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74-463: The dam was proposed in response to major floods in the mid–20th century, and was constructed between 1993 and 2000. Seven Oaks is a dry dam that serves mainly for flood protection to Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, although it also used to impound water for groundwater recharge . One of the largest embankment dams in the United States, the dam was built under contract from

148-421: A bond measure . Construction on Stage I of the project, which would deliver the first 2.23 million acre-feet (2.75 km ) of water, began in 1960. Northern Californians opposed the measure as a boondoggle and an attempt to steal their water resources. In fact, the city of Los Angeles – which was to be one of the principal beneficiaries – also opposed the project; locals saw it as a ploy by politicians in

222-638: A capacity of 3,400 short tons (3,080 t) per hour, was built to transport materials to the dam site. Fill used in the embankment was excavated from the Santa Ana River canyon directly below the dam, the alluvial fan of the river north of Mentone, and a cut in a ridge directly southeast of the dam that now serves as the dam's spillway. The dam was built in ten alternating zones of dirt, rock and clay that ultimately totaled 38,000,000 cubic yards (29,000,000 m). When completed and dedicated in January 2000,

296-554: A connection from Perris to Lake Skinner , further south. The original 1957 California Water Plan included provisions for dams on the Klamath, Eel, Mad and Smith Rivers of California's North Coast. Fed by prolific rainfall in the western Coast Ranges and Klamath Mountains , these rivers discharge more than 26 million acre-feet (32 km ) to the Pacific each year, more than that of the entire Sacramento River system. The plan

370-628: A giant offstream storage facility, San Luis Reservoir , formed by the nearby B.F. Sisk Dam . San Luis Reservoir is shared by the SWP and the federal Central Valley Project ; here water can be switched between the California Aqueduct and Delta-Mendota Canal to cope with fluctuating demands. The SWP has a 50 percent share of the 2.04 million acre-feet (2.52 km ) of storage available in San Luis Reservoir. South of

444-529: A maximum depth of 30 feet (9.1 m); some parts of the channel are capable of delivering more than 13,000 cu ft/s (370 m /s). The section of the aqueduct that runs through the San Joaquin Valley includes multiple turnouts where water is released to irrigate roughly 750,000 acres (300,000 ha) of land on the west side of the valley. The aqueduct enters the O'Neill Forebay reservoir west of Volta , where water can be pumped into

518-764: A pipeline known as the Central Coast Water Authority extension, completed in 1997, the Coastal Branch supplies water to Lake Cachuma , a 205,000 acre⋅ft (0.253 km ) reservoir on the Santa Ynez River . From the terminus of the main California Aqueduct at Tehachapi Afterbay, the West Branch carries water to a second reservoir, Quail Lake, via the Oso Pumping Plant. The water then runs south by gravity to

592-533: A smaller 3.3 MW powerplant. The entire system generates approximately 2.2 billion kilowatt hours per year, making up about a third of the total power generated by SWP facilities. From Oroville, a regulated water flow travels down the Feather and Sacramento Rivers to the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta . North of Rio Vista , about 120,000 acre-feet (0.15 km ) per year is pumped into

666-551: Is a pumped-storage hydroelectric plant capable of producing 1,247 MW on peak demand. Together, Pyramid and Castaic Lakes form the primary storage for West Branch water delivered to Southern California. Water is supplied to municipalities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The East Branch takes water from Tehachapi Afterbay along the north side of the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains to

740-510: Is mostly made up of buried pipeline. Pumping plants at Las Perillas, Badger Hill, Devil's Den, Bluestone, and Polonio Pass serve to lift the water over the California Coast Ranges . Once over the crest of the mountains, the water is reregulated in a series of small reservoirs numbered Tanks 1 through 5. The Coastal Branch was completed in 1994 following a severe drought that led to calls for importation of SWP water. Through

814-422: Is mostly used for irrigation. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (the largest entitlement holder) pays $ 298 per acre-foot ($ 241 per 1,000 m ). This basically means that cities are subsidizing the cost of farm water, even though the cities also provided primary funding for the construction of the SWP. In the early 1970s, the SWP system still had a lot of "surplus" – water supply developed through

