protect and enhance surface and ground water, and maximize efficient delivery and use.

H - Develop or increase production from alternative sources H - Increase production from existing resources
H - Implement system interties
H - Construct and maintain groundwater recharge facilities M - Update and/or replace aging water resource infrastructure M - Remove impervious coverage in recharge zones
M - Implement Low Impact Development (LID) and/or LID redevelopment

SANTA CRUZ INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT
PROPOSITION 1 IRWM IMPLEMENTATION GRANT

SANTA CRUZ SUPPLEMENTAL PROJECT INFORMATION FORM
This submittal is for a:
(check all that apply)

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

Objective 2: Reduce per-capita water demand
H - Implement tiered rates and/or conservation pricing
H - Conduct education and/or outreach to increase use and effectiveness of conservation strategies H - Implement water neutral growth policies
M - Implement temporary use restrictions
M - Implement rebate and/or retrofit programs
Objective 3: Reduce the sources of pollutants and their impacts on aquatic resources H - Implement rural road improvements and maintenance
H - Implement BMPs related to timber harvest activities H - Implement erosion control / sediment capture BMPs for row crops / vineyard / orchards H - Implement urban and agricultural fertilizer and irrigation management measures H - Conduct septic system upgrades and/or maintenance
H - Conduct sewer system upgrades and/or maintenance
H - Conduct private property sewer lateral upgrades and maintenance H - Relocate groundwater pumping from coastal zone to reduce potential for seawater intrusion H - Reduce groundwater extractions to address seawater intrusion H - Implement urban and agricultural irrigation management and water conservation programs M - Restore riparian zone to increase shading and ability to improve water quality M - Remove homeless encampments that impact riparian zones/aquatic resources M - Conduct effective street sweeping
M - Clean and maintain sewer and storm drain infrastructure M - Create livestock exclusion areas in riparian zone
M - Implement livestock waste management BMPs

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

Objective 4: Increase the habitat quality and quantity of critical aquatic ecosystems, including streams and wetlands.

H - Reduce withdrawals and increase base flow to achieve streamflow targets H - Identify and eliminate illegal stream diversions
H - Restore natural stream form and function
H - Restore riparian zone through acquisitions or easements H - Reduce riparian encroachment
H - Erosion and sediment control
H - Restore lagoon /wetland structure and biotic habitat complexity M - Preserve or enhance LWD in streams and riparian zone M - Conduct non-native species removal
M - Conduct native and/or beneficial revegetation
M - Implement fish passage barrier removal or retrofit projects M - Promote natural sand bar function
M - Conduct education / outreach / technical training programs M - Conduct volunteer stewardship program
M - Support environmental education programs for schoolchildren M - Reduce illegal dumping
Objective 5: Implement integrated flood management strategies that reduce hazards and impacts from floods and, where feasible, provide multiple benefits.

H - Utilize riparian zones for flood management through acquisition or easement H - Maintain and improve levee conditions for flood management and environmental quality H - Implement geomorphic modifications
H - Increase channel width and floodplain function
H - Reduce or eliminate constrictions
H - Maintain storm drain conveyance efficiency
H - Conduct infrastructure improvements and maintenance

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

H - Reduce directly connected impervious area
H - Implement low-impact development
M - Conduct environmentally-sensitive vegetation management M - Conduct educational programs for stormwater management techniques and opportunities

2. Resource Management Strategies identified in the California Water Plan (waterplan.water.ca.gov).

Please check all applicable.

REDUCE WATER DEMAND
Agricultural Water Use Efficiency
Urban Water Use Efficiency

IMPROVE FLOOD MANAGEMENT
Flood Management

IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND TRANSFERS
Conveyance - Regional / local
System Reoperation
Water Transfers

INCREASE WATER SUPPLY
Conjunctive Management & Groundwater Storage
Desalination – Brackish and Seawater
Precipitation Enhancement
Recycled Municipal Water
Surface Storage – Regional/Local

IMPROVE WATER QUALITY
Drinking Water Treatment and Distribution
Groundwater Remediation / Aquifer Remediation
Matching Water Quality to Use
Pollution Prevention

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

Salt and Salinity Management
Urban Runoff Management

PRACTICE RESOURCES STEWARDSHIP
Agricultural Lands Stewardship
Ecosystem Restoration
Forest Management
Land Use Planning and Management
Recharge Area Protection
Sediment Management*
Watershed Management

PEOPLE & WATER
Economic Incentives (Loans, Grants, and Water Pricing)
Outreach and Engagement*
Water and Culture*
Water-Dependent Recreation

OTHER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Crop Idling
Dew Vaporization
Fog Collection
Irrigated Land Retirement
Rainfed Agriculture
Waterbag Transport
* Denotes Resource Management Strategies added from the California Water Plan 2013 Update

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

3. Climate Change Adaptation
a) Does your project contribute to climate change adaptation? If so, what climate change vulnerabilities in the region does your project respond to, specifically? (See Chapter 18 of the IRWM Plan for a description of vulnerabilities in the region.) Please describe how, and to what extent. b) Does your project consider the effects of sea level rise on water supply conditions and identify suitable adaptation measures?
c) Does the project take into consideration changes in the amount, intensity, timing, quality and variability of runoff and recharge?

SANTA CRUZ IRWM - PROP 1 IMPLEMENTATION

PRELIMINARY PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

4. Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs)
a) Please describe the extent to which your project will help reduce GHGs, compared to project alternatives. To assist you in estimating GHG emissions, you may use the California Emissions Estimator Tool (CalEEMod): http://www.caleemod.com/.
b) If appropriate, describe the extent to which the project will help the region reduce GHGs over the next 20 years.
c) To what extent will the project help reduce energy consumption, especially the energy embedded in water use, and ultimately reduce GHG emissions?

Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 011122 1
RESOLUTION NO.__________ (CM)

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

WATSONVILLE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR,

NEGOTIATE, AND EXECUTE A GRANT AGREEMENT AS THE LOCAL

PROJECT SPONSOR WITH THE SANTA CRUZ INTEGRATED

REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT GROUP, FOR THE ATKINSON

LANE INTEGRATED FLOOD MANAGEMENT AND WATERSHED
RESTORATION PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $545,0000;

AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANGER TO EXECUTE

SAME, AND IF AWARDED, APPROPRIATING SUCH FUNDS TO THE

SPECIAL GRANTS FUND
WHEREAS, the City of Watsonville is a collaborating member agency in the Santa Cruz Integrated Regional Water Management Group.

