1. Water in California
Colorado River Aqueduct
California State Water Project
By Mina Greas

2. The Colorado River Aqueduct

3. The Law of the River
The Colorado River is managed and operated under numerous compacts, federal laws, court decisions and decrees, contracts, and regulatory guidelines collectively known as "The Law of the River”.

4. The Compact
Divides the river basin into two areas:
Upper Division
Colorado
New Mexico
Utah
Wyoming
Lower Division
Nevada
Arizona
California

5. Upper Basin
7.5 million acre·ft/year (293 m³/s) total
Colorado 51.75%* 3.86 million acre·ft/year (150.7 m³/s)
Utah 23.00%* 1.71 million acre·ft/year (67.0 m³/s)
Wyoming 14.00%* 1.04 million acre·ft/year (40.8 m³/s)
New Mexico 11.25%* 0.84 million acre·ft/year (32.8 m³/s)
Arizona 0.70% 0.05 million acre·ft/year (2.0 m³/s) *
*Percentages with a star are a percentage of the total after Arizona‘s 0.05 million are deducted. Arizona's percentage is of the total.

6. Lower Basin
7.5 million acre·ft/year (293 m³/s) total
California % 4.40 million acre·ft/year (172 m³/s)
Arizona % 2.80 million acre·ft/year (109 m³/s)
Nevada 4.00% 0.30 million acre·ft/year (12 m³/s)

7. What it takes to bring us water?

8. What it takes to bring us water?

9. What it takes to bring us water?

10. What it takes to bring us water?

11. What it takes to bring us water?

12. What it takes to bring us water?

13. Colorado River Compact and the environment
When the Compact was signed in 1922, environmental issues were not considered.
Environmental Issues:
Using and reusing the river water changes the condition of the water.
Negative Impacts on Ecosystem
Damming, results in unfavorable environments for native fish species.
They cannot pass or travel.

14. Colorado River Compact and the environment
Reduced silt deposits.
Takes minerals from the water which will be deposited downstream.
The water temperature becomes colder because the water depth behind the dam is much deeper.
High water usage destroyed the delta in Mexico which was once lush green with rich silt deposits.

15. California State Water Project

16. California State Water Project
The California State Water Project, commonly known as the SWP (simply State Water Project),
It is the world's largest publicly built and operated water and power development and conveyance system.

17. California State Water Project
The original purpose of the project was to provide water for arid Southern California.

18. California State Water Project
Today, the SWP provides drinking water for over 23 million people and generates an average 6.5 million MWh of hydroelectricity each year.

19. California State Water Project
The largest consumer of power in the state are the pumps needed to bring the water to Southern California, its net usage is 5.1 million MWh.

20. California State Water Project
80% of the water carried by the project is used for agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley.
Primary features of the project include:
Orovill Dam
San Luis Reservoir
California Aqueduct

21. California State Water Project and the environment
Conservationists say the pumping stations kill too many of the endangered fish.

22. California State Water Project and the environment
In dry years, water pumped from the Sacramento River Delta creates a hazard to spring-run salmon, as the currents that the salmon spawn normally follow to the Pacific Ocean go to the pumps instead.
This and other water use and environmental problems led to the creation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program or CALFED in 1994.