JAN 2 7 I35S • STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DIVISION OF RESOURCES PLANNING - Bulletin No. 3 LIFORNIA R PLAN 4>A UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA JUL 19 1957 V LIBRARY GOODWIN J. KNIGHT Governor May, 1957 LTRRAKY HARVEY O. BANKS Director of Water Resources UNIVERSI l y CALIFORNIA DAVIS Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of California, Davis Libraries http://archive.org/details/californiawaterp03cali STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DIVISION OF RESOURCES PLANNING Bulletin No. 3 The CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN GOODWIN J. KNIGHT /£ *■■ ,^> c\ HARVEY O. BANKS Governor lo-b -" J^ijk ml Director of Water Resources May, 1957 This publication is dedicated to the memory of the late State Engineer of California, A. D. Edmonston. Mr. Edmonston, with an interest transcending the re- quirements of his office, developed and vigorously pro- pounded the fundamental concepts of state-wide compre- hensive development of California's water resources. Mr. Edmonston had acquired an interest in the State's water resources by 1924 when he entered State service. He was instrumental in the formulation of the State Water flan of 1930, which led to the authorization and subsequent construction of the Central Valley Project. As a direct result of Mr. Edmonston' s dedication and resolution, the first unit of The California Water Plan and the first truly State-wide water development in Cali- fornia — the Feather River Project — has been brought to fruition by legislative authorization and initiation of con- struction. A. D. EDMONSTON 1886-1957 FOREWORD California is presently faced with problems of a highly critical nature — the need for further control, protection, conservation, and distribution of her most vital resource — water. While these problems are not new, having been existent ever since the advent of the first white settlers, never before have they reached such widespread and serious proportions. Their criti- cal nature stems not only from the nnprecented re- cent growth of population, industry, and agriculture in a semiarid state, but also from the consequences of a long period during which the construction of water conservation works has not kept pace with the increased need for additional water. Unless corrective action is taken — and taken immediately — the conse- quenees may be disastrous. What are the principal water problems facing the people of California ? The most recently and tragically demonstrated problem — the floods of December, 1955 — is still vivid in the memory of all. Taking the lives of 64 persons, destroying and damaging homes, farms, businesses, and utilities to the tangible toll of $200,- 000,000, with great additional intangible losses to the general economy, the streams of northern and central ( 'alifornia went on a rampage unparalled in recent history. Xot .so spectacular, but nonetheless significant, and (•(instantly evident, is the problem of water deficiency in many areas of the State. A critical need for supple- mental water supply now exists in many areas, includ- ing: Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Benito Comities; the east, west, and south portions of the San Joaquin Valley; Antelope Valley; Santa Maria Valley and Ventura County. The ground water basins in these areas are being pumped to the point of dangerous overdraft which threatens their welfare. There have been, for many years, severe overdrafts on the ground water basins in the South Coastal Area in Los An- geles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Coun- ties. An acute need for additional water exists in San Diego County, which will be temporarily alleviated by the construction of an additional aqueduct to convey presently surplus Colorado River water, as now au- thorized by The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority. The supply which can be made available to the South Coastal Area under rights to Colorado River waters, while not now fully utilized, will be fully committed and used by about 1970. By 1975, or possibly much earlier, all of southern California will need more water. Moreover, many of the moun- tainous areas, such as the Upper Feather River Basin and portions of the North Coastal Area, need water development works, not only for municipal and irriga- tion water but also to maintain stream How for preser- vation of fish and wildlife, and to enhance the recrea- tional potential, an important economic asset. The urgency of California's water problems can best be illustrated by citing the example of the recenl rapid growth of the State. In 1940, just before the beginning of World War II, California had a popu- lation of about 6,900,000. By 1950 this population had increased to about 10,600,000, and by 1955 it had increased an additional 23 per cent to more than 13,000,000. In 1957 the population reached 14,000,000. Coincidentally, the use of water per capita has in- creased significantly and will continue to grow. In 1950 the estimated seasonal shortage of developed water in California was about. 