Elmer J. Chesbro was the president of the South Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District at the time of the construction of Chesbro dam & reservoir in 1955. Chesbro dam và reservoir are located on Llagas Creek three miles west of Morgan Hill. The reservoir can store 7,945 acre-feet of water. Its surface area is 283 acres*. 

Projects:

Innundation maps

Inundation map of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Chesbro Dam (2019) (index map)Inundation maps of Hypothetical Inflow thiết kế Flood Failure of Chesbro Dam (2019) (index map)

 *Reservoir storage values have been updated to lớn reflect recent survey results.

Many geographic features in California were named directly or indirectly after the coyote. The Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza named the river Arroyo del Coyote after coyotes seen during his journey. The Coyote Reservoir is located on the former Rancho San Ysidro, a cattle ranch that belonged lớn Ygnacio Ortega in the early 1800s. Coyote Dam & Reservoir is one of original six reservoirs approved for construction by voters in May 1934. Construction of the dams began in 1934, after the PWA approved a grant for $673,000. Its capacity is 23,244 acre-feet of water. Its surface area is 635 acres*.

Projects:

Inundation maps Inundation map of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Coyote Dam (index map)Inundation maps of Hypothetical Inflow thiết kế Flood Failure of Coyote Dam (index map)

*Reservoir storage values have been updated khổng lồ reflect recent survey results.

 

The Santa Clara Valley Water District built the Guadalupe Dam during the Great Depression, completing it in 1935 after acquiring land as the Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District. The dam & reservoir is one of the six original reservoirs approved for construction by voters in May 1934. The reservoir"s surface area is 74 acres. * Both are located along Hicks Creek on Guadalupe Creek, a tributary of the Guadalupe River. 

Issues facing the dam and reservoir

Guadalupe Reservoir, which can store about 3,415 acre-feet of water, has a critical problem of extensive mercury contamination. It lies about two miles from the now closed New Almaden Mines, once one of the largest mercury producing mines in the Americas, và still feels the effects of the old work, particularly during large runoff events when mercury containing sediments from mine wastes get into the water from the mining areas. The reservoir is impaired because of its level of toxicity. For more information on how the water district has addressed the problem, click here.

The Guadalupe Dam, meanwhile, will soon be the subject of a seismic upgrade to shore up the dam after a 2011 engineering study found it to be a risk during a large earthquake.

Inundation maps

Inundation maps of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Guadalupe Dam (2019) (index map)Inundation map of Hypothetical Inflow kiến thiết Flood Failure of Guadalupe Dam (2019) (index map)

Lexington Reservoir & James J. Lenihan Dam are located on Los Gatos Creek about three miles south of the town of Los Gatos. The dam was constructed in 1952. Initially, the dam was referred lớn by different names, primarily "Windy Point Dam," because the location of the proposed dam was near an obscure spur known as Windy Point. In 1947, water district directors decided to name the dam & reservoir for Lexington, a small nearby community that was sacrificed when the reservoir was built. In 1996, Lexington Dam was renamed for James J. Lenihan, the Santa Clara Valley Water District"s longest-serving director with 37 years of service.

The 2.5-miles-long reservoir is the second-largest water district reservoir. The reservoir capacity is 19,044 acre-feet of water. Its surface area is 412 acres*.

Inundation mapsInundation bản đồ of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Lenihan Dam (index map)Inundation maps of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Austrian Dam and Lenihan Dam (index map)

Final SSE2A Reports (December 2012):

Projects và information:

*Reservoir storage values have been updated to reflect recent survey results.

Stevens Creek Reservoir is located on Stevens Creek about two miles southwest of Cupertino. Stevens Creek was originally known as Arroyo de San José Cupertino. The stream now bears the name of an early settler, Captain Elishia Stephens, a South Carolinian, who led the first successful passage of wagons over the Sierra Nevada in 1844. Stevens Creek dam và reservoir is one of six original systems approved for construction by voters in 1934. It was completed in 1935. In 1985, an additional 231,000 cubic yards of material was added to the dam, raising it 10 feet. The reservoir capacity is 3,138 acre-feet of water. Its surface area is 92 acres*.