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888-438: Is rising, then release the captured water as quickly as downstream channel conditions allow. Seven Oaks is designed to completely contain a "Reservoir Design Flood" of 85,000 cubic feet per second (2,400 m/s), corresponding to a 350-year flood event, reducing it to a peak outflow of 7,000 cubic feet per second (200 m/s). The dam is capable of withstanding an inflow of up to 180,000 cubic feet per second (5,100 m/s), or

962-637: Is the single most important reservoir of the project. Water stored in Lake Oroville is released through the 819 MW Edward Hyatt pumped-storage powerplant and two other hydroelectric plants downstream of Oroville Dam, which together make up the Oroville-Thermalito Complex . The Thermalito Forebay and Afterbay support the 120 MW Thermalito Pumping-Generating Plant, and the Thermalito Diversion Dam supports

1036-498: Is the tallest dam in the United States; by volume it is the largest dam in California. Authorized by an emergency flood control measure in 1957, Oroville Dam was built between 1961 and 1967 with the reservoir filling for the first time in 1968. Lake Oroville has a capacity to store approximately 3.54 million acre-feet (4.37 km ) of water which accounts for 61 percent of the SWP's total system storage capacity, and

1110-488: The California Aqueduct . Completed in 1963, the eleven pump units can lift up to 10,670 cu ft/s (302 m /s) of water – upgraded in 1986 from its original capacity of 6,400 cu ft/s (180 m /s) across seven units. From here the water flows briefly south along the California Aqueduct to the 4,800 acre⋅ft (0.0059 km ) Bethany Reservoir . The South Bay Pumping Plant supplies

1184-809: The Central Valley . To reach Southern California, the water must be pumped 2,882 feet (878 m) over the Tehachapi Mountains , with 1,926 feet (587 m) at the Edmonston Pumping Plant alone, the highest single water lift in the world. The SWP shares many facilities with the federal Central Valley Project (CVP), which primarily serves agricultural users. Water can be interchanged between SWP and CVP canals as needed to meet peak requirements for project constituents. The SWP provides estimated annual benefits of $ 400 billion to California's economy. Since its inception in 1960,

1258-624: The Colorado River were insufficient to sustain the region's growth. The SWP was rooted in two proposals. The United Western Investigation of 1951, a study by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation , assessed the feasibility of interbasin water transfers in the Western United States. In California, this plan contemplated the construction of dams on rivers draining to California's North Coast – the wild and undammed Klamath , Eel , Mad and Smith River systems – and tunnels to carry

1332-620: The Metropolitan Water District passed Proposition W, a Southern California property tax bond to connect its regional water system to the new state project. In 1961, ground was broken on Oroville Dam , and in 1963, work began on the California Aqueduct and San Luis Reservoir . The first deliveries to the Bay Area were made in 1962, and water reached the San Joaquin Valley by 1968. Due to concerns over

1406-739: The North and Middle forks of the Feather River. Collectively referred to as the Upper Feather River Lakes, these three reservoirs provide a combined storage capacity of about 162,000 acre-feet (0.200 km ). Water released from the Upper Feather River system flows into Lake Oroville , which is formed by the Oroville Dam several miles above the city of Oroville . At 770 feet (230 m), Oroville

1480-533: The Peripheral Canal and Sites Reservoir, was to have been built beginning in the late 1970s and 1980s – but due to concerted opposition from Northern Californians, environmentalist groups and some economic interests, as well as the state's increasing debt, attempts to begin construction have all met with failure. Parties currently receiving SWP water are also opposed to its expansion, because water rates could be raised up to 300 percent to help pay for

1554-547: The SWP , is a state water management project in the U.S. state of California under the supervision of the California Department of Water Resources . The SWP is one of the largest public water and power utilities in the world, providing drinking water for more than 27 million people and generating an average of 6,500 GWh of hydroelectricity annually. However, as it is the largest single consumer of power in

