For the month of August, SJW is celebrating Watershed Appreciation Month and we hope you’ll join us!
For over 120 years, SJW has owned and managed a significant portion of the Los Gatos Creek watershed, a testament to our commitment to preserving this vital natural resource. Throughout the watershed, you'll find bodies of water such as Lake Elsman, Lake Kitteredge, and Lake Cozzens that are named after early San Jose Water company presidents who played pivotal roles in the preservation and stewardship of these resources.
Even more than a century ago, SJW faced challenges and considerations similar to those we tackle today—issues like drought, rapid growth, and environmental concerns. Early on, our company invested in forward-thinking stewardship practices and infrastructure to address these challenges. Today, we uphold this legacy by continuously investing in cutting-edge protection and management of our watershed.
One such advancement is the deployment of AI sensors in the watershed, a technology unimaginable to our early presidents. These sensors, part of our partnership with the Santa Clara County Firesafe Council, form the N5Shield™ network covering approximately 6,000 acres of watershed land. This initiative represents the first phase towards our goal of extending sensor coverage to over 100,000 acres in the future. These sensors play a crucial role in detecting and preventing wildfires, ensuring the safety and integrity of our watershed.
As we wrap up Watershed Appreciation Month this August, we invite you to join us in reflecting on our past achievements and looking forward to the future of watershed stewardship.