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Water Tracker
A monthly assessment of trends in water supply
and use for Santa Clara County, California
2012 Outlook
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As of May 1, 2012
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Water supply conditions improved both locally and statewide in April. Water supply available to Santa Clara County continues to be sufficient to meet demands, due in large part to healthy groundwater reserves and continuing water conservation. April storms augmented total rainfall at the San Jose gauge such that 2012 is no longer the driest year on record. Improved snowpack and reservoir conditions in the northern Sierra, where most of the county’s imported water originates, allowed increases in the district’s State Water Project and Central Valley Project contract allocations. Projected summer storage levels in San Luis Reservoir have improved significantly, reducing potential water quality and treatment concerns. The district continues to work with fishery agencies on best management strategies for limited surface water supplies in local reservoirs this year.
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.png?n=8795 "yellow arrow 80")
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.png?n=2068 "yellow arrow 80")
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- 84,400 acre-feet stored; 50% full (capacity limited by seismic restrictions)
- 67% of 20-year seasonal average overall
- Guadalupe reservoir is low (34% full)
- Total seasonal reservoir inflow to date is only 33% of normal
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.png?n=834 "blue arrow 80")
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- State Water Project allocation = 60,000 acre-feet (increased from 50% to 60%)
- Central Valley Project allocations: 75% for M&I, and 40% for Irrigation (increased from 30% to 40%)
- Shasta and Oroville reservoirs at or above 100% of seasonal average; San Luis Reservoir at 88% of seasonal average.
- 324,665 acre-feet banked in Semitropic (93% full) with almost 60,000 acre-feet banked in 2011
- Up to 35,000 acre-feet of supplemental water available from pri or and current year
 exchanges and transfers
- Estimated Hetch Hetchy deliveries to Santa Clara County for April 2012 - 4,600 acre-feet (click to enlarge thumbnail at right)
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- Groundwater storage: total storage at the end of 2012 is projected to be 327,000 acre-feet – well within the normal range.
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- Managed recharge: March estimates are lower than the five-year average except for Santa Clara Plain.
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- Groundwater levels: March levels are higher than March 1987, March 2004 and the five-year average, except in the Coyote Valley. March levels are slightly lower than February levels.
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- Pumping North County: March estimate is lower than last year and 57% of the five-year average.
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- Pumping South County: March estimate is slightly higher than last year and 90% of the five-year average.
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.png?n=3292 "yellow arrow 80")
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 High demands, with about 9,600 acre-feet delivered in April- Annual total to date is 130% of five-year average (includes supply to Hetch Hetchy through Intertie)
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 Total County water use has dropped 15% in recent years Conservation savings tracking slightly below FY 12 annual goal of 54,900 acre-feet Achieved 52,500 acre-feet in savings in FY 11 Implementing nearly 20 residential, commercial, landscape, and agriculture programs
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- Recycled water estimate: 1,030 acre-feet in April
- Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center in construction. Expected completion March 2013
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