Freeman Diversion Fish Screen
PROTECT – CONSERVE – COLLABORATE
Governed by a seven-member Board of Directors, United Water Conservation District manages, protects, conserves and enhances the region’s water supply. Through careful monitoring and management, we maintain the water resources of the Santa Clara River, its tributaries and associated aquifers, in an environmentally balanced manner.
Situated in central Ventura County, California, the District encompasses the fertile Santa Clara River Valley and Oxnard Coastal Plain, a 214,000-acre area that typically receives from 12 to 20 inches of rainfall each year.
At United, we are dedicated to thinking outside the box and forming unique partnerships to ensure the local water system is sustainable for years to come. We are committed to conserving existing water supplies, securing new resources and managing water sources through groundwater replenishment and the construction and operation of efficient supply and delivery systems.
United conserves runoff from all major tributaries of the Santa Clara River within the District, including Piru, Hopper, Sespe, and Santa Paula Creeks. Without these efforts, much of this water would simply flow out to sea. Through monitoring and innovative, responsible best practices, we are able to replenish area aquifers with nearly 100,000 acre-feet of water in an average year – enough to provide close to 200,000 families with water for one year.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
United Water Conservation District is funded primarily through groundwater pumping charges, property taxes, and water delivery charges. With development, as well as maintenance and operational expenses, United manages an annual budget of about $40 million. Cooperative programs with other agencies help maximize the use of District resources and promote mutually beneficial projects. United is an active participant in the community it serves and has a strong commitment to county, state and national water issues.
We are committed to financial transparency, accountability and open communication. Our financial reports are available as part of our Transparency page.
HISTORY
Originally formed as the Santa Clara Water Conservation District in 1927, voters approved the formation of United Water Conservation District in 1950. From the beginning, United has distinguished itself as a leader among water agencies by conserving and enhancing water resources of the Santa Clara River while working to protect the river’s natural features.
Over the years, United has constructed numerous facilities, pipelines, and recharge basins – including the Santa Felicia Dam, Lake Piru Reservoir and Freeman Diversion – to enhance the local water system and maintain sustainable water management.
Today, we continue to serve as the conservator of groundwater resources that are utilized by the cities of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura, Santa Paula, and Fillmore, as well as Naval Base Ventura County and several mutual water districts, farms and individual pumpers. We also provide surface water for agricultural irrigation and treated drinking water to the cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme.
Saticoy Recharge Basin
WHAT IS A CALIFORNIA SPECIAL DISTRICT?
Special districts are local government agencies that provide essential services to millions of Californians. These districts are formed and governed by local residents to establish or enhance essential services and infrastructure in their communities. Each special district focuses on providing specific types of services. It is this focused service that allows for innovation and long-term planning to meet the community’s needs.
There are approximately 2,300 independent special districts in California, meaning they are governed by an independent board of directors elected by the districts’ voters or appointed to a fixed term of office by either the city council or board of supervisors. Dependent districts are governed by other existing legislative bodies like a city councilor board of supervisors. Larger independent districts have a professional manager, similar to a city manager or county administrator, to assist the governing officials. The governing boards adopt policies that the general managers carry out.
Just over a quarter of California’s independent special districts are enterprise districts. Enterprise districts operate more like a business enterprise, charging customers for their services. For example, a hospital district charges room fees just to their patients, not the district’s other residents. Water districts charge water rates to their customers. Virtually all water, waste and hospital districts are enterprise districts.
Special districts are primarily accountable to the voters who elect their boards of directors and the customers who use their services. However, although they are not functions of the state, the state also provides critical oversight to special district operations. Special districts must submit annual financial reports to the state and must also follow state laws pertaining to public meetings, bonded debt, record keeping and elections.
To learn more, please visit districtsmakethedifference.org.
California Special Districts Association Mapping Program
Please click here for the California Special Districts Association Mapping Program.
FACILITIES & STRATEGIES
United Water Conservation District works to maximize the water resources of the Santa Clara Valley and Oxnard Plain, utilizing the surface flow of the Santa Clara River and its tributaries for replenishment of groundwater. Enough water to supply the City of Oxnard for the next 100 years (more than 4 million acre-feet) has been reintroduced to the aquifers via this system.