WHEREAS, through this participation the City has had opportunities to apply for and be awarded funding for priority projects located throughout the City; and WHEREAS, the City of Watsonville is partnering with Watsonville Wetlands Watch and MidPen Housing to apply for a Santa Cruz Integrated Regional Water Management Proposition 1, Round 2 Implementation Project for the Atkinson Lane Integrated Flood Management and Watershed Restoration Project in the amount of $545,000, in order to improve and minimize localized flooding in the City;
WHEREAS, the proposed project will be built within the Atkinson Wetland complex that lies between two housing developments that are designated as affordable housing developments for farmworkers and others with supportive housing needs, including those transitioning from homelessness;
WHEREAS, the location of the proposed project adjacent to this housing development provides a unique opportunity to engage the local youth and the Watsonville community in the enhancement of the wetlands complex in support of the project outcomes, while providing much needed flood risk reduction and water quality benefits to the surrounding;

Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 011122 2
WHEREAS, the City doesn’t have a match requirements for this grant. The fund, if awarded, would be appropriated to the Special Grants Fund and reimbursed by Santa Cruz Integrated Regional Management Group; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:

1. Approval of the grant application is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. and the CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 15000 et. seq.) because approval of a grant application is not a “project” that may cause a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. If approval of the grant application is determined to be subject to review under CEQA, it is exempt under the “common sense” exception (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15061(b)(3)) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this action may have a significant effect on the environment. Approval of the grant application is also categorically exempt pursuant to Class 6 (Information Collection) Categorical exemption (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15306).

2. That the City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to apply, negotiate, execute, a grant agreement as a Local Project Sponsor with the Santa Cruz Integrated Regional Water Management Group for the Atkinson Lane Integrated Flood Management and Watershed Restoration Project in the amount of $545,000.

3. That the City Manager of the City of Watsonville is hereby authorized and directed, if said Grant is awarded, to appropriate $545,000 to the Special Grants Fund [0260].
**************************************

1/11/2023 7:35:43 PM
C:\Program Files\eSCRIBE\TEMP\19353827453\19353827453,,,Report - Raimi and Assoc 5th Contract Amendment.docx Agenda Report
MEETING DATE: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
TO: City Council
FROM: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MERRIAM
THROUGH: CITY MANAGER MENDEZ
SUBJECT: FIFTH AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT WITH RAIMI & ASSOCIATES

TO REALLOCATE BUDGETED TASKS FOR THE COMPLETION

OF THE DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN AND

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Based on information gleaned from the Initial Study for the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan, an amendment to the Scope of Work is required to move funding between tasks within the existing contracted scope of work. In addition, staff is requesting the allocation of $35,135 to the Downtown Specific Plan account to cover the entire cost of the contract.

BACKGROUND:

On October 23, 2018, the City executed a Consultant Services Contract through Resolution No. 168-18 (CM) for the completion of the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan and Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan EIR.

On June 9, 2020, the City Council approved a Contract amendment to increase the Scope of Services and Budget from $814,336 to $889,334, but did not allocate funding for the increased budget.

On June 14, 2021, the Contract was amended a second time that extended the contract through June 30, 2023.

On February 22, 2022, the Contract was amended to reallocate funds between tasks outlined in the Specific Plan Scope of Work, with no increase to the overall Specific Plan budget.

On June 2, 2022, a Fourth Amendment to the Contract was approved by the City Manager Pro Tempore to replace Keith Higgins with Kimley-Horn and Associates to conduct the traffic analysis for the Specific Plan EIR. This modification was necessary because Keith Higgins had retired and was unable to provide these services.

1/11/2023 7:35:43 PM
C:\Program Files\eSCRIBE\TEMP\19353827453\19353827453,,,Report - Raimi and Assoc 5th Contract Amendment.docx DISCUSSION:

This proposed Fifth Amendment to the Consultant Contract for the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan proposes to allocate contingency funding to specific tasks as outlined below.

This proposal takes into consideration that the Consultant Team have expended additional budget over the original anticipated level of effort for the Specific Plan. The use of contingency funding to cover Consultant Time will not increase the overall budget approved by the City Council for the project.

Because the Downtown Specific Plan project is coming to a close at the end of FY 2022- 2023, staff recommends that the City Council authorize and direct the City Manager to approve any future modifications to the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan (DWSP) Scope of Work so long as the modifications do not include an increase to the overall contract amount of $889,334.

The funding for the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan has come from one main source, a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Planning Grant that was issued to the City in 2019.

The grant award expired in June 2022. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the DWSP project fell behind the original timeline by several months, and the City had to forfeit $24,731 in grant funds.

In addition to the loss of grant funding from the Sustainable Communities Grant, a contract amendment in 2020 increased the Raimi contract from $720,000 to $889,334 but did not allocate funding to cover the increased amount. Staff has been able to cover much of the increase through a separate grant fund, however the account is short $34,134.50, and therefore staff requests an allocation of this amount from the General Fund to complete the DWSP.

The following Table shows all funding allocated to the DWSP as well as the gap in funding due to the increase in the original contract amount from 2020 and the loss of $24,731 from the Caltrans Sustainable Communities Grant.

1/11/2023 7:35:43 PM
C:\Program Files\eSCRIBE\TEMP\19353827453\19353827453,,,Report - Raimi and Assoc 5th Contract Amendment.docx Funding
Source
Total
Allocation
Amount Spent Amount
Remaining
Caltrans
Sustainable
Communities
Grant
$500,625.00 $475,894.04 $0
SB 2 Grant (for
EIR)
$160,000.00 $60,113.75 $99,886.25
LEAP Grant $150,000.00 $42,258.57 $107,741.43
General Fund $43,574.00 $43,574 $0
Total: $854,199.50 $621,840.36 $207,741.43
Total Contract
Amount
$889,334.00
Difference: $35,134.50
CEQA:

The modification of tasks and appropriation of funding for the completion of the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), in that adopting a Resolution approving the Contract amendment with Raimi and Associates does not meet CEQA's definition of a “project,” because the action does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and because the action constitutes organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.

