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<br />~ r- ~' -. <br />l.\.HJ I <br />Local Water Districts <br /> <br />Since the early 1900's, local water impon <br />programs ha'le made possible the deve]op- <br />ment of the San FranClSCo Bay Area. Los <br />Angeles and other Southern California citles <br />and agricultural areas slatev.,de Local dis. <br />tricts have also worred With utilities to con. <br />Slruct projects providtng water and power <br />Today nearly 600 special purpoSE' local <br />governments in California prOVlde water to <br />their areas through loca] dl'Velopment pro)" <br />ects and through imported supplles Many <br />water distncts provide domestlc and mdus- <br />tria] water while others SE'rve agncultural <br />needs A local water agency is usually <br />formed by a '1ote of the community. gov. <br />erned by elected directors. sells bonds if <br />aulhor.zed by an e]ection_ and operates on a <br />nonprofit basis. <br /> <br /> <br />75% <br />of the STATE'S <br />RAINFALL <br />,,"'J'lll"!//J/"" <br />:il1\l,o.1.L'oI",~J,~II,' '. . <br /> <br />75% <br />of the STATE'S <br />POPULATION <br /> <br />The Central Valley Project <br /> <br />The Cenlral Valley PrOject facililies '",'ere <br />b'JUt by the U.S. Bureau of Peclamation and <br />the US Army Corps of Engmem and today <br />a~e managed by the Bureau of ReclamatIon <br />The Celllral Valley Project (CVP) consists of <br />major dams and canals be~nning al Shasta <br />Dam on the Sacramento RNer and ending <br />on the Ken Rmr near Bal<ersfield The CVP <br />IS a multl-purpose project rncludmg fiood <br />cOlllral. power produclJOn, water supply, and <br />recreation CVP water is used pnmaruy in <br />the Centra] Valley for irrigation. A Coordi- <br />naled Operaltons Agreement between the <br />state and federal governments provides for <br />coordtnated releases from the CVP and the <br />State Water Project to mamtam water quality <br />and control salmity in the Sacramento-San <br />Joaqum Delta which affects the availability of <br />water for other uses. especially in dry years <br /> <br />The State Water Project <br /> <br />In 1960 California voters approved financ. <br />mg for conslruCllon of initial elements of the <br />Stale Water Project (SWPI, which consists of <br />]argedams. reservoirs and a major aque- <br />duct. The project begins at Otoville Dam on <br />the Feather RNer and ends at Perris Lake in <br />Southern California Some elements of the <br />project have nOI yet been completed <br />With contracts to deliver more than four <br />mUlion acre-feet annually, the SWPpresently <br />provides about two-and-one.half million <br />acre-feel annually. In order to meet contrac- <br />tua] commitments addttional water projects <br />will be reqmred. Southern California and the <br />San Joaqum Valley are the two largest users <br />of SWP waler, Approximalely 40 percent of <br />SWP waler is used by agriculture and the <br />remainder used by domestic and IIldustrial <br />users The SWP also provides 600d conlrol. <br />hydropcr.\ler and recreallon. <br /> <br />Other Major <br />Reservoir Systems <br /> <br />Major local projects III Ihe north include <br />the Helch Helchy project, lransportlng Tuo]- <br />umne RNer water to San Franosco and the <br />peninsula. Pardee and Camanche Reser. <br />vo!rs. built by the East Bay Municipal Utility <br />District. supply the East Bay's SE'r.ice area <br />The Los Ange]es Aqueducts carry water <br />from the Ov.'rns River and reservoIrs III the <br />Easlern Sierra and mbuta."Ies of Mono Lake <br />to the Los Angeles area <br />