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CDWR (1964) to decline for agricultural use over the next 30 years (through approximately
1990), but to increase at a greater rate for urban water use. In 1970, total water demand in
the Santa Clara River Basin was 345,040 acre-feet (RWQCB, 1975a). Of this total,
247,870 acre-feet was used by agriculture and 97,170 acre-feet was consumed by municipal,
industrial, and other users (RWQCB, 1975a).

In 1985, a total 24,103 acre-feet of water was pumped from shallow (less than 200 feet)
production wells completed in alluvial deposits. Of these wells, the Newhall Land and
Farming Company pumped nearly 50 percent, followed by Santa Clarita Water Company
with about 19 percent. Newhall County Water District, Valencia Water Company and

Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 36 were reported to operate the balance. of
alluvium production wells (Slade, 1986, Table 2). In addition to large production wells,
private wells completed within shallow alluvium exist throughout the Santa Clara River
valley. However, production rates for these wells were not reported (Slade, 1986). In total,
the quantity of groundwater produced from alluvial deposits was reported to be
approximately five times greater than from the Saugus Formation (Slade, 1986).

In 1985, approximately 4,892 acre-feet of water was pumped from production wells
completed in the Saugus Formation within the Eastern Basin of the Santa Clara River
valley, followed by about 5,532 acre-feet produced in 1986. In total, approximately
153,820 acre-feet of water has been pumped from water wells installed in the Saugus

Formation within the Santa Clara River valley from 1954 to 1986 (Slade, 1988). The largest
producers of this volume were the Newhall County Water District (approximately 65 percent
of total) and the combined production of the Newhall Land and Farm Company and
Valencia Water Company (approximately 35 percent of total). Historically, Saugus
Formation wells within the Santa Clara River valley have ranged in depth, where known,
between approximately 370 feet and 2,000 feet. Most wells are in the general depth range

of 1,000 feet to 1,500 feet.

In 1991, approximately 35,812 acre-feet was pumped from local wells completed in alluvium
and the Saugus Formation (Berdiansky, 1992; Maupin, 1992; Manetta, 1992; Warner, 1992;
Core, 1992). These quantities do not include production from numerous small private wells,

and portions of the Upper Santa Clara River Basin for which recent data were not readily
available. The quantity of groundwater withdrawal from these wells is‘ not known, but
believed to be relatively small.

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