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1628-657: The San Andreas Fault . In response to public opposition, the USACE replaced the Mentone proposal with the $ 304 million Upper Santa Ana River Dam, later to be called Seven Oaks Dam, in a bedrock canyon one mile (1.6 km) upstream in the southern San Bernardino Mountains . The contract for Seven Oaks Dam was awarded in 1994 and construction work began in May. A system of conveyor belts totaling 3.5 miles (5.6 km), with

1702-726: The Silverwood Lake reservoir, which can hold 73,000 acre⋅ft (0.090 km ). From here it passes through a tunnel under the San Bernardino Mountains to the Devil Canyon Powerplant, the largest "recovery plant", or aqueduct power plant, of the SWP system. The water then flows 28 miles (45 km) through the Santa Ana Tunnel to Lake Perris , which can store up to 131,400 acre⋅ft (0.1621 km ). Water deliveries through

1776-643: The South Bay Aqueduct , which has delivered water west to Alameda County since 1962 and Santa Clara County since 1965. The aqueduct carries a maximum of 188,000 acre⋅ft (0.232 km ) per year. Up to 77,100 acre⋅ft (0.0951 km ) of this water can be stored in Lake Del Valle , an offstream reservoir located near Livermore . South of the Bay Area diversions, the bulk of the SWP water – ranging from 1 to 3.7 million acre-feet (1.2 to 4.6 km ) per year – travels south along

1850-571: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) by Odebrecht Corporation of California, a subsidiary of the Brazilian firm Contructora Norberto Odebrecht ,. The dam is now owned and operated by local flood control districts. The USACE began an ambitious effort to improve levees and dams on the Santa Ana River system known as the Santa Ana River Mainstem Project. Among the works proposed under the project were an expansion of

1924-640: The fault -ridden geography of the Tehachapi Mountains, the tunnel plan was scrapped; the water would have to be pumped over the mountains' 3,500-foot (1,100 m) crest. In 1973, the pumps and the East and West branches of the aqueduct were completed, and the first water was delivered to Southern California. A Peripheral Canal , which would have carried SWP water around the vulnerable and ecologically sensitive Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta ,

1998-557: The "Probable Maximum Flood". In addition, controlled releases from the dam allow about 10,000 acre-feet (0.012 km) of additional groundwater recharge in the upper Santa Ana River basin each year. Captured floodwater from the Seven Oaks Dam benefits local water districts, as river water costs only a fraction of water imported through the State Water Project , which supplies most agricultural and municipal needs in

2072-636: The 27.4-mile (44.1 km) North Bay Aqueduct , completed in 1988. The aqueduct delivers water to clients in Napa and Solano counties. The vast majority of the SWP water is drawn through the Delta's complex estuary system into the Clifton Court Forebay , located northwest of Tracy on the southern end of the Delta. Here, the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant lifts water 224 feet (68 m) into

2146-538: The 60-mile (97 km) Trinity Tunnel into the Sacramento River, and thence to the canals and pump systems of the SWP. This would have provided between 5 and 10 million acre-feet (6.2 and 12.3 km ) of water each year for the SWP. The diversion of the North Coast rivers, however were dropped from the initial SWP program. In the mid-1960s, devastating flooding brought renewed interest in damming

2220-602: The 78 MW William E. Warne Powerplant, located on the 180,000 acre⋅ft (0.22 km ) Pyramid Lake reservoir. The West Branch delivered about 537,000 acre⋅ft (0.662 km ) per year for the period 1995–2010. From Pyramid Lake, water is released through the Angeles Tunnel to the Castaic Power Plant on Elderberry Forebay and the 325,000 acre⋅ft (0.401 km ) Castaic Lake reservoir located north of Santa Clarita . Castaic Power Plant

2294-548: The Banks Pumping Plant pulls water from the Sacramento River southward across the Delta, it disrupts the normal flow direction of east to west that salmon smolt follow to the Pacific Ocean. Populations of salmon and steelhead trout have reached critically low levels in the decades after SWP water withdrawals began. The fish migration issue has become hotly contested in recent years, with rising support for