Many strategies and facilities have been developed over the years to meet regional water demands while aiming to reverse groundwater overdraft and seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers, as well as meet the increased need to provide water for environmental purposes.
Santa Felicia Dam
The Santa Felicia Dam, constructed in 1955, was the first dam built solely to recharge groundwater.
Lake Piru
Lake Piru Recreation Area was created by the Santa Felicia Dam and holds approximately 82,000 acre-feet of winter run-off while providing year-round camping, boating, fishing and other outdoor recreational opportunities to visitors.
Freeman Diversion
The Freeman Diversion, constructed in 1991, replenishes approximately 58,000 acre-feet of stream flow to the underground water supply each year. A fish ladder was built into the Diversion to allow for the annual migration of steelhead trout.
Recharge Basins
The Piru, Saticoy, El Rio and Noble recharge basins facilitate a natural percolation process, allowing water from the Freeman Diversion to seep through layers of sand and gravel in an area known as the Oxnard Forebay to replenish the underground supply.
Pumping Trough Pipeline and Pleasant Valley Pipeline
The Pumping Trough Pipeline and the Pleasant Valley Pipeline and Reservoirs deliver surface water directly from the Santa Clara River to agriculture on the Oxnard Plain and Pleasant Valley to reduce pumping in the overdrafted lower aquifer system.
Oxnard Hueneme Pipeline
The Oxnard Hueneme Pipeline provides drinking water to the City of Oxnard, the Port Hueneme Water Agency and a number of mutual water companies. This avoids the necessity for local pumping near the coast where wells are most vulnerable to seawater intrusion.
PUMPERS
From as far back as the mid-1800s, farmers have been pumping water from private wells in the Santa Clara River valley and Oxnard plain. Over the past century, as the wells became deeper, the water demand grew higher and overdraft began to occur. “Overdraft” means that more water is being taken out of the aquifers than is replaced by groundwater recharge. Overdraft can result in poor water quality, increased pump lifts and seawater intrusion. United has constructed and operated various facilities to help address this issue over the years.
WELL REGISTRATION
California State Water Code requires all water wells within the boundaries of United Water Conservation District to be registered with both the District and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).
Wells are registered with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The Ventura County Watershed Protection District issues permits on behalf of DWR. In addition, groundwater production statements from each well are filed by the pumper on a semi-annual basis with the SWRCB. With this information, United is able to maintain records of water usage throughout the District.
Pumping of all individual water wells within the District must be reported to United. This requirement helps maintain accurate water usage figures. An extensive network of monitoring wells is used to measure water levels and test water quality throughout the District.
Funds generated by pump charges are used to operate projects within the District that benefit the entire region.
STAFF
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Mauricio E. Guardado, Jr. Mr. Guardado joined the District as its General Manager in August 2015. During his tenure with United, he has been recognized for his leadership role in water management throughout the County, including earning the Association of Water Agencies of Ventura County’s Leadership Award in October 2020 as well as the Association of California Water Agencies’ Rising Star award in 2019, for his legislative advocacy efforts. Among his numerous innovative initiatives was the inaugural Water Sustainability Summit, held in February 2019, which engaged nearly 150 elected officials, regulators, water agencies, engineers, farmers and other stakeholders in a robust discussion of projects that will make regional water sustainability possible. Prior to joining the District, Mr. Guardado spent nine years as the retail manager/CEO for the Santa Clarita Water Division of Castaic Lake Water Agency, which serves as the water provider for 120,000 residents in Santa Clarita. Prior to that, he served as the director of engineering for Cucamonga Valley Water District. He holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from California State University, Northridge and a master’s degree from USC’s Executive Master of Leadership Program and is a registered civil engineer in the state of California. |
Maryam Bral, Ph.D, PE
Assistant General Manager
Anthony Emmert
Assistant General Manager
Administrative Services
The Administrative Services Department is responsible for finance, human resources, information technology, risk management, the Lake Piru Recreation Area, and general administration of the District. The Finance Division is responsible for all financial matters and activities for the District including accounting, budgeting, accounts receivable and payable, investments, payroll, financial analysis, and financial reporting. The Administrative Division oversees the management of the administrative office and staff, Board of Directors meetings, UWCD Committee meetings, information technology, human resources, and risk management. The Recreation Division is responsible for the management of the Lake Piru Recreation Area including camping, boating and day-use activities as well as providing oversight of the recreation concessionaire contract. Contact:
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ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT |
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Josh Perez Tony Huynh Eva Ibarra Tracy Oehler |
Jackie Lozano Zachary Plummer Destiny Rubio Vanessa Vasquez
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FINANCE DEPARTMENT |
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Brian Zahn |
Karina Calderon Miriam Cisneros Nyvee De Leon Sara Guzman Krista Kelley Taylor Jones Jeanessa Lopez Wendy Sandoval |
Engineering
The Engineering Department provides a range of services, including concept development, planning, engineering design, surveying, project management, and construction management and inspection. The Engineering Department is responsible for long-range planning and implementation of future UWCD facilities. The Engineering Department works closely with Water Resources to assess and enhance existing and future water resources. The Department is responsible for technical monitoring of existing infrastructure, right-of-way administration, and general technical assistance to the Operations and Maintenance, Recreation, Environmental Services, and Finance departments. Contact:
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Robert Richardson, PE Kimberly Badescu Sonja Flores
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Lia Monaco Adrian Quiroz, PE Nathan Summerville, PE Kaili Taniguchi, PE Matthew Wong |
“Please email inquiries regarding Utility Relocation to Utilityinfo@unitedwater.org”
Environmental
The Environmental Services Department is responsible for ensuring that United is in compliance with various environmental laws including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Clean Water Act, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Among other tasks, the department manages compliance with the environmental requirements of United’s license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), development and implementation of United’s habitat conservation plan (HCP), and operations of the fish passage facilities at the Freeman Diversion. The department also conducts monitoring and studies of biological and physical conditions in support of United’s various permits and licenses. Contact:
Marissa Caringella
Environmental Services Manager
Hannah Garcia-Wickstrum
Environmental Scientist
Megan Johnson
Environmental Services Field Technician
Evan Lashly
Senior Environmental Scientist
Tessa Lenz
Environmental Scientist
Randall McInvale
Principal Environmental Scientist
Jesse Mitchell
Environmental Services Field Technician
Haven Whipple
Associate Environmental Scientist
Robbie Zambelli
Environmental Services Lead Field Technician
Water Resources
The Water Resources Department is responsible for providing hydrogeological expertise to assist the District in managing groundwater resources. The department performs water level measurements and water quality sampling and analysis on hundreds of wells each year, maintains and updates the regional groundwater flow model, performs field investigations to improve the District’s understanding of the controls on groundwater flow, evaluates the impacts of groundwater utilization and conservation options on resource availability and serves as an in-house resource on groundwater supply, water quality, and water resource management. Contact:
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GROUNDWATER Christofer Coppinger, PG, CHG Kathleen Kuepper, PG, CHG Patrick O’Connell, PG, CHG John Lindquist, PG, CHG |
GROUNDWATER MODELING Zachary Hanson, PhD, PE Jason Sun, PhD, PE |
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HYDROLOGY Luke Bryden Murray McEachron Bram Sercu, PhD |
FIELD TECHNICIAN Robert Marshall |
Operations and Maintenance
The Operations and Maintenance Department is responsible for operating and maintaining the District’s water resource facilities including Lake Piru’s water system, the Santa Felicia Dam and Hydro Plant, the Piru Diversion and Recharge Grounds, the Freeman Diversion, the Saticoy and El Rio Recharge Basins, the Oxnard Hueneme Drinking Water System, the PTP Agricultural Irrigation System, the Pleasant Valley Pipeline and the Saticoy Groundwater Storage Management Project. Contact:
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EL RIO |
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Adrian Aguayo Andy Camposagrado Randy Castaneda Kevin Champlin Ernie Flores Anthony Gonzalez |
Steven Kadowaki Mike Kaminski, Ph.D. Craig Morgan, PE Luis Perez Edward Reese Kevin Ortega Ruben Sanchez
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SATICOY |
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Roger Cano Peter Cervantez Daniel Emerson |
Kellen Everton Kelly Johnson JD Smallwood |
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SANTA FELICIA DAM |
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Raymond Avila, Jr. Greg DeJarnette Thomas Gonzalez Julian Meraz Bryan Schaffer |
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PARKS AND RECREATION |
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Michael Groeneveld Jerrett Howery Kathryn Prado Bernard Riedel Paul Reynoso Todd Spencer Kurt White |
Freeman Diversion Cresting
Meet the Experts
Dr. Bram Sercu
Principal Hydrologist
As UWCD’s Principal Hydrologist, Dr. Bram Sercu’s favorite part of the job is the immediate impact: When the District diverts a lot of water, groundwater levels visibly go up.
