Santa Cruz Water Department

05/29/2026

🚧 Another milestone for the Newell Creek Pipeline Replacement Project! Beginning Monday, crews will start painting road striping along Graham Hill Road following the completion of paving earlier this month.

🚗 Drivers should expect occasional short traffic delays of up to five minutes and are asked to follow posted signs and directions from traffic control staff.

🌿 Off-road work will also begin Monday near the Zayante Creek crossing, with additional project work continuing along the corridor. Bridge work is also scheduled to begin in June.

05/27/2026

A recent Maven’s Notebook feature examines California’s ongoing debate over hatchery versus wild fish management. Hatcheries have long supported salmon populations and fisheries impacted by dams, habitat loss, and water development, but scientists warn hatchery fish can weaken wild stocks through genetic and ecological impacts. Experts argue hatcheries remain important for mitigation and harvest opportunities, yet cannot replace healthy rivers, cold water, and functioning habitat. The article highlights emerging strategies such as genetic monitoring, adaptive release practices, and habitat restoration. Ultimately, the discussion centers on whether hatcheries should supplement recovering ecosystems or become a long-term substitute for naturally self-sustaining fish populations. You can learn more at the link below.

Happy !

Hatcheries are a complex issue, tasked with meeting diverse demands that are often at odds: producing large numbers of fish for commercial and recreational fisheries while also serving purposes such as mitigation and conservation. These objectives often clash: hatchery fish can differ from wild fish...

05/26/2026

☀️🌲 Welcome summer with a trip to Loch Lomond Recreation Area! 🛶🎣🥾🦅

Enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and exploring one of Santa Cruz’s most scenic outdoor destinations. Loch Lomond Recreation Area is also the City’s primary source of drinking water and only water storage reservoir, making it an important part of the community’s water system.

Interpretive programs are offered throughout the season for visitors who want to learn more about the area’s wildlife and watershed.

Open most days this summer and fall. Get all the details at https://www.santacruzca.gov/Government/City-Departments/Water-Department/Loch-Lomond

05/22/2026

🚧 Milestone alert! Paving is complete along approximately 3.6 miles of Graham Hill Road as part of the Newell Creek Pipeline Replacement Project.

Here's where things stand as the project nears completion:
✅ Repaving of Graham Hill Road between Roaring Camp Road and Henry Cowell Drive is done
🔧 Valve boxes and manholes are being raised, with brief traffic control at various locations along the corridor
🎨 Paint striping of the full length is underway
⏳ Pavement grooving will follow after a 30-day curing period
🌉 Pipe bridge construction and off-road work begins June 1

Drivers should still expect occasional short-term traffic control at various points along Graham Hill Road while crews complete remaining work. Follow posted signs and directions from traffic control staff.

Thank you for your patience throughout this important infrastructure project! 💧

05/20/2026

We're grateful to have had a good turnout for our Spring Birding Loch Walk last weekend! Now, please mark your calendars for June 13th at 11 am when our own Michelle Tarian will be talking about Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in our first "Newell Jewell School" event of the 2026 season! AIS are a big management concern for our water system and for also protection of our native biodiversity...and each invasive species introduction has an interesting backstory...

You can learn more about some of California's most problematic invasive species at the link below: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species

If you'd like to sign up for the talk on June 16th please call Loch Lomond at 335-7424. Attendance will be limited. Admission to Loch Lomond is free for participants!

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Photo: American bullfrog (non-native, invasive in CA). Courtesy of Kerwin Russell, Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District.

05/18/2026

📣 In case you missed it: What goes into delivering high-quality drinking water in Santa Cruz? 💧

The 2025 Annual Water Quality Report is now available, showing Santa Cruz’s water continues to meet all state and federal standards. From protected local watersheds to year-round testing, see how safe, high-quality water is delivered from source to tap.

Read the full report at https://www.santacruzca.gov/City-News-Press-Releases/WQR-2025

05/13/2026

Heads up — road paving is underway on Graham Hill Road, a key milestone in the Newell Creek Pipeline Replacement Project.

We are aware of the significant and unacceptable traffic delays that occurred recently because of paving operations on the project. We're sorry for the inconvenience. Paving operations are inherently impactful to traffic given the nature of the work. We are working to reduce these impacts.

Paving work will take place 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with motorists advised to expect delays of 5–15 minutes during those hours. We're monitoring progress closely and expect paving to be completed before Memorial Day Weekend. In the meantime, alternate routes may help you avoid the heaviest congestion.

We appreciate your patience through the completion of this major infrastructure project. 🚧

05/13/2026

This Friday is "Endangered Species Day". We're lucky to have great biodiversity in Santa Cruz County and Santa Cruz Water Department is doing its best to protect that biodiversity and recover endangered species while also providing safe drinking water to almost 100,000 people ever day, 24/7/365! Thankfully, watersheds that provide habitat for cold water fish species like coho salmon and steelhead trout also provide great drinking source water. You can learn more about Endangered Species Day at the link below.

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Photo: An adult steelhead and a California red-legged frog in a Laguna Creek. pool.

https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/endspeciesday/welcome.html

05/11/2026

💡💧 Need help with your utility bill? Santa Cruz Municipal Utilities offers Customer Assistance Programs to help qualifying households facing financial hardship.

If you are enrolled in programs such as PG&E CARE, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, WIC, SSI, CalWORKs or General Assistance, you may be eligible for support.

Programs are available for:
🏠 Homeowners and renters who pay SCMU directly
🏢 Renters who pay utilities through rent, HOA fees or third-party billing

Learn more and apply today 📝 https://www.santacruzca.gov/Government/City-Departments/Water-Department/Santa-Cruz-Municipal-Utilities-SCMU/Financial-Assistance

05/08/2026

💧 This week is Drinking Water Week — a time to recognize the essential role clean, safe water plays in everyday life and the people who make it possible.

In Santa Cruz, that work starts at the source, with protected local watersheds, and continues through treatment, testing and delivery to more than 100,000 people across the community. Behind the scenes, Santa Cruz Water Department staff work year-round to monitor water quality, maintain critical infrastructure, and respond to changing conditions to ensure reliable, high-quality drinking water.

Drinking Water Week is also an opportunity to learn more about where Santa Cruz’s water comes from and the shared responsibility of protecting this vital resource for future generations. 💧