Seven Oaks Dam - Misplaced Pages Continue

2368-550: The Dos Rios dam would have reduced the record 72-foot (22 m) Eel River flood crest of 1964 by only 8 inches (20 cm) had it been in place. In 1980, the North Coast rivers were incorporated into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, effectively eliminating the possibility of any projects to divert them. California WaterFix , is a planned twin forty-foot (12 m) tunnel project that would extend through

2442-619: The East Branch averaged 995,000 acre⋅ft (1.227 km ) per year from 1995 through 2012. The East Branch principally provides water for cities and farms in the Inland Empire , Orange County , and other areas south of Los Angeles. Through Lake Perris, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California receives a large portion of its water from the SWP. Water is also supplied to the San Diego Aqueduct through

2516-578: The Metropolitan Water District and urban developers in Los Angeles. They claim it would eliminate the need to pull water directly through this sensitive region, reducing salinity intrusion and water quality problems during the dry season. The canal was included in the initial SWP planning, and the lack of the canal is among the principal reasons the SWP has never been able to deliver its full entitlement. Tunnel opponents believe

2590-642: The North Coast rivers. The Department of Water Resources formed the State-Federal Interagency Task Force with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers to develop plans for developing the rivers in the name of flood control – which would, incidentally, provide a way to divert some of their water into the SWP system. Although most of the proposed projects met their demise over political squabbles, one that persisted

2664-429: The SWP has required the construction of 21 dams and more than 700 miles (1,100 km) of canals, pipelines and tunnels, although these constitute only a fraction of the facilities originally proposed. As a result, the project has only delivered an average of 2.4 million acre-feet (3.0 km ) annually, as compared to total entitlements of 4.23 million acre-feet (5.22 km ). Environmental concerns caused by

2738-415: The Sacramento River during the wet season. The Los Banos Grandes reservoir was first proposed in 1983 and would have served a similar purpose to Sites. The 1.73 million acre-feet (2.13 km ) reservoir would have been located along the California Aqueduct several miles south of San Luis Reservoir, and would have allowed for the storage of water during wet years when extra water could be pumped from

2812-566: The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Pumped-storage hydroelectric plants would have been built between Los Banos Grandes and the existing Los Banos flood control reservoir, and between that reservoir and the aqueduct. The current status of Los Banos Grandes remains uncertain, as the DWR has been unable to appropriate funding since the 1990s. The existing SWP facilities are collectively known as Stage I. Stage II, which includes such works as

2886-424: The San Joaquin Valley near Bakersfield . The aqueduct then reaches A.D. Edmonston Pumping Plant , which lifts the water 1,926 feet (587 m) over the Tehachapi Mountains that separate the San Joaquin Valley from Southern California. It is the highest pump-lift in the SWP, with a capacity of 4,480 cu ft/s (127 m /s) across fourteen units. Initial construction of Edmonston was completed in 1974, with

2960-413: The San Luis Reservoir complex, the aqueduct steadily gains elevation through a series of massive pumping plants. Dos Amigos Pumping Plant is located shortly south of San Luis, lifting the water 118 feet (36 m). Near Kettleman City , the Coastal Branch splits off from the main California Aqueduct. Buena Vista, Teerink and Chrisman Pumping Plants are located on the main aqueduct near the southern end of

3034-502: The Santa Ana River and 650 feet (200 m) above its deepest foundations. The dam is 40 feet (12 m) wide at the crest and over 2,200 feet (670 m) wide at the base. Situated close to the San Andreas Fault, Seven Oaks is designed to withstand an 8.0 M L earthquake. The reservoir has a gross storage capacity of 145,600 acre-feet (0.1796 km), with 113,600 acre-feet (0.1401 km) reserved for flood control and

