Valley Water provides $3.95 million to help purchase Sargent Ranch open space

February 12, 2026

On Jan. 27, 2026, the Valley Water Board of Directors approved $3.95 million to help the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) purchase 2,284 acres of open space at Sargent Ranch in south Santa Clara County.

This funding supported POST’s total cost of $23.04 million acquisition of the land, located southwest of Gilroy. Valley Water’s contribution came from its voter-approved Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program. The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County contributed $1 million, with the remaining funds raised through donations to POST. Read the POST news release here.

Sargent Ranch, originally named Rancho Juristac, is a 5,284-acre property recognized for its diverse natural habitats and for supporting endangered species. The area is also the ancestral homeland of the Amah Mutsun people. This funding supports the second phase of a multi-phase effort to permanently protect the land.

Santa Clara County voters overwhelmingly approved Measure S in November 2020, renewing funding for the Safe, Clean Water Program. One of the program’s six priorities focuses on restoring wildlife habitat and providing open space throughout the county. Seven projects fall under this priority, including Project D7, which emphasizes partnerships for the conservation of habitat lands and pooling funds to preserve large, contiguous habitat areas.

Protecting large, connected landscapes like Sargent Ranch gives wildlife more space to move and adapt as the climate changes. POST’s acquisition ensures the land will remain protected and stewarded to preserve its habitat values.

Project D7 allows for up to $8 million in funding over the current 15-year Safe, Clean Water Program cycle (FY2022–FY2036) for the acquisition or enhancement of habitat lands. In Fiscal Year 2024, Valley Water provided $4 million toward the acquisition of Richmond Ranch through the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency. With the approval of the $3.95 million contribution for Sargent Ranch, Valley Water has now met the full Project D7 funding commitment for the current program cycle.

In 2024, Valley Water partnered with the Habitat Agency to help buy Richmond Ranch in San José. The property is expected to be transferred to Santa Clara County in the future, with plans to create a nature preserve that includes public hiking trails.

Valley Water also invested $8 million to support the Habitat Agency’s purchase of the Baird property at the southern end of Coyote Valley near Morgan Hill. The land contains an existing population of Coyote ceanothus, a rare plant species, and provides regionally important wildlife habitat, including the federally threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly. The Habitat Agency will manage the property to ensure long-term protection and habitat preservation.

Valley Water manages an integrated water resources system that includes the supply of clean, safe water, flood protection and stewardship of streams on behalf of Santa Clara County's 2 million residents. The district effectively manages 10 dams and surface water reservoirs, three water treatment plants, an advanced recycled water purification center, a state-of-the-art water quality laboratory, nearly 285 acres of groundwater recharge ponds and 333 miles of waterways. We provide wholesale water and groundwater management services to local municipalities and private water retailers who deliver drinking water directly to homes and businesses in Santa Clara County.