Naturalist Night: Groundwater Sustainability

Groundwater provides 76% of the water supply for Santa Cruz County and changes in water levels and quality impact us all directly.

During this lecture at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, explore geology and the occurrence of groundwater in the county, its relationship to streams, fish and other natural resources, and the threats to groundwater posed by overdraft, loss of recharge, climate change, and seawater intrusion. This talk will also describe current efforts to better understand and manage groundwater under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014.


About the speaker: John Ricker is the Water Resources Division Director for Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency-Environmental Health Division and a director with the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County. He is also on the Steering Committee for the Santa Cruz Integrated Regional Water Management Program and is a lead staff member for Sustainable Groundwater Management Efforts for two basins in Santa Cruz County. Ricker has worked for Santa Cruz County in watershed planning, water quality protection, and water resources management since 1974. He serves on various state and regional advisory groups dealing with beach water quality, groundwater management, stormwater management, onsite sewage disposal systems, water supply planning, and watershed protection. Ricker holds a degree from UC Santa Cruz in environmental studies and biology.