Inundation MapsInundation maps of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Stevens Creek Dam (2019) (index map)

Final SSE2A Reports (January 2013)

Projects:

*Reservoir storage values have been updated to reflect recent survey results.

Uvas dam & reservoir are located on Uvas Creek about two miles upstream from the intersection of Watsonville và Uvas roads in southern Santa Clara County. The Spanish name for grapes, "uvas," is preserved in a number of place names, all apparently referring to the abundance of wild grapes. Uvas Creek got its name from the land grant Cañada de las Uvas (grape ravine) dated June 14, 1842. Uvas Dam was a part of the South Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District. It was completed in 1957. The reservoir"s capacity is 9,835 acre-feet of water. The surface area is 288 acres*.

*Reservoir storage values have been updated lớn reflect recent survey results.

Inundation maps

Inundation map of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Uvas Dam (2019) (index map)Inundation map of Hypothetical Inflow thiết kế Flood Failure of Uvas Dam (2019) (index map)

Vasona dam và reservoir is located on Los Gatos Creek within the town of Los Gatos. Albert August Vollmer, who came lớn the area in 1887, named the area after a pony he had as a child. Vasona Lake Dam & Reservoir is one of six original reservoirs approved by the voters in 1934. The reservoir capacity is 495 acre-feet. The surface area is 57 acres. The dam was completed in 1935 and new gates were installed in 1997.

Inundation mapsInundation maps of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Vasona Dam Spillway Structure (index map)Inundation map of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure (West Side) of Vasona Dam (index map)Inundation maps of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure (East Side) of Vasona Dam (index map)

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A new look for our most popular product! & it’s the perfect gift for the water wonk in your life.

Our 24×36 inch California Water map is widely known for being the definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the state. On this updated version, it is easier khổng lồ see California’s natural waterways & man-made reservoirs and aqueducts –including federally, state andlocally funded projects –thewild and scenic rivers system,and naturallakes.The maps features beautiful photos of California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects, wildlife, & urban và agricultural uses và the textfocuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers & the Colorado River.

map is UV coated to resist fading. Suitable for framing, copies of the map are available for $20 each, plus applicable tax and shipping charges.

khổng lồ order 10copies or more at a discounted price, liên hệ the Foundation at 916-444-6240.

Western Water March 17, 2023 Nick Cahill California Water bản đồ WESTERN WATER-Testing at the Source: California Readies a Groundbreaking Hunt to check for Microplastics in Drinking Water By Nick Cahill

Testing at the Source: California Readies a Groundbreaking Hunt to check for Microplastics in Drinking Water WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Regulators & water systems are finalizing a first-of-its-kind pilot that will determine whether microplastics are contaminating water destined for the tap

Tiny pieces of plastic waste shed from food wrappers, grocery bags, clothing, cigarette butts, tires and paint are invading the environment and every facet of daily life. Researchers know the plastic particles have even made it into municipal water supplies, but very little data exists about the scope of microplastic contamination in drinking water.

After years of planning, California this year is embarking on a first-of-its-kind data-gathering mission to illuminate how prevalent microplastics are in the state’s largest drinking water sources and help regulators determine whether they are a public health threat.

New Tools for Exploring Water – Past, Present & Future

Welcome lớn a New Year, Project WET Educators! The traditional season of gift-giving & thanks may have ended for you with the removal of lights & storing of decorations. But I’m hoping this Gazette may extend the season for you well into the New Year by highlighting a small treasure-trove of online tools và resources that have been recently released or updated – và can be used with Project WET activities.

As Climate Change Erodes Western Snowpacks, One Watershed Tries A ‘Supershed Approach’ to lớn Shield Its Water Supply WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: Groundwater banks, a high-elevation reservoir và improved weather forecasting are how American River water managers hope to replace the disappearing Sierra Nevada snowpack

The foundation of California’s water supply & the catalyst for the state’s 20th century population and economic growth is cracking. More exactly, it’s disappearing.

