Where the Water and Land Meet

Norma CamachoInterim Chief Executive OfficerMarch 17, 2016

BAY AREA OPEN SPACE COUNCILDAVID BROWER CENTER, BERKELEY, CA

Clean, reliable water

Flood protection

Healthy creeks & ecosystems

The Santa Clara Valley Water District provides:

Watershed Management

Watersheds OverviewPartnerships Drought ImpactsFuture Opportunities

Our Watersheds

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5 major watersheds

2 million people

780 square miles 

275 miles of streams 

10 dams and surface water reservoirs

400 acres of recharge

ponds

Land: Valley Habitat Plan

Photo by Adam Clause

Land: Beneficial Grazing

Water: Keeping Streams Clean

People: Recreational Trails

Land, Water, People: Shoreline Study

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Drought: Impacts on TreesDistrict has 10,802 acres of Fee Title- ½ is estimated as acres with tree populations (2.8 trees/acre infected USFS)District has potentially 15,000 impacted trees$5,000 average cost per tree (removal only)Not all trees have to be removed, however costs will be significantEstimated cost to remove hazard trees $50 to $75 mil

Thompson Creek

Greystone Creek

Los Gatos Creek

Attachment 1Page 10 of 17

Impacts on Trees – Cost Analysis Saratoga Creek

Los Gatos Creek

Attachment 1Page 11 of 17

• Survey completed on Saratoga Creek between Cox and Prospect of impacted trees

• Total trees in the area 400• 30 trees identified as dead• 10 trees identified as high

risk• 40 trees need to be removed• Estimated cost to remove

trees in the creek section $300,0003,000 ft section of Saratoga Creek estimated to cost $300,000

Mostly large (40) trees, access issues

Drought: Landscape Replacement Rebates

ONE WATER: Water for the Future

Watershed Stewardship

Flood Protection

Water Supply

ONE WATER

Looking forward: Integrated goals

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Manage rainwater to

improve flood protection,

water supply and local

ecosystems

Enhance the quantity and

quality of water to support

beneficial uses

Establish and sustain healthy

and resilient stream

ecosystems

Work in partnership

with an engaged

community to champion wise decisions on

water resources

Protect, enhance and

sustain healthy and resilient

baylands ecosystems

and infrastructure

Valued Rain Healthful and Plentiful Water

Ecologically Effective

Watersheds

Resilient Baylands

Community Collaboration

From Vision to Projects

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Projects & Programs (Where)

Objectives(What)

Strategies(How)

Integrated Goals (Why)

Water Resources Vision

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E. Expanded & Protected Floodplains

J. Community & Tribal

Engagement

A. Reliable Water Supply

I. Emergency Prep

C. Surface & GW Quality

G. Resilient Habitats

H. Climate Change

B. Sustainable Ground-

water

D. Flood Risk Reduction

1. Valued and Respected RainManage rainwater to improve flood protection, water supply, and ecosystem benefits

2. Healthful and Reliable WaterEnhance the quantity and quality of water to support beneficial uses

3. Ecologically Sustainable Streams/ Watersheds Protect, enhance and sustain healthy and resilient stream ecosystems

5. Community CollaborationWork in partnership with an engaged community to champion wise decisions on water resources

F. Supportive Stream Flows

The District manages water resources holisticallyand sustainably to benefit people and the environment in a way that

is informed by community values.

Goal - A general direction-setter expressed as an ideal future related to the end. A goal may be abstract in nature and expressed as a general state. It is generally not quantifiable or time-dependant

Objective – An intermediate step toward attaining a goal(s). It may pertain to one particular aspect of a goal(s) or be one of several successive steps toward a goal(s).

Targets – SMART targets are associated with each objective.

Strategy - A particular course of action that describes the means to support objectives and achieve targets.

Projects and Programs

4. Resilient BaylandsProtect, enhance and sustain healthy and resilient baylands ecosystems and infrastructure

Land Management: Future Opportunities

Norma CamachoInterim Chief Executive Officer(408) 630-2084ncamacho@valleywater.org

Questions?