The Geography of Water in California

Water in California History of California Water Modern Water Projects Problems/Challenges to the California System Attempted Solutions Statistics

History of California Water Indians Spanish Missions 1813 Padre Dam - San Diego Water for Mexican Ranchos Water for early farmers to feed miners & new settlers 49ers-hydraulic mining ended 1894 Water for industry and urban areas

Water in California History of California Water Modern Water Projects Problems/Challenges to the California System Attempted Solutions Statistics

Modern Water Projects 1913 Metropolitan Aqueduct (233 miles) –Mono Lake (Owen Valley ) to Los Angeles –Mulhulland 1923 Hetch Hetchy Valley is Dammed –Water for San Francisco –Oshanashi Dam

Modern Water Projects 1933 Central Valley Project –water for farmers in Central Valley –farmers/state ran out of money, finished by Federal Government, managed by FBM $400 million to build –Shasta Dam Opened in 1951 –water is subsidized to farmers 40 year contract with Federal Government

Central Valley Project 100% Federal Construction funding Primarily designed for agriculture Other benefits –Hydro Power –Recreation –Wildlife –Urban –Flood Control

Central Valley Project Shasta Lake & Dam are the cornerstone Delta Mendota & Kern Canals with Friant Dam opened up desert region of San Joaquin CVP opened up commercial agriculture to an area traditionally utilize for livestock ranching

Modern Water Projects 1941 Imperial Irrigation District –All American Canal (along border of Mexico) –tapped into Colorado River 1941 Metropolitan Water District –Colorado Aqueduct (from Hoover Dam) 1973 State Water Project or California Water Project –water for urban areas Oroville Dam

California Water Project (California Aqueduct) Oroville Lake & Dam are the cornerstone Oroville to Feather River to Sacramento to Delta Cross Channel to CA aqueduct to Tehachipi Mts. - up and over via pipes to Lancaster Apple Valley Riverside Hemet in Perris Lake

California Water Project (California Aqueduct) 50% Federal - 50% State built Primarily designed for urban use Other benefits –Hydro Power –Recreation –Wildlife –Fish Hatcheries –Flood Control

California Water Project (California Aqueduct) 29 storage facilities 18 pumping plants 4 pumping-generating plants 5 hydroelectric power plants 660 miles of canals & pipelines

Water in California History of California Water Modern Water Projects Problems/Challenges to the California System Attempted Solutions Statistics

Problems/Challenges to the California Systems 1972 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act –no more dam building 1973 Endangered Species Act –many species live along streams & rivers 1977 Auburn Dam halted due to earthquake considerations

Problems/Challenges to the California Systems 1982 Peripheral Canal bill defeated –canal around Delta 1991 Cantera Loop Pesticide Spill Settlement of Mono Lake/LA metropolitan lawsuit in favor of Mono Lake –reestablishes water input into Mono lake –Owens Lake

Problems/Challenges to the California Systems Ongoing Problems –Salts & Mineral residue in the San Joaquin Valley –Depletion of underground water underground water used during drought years no state plan for underground water ownership

Problems/Challenges to the California Systems Farm water drainage Increasing costs of water –cities to buy water from farmers –acreage of houses the same as acreage of farmland CA water is not stable (drought years)

Problems/Challenges to the California Systems Delta is a a strategic link & bottleneck –earthquake vulnerability –increasing amounts of water contamination Salmon destroyed (Friant Dam, Shasta Dam)

Water in California History of California Water Modern Water Projects Problems/Challenges to the California System Attempted Solutions Statistics

Attempted Solutions Santa Barbara joined the CWP and began a desalination plant Recycling of water –recycled water injected into ground water –recycled water used for landscapinig Lessening of cultivation of thirsty crops Encouragement of wetlands Planting of grasses to increase evap.rates

Water in California History of California Water Modern Water Projects Problems/Challenges to the California System Attempted Solutions Statistics

Misc. Statistics 75% of rainfall is in Northern California 75% of CA population is in Southern CA –population increasing by 5-6 million each 10 years Agriculture uses 1/3 of total water supply or 80% of developed water 95% of CA wetlands have disappeared –important for wildlife & ground water replenishment

Summary More than 2/3 of CA population receive water from the water projects, with thousands of industries using water & irrigation for hundreds of thousands of acres of CA farmland

Water in California History of California Water Modern Water Projects Problems/Challenges to the California System Attempted Solutions Statistics & Summary

The Geography of Water in California