Climate change is eroding the mountain snowpack that has traditionally melted in the spring and summer to lớn fill rivers and reservoirs across the West. Now, less precipitation is falling as snow in parts of major mountain ranges lượt thích California’s Sierra Nevada và the Rockies in the West, & the snow that does land is melting faster & earlier due to lớn warming temperatures.

Exploring Water Infrastructure và Climate Resilience

Winter is coming. Every ‘Game of Thrones’ fan knows this dreaded warning và pleato all in the Seven Kingdoms to lớn unite before its too late lớn counter a climate disaster complete with frozen zombies.

Western Water November 19, 2021 Alastair Bland California Water map WESTERN WATER-California Spent Decades Trying to lớn Keep Central Valley Floods at Bay. Now It Looks to Welcome Them Back By Alastair Bland

California Spent Decades Trying khổng lồ Keep Central Valley Floods at Bay. Now It Looks khổng lồ Welcome Them Back WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: Floodplain restoration gets a policy & funding boost as interest grows in projects that bring multiple benefits to lớn respond khổng lồ climate change impacts

Land and waterway managers labored hard over the course of a century to control California’s unruly rivers by building dams & levees to slow and contain their water. Now, farmers, environmentalists and agencies are undoing some of that work as part of an accelerating campaign to restore the state’s major floodplains.

Long Troubled Salton Sea May Finally Be Getting What it Most Needs: kích hoạt — and Money WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: California's largest lake could see millions in potential funding khổng lồ supercharge improvements to lớn address long-delayed habitat and dust suppression needs

State work to lớn improve wildlife habitat and tamp down dust at California’s ailing Salton Sea is finally moving forward. Now the sea may be on the verge of getting the vital ingredient needed lớn supercharge those restoration efforts – money.

The shrinking desert lake has long been a trouble spot beset by rising salinity & unhealthy, lung-irritating dust blowing from its increasingly exposed bed. It shadows discussions of how to address the Colorado River’s two-decade-long drought because of its connection khổng lồ the system. The lake is a festering health hazard khổng lồ nearby residents, many of them impoverished, who struggle with elevated asthma risk as dust rises from the sea’s receding shoreline.

Western Water April 30, 2021 Solving Water Challenges in Disadvantaged Communities California Water map By Gary Pitzer

Pandemic Lockdown Exposes the Vulnerability Some Californians Face Keeping Up With Water Bills WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: Growing mountain of water bills spotlights affordability & hurdles to lớn implementing a statewide assistance program

As California slowly emerges from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, one remnant left behind by the statewide lockdown offers a sobering reminder of the economic challenges still ahead for millions of the state’s residents và the water agencies that serve them – a mountain of water debt.

Water affordability concerns, long an issue in a state where millions of people struggle lớn make ends meet, jumped into overdrive last year as the pandemic wrenched the economy. Jobs were lost và household finances were upended. Even with federal stimulus aid & unemployment checks, bills fell by the wayside.

Offline Activities for an Online World

“The work of education is divided between the teacher và the environment.” ​

― Maria Montessori

Western Water February 27, 2020 Layperson's Guide to Climate Change và Water Resources California Water maps Gary Pitzer

Can Carbon Credits Save Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Islands & Protect California’s Vital Water Hub? WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: An ambitious plan would use carbon credits as incentives to lớn convert Delta islands khổng lồ wetlands or rice to halt subsidence and potentially raise island elevations

The islands of the western Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are sinking as the rich peat soil that attracted generations of farmers dries out and decays. As the peat decomposes, it releases tons of carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas – into the atmosphere. As the islands sink, the levees that protect them are at increasing risk of failure, which could imperil California’s vital water conveyance system.

An ambitious plan now in the works could halt the decay, sequester the carbon & potentially reverse the sinking.

