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4.7 Hydrology and Water Quality

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4.7 Hydrology and Water Quality Scotts Valley Town Center Specific Plan EIR Section 4.7 Hydrology and Water Quality 4.7 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY This section is based on information from the following documents: • Gateway South Office Building and Fire Station Draft Supplemental EIR, City of Scotts Valley, January 2004 • Gateway South Office Building and Fire Station Hydrology Technical Report, City of Scotts Valley , January 2004 • Polo Ranch Draft Recirculated EIR, City of Scotts Valley, December 2005 • 2005 Urban Water Management Plan. Scotts Valley Water District. • Groundwater Modeling Study of the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin • 2007 Annual Report. Scotts Valley Water District. Groundwater Management Program. May 2008. 4.7.1 Setting a. Physical Setting. Drainage. The City of Scotts Valley occupies the valley of Carbonera Creek and its main tributary to the north, Bean Creek. The project site is located within both the watershed of Carbonera Creek and Bean Creek (see Figure 4.7-1). Carbonera Creek is a tributary of the San Lorenzo River system, which drains south from the Santa Cruz Mountains into the Monterey Bay at the City of Santa Cruz. The San Lorenzo River watershed drains approximately 137 square miles, and its principal tributaries include Boulder Creek, Kings Creek, Bear Creek, Newell Creek, Zayante Creek, Bean Creek, and Branciforte Creek. The Carbonera Creek watershed drains 3.6 square miles at United States Geological Survey (USGS) gauge near the Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) southern boundary. Unlike Bean Creek, Carbonera Creek typically becomes dry or near dry during the summer months. The creek flows generally southwest from its headwaters in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and discharges to Branciforte Creek in the City of Santa Cruz. Branciforte Creek discharges into the San Lorenzo River near Soquel Avenue, approximately one mile downstream of the Carbonera Creek confluence. The Carbonera Creek watershed is primarily mountainous, being bounded on the north by the Santa Cruz Mountains, on the west by the Bean Creek Watershed, and on the east by the Branciforte Creek watershed, and encompasses elevations ranging from 30 to 3,200 feet above mean sea level. Bean Creek drains 8.8 square miles at its USGS gauge just beyond the western boundary of the SVWD. Lower Bean Creek has a high average flow of 3.0 cubic feet per second. Carbonera Creek flows at an average 0.8 to 1.0 cubic feet per second (Scotts Valley, 1989). However, the flow in these creeks greatly depends on the season. The average annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 50 inches per year and 90 percent of this falls between November and April. Flows in these creeks can drop dramatically during the dry summer season (Scotts Valley, 1989). Bean Creek is the natural drain for groundwater in the Scotts Valley area and is perennial in its lower reaches. Both streams recharge the local aquifer along certain reaches. City of Scotts Valley 4.7-1 Scotts Valley Town Center Specific Plan EIR Section 4.7 Hydrology and Water Quality The existing on-site development contains a complete storm drain system that carries runoff south to Mt. Hermon Road in a network of pipes and catch basins. Storm water is detained to some degree while on-site before being released into a 36-inch reinforced concrete culvert that runs west in Mt. Hermon Road. The undeveloped portion of the site drains in a southeast direction to the project boundary where it is collected in a 15-inch reinforced concrete culvert running along the edge of Mt. Hermon Road. Runoff is carried across the street in a 30-inch reinforced concrete culvert before being introduced into the larger storm drain system which runs south-east. The majority of existing drainage is carried to detention basins on the south- west side of town, though smaller detention exists throughout developments within the City. Flooding. Flood Insurance Rate maps partition flood areas into three zones: Zone A for areas of 100-year flood, base flood elevations not determined; Zone B for areas of 500-year flood; and Zone C for areas of minimal flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program 100- year floodplain is considered the base flood condition. This is defined as a flood event of a magnitude that would be equaled or exceeded an average of once during a 100-year period. Floodways are defined as stream channels plus adjacent floodplains that must be kept free of encroachment as much as possible so that the 100-year floods can be carried without substantial increases (no more than one foot) in flood elevations. The Specific Plan area is not within a Federal Emergency Management Agency mapped Flood Insurance Rate Map as no major waterways are on site or immediately adjacent to the area that could result in flood hazards. Future development that would result in increased impervious surfaces may result in on-site and off-site drainage issues if not properly designed and engineered. Storm drainage improvements need to