2,700,000 acre-feet, largely representing an overdraft on ground water storage. By 1955, water requirements had increased an additional 3,000,000 acre-feet per season. Allow- ing for the yield from new construction during the intervening period and for increase in the delivery of constructed works to their full potential wherever pos- sible, the deficit aggregated nearly 4,000,000 acre-feet per year. Although the bulk of this supplemental water is needed for irrigation purposes, substantial quantities are required for urban and domestic uses. Based upon reasonable forecasts of growth of the State during the next decade, it is indicated that the net shortage of developed water supply could amount to more than 10,000,000 acre-feet per season by 1965, taking into account increasing importations and de- liveries from presently developed water sources. The need for solution of the present and future water problems of California is clear. It is also dear from a study of the past history of water develop- ment in the State that the future growth of California will now depend upon a coordinated state-wide pro- gram for water development, The authorized Feather River Project, the first truly state-wide project, will be the first major step in this direction. However, even if the project were constructed and in operation today and serving all areas of water deficiency, it would barely overcome the deficiencies of the present. In other words, the large water supply to be gained from the Feather River Project is fully needed today. Furthermore, unless we assume that the population remains at present levels, one or more additional proj- ects of comparable size should be rapidly planned Eor construction in the near future. This fact should be cause for concern, for there is no reason to believe that our phenomenal recenl rate of growth will slow down now or in the near future. The responsibility of immediate initiation of a state-wide water develop- ment pfanning and construction program is particu- larly acute because of the often-demonstrated time lag between the planning stage and the financing and construction stage of any large-scale project. The State Legislature in 1947 authorized compre- hensive state-wide investigations and studies, which have culminated, after 10 years of intensive effort, in ' ' The California Water Plan, ' ' a master plan to guide and coordinate the planning and construction by all agencies of works required for the control, protection, conservation, and distribution of California's water resources for the benefit of all areas of the State and for all beneficial purposes. What does "The California Water Plan" purport to do? 1. It evaluates the water supply available to Cali- fornia and describes the places and characteristics of its occurrence. 2. It estimates the water requirements, both present and future, for all purposes for each area of the State, as best as can be foreseen now. 3. It points out (a) the watersheds where pres- ent estimates indicate surplus waters exist over and above the future needs for local development, and gives an estimate of such surplus, and (b) the areas of deficiency and the estimated deficiency for each such area. 4. It outlines existing and prospective water problems in each area of the State. 5. It describes the beneficial uses to which the remaining unappropriated waters of the State should be put for maximum benefit to the people of all areas of the State. 6. It suggests the manner in which the waters of the State should be distributed for the benefit and use of all areas. 7. It proposes objectives toward which future development of the water resources of the State should be directed in all areas of the State, and suggests broad patterns for guidance toward these objectives. 8. It defines these objectives in terms of poten- tial physcial accomplishments, which may be used to measure the merits of projects proposed for con- struction by any agency. 9. Finally, it demonstrates that the waters avail- able to the State of California, including the State 's rights in and to the waters of the Colorado River, are not only adequate for full future development of the land and other resources of the State, but also that physical accomplishment of these ob- jectives is possible. The California Water Plan must be implemented by a state-wide program for the construction of projects needed to control and supply water wherever and whenever the need arises and as projects are found feasible. Physical works for the control, pro- tection, development, and use of water do not pertain solely to the so-called "areas of deficiency." There are few areas which do not now or will not require physical works for the development of water re- sources. The job is a big one, and will require the combined efforts of the Federal Government, the State Government, and local agencies, as well as pri- vate entities and individuals, with the State logically taking a leading role in administration and coordina- tion as well as financing and construction. The Feather River Project, the initial unit of The California Water Plan, must be started immediately, and other projects must follow in the near future. The California Water Plan, a coordinated master plan, should be accepted as the general framework or pattern for future water development in the State. Finally, and this cannot be emphasized too strongly, solution of the water problems of California lies in the construction of physical works — not alone in laws and reservations of water, however necessary these may be as steps in the process. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page V FOREWORD LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES X I 1 1 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, STATE WATER BOARD X I V REPORT OF BOARD OF ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS ___ XV ACKNOWLEDGMENT X V I ORGANIZATION, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, DIVISION OF RESOURCES PLANNING XVII ORGANIZATION, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, STATE WATER BOARD _. _ XXII ORGANIZATION, CONSULTANTS XXIII ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES XXIV SYNOPSIS i XXV CHAPTER I. Introduction 1 Basis and Authority for State-wide Water Development Planning 2 The State-wide AVater Resources Investigation 3 Previous State-wide Planning 3 Concurrent Related Investigations 4 The California Water Development Program 4 Feather River Project 4 Salinity Control Barrier Investigation 5 Inventory of Water Resources 5 Other Proposals for Development of the State's Water Resources 5 Scope of Planning Phase of State-wide Water Resources Investigation 5 Concepts of Planning 6 Planning Considerations 7 Public Hearings on Preliminary Edition of Bulle- tin No. 3 8 Organization of Bulletin 8 CHAPTER II. WATER PROBLEMS OF CALIFORNIA 11 Water Resources 11 Precipitation 11 Runoff 11 Ground Water 13 Water Requirements 13 California's Water Problems 14 Problem of Water Deficiency 15 Problem of Floods 16 Problem of Water Quality 18 Problem of Production of Hydroelectric Energy 20 Problems of Recreation, Fish, and Wildlife— 21 Problem of Drainage 21 Problem of Full Use of Available Storage Capacity 21 Page CHAPTER III. WATER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 23 History of Water Resource Development 23 Comprehensive Coordinated Planning at State- wide Level 29 Planning for Development of California's Water 30 Capture and Control of Water _ Conveyance to Areas of Need __ Reregulation in Areas of Use _ Development and Use of Water Development of Water 1. Flood Control 30 30 30 30 31 31 2. Recreation, Fish, and Wildlife 31 3. Power Generation 33 Use of Water 33 1. Protection and Maintenance of Water Quality 33 2. Maintenance of Drainage 34 3. Subsidence 35 CHAPTER IV. THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN _ 37 Development to Meet Local Requirements 38 North Coastal Area 38 Klamath-Trinity Group 39 Eel-Mad Group 42 Russian River Group 44 Pacific Basins Group 47 Summary of North Coastal Area 49 San Francisco Bay Area 52 North Bay Group 54 Southeast Bay Group _. 57 Peninsula Group 61 Summary of San Francisco Bay Area 62 Central Coastal Area 62 Santa Cruz-Pajaro Group 64 San Benito Group 67 TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued Monterey-Carmel Group Salinas River Group Carrizo Plain San Luis Obispo Group Santa Maria Valley , Cuyama Valley Santa Barbara Group Summary of Central Coastal Area South Coastal Area Ventura Group Los Angeles-Santa Ana Group San Diego Group Summary of South Coastal Area Central Valley Area — Sacramento River Basin Goose Lake Unit Pit River Unit Mt. Shasta Stream Group Redding Stream Group West Side Stream Group Antelope-Butte Stream Group __ Feather River Unit Yuba-Bear River Unit American River Unit 1. Basic Plan 2. Modified Plan Sacramento Valley Floor Summary of Sacramento River Basin Central Valley Area — San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin San Joaquin-Sierra Group Tulare-Sierra Group West Side Group North Valley Group South Valley Group Summary of San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin Lahontan Area Lassen Group Alpine Group Mono-Owens Group Mojave Group Summary of Lahontan Area Colorado Desert Area Whitewater Group San Felipe Group Desert Valley Group Colorado River Group Summary of Colorado Desert Area California Aqueduct System Klamath-Trinity Division Klamath River Development Trinity River Development Clear Creek Development Summary of Klamath-Trinity Division Eel River Division Eel River Development Putah Creek Development Russian River Diversion Summary of Eel River Division __ ._ ___ 69 71 71 73 74 75 76 76 81 83 87 89 91 94 96 97 99 100 104 105 109 112 113 115 116 118 119 127 133 136 136 140 143 145 149 152 155 155 157 157 161 163 163 164 164 166 166 167 167 168 172 172 173 173 174 Page Sacramento Division 177 Main West Side Conduit Route 178 Other Features of Sacramento Division 180 Summary of Sacramento Division 181 Delta Division 185 Trans-Delta System 186 1. Biemond Plan 186 2. Antioch Crossing 187 3. Delta Pumping Plants 187 Kirker Pass Aqueduct 189 South Bay Aqueduct 189 Summary of Delta Division 191 San Joaquin Division 191 Main Aqueduct Route 192 -Central Coastal Aqueduct 194 Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct 195 Summary of San Joaquin Division 196 Southern California Division 197 Buena Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct 198 San Fernando- Ventura Aqueduct 199 Devil Canyon Power Development '. 