Meet the Veteran Insider Who’s Shepherding Gov. Newsom’s Plan lớn Bring Climate Resilience to California Water WESTERN WATER Q&A: Former journalist Nancy Vogel explains how the draft California Water Resilience Portfolio came together và why it’s expected to lớn guide future state decisions

Shortly after taking office in 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom called on state agencies khổng lồ deliver a Water Resilience Portfolio to meet California’s urgent challenges — unsafe drinking water, flood and drought risks from a changing climate, severely depleted groundwater aquifers and native fish populations threatened with extinction.

Within days, he appointed Nancy Vogel, a former journalist and veteran water communicator, as director of the Governor’s Water Portfolio Program to help shepherd the monumental task of compiling all the information necessary for the portfolio. The three state agencies tasked with preparing the document delivered the draft Water Resilience Portfolio Jan. 3. The document, which Vogel said will help guide policy và investment decisions related to water resilience, is nearing the kết thúc of its bình luận period, which goes through Friday, Feb. 7.

Can a New Approach to lớn Managing California Reservoirs Save Water và Still Protect Against Floods? WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Pilot Projects Testing Viability of Using Improved Forecasting lớn Guide Reservoir Operations

Many of California’s watersheds are notoriously flashy – swerving from below-average flows to lớn jarring flood conditions in quick order. The state needs all the water it can get from storms, but current flood management guidelines are strict & unyielding, requiring reservoirs to dump water each winter to lớn make space for flood flows that may not come.

However, new tools & operating methods are emerging that could lead the way lớn a redefined system that improves both water supply và flood protection capabilities.

Understanding Streamflow Is Vital khổng lồ Water Management in California, But Gaps In Data Exist WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: A new law aims to lớn reactivate dormant stream gauges khổng lồ aid in flood protection, water forecasting

California is chock full of rivers và creeks, yet the state’s network of stream gauges has significant gaps that limit real-time tracking of how much water is flowing downstream, information that is vital for flood protection, forecasting water supplies và knowing what the future might bring.

Xem thêm: Cung bọ cạp giải mã đặc điểm tính cách, tình yêu, sự nghiệp, 12 cung hoàng đạo bằng tiếng anh đầy đủ nhất

That network of stream gauges got a big boost Sept. 30 with the signing of SB 19. Authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), the law requires the state khổng lồ develop a stream gauge deployment plan, focusing on reactivating existing gaugesthat have been offline for lack of funding và other reasons. Nearly half of California’s stream gauges are dormant.

Often Short of Water, California’s Southern Central Coast Builds Toward A Drought-Proof Supply WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Water agencies in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties look to lớn seawater, recycled water khổng lồ protect against water shortages

The southern part of California’s Central Coast from San Luis Obispo County to Ventura County, home to about 1.5 million people, is blessed with a pleasing Mediterranean climate and a picturesque terrain. Yet while its quality geography abounds in beauty, the area perpetually struggles with drought.

Indeed, while the rest of California breathed a sigh of relief with the return of wet weather after the severe drought of 2012–2016, places such as Santa Barbara still grappled with dry conditions.

How Private Capital is Speeding up Sierra Nevada Forest Restoration in a Way that Benefits Water WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: A bond fund that fronts the money is expediting a headwaters restoration project lớn improve forest health, water quality and supply

The majestic beauty of the Sierra Nevada forest is awe-inspiring, but beneath the dazzling xanh sky, there is a problem: A century of fire suppression & logging practices have left trees too close together. Millions of trees have died, stricken by drought and beetle infestation. Combined with a forest floor cluttered with dry brush và debris, it’s a wildfire waiting to lớn happen.

Fires devastate the Sierra watersheds upon which millions of Californians depend — scorching the ground, unleashing a battering ram of debris and turning hillsides into gelatinous, stream-choking mudflows.

A Study of Microplastics in San Francisco cất cánh Could Help Cleanup Strategies Elsewhere WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Debris from plastics & tires is showing up in cất cánh waters; state drafting microplastics plan for drinking water

Blasted by sun và beaten by waves, plastic bottles & bags shed fibers & tiny flecks of microplastic debris that litter the San Francisco bay where they can choke the marine life that inadvertently consumes it.