Bram directs the UWCD’s surface water hydrology monitoring program and performs surface water modeling, data analysis and reporting to assist with the District’s water resources acquisition, planning and regulatory compliance. He’s a surface water specialist.
Craig Morgan
Chief Operations Officer
As the Chief Operations Officer, Craig Morgan helps UWCD lead the region in replenishing the aquifer system, balancing the shifts between drought and abundance of water.
Craig’s goal is to ensure that UWCD staff have the tools and resources to readily receive water off the Santa Clara River and deliver it to the District’s constituents downstream via pipelines, canals and recharge basins. In turn, these efforts combined enable the replenishment of the local groundwater aquifers.
Dr. Jason Sun
Supervisory Water Resources Engineer
As UWCD’s Supervisory Water Resources Engineer, Dr. Jason Sun is the architect of UWCD’s regional groundwater model. He ensures the model’s accuracy and efficacy, keeping it up to date to study seven groundwater basins in Ventura County and groundwater issues such as seawater intrusion.
With several decades in the field and a Ph.D. in Hydrology and Water Resources Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Sun has always known water was the life force of our world.
John Lindquist
Water Resources Supervisor
Meet John Lindquist, UWCD’s Water Resources Supervisor. John has been with the District for nearly a decade, making his way to UWCD when he realized it was a place where he could do local work that made a difference.
In his role, John helps staff better develop projects and utilize District resources so that they make the most cost-effective decisions for customers.
Dr. Maryam Bral
Assistant General Manager | Water Resources Leader
Meet Dr. Maryam Bral, UWCD’s Chief Engineer and Water Resources Leader. Maryam leads a staff of exceptional engineers and scientists with one common goal: to make an impact in the region.
She supervises the Engineering and Groundwater Departments, managing critical projects such as the Santa Felicia Dam Safety Improvement Project, El Rio Iron and Manganese Treatment Facility Project and the Extraction Barrier and Brackish (EBB) Water Treatment Project.
Murray McEachron
Hydrologist Supervisor
While UWCD’s Hydrologist Supervisor Murray McEachron’s work focuses on surface water resources, he continuously contributes to the goal of putting as much water back into the ground as possible for everyone to use. Murray oversees the District’s surface water supply, moving and managing the water to fit the region’s needs.
Murray is excited for the future at UWCD thanks to several key safety improvement projects: the Santa Felicia Dam Safety Improvement Project, the new Freeman Diversion intake and the EBB Water Treatment Project.
Randall McInvale
Principal Environmental Scientist
As UWCD’s Principal Environmental Scientist, Randall McInvale is a scientist of all trades. He serves as a Field Ecologist, a Regulatory Specialist and an overall strategist considering the big picture.
Randall’s focus is on regulatory components of projects, including the Freeman Diversion Rehabilitation Project and the accompanying Fish Passage Improvement project, the EBB Water Treatment Project, the Santa Felicia Dam Safety Improvement Project and increasing State Water Project imports.
Robert Richardson
Engineering Manager
For UWCD’s Engineering Manager Robert Richardson, maximizing recycled water resources — an underutilized source on the Oxnard plain — is essential.
He works to safeguard this continuous, sustainable part of UWCD’s baseline supply. To do so, he serves as a project manager, coordinating UWCD’s internal team with consultants in design, environmental permitting, surveying, geotechnical exploration and construction management.