Transcript California Geology - 4 - Independence High School

California Geology - 4
California 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