A collaborative effort of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, The 5 Gyre Institute,San Francisco cất cánh Regional Water quality Control Boardandthe regulated discharger community that aims lớn better understand the problem and assess how to manage it in the San Francisco bay is nearing the end of a three-year study.

Dear Western Water reader,

Summer is a good time khổng lồ take a break, relax and enjoy some of the great beaches, waterways & watersheds around California và the West. We hope you’re getting a chance to bởi vì plenty of that this July.

But in the weekly sprint through work,it’s easy to miss some interesting nuggets you might want to lớn read. So while we’re taking a publishing break to lớn work on other water articles planned for later this year, we wantto help you catch up on Western Water stories from the first half of this year that you might have missed.

Can Providing Bathrooms to lớn Homeless Protect California’s Water Quality? WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: The connection between homelessness and water is gaining attention under California human right to water law và water chất lượng concerns

Each day, people living on the streets và camping along waterways across California face the same struggle – finding clean drinking water and a place lớn wash and go lớn the bathroom.

Some find friendly businesses willing khổng lồ help, or public restrooms và drinking water fountains. Yet for many homeless people, accessing the water và sanitation that most people take for granted remains a daily struggle.

California’s New Natural Resources Secretary Takes on Challenge of Implementing Gov. Newsom’s Ambitious Water Agenda WESTERN WATER Q&A: Wade Crowfoot addresses Delta tunnel shift, Salton Sea plan and managing water amid a legacy of conflict

One of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first actions after taking office was khổng lồ appoint Wade Crowfoot as Natural Resources Agency secretary. Then, within weeks, the governor laid out an ambitious water agenda that Crowfoot, 45, is now charged with executing.

That agenda includes the governor’s desire for a “fresh approach” on water, scaling back the conveyance plan in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta & calling for more water recycling, expanded floodplains in the Central Valley & more groundwater recharge.

No Longer a ‘Boys Club’: In the World of Water, Women Are Increasingly Claiming Center Stage WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Since late 2017, women have taken leading roles at Reclamation, DWR, Metropolitan Water District và other key water agencies

The 1992 election lớn the United States Senate was famously coined the “Year of the Woman” for the record number of women elected to lớn the upper chamber.

In the water world, 2018 has been a similar banner year, with noteworthy appointments of women to đứng đầu leadership posts in California — Karla Nemeth at the California Department of Water Resources & Gloria Gray at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Western Water November 16, 2018 California Water bản đồ Layperson's Guide lớn the State Water Project Gary Pitzer

As He Steps Aside, Tim Quinn Talks About ‘Adversarialists,’ Collaboration và Hope For Solving the State’s Tough Water Issues WESTERN WATER Q&A: Tim Quinn, retiring executive director of Association of California Water Agencies

In the universe of California water, Tim Quinn is a professor emeritus. Quinn has seen — và been a key player in — a lot of major California water issues since he began his water career 40 years ago as a young economist with the Rand Corporation, then later as deputy general manager with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, và finally as executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. In December, the 66-year-old will retire from ACWA.

In Water-Stressed California & the Southwest, An Acre-Foot of Water Goes a Lot Further Than It Used lớn WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK-As households get stingier with water, a common guide for describing how much they need gets a refresh

People in California và the Southwest are getting stingier with water, a story that’s told by the acre-foot.

For years, water use has generally been described in terms of acre-foot per a certain number of households, keying off the image of an acre-foot as a football field a foot deep in water. The long-time rule of thumb: One acre-foot of water would supply the indoor and outdoor needs of two typical urban households for a year.

Despite Risk of Unprecedented Shortage on the Colorado River, Reclamation Commissioner Sees Room for Optimism WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Commissioner Brenda Burman, in address at Foundation’s Water Summit, also highlights Shasta Dam plan

The Colorado River Basin is more than likely headed lớn unprecedented shortage in 2020 that could force supply cuts khổng lồ some states, but work is “furiously” underway lớn reduce the risk and avert a crisis, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman told an audience of California water industry people.

