If the City may need to reduce surface water withdrawals due to the upcoming HCP (Habitat Conservation Plan), how can there be enough water to provide UCSCs expansion?
The City is likely to have less water from the San Lorenzo River and the North Coast sources once the HCP is complete as the California Department of Fish and Game has requested the City reduce stream diversions to protect threatened species. The City has agreed to study what must be done to minimize these impacts. Regarding UCSC, the water shortages the City is facing are due to drought conditions and not University growth. During a drought, whether UCSC grows or does not grow – the City still needs a supplemental water supply. The City is pursuing evaluating desalination to provide drought protection and should not be viewed as a new supply source because of UCSC’s proposed expansion.
