WSP05117

• File Number: 8277.200.10
• Description: California's Central Valley Project
• State: CA
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 9/1/1943
• Title: California's Central Valley Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

During 1931 and 1932 a California Water Resources Commission. ap-
pointed by the Governor, and a Joint Legislative Water Committee continued
studies of the economic, legal, financial, and other phases of the problem,
finally recommending a Constitutional Amendment providing that projects
constructed should be self-sustaining and self-liquidating for lending the
credit of the/State to districts and municipalities for irrigation development,
provisions for protecting areas with surplus waters, and others. Also recom-
mended was a bond issue, and a permanent water resources commission.

Due partly to the serious financial conditions then prevailing, the Legis-
lature did not adopt these recommendations, but instead adopted Assembly
Bill 259, creating a State Water Project Authority, empowered to issue reve-
nue bonds to the extent of $170,000,000. and to construct and operate, or to
bring about the construction and operation of the Central Valley Project and
other units of the State water plan. This Act was submitted to a referendum
vote at a special election on December 19, 1933, and approved by the voters.
Because of difficulties encountered in financing the project as a State enter-
prise, efforts were made to obtain Federal assistance under P.W.A. financing
soon after the act was passed.

The first Congressional legislation with respect to the Central Valley
Project was obtained with passage of the Rivers and Harbors Act of August
30, 1935. which authorized, upon recommendation by the War Department, a
contribution of $12,000,000 in Federal funds toward construction of Shasta
Dam. On September 10, 1935, the President made the first allocation of funds
to the project from the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, and field sur-
veys were begun by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. The project was de-
clared feasible and recommended as aU. S. Bureau of Reclamation under-
taking by Secretary of Interior, Harold Ickes, on November 26, and approved
by the President on December 2, 1935. The project was placed under the limi-
tatio.n of the Reclamation Law'" by provisions of the First Deficiency Appro-
priation Act of June 22, 1936, which appropriated $6.900,000 for continuation
of the project. and earmarked $6,000.000 specifically for Friant Dam. First
construction started in February, 1937.

Legislation effecting a complete reauthorization of the Central Valley
Project was enacted in the Rivers and Harbors Act approved August 26,1937.
This Congressional authorization provided that it should be used, first for
river regulation, navigation and flood control; second, for irrigation and do-
mestic purposes including the reclamation of arid lands; and third for the
generation and sale of electric energy, as a means of financially aiding and
assisting the prior uses.

The authorization with re:-.]ect to utility relocations was broadened by the
Department of Interior appropriation Act for the fiscal year 1939, and author-
ity for the Federal construction of laterals was contained in the Rivers and
Harbors Act of October 17, 1940.

Principal Physical Features of the Central Valley Project

As designed by the engineers of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, the

(l)One of the important provisions of the Reclamation Law is Section 46 of Public Law 284 of the 69th
Congress (1926) providing no water shall be delivered to irrigation districts organized under State laws,
unless contracts are approved by the Secretary of Interior, and specifying that such contracts shall pro.
vide for tbe appraisal and sale of any private land holdings in excess of 160 acres, held by a single
owner. This jlrovision has been waived 10 certain instances by Congressional action, and the subject is
being studied by one of the Central Valley Project study committees of the Bureau.

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Central Valley Project includes the following principal units, either under
construction, or proposed to be constructed:
"SHASTA DAM on upper Sacramento River 12 miles north of Redding-602 feet
high, 3,500 feet long on the crest, 580 feet thick at the base, containing 6,230,000 cubic
yards of concrete, and creating a storage reservoir of 4,500,000 acre feet.
SHASTA POWER PLANT at the base of the dam-ultimate installation of
375,000 kilowatts.
KESWICK DAM AND POWER PLANT on Sacramento River four miles above
Redding-138 feet high, 1027 feet long on crest, creating an afterbay reservoir below
Shasta Dam, with ultimate power installation of 75,000 kilowatts.
TRANSMISSION LINES from Shasta and Keswick power plants-to Oroville
100 miles long, and to Antioch (or alternate point) 200 miles 10ng.C!)
STEAM-ELECTRIC PLANT at Antioch (or aHernate location)-ultimate instal-
lation of 150,000 kilowatts. (1)
CONTRA COSTA CANAL extending 44 miles from the Delta region to the vicin-
ity of Martinez, to supply fresh water to heavy industries, and irrigation water to
farms.
DELTA CROSS CHANNEL extending from Sacramento RIver across easterly
edge of delta to near Stockton-about 50 miles long with diversion capacity of
10,000 second feet.
DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL and appurtenant pumping plants and transmission
lines, to carry Sacramento River water to a point near Mendota on the San Joaquin
River.
FRIANT DAM on upper San Joaquin River 20 miles from Fresno-320 feet high,
3,442 feet long on the crest, 280 feet thick at the base, containing 2,137,000 cubic.
yards of concrete, and creating a storage reservoir of 520,000 acre feet.
MADERA CANAL from Friant Dam through Madera County to Ash Slough-
37 miles long with diversion capacity of 1000 second feet.
FRIANT-KERN CANAL from Friant Dam through Fresno Tulare and Kern
counties to Bakersfield-l60 miles long with diversion capacity ~f 3,500 ~econd feet
(only 3,000 second feet beyond Kings River).
Estimated Cost .and Appropriations
The estimated cost of construction of these features until recently has been an-
nounced as $265,000,000. The latest available estimates total about $333,000,000 not
including distribution laterals from the canals, which may later be added. Federal
funds have been made available for this purpose, as follows:

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Interior Department Act of 1938......................................................_................... 12,500,000
Interior Department Act of 1939.......................................................................... 9,000,000
Public Works Administration, 1938.................................................................... 2,000,000
Interior Department Act of 1940m.....m................m..........n............_................... 10,000,000
First Deficiency Act of 1940.....u..m....................................m.......................m..... 5,000,000
Interior Department Act of 1941................o.........._.............m............................ 23,600,000
Interior Department Act of 1942...............oo.......m.._......................................m.. 34,750,000
Third Supplemental National Defense Act of 1942...........m.........n_.............. 3,000,000
Interior Department Act of 1943...........mm._...................................mn......m...... 39,019,000
Interior Department Act of 1944.....................m ......................_00 ....................... 22,569,000

TOTAL to July I, 1942...mmm.mmm'-hm.hh_m_m.m_.h_.mhhh_mhh_.hhmh$172,538,OOO

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.Original appropriation of $15,000,000 was subsequently reduced to $4,200,000.
Of the approximately $173,000,000 appropriated, about $139,000,000
had been spent as of June 30, 1943. Construction work on all but the Shasta
Dam and Shasta Power Plant units of the project was suspended by "stop-
work" orders of the War Production Board in the Fall of 1942. The latest

(l)For present status see Page 8.

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