During a keynote address at the Water Education Foundation’s Sept. đôi mươi Water Summit in Sacramento, Burman said there is opportunity for Colorado River Basin states lớn control their destiny, but acknowledged that in water, there are no guarantees that agreement can be reached.

When Water Worries Often Pit Farms vs. Fish, a Sacramento Valley Farm Is Trying to Address The Needs Of Both WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: River Garden Farms is piloting projects that could add habitat và food lớn aid Sacramento River salmon

Farmers in the Central Valley are broiling about California’s plan lớn increase flows in the Sacramento & San Joaquin river systems to lớn help struggling salmon runs avoid extinction. But in one corner of the fertile breadbasket, River Garden Farms is taking part in some extraordinary efforts khổng lồ provide the embattled fish with refuge from predators & enough food to lớn eat.

And while there is no direct benefit to lớn one farm’s voluntary actions, the belief is what’s good for the fish is good for the farmers.

As Decision Nears On California Water Storage Funding, a Chairman Reflects on Lessons Learned & What’s Next WESTERN WATER Q&A: California Water Commission Chairman Armando Quintero

New water storage is the holy grail primarily for agricultural interests in California, & in 2014 the door lớn achieving long-held ambitions opened with the passage of Proposition 1, which included $2.7 billion for the public benefits portion of new reservoirs and groundwater storage projects. The statute stipulated that the money is specifically for the benefits that a new storage project would offer to the ecosystem, water quality, flood control, emergency response và recreation.

One Year In, A New State Policymaker Assesses the Salton Sea, Federal Relations and California’s Thorny Water Issues WESTERN WATER Q&A: State Water Board member Joaquin Esquivel

Joaquin Esquivel learned that life is what happens when you make plans. Esquivel, who holds the public thành viên slot at the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento, had just closed purchase on a house in Washington D.C. With his partner when he was tapped by Gov. Jerry Brown a year ago lớn fill the Board vacancy.

Esquivel, 35, had spent a decade in Washington, first in several capacities with then Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., & then as assistant secretary for federal water policy at the California Natural Resources Agency. As a member of the State Water Board, he shares with four other membersthe difficult task of ensuring balance khổng lồ all the uses of California’s water.

Aquapedia background September 8, năm 2016 California Water maps Layperson's Guide khổng lồ California Water

Algal blooms are sudden overgrowths of algae. Their occurrence isincreasing in California’s rivers, creeks and lakes and along the coast, threatening the lives of people, petsand fisheries.

Only a few types of algae can produce poisons, but even nontoxic blooms hurt the environment và local economies.When masses of algae die, the decaying can deplete oxygen in the water lớn the point of causing devastating fish kills.

Aquapedia background August 25, năm 2016 Layperson's Guide to California Water California Water bản đồ

Headwaters are the source of a stream or river. They are located at the furthest point from where the water toàn thân empties or merges with another.Two-thirds of California’s surface water supply originates in these mountainous và typically forested regions.

The 24-page Layperson’s Guide khổng lồ California Water provides an excellent overview of the history of water development and use in California. It includes sections on flood management; the state, federal and Colorado River delivery systems; Delta issues; water rights; environmental issues; water quality; và options for stretching the water supply such as water sale and conjunctive use. New in this 10th edition of the guide is a section on the human need for water.

A watershed is the land area that drains runoff – snowmelt & rain – into a connected system of lakes, streams, rivers, và other waterways. It typically is identified by the largest draining watercourse within the system. In California, for example, the Sierra Nevada is one of the state’s major watersheds.

Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 California Water map Layperson's Guide to California Water

California’s “Mediterranean” climate, characterized by warm, dry summers & mild winters, is considered one of its great attractions, but it also can be unpredictable with flooding followed by drought & few years of “normal” precipitation. .

Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 California Water bản đồ Layperson's Guide khổng lồ the Central Valley Project

Until the early 1900s, Central California’s Tulare Lake naturally appeared every winter as the southernmost rivers flowing out of the Sierra Nevada filled the dry lakebed with rainfall và melted snow.