STRATEGIC PLAN:

The approval of this contract amendment supports Goal 4 (Economic Development) of the Strategic Plan as reallocations of tasks within the existing contract will provide funding for remaining tasks to be completed.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

Approval of the Fifth Amendment to the Consultant Contract will require an appropriation of $35,134.50 from the General Fund, account number 0150-901-7361-14487.

ALTERNATIVE ACTION:

No reasonable alternatives are known at this time.

ATTACHMENTS AND/OR REFERENCES (If any):

None

Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 011723 1
RESOLUTION NO.__________ (CM)

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

WATSONVILLE APPROVING FIFTH AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT

BETWEEN THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE AND RAIMI & ASSOCIATES,

INC, REALLOCATING BUDGETED TASKS FOR THE COMPLETION OF

THE DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN AND DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR), WITHOUT ANY
MODIFICATION TO THE CONTRACT AMOUNT; AUTHORIZING THE
APPROPRIATION OF $35,135 FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER THE ENTIRE CONTRACT AMOUNT; AND AUTHORIZING AND

DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SAME
WHEREAS, on October 23, 2018, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 168-18 (CM) awarding a Contract for Consultant Services to Raimi and Associates, Inc., for the completion of the Downtown Specific Plan and Downtown Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR); and
WHEREAS, on June 10, 2020, City and Consultant executed a First Amendment to the Contract for Consultant Services to provide additional public outreach and engagement to the community and increasing the not to exceed price by $74,998 from $814,336 to not to exceed $889,334; and
WHEREAS, on June 14, 2021, City and Consultant executed a Second Amendment to the Contract for Consultant Services to extend the term of contract from December 31, 2020 to June 30, 2023, inclusive; and
WHEREAS, on February 22, 2022, the Contract was amended to reallocate funds between tasks outlined in the Specific Plan Scope of Work, with no increase to the overall Specific Plan budget; and
WHEREAS, On June 2, 2022, a Fourth Amendment to the Contract was approved to replace Keith Higgins with Kimley-Horn and Associates to conduct the traffic analysis

Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 011723 2
for the Specific Plan EIR. This modification was necessary because Keith Higgins had retired and was unable to provide these services; and
WHEREAS, the City and Consultant have agreed that given the extended timeline of the project due to Covid-19, certain budgeted tasks should be re-allocated to address:
additional tasks, project management, and increased billing rates; and WHEREAS, the appropriation of an additional $35,135 from the General Fund to the Downtown Specific Plan account is necessary to cover a gap in previously allocated grant funding and the original amount allocated from the General Fund for the project; and WHEREAS, the Fifth Amendment of the Contract for Consultant Services is in the best interest of the City of Watsonville.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:

1. This action is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. and the CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 15000 et. seq.), including without limitation, Public Resources Code section 21065 and California Code of Regulations 15378 as this is not a “project” that may cause a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment and because the action constitutes organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.

2. That the Fifth Amendment to Contract between the City of Watsonville and Raimi and Associates, Inc., for the completion of the Downtown Specific Plan and

Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 011723 3
Downtown Specific Plan EIR, a copy of the Fifth Amendment is attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, is fair and equitable and is hereby approved.

3. That the City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to execute said Fifth Amendment for and on behalf of the City of Watsonville in the form attached hereto with minor revisions that may be approved by the City Manager and the City Attorney. *******************************************

FIFTH AMENDMENT TO CONSULTANT SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE AND RAIMI & ASSOCIATES, INC.

THIS FIFTH AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT for consultant services is entered into by and between the City of Watsonville (“City”) and Raimi & Associates, Inc. (“Consultant”) this __________________. The City and Consultant agree as follows:

RECITALS
WHEREAS, City and Consultant have previously executed a Consultant Services Contract dated October 23, 2018 and approved by Resolution No. 168-18 (CM) (“Contract”) for the completion of the Downtown Specific Plan and Downtown Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR); and
WHEREAS, on June 9, 2020, City and Consultant executed a First Amendment of the Contract for Consultant Services to provide additional public outreach and engagement to the community and increasing the not to exceed price by $74,998 from $814,336 to not to exceed $889,334; and
WHEREAS, on June 14, 2021, City and Consultant executed a Second Amendment of the Contract for Consultant Services to extend the term of contract through June 30, 2023, inclusive; and
WHEREAS, on February 22, 2022, City and Consultant executed a Third Amendment of the Contract for Consultant Services to reallocate funds between tasks outlined in the Specific Plan Scope of Work, with no increase in the overall Specific Plan budget; and
WHEREAS, on June 2, 2022, a Fourth Amendment to the Consultant Contract was approved by the City Manager Pro Tempore to replace a subcontractor due to retirement with Kimley-Horn and Associates for the preparation of traffic analysis for the Specific Plan EIR;

WHEREAS, this Fifth Amendment of the Contract for Consultant Services is in the best interest of the City of Watsonville.

NOW, THEREFORE, the City and the Consultant agree that the Contract shall be amended as follows:

Section 1 and Exhibit “A” both entitled “Scope of Services” of the Contract are hereby amended to include reallocation of budgeted tasks as specified in Exhibit “A” entitled “Fifth Amendment to Scope of Work,” which is attached hereto and incorporated herein.

All other terms and conditions of the Contract dated October 23, 2018, as amended, shall remain in full force and effect.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Third Amendment to Consultant Services Contract the day and year hereinabove written.

CITY OF WATSONVILLE RAIMI & ASSOCIATES, INC.

By__________________________________ By____________________________________ Rene Mendez, City Manager Simran Malhotra, Vice-President/Principal

ATTEST:

By__________________________________
Irwin Ortiz, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:

By__________________________________
Samantha W. Zutler, City Attorney

CONTRACT MODIFICATION
PROJECT Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan
R+A PROJECT NUMBER 18023
CONTRACT MODIFICATION NUMBER 5
DATE October 20, 2022
THIS CONTRACT MODIFICATION AMENDS THE EXISTING CONTRACT BETWEEN RAIMI + ASSOCIATES, INC., AND THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE FOR THE DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN, DATED OCTOBER 28, 2018 (RESOLUTION NO. 168-18 (CM) AND CONTRACT # 1304), AND PREVIOUSLY MODIFIED ON JUNE 10, 2020, JUNE 14, 2021, AND FEBRUARY 24, 2022, MAY 28, 2022.

