COMMUNITY NEWS
PV Water Rates Going Up For Five Years O n April 21, the Board of Directors of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency adopted higher rates for the next five years to fund projects and programs to help stop groundwater overdraft and seawater intrusion. The rate increase for fiscal year 2021-22 will take effect Dec. 1, 2021, five months later than initially planned, while future adjustments will go into effect on July 1 of each year through 2025. Augmentation charge for a rural residence is $115 now and will rise to $163 on July 1, 2025. Augmentation charge inside delivered water zone is $338 per acre-foot now and will rise to $486 per acre foot on July 1, 2025. Augmentation charge outside delivered water zone is $246 per acre-foot now and will rise to $346 per acre foot on July 1, 2025. Delivered water charge is $392 per acre-foot now and will rise to $501 per acrefoot on July 1, 2025. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons of water. The new charges for delivered water and groundwater augmentation
will provide the revenue to support construction of the College Lake Integrated Resources Management Project, the Watsonville Slough System Managed Aquifer Recharge and Recovery Projects, water conservation programs, along with planning and permitting activities. The projects will add much needed supply to the agency’s supplemental water system. Use of supplemental water offsets groundwater production while helping to keep agriculture viable in the Pajaro Valley.
Ag Day Luncheon: Celebrating Spring & the Vaccine
T
he 2021 National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon will take place outdoors Wednesday, May 19, with the theme, “Celebrating Spring and the Vaccine!” The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, with the organization, Agri-Culture, will host the luncheon, at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 19, at Patty Smith Park (outdoors) at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $50 per person. Reservations are at http:// www.sccfb.com/news/national-agricultureday-spring-luncheon/or (831) 724-1356. One of the highlights will be the presentation of the Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award. Al Smith was the founder of Orchard Supply Hardware and donated 3,000 acres (Swanton Pacific Ranch) in the north coast to Cal Poly. The ranch has row crops, timber and even a one-third-scale railroad, which was Al’s hobby. The award is presented annually to an individual, business or organization not involved in production agriculture but one who has done much for the industry. This
year’s award will be presented by last year’s honoree, Sam Earnshaw. Another feature is this year’s contest winners will be introduced.Farm Bureau and Agri-Culture co-sponsor a poster contest (grades K-6) and poetry contest (grades 7-12) in Santa Cruz County and Pajaro Valley schools. The winning entries will be displayed during the luncheon and a placemat featuring the 2019 poster contest winner, Luna Caddes, 6th grader from Santa Cruz Montessori School in Aptos will be on the tables. Also on the placemat will be the 2019 poetry contest winning entry by Bridget Smith, 7th grader from Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville. The following 2021 Agri-Culture Scholarships will be presented at the luncheon: the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship, the Jeannie Witmer Memorial Scholarship. The Laura Brown Memorial Scholarship and the JJ Crosetti, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. n ••• For information call (831) 724-1356 or email sccfb@sbcglobal.net.
“As a grower, I pay for water. I pay for a lot of water and it’s very costly,” said Javier Zamora, who is on the water agency’s board and spoke during the public hearing. “I am not getting more money for my strawberries or vegetables but it is part of doing business. I can tell you this will be a difficult pill for me to swallow, very difficult.” But he supported the increases,
saying, “If we don’t do it, who else is going to come in and do it? No one will come with a magic wand and eliminate saltwater intrusion and say, ‘keep pumping as much as you want’ unfortunately that is not the case. We need to collaborate as individuals and community members and face our problem. We have to tackle things right away and not leave it for mañana. We gotta get it done and that’s what the Agency is trying to do.” Leading up to the April 21 public hearings and vote on the rate setting ordinances, PV Water hosted a series of rate setting public workshops to provide information and respond to questions on the 2021 Cost of Service Rate Study. An Ad Hoc Funding Committee, composed of ratepayers with representation from the City of Watsonville, small water districts, growers of different sizes and commodities, and individual well owners, reviewed and recommended for Board approval the rate study in February 2021. “PV Water Rates” page 10
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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / May 15th 2021 / 9