In the spring, the shallow lake near Visalia could cover as much as 790 square miles, or four times the surface area of Lake Tahoe. By the over of the hot San Joaquin Valley summer, however, the giant lake – once the largest freshwater toàn thân west of the Mississippi River – could disappear primarily due khổng lồ evaporation.

Aquapedia background February 11, năm trước California Water bản đồ Layperson's Guide lớn the State Water Project

The State Water Project is an aquatic lifeline for California because of its vital role in bringing water khổng lồ cities và farms. Without it, California would never have developed into the economic powerhouse it is.

The Project diverts water from the Feather River to the Central Valley, South bay Area and Southern California. Its key feature is the 444-mile-long California Aqueductseen along Interstate 5.

Aquapedia background February 11, năm trước California Water maps Layperson's Guide to lớn California Water

Stretching 450 miles long and up to lớn 50 miles wide, the Sierra Nevada makes up more than a quarter of California’s land area & forms its largest watersheds, providing more than half of the state’s developed water supply to residents, agriculture and other businesses.*

Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 Dams Layperson's Guide to the Central Valley Project California Water maps

Shasta Dam forms California’s largest storage reservoir, Shasta Lake, which can hold about 4.5 million acre-feet.

As the keystone of the federal Central Valley Project, Shasta stands among the world’s largest dams. Construction on the dam began in 1938 & was completed in 1945, with flood control as the highest priority.

Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 California Water maps Layperson's Guide to lớn California Water

The Pacific Flyway is one of four major North American migration routes for birds, especially waterfowl, & extends from Alaska & Canada, through California, lớn Mexico & South America. Each year, birds follow ancestral patterns as they travel the flyway on their annual north-south migration. Along the way, they need stopover sites such as wetlands with suitable habitat and food supplies. In California, 90percent of historic wetlands have been lost.

Hydroelectric power is produced when water released from a reservoir turns a turbine connected to lớn a generator. Gravity causes water to lớn drop toward a turbine propeller. The falling water then turns the turbine, which produces power through the connected generator.

Aquapedia background February 4, năm trước Layperson's Guide to California Water California Water bản đồ

Hetch Hetchy – a Sierra Miwok word for a type of wild grass –is a valley in Yosemite National Park whose river was dammed to create a water supply for the
San Francisco bay Area. The O’Shaughnessy Dam on the Tuolumne River forms Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

Owned by the city of San Francisco, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir provides water to lớn 2.7 million residents & businesses in the San Francisco cất cánh Area.

Aquapedia background February 3, 2014 All Things Drought California Water maps Layperson's Guide to lớn Water Conservation Water Conservation Tips Up Close and Personal: Water Use at home Drought FAQs

Drought—an extended period of limited or no precipitation—is a fact of life in California & the West, with water resources following boom-and-bust patterns. During California’s 2012–2016 drought, much of the state experienced severe drought conditions: significantly less precipitation và snowpack, reduced streamflow & higher temperatures. Those same conditions reappeared early in 2021 prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom in May to declare drought emergencies in watersheds across 41 counties in California.

Aquapedia background January 30, 2014 Layperson's Guide to lớn California Water California Water bản đồ Water và the Shaping of California

California will always be inextricably linked to lớn its water resources.Water continues lớn shape the state’s development & no resource is as vital to California’s urban centers, farms, industry, recreation, scenic beauty & environmental preservation.

But California’s relationship lớn water is also one that continues lớn generate controversy.

Aquapedia background January 30, năm trước California Water bản đồ Layperson's Guide to California Water

The California Environmental unique Act, commonly known as CEQA, is foundational khổng lồ the state’s environmental protection efforts. The law requires proposed developments with the potential for “significant” impacts on the physical environment to lớn undergo an environmental review.

Since its passage in 1970, CEQA (based on the National Environmental Policy Act) has served as a mã sản phẩm for similar legislation in other states.