This contract amendment requests the use of contingency funds for completing the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan. R+A has expended additional budget over the anticipated level of effort for the preparation of and revisions to the Specific Plan. This amendment requests $9,000 for the preparation of the final Specific Plan document, travel to, preparation for and attendance at a City Council meeting.

The following scope describes the tasks that would be undertaken.

Scope of Services
Task 5: Specific Plan Document
Task 5.06: Adoption Hearings
R+A will attend a meeting with City Council for plan approval. R+A will attend one PC or CC meeting for plan adoption and prepare a brief presentation. City staff will prepare staff reports. (20 hours) Task 5.07: Finalize Specific Plan
Based on comments from the Advisory Committee, City Staff, and the public, R+A will prepare the final draft of the Specific Plan for approval and adoption by the City Council. (32 hours)

BUDGET SUMMARY
The following table details the re-allocated task budgets for Raimi + Associates. There is no change in the total contract amount of $889,334.

Task Description Old Budget New Budget Difference
Task 5.06 Adoption Hearings $3,360 $7,560 $4,200
Task 5.07 Finalize Specific Plan $4,040 $8,840 $4,800
$7,400 $16,400 $9,000
Contingency $9,066 $66 ($9,000)
Total $16,466 $16,466 $0
Terms for billing and payment: Same as existing contract All other terms and conditions of the existing contract dated OCTOBER 28, 2018, remain unchanged.

CLIENT CONSULTANT
Signature: __________________________ Signature: _____________________ Printed Name: _______________________ Printed Name:__Simran Malhotra___ Title: _______________________________ Title: ____Vice-President__________ Date: _______________________________ Date: October 20, 2022______

1/12/2023 1:56:48 PM
C:\Program Files\eSCRIBE\TEMP\13564391227\13564391227,,,WWTF Levee Embankment Stabilization Project Design Services.docx Agenda Report
MEETING DATE: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
TO: City Council
FROM: ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER VIDES

DANIELLE GREEN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

PUBLIC WORKS & UTILITIES
THROUGH: CITY MANAGER MENDEZ
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT WITH HDR ENGINEERING, INC. FOR DESIGN

SERVICES FOR THE LEVEE EMBANKMENT STABILIZATION
PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $627,812
RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with HDR Engineering, Inc. for design services for the Levee Embankment Stabilization Project in the amount of $627,812 to be paid from the Sewer Utility Enterprise Fund.

BACKGROUND:

The Pájaro River levees originally constructed by the US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) and maintained by Santa Cruz County were identified in the County’s local hazard mitigation plan (LHMP) that they may fail under an 8-year event, putting the community of Watsonville at risk. Although there is a larger levee project planned by USACE for the levee system Reaches 2-6, Reach 1 will not be addressed in the project by USACE. Included in Reach 1 is the Pajaro River levee section that borders the City of Watsonville’s Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF).

DISCUSSION:

In 2017, the City of Watsonville and County of Santa Cruz jointly applied for a grant through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a levee embankment stabilization project that would stabilize the section of the Pajaro River levee section that shares a border with and provides protection for the City’s critical Wastewater Treatment Facility. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program awarded a grant to the County of Santa Cruz in the amount of $2,200,000 (75 percent grant funded, 25 percent locally funded). Prior to submitting the grant application, the City agreed to pay the local match requirement for the grant, as well as any project costs not covered by the grant. The project will help stabilize the levee embankment which provides flood protection to maintain operation of the critical

1/12/2023 1:56:48 PM
C:\Program Files\eSCRIBE\TEMP\13564391227\13564391227,,,WWTF Levee Embankment Stabilization Project Design Services.docx wastewater treatment infrastructure during flooding events. The project cost estimate submitted with the grant was $2,200,000, though staff anticipates the actual cost will be higher by the time the project is bid, as construction costs have risen significantly over the past five years. The City and County intend to apply for a grant amendment through CalOES once the design is closer to completion and a more well-defined cost estimate can be developed.

In 2020, a Request for Qualification Statements from Consulting Engineering Firms for On Call Water and Wastewater Professional Design Services was publicly advertised, specifically listing this project on the list of projects likely to be awarded under the RFQ.

HDR Engineering, Inc. was selected specifically for this project based on the statement of qualifications submitted highlighting their relevant experience and expertise in projects of a similar scope and nature. The selection was made in accordance with Federal procurement requirements for professional engineering under Title 2 CFR Part 200, therefore, part or all of these design services may be eligible for reimbursement under the grant.

Staff requested a cost proposal from HDR to provide design services on the Levee Embankment Stabilization project. As required by Federal procurement requirements, staff performed an independent estimate on the cost of design services prior to receiving the cost proposal in order to perform a cost analysis for the services proposed, and found them to be reasonable. Although the proposal also included a cost estimate for engineering services during construction for a total project design cost of $848,470, staff is recommending these optional services be re-evaluated and added at a later date when construction cost and a fully developed project scope are able to be defined. Staff therefore recommends an agreement be executed with HDR Engineering, Inc. in the amount of $627,812.

STRATEGIC PLAN:

This project supports the following strategic goals:
3-Infrastructure & Environment
6-Public Safety
FINANCIAL IMPACT:

This project is planned in the approved Capital Improvements Plan for the Sewer Fund in budget number 911-7855-14795. This budget item has sufficient funds to cover the cost of this design contract.

ALTERNATIVE ACTION:

Council could elect not to approve this design services contract, which could result in losing the $2,200,000 grant funding awarded, and potentially jeopardize future grant funding awards from CalOES/FEMA.