Seven Oaks Dam - Misplaced Pages Continue

3108-484: The Seven Oaks Dam was the 12th highest dam in the world and was one of the last major dams built in the United States. At $ 450 million, the final cost of the dam significantly exceeded the USACE's projected cost. The federal government shouldered 70.47% of the total cost, while Orange County paid 27.09%, San Bernardino County 1.71%, and Riverside County 0.73%. Seven Oaks Dam is a 2,980-foot (910 m) long arched embankment structure standing 550 feet (170 m) high above

3182-435: The area. Since its construction, Seven Oaks Dam has not yet been filled to capacity. The highest lake level on record was about 43,000 acre-feet (0.053 km), or less than a third of capacity, on March 8, 2005. The high water presented an opportunity to test large water releases through the dam's outlet works, but the trial had to be cancelled because the high flows destroyed sections of the concrete tunnel lining. The tunnel

3256-520: The canal being built. Since the 1980s, there has been interest in creating a large off-stream reservoir in the Sacramento Valley. Water "skimmed" off high winter flows in the Sacramento River would be pumped into a storage basin in the western side of the valley known as Sites Reservoir. The reservoir would hold about 1.8 million acre-feet (2.2 km ) of water to be released into the Sacramento River during low-flow periods, boosting

3330-570: The center of the Delta, 150 feet (46 m) below ground. Earlier designs called for a Peripheral Canal to skirt the Delta to the east. The tunnels would draw water from the Sacramento River to bypass the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, a vast estuary and agricultural region consisting of over 700 miles (1,100 km) of tidal waterways. Supporters of the canal and tunnel have included the Central Valley farmers and

3404-715: The channel to flow freely during normal conditions. During periods of intense rainfall that would otherwise cause floods, the dam holds back the excess water, releasing it downstream at a controlled rate. Development of dry dams was pioneered by the Miami Conservancy District which built five such dams on tributaries to the Great Miami River to prevent flooding of the Miami Valley and Dayton, Ohio . State Water Project The California State Water Project , commonly known as

3478-521: The construction of Oroville Dam, which was running unused to the Pacific Ocean because the water delivery infrastructure for Southern California had not yet been completed (and when it was, southern California was slow to use the water). The surplus water was given for irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley instead. Because the water would only be a temporary supply, farmers were advised to use it for seasonal crops (such as alfalfa or hay) rather than permanent crops such as orchards. Nevertheless, many farmers used

3552-560: The construction of the Peripheral Canal, which would divert water around the Delta, restoring the natural flow direction. Water use and environmental problems associated with the SWP led to the creation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program (CALFED) in 1994. The primary goals are to improve quality of SWP water while preventing further ecological damage in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. In January 2014, after

3626-507: The construction project would do extensive damage to the sensitive Delta ecosystem, farms and communities. Opponents also believe there will be long-term damage to the Delta ecosystem from fresh water being removed prior to flushing through the Delta and flowing more naturally to the San Francisco Bay. Governor Jerry Brown had supported a ballot initiative approving the canal in the early 1980s, and stated his intention to finish

3700-603: The cost. As a result, SWP capacity falls short by an average of 2 million acre-feet (2.5 km ) each year; contractors only occasionally receive their full shares of water. The disparity of costs to the project's various constituents has been a frequent source of controversy. Although the overall average cost of SWP water is $ 147 per acre-foot ($ 119 per 1,000 m ), agricultural users pay far less than their urban counterparts for SWP water. The Kern County Water Agency (the second largest SWP entitlement holder) pays around $ 45–50 per acre-foot ($ 36–41 per 1,000 m ) of SWP water, which

3774-465: The dam and reservoir to use in conservation of these species. The Seven Oaks Dam has also damaged the habitat of native fish species including the Santa Ana sucker , which is endemic to a handful of river systems of Southern California. Dry dam A dry dam is a dam constructed for the purpose of flood control . Dry dams typically contain no gates or turbines , and are intended to allow

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3848-526: The drainage area of Baldwin Lake , which overflows into the Santa Ana River system during periods of heavy runoff. In tandem with Prado Dam, Seven Oaks prevents about $ 140 million of flood–related damages each year in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and provides flood protection to more than two million people. During flood events, Seven Oaks Dam will store runoff as long as the reservoir of Prado Dam