200 Chino-San Gabriel Aqueduct 200 Second San Diego Aqueduct 200 Barona Aqueduct 202 San Diego High-Line Aqueduct 203 Summary of Southern California Division ._ 203 Utilization of Ground Water Storage 206 Use of Ground Water Storage __ .___ 207 Conjunctive Operation in the Central Valley 209 Summary of The California Water Plan 211 CHAPTER V IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 215 Prerequisites to Implementation of The Califor- nia Water Plan 215 Legal Considerations 215 Water Rights 215 1. Appropriative Rights 216 2. Acquisition of Existing Rights 216 3. Exchange of Water 216 4. Rights of Areas of Origin and Areas of Deficiency 217 Power of Eminent Domain__ . 218 Planned Utilization of Ground Water Basins 219 Relationships With Other Agencies 221 1. Integration With Projects of Other Agen- cies 221 2. The Federal Power Act __ 221 Water Development for Fish and Wildlife and for Recreational Use 221 Statutory Restrictions Upon Projects 222 1. Klamath River 222 2. American River 222 Summary 222 Some Economic Considerations ___ 223 Some Considerations in Implementation of The California Water Plan 223 1. Why Implement the Plan . ._ 223 2. Control and Construction _ 223 TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued Page 3. Determination of Need and Priority of Construction 224 4. How Projects of the Plan Could Be Fi- nanced 225 Cooperation 227 Other Factors Affecting- Accomplishments of The California Water Plan 228 Watershed Management 228 Future Development of Electric Power 230 Inherent Advantages of Hvdroelectric Power Plants 231 Hydroelectric Power Plants for Peaking Operation 231 Hydro-Steam Ratio and Prospects for Hydro- electric Peaking 232 Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plants 232 Cost of Fossil Fuels and the Hydro-Steam Ratio 232 Market for Hydroelectric Power Output 233 Page Value of Hydroelectric Power Output 233 Availability and Cost of Off-Peak Steam- Electric Energy for Pumping 233 tmpact of Atomic-Electric Power 233 Summary 234 Needed Basic Investigation and Research 234 Alternative of Lower Dams in North Coastal Area 235 Alternative Future Development of Eigh Desert Areas 235 CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 239 Summary 239 Problems 239 Concepts of The California Water Plan 240 The California Water Plan - 242 Implementation of The California Water Plan 243 Conclusions 244 Recommendations 245 TABLES Page Estimated Mean Seasonal Full Natural Runoff of Hy- drographic Areas 12 Present and Probable Ultimate Water Service Areas _ 14 Estimated Present and Probable Uultimate Mean Sea- sonal Water Requirements 14 Distribution of Water Resources and Requirements 15 Mineral Standards for Drinking Water . 33 Qualitative Classification of Irrigation Waters _ . _ _ 33 Tentative Classification for Effective Salinity of Irri- gation Water _ 34 Water Quality Limits for Water for Export at Points of Diversion at Southern Boundary of Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta 34 Summary of Works to Meet Water Requirements in North Coastal Area Summary of Works to Meet Water Requirements in San Francisco Hay Area Summary of Works to Meet Water Requirements in Central Coastal Area _ . Summary of Works to Meet Water Requirements in South Coastal Area ._ . Summary of Works to Meet Water Requirements in Sacramento River Basin Summary of Works to Meet Water Requirements in San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin _ _ 14(i Summary of Works to Meet Water Requirements in Lahontan Area 158 Land Use and Water Requirements. Colorado Desert Area . L62 Summary of Klamath-Trinity Division, California Aqueduct System 170 Summary of Capital Costs. Klamath-Trinity Division, California Aqueduct System 172 Division, California Aqueduct -,() <;:•, 120 Page 176 177 183 185 190 Table No. 19 Summary of Eel R System 20 Summary of Capital Costs, Eel River Division. Califor- nia Aqueduct System . 21 Summary of Sacramento Division, California Aqueduct System 22 Summary of Capital Costs, Sacramento Division, Cali- fornia Aqueduct System 23 Summary of Delta Division, California Aqueduct Sys- tem 24 Summary of Capital Costs, Delta Division, California Aqueduct System 191 25 Summary of San Joaquin Division, California Aque- duct System 196 26 Summary of Capital Costs. San Joaquin Division. Cali- fornia Aqueduct System 197 27 Summary of Southern California Division, California Aqueduct System 204 28 Summary of Capital Costs. Southern California Divi- sion, California Aqueduct System 206 29 Summary of Results of Conjunctive Operation of Sur- face Reservoirs and Ground Water Basin of the Central Valley ruder Conditions of Ultimate Water Requirements During the Critical Operation Period 1926-27 Through 1935-36 30 Summary of Features. Accomplishments, and Costs of Physical Works Under The California Water Plan _ Ml Summary of Ultimate Development and Transfer of Water Under The California Water Plan 32 Reduction in Estimated Capital Cost of The California Water Plan. Assuming Projected Agricultural De- mand of High-Elevation Desert Lands Fails to Develop 211 212 214 PLATES Plate No. 1 3 4 Present Water Problems Geographical Distribution of Precipitation and Runoff Major Hydrographic Areas and Planning Groups Present and Ultimate Areas of Intensive Water Service Plans for Water Development Under The California Water Plan The California Aqueduct System Conjunctively Operated Storage in the Cen Ultimate Development and Transfer of W.