ATTACHMENTS AND/OR REFERENCES (If any):

1. Project Location Map

Panabaker Ln
Clearwater Ln
W Beach R
Levee Embankment Stabilization Project Map d
Esri Community Maps Contributors, Santa Cruz County, California State Parks, © OpenStreetMap, Microsoft, Esri, HERE, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc, METI/NASA, USGS, Bureau of Land Management, EPA, NPS, US Census Bureau, USDA, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz Parcels
City Boundary
12/20/2022, 10:20:12 AM
0 0.04 0.09 0.17 mi
0 0.05 0.1 0.2 km
1:6,363
GIS Viewer Application
City of Watsonville, CA
Attachment 1

Reso No. (CM) 1
Meeting Date: 011723
RESOLUTION NO. (CM)

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

WATSONVILLE AWARDING A CONTRACT TO HDR ENGINEERING,
INC., A CORPORATION, TO PERFORM DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE

LEVEE EMBANKMENT STABILIZATION PROJECT, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $627,812; AND AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY

MANAGER TO EXECUTE SAME
WHEREAS, § 3-5.500 of the Municipal code provides that an RFP or RFQ process is found to be an effective and efficient way to procure professional services and procurement of professional services shall be based on proposals solicited from capable professionals and be evaluated based on a combination of factors including education, training, experience and demonstrated competence and professional qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of the services required; and WHEREAS, § 3-5.540 of the Municipal Code provides that contracts for professional services estimated to cost more than One Hundred Thousand and no/100ths ($100,000.00) Dollars must be awarded by the Council, and that the selection will be based on demonstrated competence and on the education, training and experience and professional qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of the services required, that cost will not be the only basis for selection, and that the City will use a qualifications-based selection process as described in subdivision (a) of § 4527 of the California Government Code and negotiated as described in § 4528; and
WHEREAS, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued on May 9, 2020, with submissions due June 9, 2020, asking for qualified consultants to assist the City for periodic and on call water and wastewater professional design services, and specifically listed the Levee Embankment Stabilization project as one that would be awarded under the RFQ; and

Reso No. (CM) 2
Meeting Date: 011723
WHEREAS, a total of 12 firms submitted qualification statements; these statements were reviewed by City staff and a list was developed; and WHEREAS, HDR Engineering, Inc., is on this list of eligible on-call consultants for the consideration of the City Manager and submission to the City Council; and WHEREAS, HDR Engineering, Inc., was selected from the City’s list of eligible onCall Water and Wastewater Design consultants for their knowledge and experience in levee and flood protection and their specific experience working with the City’s wastewater facilities; and
WHEREAS, the City Manager recommendS that the proposal from HDR Engineering, Inc., a corporation, in an amount not to exceed $627,812, be accepted as the best response for the Levee Embankment Stabilization Project design services.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:

1. Adopting a Resolution awarding contract to HDR Engineering, Inc. for the design of the levee embankment stabilization project is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because the action does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.

2. That the contract is hereby awarded to HDR Engineering, Inc., a corporation, for the design of the Levee Embankment Stabilization project, in an amount not to exceed $627,812.

3. That the Contract for Consultant Services between the City of Watsonville and HDR Engineering, Inc., a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, is hereby approved.

Reso No. (CM) 1
Meeting Date: 011723

4. Consultant shall file FPPC for 700s and 805s pursuant to section 19 of the Contract.

5. That the City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to execute said Contract for and on behalf of the City of Watsonville, in the form attached hereto with minor revisions that may be approved by the City Manager and the City Attorney. ***********************************

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 1 of 10

CONTRACT FOR CONSULTANT SERVICES BETWEEN
THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE AND HDR ENGINEERING, INC.

THIS CONTRACT, is made and entered into this ______________________, by and between the City of Watsonville, a municipal corporation, hereinafter called “City,” and HDR Engineering, Inc., hereinafter called "Consultant."

WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, the City needs to obtain certain professional, technical and/or specialized services of an independent contractor to assist the City in the most economical manner; and
WHEREAS, Consultant has the requisite skill, training, qualifications, and experience to render such services called for under this Contract to City.

THE PARTIES HEREBY AGREE AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. SCOPE OF SERVICES. Consultant shall perform those services as specified in detail in Exhibit "A," entitled "SCOPE OF SERVICES" which is attached hereto and incorporated herein.

SECTION 2. TERM OF CONTRACT. The term of this Contract shall be from January 2, 2023 to January 31, 2024, inclusive.

SECTION 3. SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE. The services of Consultant are to be completed according to the schedule set out in Exhibit "B," entitled "SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE," which is attached hereto and incorporated herein. Consultant will diligently proceed with the agreed Scope of Services and will provide such services in a timely manner in accordance with the "SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE." SECTION 4. COMPENSATION. The compensation to be paid to Consultant including both payment for professional services and reimbursable expenses as well as the rate and schedule of payment are set out in Exhibit "C" entitled "COMPENSATION," which is attached hereto and incorporated herein.

SECTION 5. METHOD OF PAYMENT. Except as otherwise provided in Exhibit "C," each month, Consultant shall furnish to the City a statement of the work performed for compensation during the preceding month. Such statement shall also include a detailed record of the month's actual reimbursable expenditures.

SECTION 6. INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT. It is understood and agreed that Consultant, in the performance of the work and services agreed to be performed by Consultant, shall act as and be an independent Consultant and not an agent or employee of City, and as an independent Consultant, shall obtain no rights to retirement DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 2 of 10 benefits or other benefits which accrue to City's employees, and Consultant hereby expressly waives any claim it may have to any such rights.

SECTION 7. ASSIGNABILITY. Consultant shall not assign or transfer any interest in this Contract nor the performance of any of Consultant's obligations hereunder, without the prior written consent of City, and any attempt by Consultant to so assign this Contract or any rights, duties or obligations arising hereunder shall be void and of no effect.

SECTION 8. INDEMNIFICATION.

To the full extent permitted by law (subject to the limitations of Civil Code section 2782.8 for any “design professional services” performed under this Contract), Consultant will indemnify, hold harmless, release and defend the City (including its officers, elected or appointed officials, employees, volunteers or agents) from and against any and all liability or claims (including actions, demands, damages, injuries, settlements, losses or costs [including legal costs and attorney’s fees])(collectively “Liability”) of any nature, to the extent arising out of, pertaining to, or relating to Consultant’s negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct in the performance of this Contract. In no event shall the cost to defend charged to the Consultant exceed the Consultant’s proportionate percentage of fault. Consultant’s indemnification obligations under this Contract are not limited by any limitations of any insurance held by Consultant, including, but not limited to, workers compensation insurance.