3922-433: The dry-season removal of water from the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta , a sensitive estuary region, have often led to further reductions in water delivery. Work continues today to expand the SWP's water delivery capacity while finding solutions for the environmental impacts of water diversion. The original purpose of the project was to provide water for arid Southern California, whose local water resources and share of

3996-546: The impounded water to the Sacramento River system, where it could be diverted southwards. In the same year, State Engineer A.D. Edmonston proposed the Feather River Project, which proposed the damming of the Feather River , a tributary of the Sacramento River, for the same purpose. The Feather River was much more accessible than the North Coast rivers, but did not have nearly as much water. Under both of

4070-580: The last three units installed in the 1980s. Once reaching the crest of the Tehachapis, the aqueduct runs through a series of tunnels to the Tehachapi Afterbay, where its flow is partitioned between West and East Branches. The Coastal Branch diverts about 48,000 acre⋅ft (0.059 km ) per year from the California Aqueduct to parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The aqueduct stretches for 143 miles (230 km), and

4144-673: The massive Prado Dam , which despite filling to capacity did not fully prevent heavy flooding damages in Orange County, and the construction of the $ 530 million "Mentone Dam" across the Santa Ana north of Mentone in San Bernardino County. However, the Mentone Dam site was controversial because it would affect groundwater recharge , was aesthetically unpleasing and lay on unstable sediment deposits directly above

4218-406: The moderately dry year of 2012 and the record California drought of 2013, the Department of Water Resources announced that the SWP would be making zero deliveries that year, the first time in the project's history, due to dangerously low snowpack and reservoir levels. On April 18, 2014, the Department of Water Resources increased the SWP allocation back to five percent and that level remained until

4292-407: The other Colorado River basin states to get Los Angeles to relinquish its share of the Colorado River. Historians largely attribute the success of the Burns-Porter Act and the State Water Project to major agribusiness lobbying, particularly by J.G. Boswell II of the J.G. Boswell cotton company. The bond was passed on an extremely narrow margin of 174,000 out of 5.8 million ballots cast. In 1966,

4366-462: The plans, a series of canals and pumps would carry the water south through the Central Valley to the foot of the Tehachapi Mountains , where it would pass through the Tehachapi Tunnel to reach Southern California. Calls for a comprehensive statewide water management system (complementing the extensive, but primarily irrigation-based Central Valley Project ) led to the creation of the California Department of Water Resources in 1956. The following year,

4440-407: The preliminary studies were compiled into the extensive California Water Plan, or Bulletin No. 3. The project was intended for "the control, protection, conservation, distribution, and utilization of the waters of California, to meet present and future needs for all beneficial uses and purposes in all areas of the state to the maximum feasible extent." California governor Pat Brown would later say it

4514-517: The production and flexibility of California's water management system, yielding 470,000 to 640,000 acre⋅ft (0.58 to 0.79 km ) of new water per year. This project is being seriously considered by the Department of Water Resources, as California's water system is expected to face serious shortfalls of 2 million acre-feet (2.5 km ) per year by 2020. However, the project has been criticized for its high cost, and potential disruption of fish migration when large amounts of water are drawn from

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4588-482: The project in its tunnel form during his second governorship (2011-2019). His successor, Gavin Newsom , has also supported the project. Supporters of the tunnel argue that water being drawn from the southern intakes creates problems for wildlife and changes the natural flow in these areas, which would be corrected by drawing water from farther north. Supporters also claim that the California levees are also vulnerable to earthquakes and directing water away from them protects

4662-498: The remainder for sediment accumulation. At full pool, the reservoir lies at an elevation of 2,604.4 feet (793.8 m) and has an area of 780 acres (320 ha). Water releases are controlled by a 1,623-foot (495 m) long tunnel outlet that runs through the base of the structure, and a 500-foot (150 m) wide ungated overflow spillway located just southeast of the dam. The dam controls runoff from an area of 176 square miles (460 km) or 209 square miles (540 km) including