- California Water Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued PHOTOGRAPHS Page A. D. Edmonstou, 1886-1957 III Klamath River ; San Joaquin Valley 10 Break on Feather River Near Yuba City, December, 1955__ 17 Recreation, Fish, and Wildlife 22 Pardee Dam ; Contra Costa Canal 25 Shasta Dam ; Delta-Mendota Canal 27 Sacramento Weir on Sacramento River; Electra Power Plant on Mokelumne River 32 North Coastal Area — Redwood Grove 40 North Coastal Area Economic Activities — Recreation and Dairying 46 San Francisco Bay Area 53 San Francisco Bay Area — Napa Valley Grape Harvest 56 Calaveras Reservoir on Calaveras Creek Provides Water for San Francisco Metropolitan Area 59 Central Coastal Area — Point Lobos 65 Nacimiento Reservoir on Nacimiento River Provides Water for Agricultural Uses in the Salinas Valley 72 South Coastal Area — Los Angeles River 80 South Coastal Area — Garvey Terminal Reservoir and F. E. Weymouth Softening and Filtration Plant in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area 85 South Coastal Area — Morris Dam on San Gabriel River, and Sepulveda Flood Control Reservoir on Los Angeles River 90 Sacramento River Basin — Bear River Canal in the Sierra Nevada, Constructed in 1850 95 Sacramento Valley — Agriculture and Navigation 101 Genesee Valley in Feather River Basin ; Sacramento Valley — Foothill Hay Production 107 Page Sacramento River Basin — Spaulding Dam on South Fork of Yuba River, and Fish Ladder at Daguerre Point Diversion Dam on Yuba River 111 San Joaquin River Basin — Diversion Flume From Mokel- umne River 125 San Joaquin River Basin — Headwaters and Delta 132 San Joaquin River Basin — Cotton and Irrigated Pasture 137 Exchequer Dam on Merced River ; Diversion Dam and Irrigation Canal Headgates on Kings River 144 Lahontan Area — Donner Summit ; Arid Lands in Mono County 151 Colorado Desert Area — Power From the Colorado River 160 Colorado Desert Area — Colorado River Aqueduct Intake From Lake Havasu and Date Culture Near Indio 165 Klamath-Trinity Division — Head of Tower House Tunnel of the Trinity Diversion Project 1 Shasta Dam, Sacramento River ; Putah Diversion Dam, Putah Creek 179 Sacramento Division — -Folsom and Nimbus Dams on the American River 182 Delta Division — Delta Cross-Channel Headworks on the Sacramento River, and the Tracy Pumping Plant on Old River 188 San Joaquin Division — The Delta-Mendota Canal and the Irrigated San Joaquin Valley 1 Southern California Division — Morris Reservoir Near Pas- adena 201 Hansen Spreading Grounds Near Burbank 209 Sierra Nevada Snowfield 229 Control, Distribution, and Utilization of Water 241 Phofographs printed herein are shown, on the pages noted, through the courtesy of the following: PHOTOGRAPHS BY: Ansel Adams, 56, 65, b 72, 125, t 132, b 137, t 151; Bakersfield Chamber of Com merce, t 137; Bureau of Reclamation, U. S. Department of the Interior, tl 22, br 22, b 25, b 27, b 132, 169, tb 179, b 182, tb 188; Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, b 90, t 144, t 182; Department of Fish and Game, State of California, bl 22, bill; Department of Water Resources, State of California, b 10, t 25, t 107 b 144, 193; Division of Highways, State Department of Public Works, Frontispiece, t 10, 17, t 27, 40, 53, b 59, 80, t 101, b 151, 229; Eastman's Studio, Susanville, t 46; El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce tr 22, b 107; Eureka Chamber of Commerce, b 46; Los Angeles County Flood Control and Water Conserva tion District, 209; Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, t 72; Pacific Gas and Electric Company, b 32, 95, till; Pasadena Water Department, t 90, 201; Sacramento Bee, t 32; San Fran cisco Water Department, t 59; San Jose Chamber of Commerce, b 241; The Metropolitan Water District o Southern California, tb 85, 160, tb 165, c 241; The River Lines, Inc., b 101; Tuolumne County Chamber o Commerce, t 241. ABBREVIATIONS: t, top; e, center; b, bottom; r, right; I, left. APPENDIXES At the present time the Department of Water Resources plans to publish appendixes on those considerations basic to the formulation of The California Water Plan and on certain other factors affecting- the Plan. There follows a listing of these proposed appendixes, together with a general statement of their scope. A. Detailed engineering report on The California Water Plan, describing local and interbasin transfer projects on an individual basis. B. Basic assumptions, criteria, and procedures employed in formulating