SECTION 9. INSURANCE.

A. Errors and Omissions Insurance. Consultant shall obtain and maintain in full force throughout the term of this Contract a professional liability insurance policy (Errors and Omissions), in a company authorized to issue such insurance in the State of California, with limits of liability of not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) to cover all professional services rendered pursuant to this Contract.

B. Auto and Commercial General Liability Insurance. Consultant shall also maintain in full force and effect for the term of this Contract, automobile insurance and commercial general liability insurance with an insurance carrier satisfactory to City, which insurance shall include protection against claims arising from bodily and personal injury, including death resulting therefrom, and damage to property resulting from any actual occurrence arising out of the performance of this Contract. The amounts of insurance shall not be less than the following:
(1) Commercial general liability insurance, or equivalent form, with a combined single limit of not less than $500,000.00 per occurrence. If such insurance contains a general aggregate limit, such limit shall apply separately to each project Consultant performs for City. Such insurance shall (a) name City, its appointed and elected officials, and its employees as insureds; and (b) be primary with respect to insurance or self-insurance programs maintained by City and (c) contain standard separation of insured's provisions.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 3 of 10 (2) Business automobile liability insurance, or equivalent form, with a combined single limit of not less than $500,000.00 per occurrence. Such insurance shall include coverage for owned, hired and non-owned automobiles.

C. Workers’ Compensation Insurance. In accordance with the provisions of Section 3700 of the Labor Code, Consultant shall be insured against liability for Workers’ Compensation or undertake self-insurance. Consultant agrees to comply with such provisions before commencing performance of any work under this Contract.

D. Proof of Insurance to City before Notice to Proceed to Work. Consultant shall satisfactorily provide certificates and endorsements of insurance to the City Clerk before Notice to Proceed to Work of this Contract will be issued. Certificates and policies shall state that the policy shall not be canceled or reduced in coverage without thirty (30) days written notice to City. Approval of insurance by City shall not relieve or decrease the extent to which Consultant may be held responsible for payment of damages resulting from services or operations performed pursuant to this Contract.

Consultant shall not perform any work under this Contract until Consultant has obtained the required insurance and until the required certificates have been submitted to the City and approved by the City Attorney. If Consultant fails or refuses to produce or maintain the insurance required by these provisions, or fails or refuses to furnish City required proof that insurance has been procured and is in force and paid for, City shall have the right at City's election to forthwith terminate this Contract immediately without any financial or contractual obligation to the City. As a result of such termination, the City reserves the right to employ another consultant to complete the project.

E. Written notice. Contractor shall provide immediate written notice if (1) any insurance policy required by this Contract is terminated; (2) any policy limit is reduced; (3) or any deductible or self insured retention is increased.

SECTION 10. NON-DISCRIMINATION. Consultant shall not discriminate, in any way, against any person on the basis of age, sex, race, color, creed, national origin or disability in connection with or related to the performance of this Contract.

SECTION 11. TERMINATION.

A. City and Consultant shall have the right to terminate this Contract, without cause, by giving not less than ten (10) days written notice of termination.

B. If Consultant fails to perform any of its material obligations under this Contract, in addition to all other remedies provided by law, City may terminate this Contract immediately upon written notice.

C. The City Manager is empowered to terminate this Contract on behalf of City.

D. In the event of termination, Consultant shall deliver to City copies of all work papers, schedules, reports and other work performed by Consultant and upon receipt thereof, Consultant shall be paid in full for services performed and reimbursable expenses incurred to the date of termination.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 4 of 10 SECTION 12. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS. Consultant shall comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, codes and regulations of the federal, state and local governments. Consultant shall obtain and maintain a City of Watsonville business license during the term of this Contract.

SECTION 13. GOVERNING LAW. City and Consultant agree that the law governing this Contract shall be that of the State of California. Any suit brought by either party against the other arising out of the performance of this Contract shall be filed and maintained in the Municipal or Superior Court of the County of Santa Cruz.

SECTION 14. PRIOR CONTRACTS AND AMENDMENTS. This Contract represents the entire understanding of the parties as to those matters contained herein.

No prior oral or written understanding shall be of any force or effect with respect to those matters covered hereunder. This Contract may only be modified by a written amendment.

SECTION 15. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. All data, documents, discussions or other information developed or received by or for Consultant in performance of this Contract are confidential and not to be disclosed to any person except as authorized by the City Manager or his designee, or as required by law.

SECTION 16. OWNERSHIP OF MATERIALS. All reports, documents or other materials developed or received by Consultant or any other person engaged directly by Consultant to perform the services required hereunder shall be and remain the property of City without restriction or limitation upon their use.

SECTION 17. COVENANT AGAINST CONTINGENT FEES. The Consultant covenants that Consultant has not employed or retained any company or person, other than a bona fide employee working solely for Consultant, to solicit or secure the Contract, and that Consultant has not paid or agreed to pay any company or person, other than a bona fide employee working solely for Consultant, any fees, commissions, percentage, brokerage fee, gift, or any other consideration contingent on or resulting from the award or making of this Contract, for breach or violation of this covenant, the City shall have the right to annul this Contract without liability, or in its discretion, to deduct from the Contract price or consideration or otherwise recover, the full amount of such fee, commission, percentage fee, gift, or contingency.

SECTION 18. WAIVER. Consultant agrees that waiver by City or any one or more of the conditions of performance under this Contract shall not be construed as waiver of any other condition of performance under this Contract.

SECTION 19. CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

A. A Consultant shall avoid all conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest in performance of this Contract. Consultant shall file a disclosure statement, if required by City Council Resolution, which shall be filed within thirty (30) days from the effective date of this Contract or such Resolution, as applicable.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 5 of 10 B. No member, officer, or employee of the City, during their tenure, or for one (1) year thereafter, shall have any interest, direct or indirect, in this Contract or the proceeds thereof and Consultant agrees not to allow, permit, grant, transfer, or otherwise do anything which will result in such member, officer, or employee of the City from having such interest.

