DRY CREEKS AND THE DROUGHT

Is a creek near you running dry? Santa Clara County is in extreme drought per the U.S. Drought Monitor. Rainfall has been well below normal for the past two years and the statewide snowpack is at a minimum. Water storage in local reservoirs is very low compared to historic average due to the low amount of rainfall received and storage in Anderson Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the county, being unavailable due to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order to drawdown the reservoir. As a result of this limited local water and reduced availability of imported supplies, Valley Water is asking all residents to reduce their water use by 15 percent compared to 2019.

In order to conserve remaining water supplies for health and safety, Valley Water has suspended most groundwater recharge operations for summer 2021 and possibly longer if the drought continues beyond this year. Valley Water has restricted the delivery of water to the majority of its 102 recharge ponds and also reduced water releases to creeks for in-stream groundwater percolation.

With the current serious situation, there will be areas of creek that are without water. If you have questions, you can do so by clicking the "Ask a question, Be heard" button. Just register and enter your question and a subject matter expert will respond to you.

Valley Water’s priorities remain the delivery of safe, clean water from our drinking water treatment plants to local water providers and municipalities and also maintaining healthy groundwater basins for residents and retailers that depend on groundwater pumping to meet their demands. Valley Water will continue to work with local, state, and federal regulatory partners to coordinate on drought impacts on fish and wildlife while conducting water supply operations and maintenance activities in an environmentally sensitive manner.