California Geology - 4California Water Project

California has several major rivers, canals, and aqueducts.

Water facts!!

• Landscaping accounts for about half the water Californians use at home. Showers account for another 18%, while toilets use about 20%.

Water facts!!• An acre-foot of water is about 326,000

gallons, or enough water to supply two typical families for a year.

• It takes 3.3 acre-feet of water to grow enough food for an average family for a year.

Water facts!!

• About 75% of California’s available water occurs north of Sacramento, while about 80% of the demand occurs in the southern two-thirds of the state.

Water Projects• Two of the most important projects are the

federal Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP).

Water Projects

• The CVP and SWP bring water from Northern California through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta for delivery to users in the San Joaquin Valley, parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California

Where does the water come from?

• Local Water Projects– Los Angeles Aqueduct– Colorado River

Aqueduct– Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct– Mokelumne Aqueduct

Where does the water come from?

• State Water Projects– Feather River Basin– California Aqueduct– System of Canals– Resevoirs– Pumping Plants and

Pipelines

Where does the water come from?

• Federal Water Projects– All American Canal– Coachella Canal– Central Valley Project

History of the SWP

• Its main purpose is to store water and distribute it to 29 urban and agricultural water suppliers

• Of the contracted water supply, 70 percent goes to urban users and 30 percent goes to agricultural users.

History continued• The Project includes:– 32 storage facilities– reservoirs and lakes– 17 pumping plants– 3 pumping-generating plants– 5 hydroelectric power plants– 660 miles of open canals and pipelines.

• The Project provides supplemental water to approximately 20 million Californians and about 660,000 acres of irrigated farmland.

Water Needs• Agriculture- 80% of CA water– 2/3 surface water– 1/3 ground water

Water Needs• Houses and Business- – 50% Landscaping– 38% Bathroom– 12% Other

Water Needs• Industry-– Major use is cooling of equipment– Manufacturing of beverages and paper– Production of steam to generate electricity

Water Needs• Recreation and Wildlife– Rivers are the largest use– Fisheries– Wetlands