SECTION 20. AUDIT BOOKS AND RECORDS. Consultant shall make available to City, its authorized agents, officers and employees, for examination any and all ledgers and books of account, invoices, vouchers, canceled checks and other records or documents evidencing or related to the expenditures and disbursements charged to the City, and shall furnish to City, its authorized agents and employees, such other evidence or information as City may require with respect to any such expense or disbursement charged by Consultant.

SECTION 21. NOTICES. All notices shall be personally served or mailed, postage prepaid, to the following addresses, or to such other address as may be designated by written notice by the parties:

CITY
City Clerk’s Office
275 Main Street, Suite 400
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 768-3040

CONSULTANT
HDR Engineering, Inc.
2365 Iron Point Road, Suite 300
Folsom, CA 95630
(925) 465-2717
SECTION 22. EXHIBITS:

Exhibit A: Scope of Services
Exhibit B: Schedule of Performance
Exhibit C: Compensation
Exhibit D: Additional Terms and Conditions – Applicable to Consultants, Contractors and Subcontractors”, which are required for all project consultants performing services on a project funded by the CalOES/FEMA, are appended to this contract by referenced terms and conditions in any sub consultant contract executed for this project. ///
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 6 of 10 WITNESS THE EXECUTION HEREOF, on the day and year first hereinabove written.

CITY

CITY OF WATSONVILLE
BY ______________________________
Rene Mendez, City Manager

ATTEST:

BY ______________________________
Irwin I. Ortiz, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:

BY ______________________________
Samantha W. Zutler, City Attorney

CONSULTANT

BY_________________________________
Holly Kennedy, PE Senior Vice President
DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 7 of 10 EXHIBIT "A"

SCOPE OF SERVICES
The scope of services is as follows:
 See Attachment A. – SCOPE OF SERVICES
DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 8 of 10 EXHIBIT “B”

SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE
Services shall commence immediately upon execution of this Contract. All services performed under the provisions of this Contract shall be completed in accordance with the following schedule: January 2, 2023 through January 31, 2024 DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 9 of 10 EXHIBIT “C”

COMPENSATION
a. Total Compensation. The total obligation of City under this Contract shall not exceed __$627,812_______.
b. Basis for Payment. Payment(s) to Consultant for services performed under this Contract shall be made as follows and shall [not] include payment for reimbursable expenses:
c. Payment Request. Consultant shall submit a request for payment for services on a monthly basis by letter to Director, or said Director's designated representative. Such request for payment shall cover the preceding monthly period during the term hereof, shall note the City's purchase order number for this Contract, shall contain a detailed listing of the total number of items or tasks or hours for which payment is requested, the individual dates on which such services were rendered, and invoices for reimbursable expenses, if any. Upon receipt in the Office of Director of said payment request, Director shall cause payment to be initiated to Consultant for appropriate compensation. r appropriate compensation.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Consultant Contract Architects or Engineers w/employees Page 10 of 10 EXHIBIT “D”
Additional Terms and Conditions - Applicable to Consultants, Contractors and Subcontractors
 See Attachment B. – Appendix II to Part 200, Title 2 – Grants and Agreements DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

hdrinc.com
December 7, 2022
Ms. Danielle Green, Principal Engineer
City of Watsonville
Department of Public Works and Utilities
250 Main Street
Watsonville, CA 95076
RE: HDR’s Proposal for Pajaro River Levee Embankment Stabilization at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility
Dear Ms. Green:

HDR understands that the City of Watsonville (City) is interested in stabilizing a portion of the right bank levee embankment along the Pajaro River adjacent to the City’s wastewater treatment facility, with approximately 2,100 linear feet (LF) of Slag-Cement-Cement-Bentonite (SCCB) cutoff wall. The portion of levee to be stabilized is part of a larger segment of levee (from Highway 1 to the Pacific Ocean) that is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) federal footprint. The City is working in partnership with the levee owner, Santa Cruz County – Flood Control and Water Conservation District – Zone 7, to make these stabilization improvements.

Previous analyses (done by others) determined that the levee could breach prior to overtopping in the vicinity of the City’s wastewater treatment facility. At the current design height, the levee provides protection for a 6- to 8-year flood event. The scope of this project is limited to design and construction phase services for a SCCB cutoff wall to reduce the likelihood of a breach prior to overtopping of the levee. It is HDR’s understanding that there are no current plans to raise the levee profile to provide a higher level of service. This project would not address Title 44 CFR Section 65.10 requirements.

Figure 1 on the following page shows the project site map.

The City asked HDR to develop the following scope of work to provide geotechnical and civil analysis and design services, environmental permitting services, and engineering design support during construction.
2365 Iron Point Road, Suite 300, Folsom, CA 95630
T 916.817.4700 F 916.817.4747
Attachment A. Scope of Services
DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Ms. Danielle Green
December 7, 2022

Figure 1 – Project Site Map
Scope of Work
Task 1 - Project Management
HDR’s project manager will manage the scope, budget, and schedule for HDR’s team and for the activities outlined below. The City will be provided with monthly status updates, notification of changes in scope, schedule, or budget, and necessary corrective actions. This task also includes the development of project management and quality control plans.

DELIVERABLES:
 Monthly status reports and invoices in PDF format (assumes 24 months of invoices and status reports).
 Project management and quality control plans in PDF format (draft and final).

DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Ms. Danielle Green
December 7, 2022

ASSUMPTIONS:
 Notice to Proceed will occur on January 1, 2023.
 Scope duration is 24 months.

Task 2 – Meetings and Site Visits
HDR will attend coordination and progress meetings with the City to apprise the team of project status, upcoming deliverables, and activities. The following meetings have been assumed:
 One kick-off meeting
 Monthly design coordination meetings
 Bi-weekly internal design meetings
This task also includes up to two site visits.

DELIVERABLES:
 Agenda and meeting notes in PDF format.

ASSUMPTIONS:
 Meetings will be held virtually using WebEx.
 Kick-off meeting will consist of up to four HDR attendees for up to two hours.  Monthly design coordination meetings will consist of up to two HDR attendees for up to one hour each for the duration of the design (up to 13 meetings).  Bi-weekly internal design meetings will consist of up to four HDR attendees for up to one hour each for the duration of the design (up to 26 meetings).  Site visits will consist of up to four HDR attendees per site visit for up to 12 hours per person per site visit. COVID-19 protocols will be followed, if still applicable.