4736-533: The reservoirs. Fishermen expressed concerns over the impact of the dams on the salmon runs of North Coast rivers, especially the Klamath – the largest Pacific coast salmon river south of the Columbia River . The project would have eliminated 98 percent of the salmon spawning grounds on the Klamath. California Governor Ronald Reagan refused to approve the Dos Rios project, citing economic insensibility and fraudulent claims made by project proponents. The flood control benefits, for example, were largely exaggerated;

4810-420: The state itself, it has a net usage of 5,100 GWh. The SWP collects water from rivers in Northern California and redistributes it to the water-scarce but populous cities through a network of aqueducts, pumping stations and power plants. About 70% of the water provided by the project is used for urban areas and industry in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area , and 30% is used for irrigation in

4884-421: The supply of water. Delta farmers, communities, and commercial salmon and bass fishermen are especially concerned about the tunnel. However, some Delta scientists disagree. The new proposed canal would transport 1 million acre-feet (1.2 km ) of water to Silicon Valley , southern California and the majority of it would be directed to the Central Valley , a location with political influence and interest in

4958-490: The water supply available for SWP entitlement holders and improving water quality in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. This project has previously arisen in several forms, including proposals for a Glenn Reservoir or the Glenn-Colusa Complex on nearby streams, which would also have been receiving reservoirs for water sent east through the Dos Rios Project's Grindstone Tunnel or other transfers from North Coast rivers. With its large storage capacity, Sites Reservoir would increase

5032-414: The water to develop new permanent crops, creating a dependency on SWP water that is technically part of Southern California's entitlement, This is now causing tensions as Southern California continues to increase its use of SWP water, decreasing the amount of surplus available to the system, especially in years of drought. In dry years, water pumped from the Delta creates a hazard to spring-run salmon . As

5106-399: The western flank of the San Joaquin Valley through the California Aqueduct. The main section of the aqueduct stretches for 304 miles (489 km); it is composed mainly of concrete-lined canals but also includes 20.7 miles (33.3 km) of tunnels, 130.4 miles (209.9 km) of pipelines and 27 miles (43 km) of siphons. The aqueduct reaches a maximum width of 300 feet (91 m) and

5180-412: Was basically a variation of a contemporary Bureau of Reclamation project, the Klamath Diversion . A series of dams in these watersheds would shunt water through interbasin transfers into the Klamath River system. The centerpiece of the project would be a 15-million-acre-foot (19 km ) reservoir on the Klamath River – the largest man-made lake in California – from where the water would flow through

5254-403: Was rejected in 1982 due to environmental concerns. The Coastal Branch, which delivers water to coastal central California, was completed in 1997. The Feather River , a tributary of the Sacramento River , provides the primary watershed for the State Water Project. Runoff from the Feather River headwaters is captured in Antelope , Frenchman , and Davis reservoirs, which impound tributaries of

5328-511: Was repaired and later tested successfully in 2011. In March 1999, as the dam neared completion, environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the USACE because construction activity at the Seven Oaks site had affected the habitats of two endangered plants, the Santa Ana River woolly star and slender-horned spineflower , and the endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat . The USACE responded by purchasing 1,547 acres (626 ha) of land adjoining

5402-765: Was the Dos Rios Project on the Eel River system, which would have involved constructing a gigantic dam on the Middle Fork of the Eel River, diverting water through the Grindstone Tunnel into the Sacramento Valley. Supporters of this project cited the disastrous Christmas flood of 1964 and the flood control benefits Dos Rios would provide to the Eel River basin. The Klamath and Dos Rios diversions were heavily opposed by local towns and Native American tribes, whose land would have been flooded under

5476-455: Was to "correct an accident of people and geography". The diversion of the North Coast rivers was abandoned in the plan's early stages after strong opposition from locals and concerns about the potential impact on the salmon in North Coast rivers. The California Water Plan would have to go ahead with the development of the Feather River alone, as proposed by Edmonston. The Burns-Porter Act of 1959 provided $ 1.75 billion of initial funding through

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