Santa Cruz County, CA Water Table Trend
Santa Cruz County, CA: what the water table is actually doing
Santa Cruz County's long-term well puts the trend at 10.2 ft per decade, declining faster than most declining counties, based on 390 measurements since 1966.
One well stands in for Santa Cruz County's whole aquifer here, the honest simplification every page on this site carries.
What the well actually measured
The most recent reading put water 36.3 ft below land surface. Readings span 1966-11-07 to 2020-08-19, 390 measurements from USGS well USGS-365425121452201 (012s002e09c002m), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Santa Cruz County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Santa Cruz County ranks 1393rd from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 262,406 people live in Santa Cruz County, California. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Santa Cruz County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Santa Cruz County's water table is actually declining, not just a general worry, a well owner here should consider comparing home-warranty plans that cover well-pump failure before one happens.
A dropping table says nothing about water quality
Whether Santa Cruz County's water table is rising or falling is independent of what's actually in the water. Depletion can concentrate naturally-occurring minerals, so it's worth checking directly with a water test rather than assuming a depth trend says anything about quality.