Task 3 - Data Collection and Review
HDR will review previously collected data for this project and will notify the City of any data gaps. If additional topographic or utility surveys are needed then HDR will coordinate with City and provide details on the types and extents of needed surveys.

DELIVERABLES:
 Written summary of data gaps and data needs (if needed).

DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Ms. Danielle Green
December 7, 2022

ASSUMPTIONS:
 City will provide missing data and obtain any additional required surveys.

Task 4 - Environmental Documentation
Subtask 4.1 - California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Documentation The proposed project will need to comply with the requirements of CEQA (Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.) and the State CEQA Guidelines (Title 14, Section 15000 et seq. of the California Code of Regulations). HDR understands that the City is working with Santa Cruz County – Flood Control and Water Conservation District – Zone 7, who owns and maintains the levee locally and is developing a partnership agreement with Santa Cruz County – Flood Control and Water Conservation District – Zone 7 to perform this project. The City will serve as the lead agency for the project for the purposes of CEQA. Santa Cruz County will need to approve the project as well and likely grant an authorization or permit to the City to complete project construction. As a result, HDR will support the City and complete the necessary CEQA documentation for the project to support stabilizing the levee embankment and reducing risks to the City’s wastewater treatment facility. HDR understands that the City would like to pursue an exemption under CEQA for the project. The project does not meet the criteria of a Statutory Exemption per the CEQA Guidelines. The project may meet the criteria of a Categorical Exemption per the CEQA Guidelines (CEQA State Guidelines Sections 15300 to 15332 - type and class to be determined through coordination with the City).

Therefore, the scope below assumes that the project meets the conditions of a Categorical Exemption (Cat Ex) and a Notice of Exemption (NOE) and supporting documentation will be prepared to comply with CEQA.

Categorical Exemption Applicability Review, Notice of Exemption, Supplementary Information, and Project Description
Based on project information provided by the City and the design team, HDR will work with the City to determine if the project meets the requirements of a Cat Ex per the CEQA Guidelines.

Assuming the project meets the requirements of a Cat Ex, HDR will prepare a project description and supplemental information as well as an NOE to support the City’s CEQA determination.

HDR will prepare a draft project description that provides the background for the project, the City’s goals and objectives for the project, and the location and boundaries of the project area and related construction activities (i.e., laydown and staging areas), which will be shown on one figure. The draft project description will also provide a general description of the proposed project’s technical, environmental, and construction aspects, including construction sequencing. The draft project description will also include information regarding the project schedule.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Ms. Danielle Green
December 7, 2022

As part of the supplemental information to support the Cat Ex, HDR will also conduct limited desktop environmental analyses. HDR will review publicly available databases, aerial imagery, and other existing and readily available sources of information to verify that the project will not have any potential environmental impacts. Types of information to be obtained for the project area may include:
 Environmental database review for known hazardous materials (U.S. EPA datasets for superfund, RCRA sites, CalEPA Cortese List)
 Threatened and Endangered Species Lists
 Vegetation types
 Land use
 FEMA Floodplains
 Scenic Highways and Corridors
HDR will also prepare the NOE form. HDR will submit the NOE and supplemental information including project description electronically to the City for review. Upon receipt of the City’s comments, HDR will revise the package to incorporate the City’s comments and will prepare a final NOE and supplemental information including project description package. HDR will submit the final package electronically to the City for approval.

HDR will assist the City in submitting the NOE and supplemental information package to the State Clearinghouse through CEQAnet. HDR assumes that the City will be responsible for filing the NOE and supplemental information package with the County Clerk-Recorder's office as well as paying any applicable fees.

DELIVERABLES:
 Draft and Final Notice of Exemption and supplemental information including project description package in PDF and MS Word format.

ASSUMPTIONS:
 CEQA compliance for the project assumes that the City will determine a Cat Ex is the appropriate compliance pathway for the project. HDR is not responsible for any additional CEQA documentation. If a different type of document is required to comply with CEQA then HDR will prepare a separate scope of work and fee for such services.  One, one-hour web/teleconference with the City to review the applicability of a Categorical Exemption as the appropriate compliance pathway for the project is included in the fee estimate.
 This scope of work does not include any new technical analysis to document conditions on the site except as described below.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46

Ms. Danielle Green
December 7, 2022

 The City will work with Santa Cruz County – Flood Control and Water Conservation District – Zone 7 as the local maintaining agency of the levee. The City will be the Lead Agency for CEQA. The City will be responsible for filing the NOE.
 The project description will be based on information provided by the project team and the City at the initiation of the project or readily available information. The project description and document outline will be reviewed and agreed upon before initiating the technical analysis.
 One, one-hour web/teleconference with the City and design team to develop the Project Description is included in the fee estimate.
 Schedule is dependent on the timeliness of the project team’s response to data needs and review of the draft project description and supplemental information  One comprehensive set of comments/edits on the draft Notice of Exemption including project description and supplemental information will be provided, and only one round of revisions will be necessary. Comments will be provided to HDR electronically in a single tracked-changes Microsoft Word document.
 Necessary permits or regulatory coordination or consultation will be completed under a separate scope of work.
 No public meetings are planned for this project. If a public meeting is requested by the City, additional scope and fee will be negotiated.
 It is assumed any fees required for filing the NOE with the County Clerk will be paid for by the City.
 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance has been completed by FEMA and no additional documentation is necessary.
 City will file the NOE and supplemental information package and pay all applicable CEQA filing fees with the County Clerk-Recorder’s office.
 Consultation with USFWS and/or NMFS was completed by FEMA and additional coordination under Section 7 of the ESA will not be required.  All design work will be confined to the top of levee and landside; no permits from USACE, RWQCB, and/or CDFW will be necessary.

Subtask 4.2 - Cultural Resources Review
CEQA compliance requires agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of the action and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible. Impacts to important cultural resources are an impact on the environment. To assist the City with its compliance obligations, HDR will prepare a memorandum summarizing previous archaeological and built environment DocuSign Envelope ID: 169BFE0B-0B42-4AE3-825B-97AE64772F46