be incorporated into the Specific Plan. These features would facilitate groundwater recharge and would minimize stormwater runoff and potential erosion. Water Supply and Quality. The SVWD currently obtains 100 percent of its potable water supply from the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin (the Basin). As a result, the Basin has been designated as a Sole Source Aquifer by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The SVWD does not sell or export water to any other water purveyor or water supplier. The Tertiary Santa Margarita, Butano, and Lompico formations are the major water-bearing units in the area and their extent defines the Basin. The Basin includes portions of California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Basins 3-21, 3-27, and 3-50. The DWR has not classified these basins as overdrafted and these basins are not adjudicated as defined in DWR Bulletin 118. Since 1983, the SVWD has actively managed the Basin through the establishment of an integrated climatic, surface water, and groundwater monitoring program; regular reporting of water conditions; a safe yield study; implementation of a recycled water program assessment of artificial recharge and water transfer options; ongoing groundwater exploration studies; and development and revision of a regional groundwater numerical model. Concentrated pumping in the south Scotts Valley area in the last three decades has resulted in significant water level declines in municipal production wells, although more recent data City of Scotts Valley 4.7-2 Scotts Valley Town Center Specific Plan EIR Section 4.7 Hydrology and Water Quality suggests that the rate of decline is tapering off with improved management practices, such as a recycled water program. The sustainable yield of the Basin is estimated to be approximately 4,200 AFY (Todd, 1995). The numerical model was recently used to produce a sustainable yield volume given the current pumping scheme in the Basin and the revised hydrogeologic interpretation. This volume was determined to be 3,300 AFY. This volume represents that amount of water that is available to the water producers under the current pumping configuration without causing any overall change in storage. The hydrogeologic characterization and numerical model development of the recent “Groundwater Modeling Study of the Santa Margarita Basin”, prepared by ETIC Engineering, Inc. in May 2006 estimated the average annual sustainable yield of the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin. It calculated the estimated volume of groundwater that can be extracted from existing pumping wells, such that there is no loss of storage in the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin. Previous basin-wide safe yield estimates based on a water-balance approach have suggested an ultimate annual safe yield of approximately 4,200 acre-feet (Todd, 1998). These estimates are accurate within the limits of a water-balance approach, but do not account for such factors as localized effects on storage or the limits on groundwater extraction related to the actual locations and pumping capacities of extraction wells in the basin. Application of a newly developed numerical model of the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin indicates an average annual sustainable yield of 3,320 acre-feet. A summary of the current understanding of observed declines in groundwater levels (drawdown) includes the following: • The Santa Margarita is “compartmentalized” with areas of significant groundwater level declines adjacent to areas where groundwater levels are sustained by active recharge • The Lompico groundwater producing unit has undergone significant and widespread groundwater level declines due in part to restricted recharge to the Lompico • The Butano formation is difficult to evaluate due to a lack of data • The Lompico and Butano show potential for providing long-term storage capacity that may be useful for future groundwater augmentation strategies such as in-lieu recharge. The groundwater produced in the SVWD is high in iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide and; therefore, requires treatment to meet the State water quality standards for aesthetics (i.e., Secondary MCLs). The SVWD monitors water quality at the groundwater production wells for constituents that meet requirements outlined in the Safe Drinking Water Act and under Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. Groundwater is sampled from SVWD Wells #3B, #7A, #9, #10, #10A, #11A, and #11B for major cations, anions, trace metals, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Results are reported to the California Department of Public Health. The SVWD operatestreats groundwater at three pressure filterfour treatment plants for the removal of iron and manganese and uses chemical treatment for hydrogen sulfide removalprior to distribution. SVWD applies treatment technologies to raw water extracted from wells to compensate for groundwater with concentration levels above or approaching primary and City of Scotts Valley 4.7-3 Scotts Valley Town Center Specific Plan EIR Section 4.7 Hydrology and Water Quality secondary MCLs.
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