The California Water Plan. C. General geology of California, geologic conditions affecting the location and design of engineering works, and ground water geology. D. Utilization of ground water storage capacity, with particular reference to conjunctive operation of surface and underground reservoirs. E. Factors involved in maintenance of water quality. F. Effects of The California Water Plan on fish, wildlife, and recreation. G. Flood problems and existing project works ; flood control accomplishments of The California Water Plan. H. Economic and financial aspects of The California Water Plan. I. Water rights and attendant legal considerations and implications with re- spect to The California Water Plan. J. Potentialities of other means of increasing water supplies, such as sea-water conversion, waste-water reclamation, artificial increase of precipitation, and watershed management. K. Relationship of future power sources and energy requirements to The Cali- fornia Water Plan. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL * RV D,L?TO B R ANKS ^S^=^ ADDRESS REPLY TO P. o. Box 1079 Sacramento 5 1120N STREET G I LBERT 2 -47! I STATE OF CALIFORNIA Irparittttttt of Wnttr SrBnuraa SACRAMENTO May 6, 1957 Honorable Goodwin J. Knight, Governor, and Members of the Legislature of the State of California Gentlemen : I have the honor to transmit herewith Bulletin No. 3 of the Department of Water Resources, entitled "The California Water Plan," as authorized by Chapter 1541, Statutes of 1947. Bulletin No. 3 presents a master plan to guide and coordinate the activities of all agencies in the planning, construction, and operation of works required for the control, development, protection, conservation, distribution, and utiliza- tion of California's water resources for the benefit of all areas of the State and for all beneficial purposes. It is believed that The California Water Plan provides the basis for achieving the most effective and comprehensive development of California's water re- sources. It is concluded that California does have enough water, including the State's present rights in and to the waters of the Colorado River, to satisfy the ultimate water needs if the available resources are wisely controlled, conserved, and distributed. The full solution of California's water problems thus becomes essentially a financial and engineering problem. Bulletin No. 3 contains recommendations that The California Water Plan be accepted by the Legislature as the general and coordinated master plan for the progressive and comprehensive future development of the water resources of California by all agencies; that adequate funds be provided by the Legislature for a continuing, more detailed study under the California Water Development Program ; that positive assurances be provided, to the maximum practicable extent, by constitutional amendment and legislative enactments, that water required to meet all future beneficial uses in all areas of the State will be avail- able in adequate quantity and quality when and where needed; that a long-range water development fund and enabling policies to assure the financing and con- struction of needed water development works in California be established: thai the financing and construction of the authorized Feather River Project be expedited; and that other presently needed water development works he under- taken immediately. Verv trulv vours, ^L^o <^sg— II; l)i XIII LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL address all communications harvey o. to the Chairman director P. O. BOX 1079 SACRAMENTO 5 A. FREW, V[ JOHN P. BUNKER. GUSTINB EVERETT L. GRUBB. ELSIN^ W P. RICH. MARYSVILLE I STATE OF CALIFORNIA PHIL D SW,NG ' SAN DlEGO KENNETH Q. VOLK. Los ANC DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES STATE WATER BOARD May 8, 1957 Mr. Harvey 0. Banks, Director Department of Water Resources 401 Public Works Building Sacramento, California Dear Mr. Banks : The State-wide Water Resources Investigation, which culminated in The California Water Plan, was conducted under the direction of the State Water Resources Board, predecessor to the State Water Board, from its inception as provided in Chapter 1541, Statutes of 1947, until creation of the Department of Water Resources on July 5, 1956. Although the name and responsibilities of the Board have been changed, mem- bership on the two Boards has been continuous. Consequently, the members of the State Water Board, as a Board and individually, have the greatest interest in Bulletin No. 3, which presents The California Water Plan. This bulletin, which joins the years of work of the engineers, the efforts of the Board members and countless others, the findings of the public hearings, and the advice and counsel of the Board of Engineering Consultants, has been reviewed by and has the approval of the State Water Board. Very truly yours, Clair A. Hill Chairman REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS May 8, 1957 Mr. Harvey 0. Banks, Director, Department of Water Resources, P. 0. Box 1079, Sacramento 5, California Subject: Bulletin No. 3— The California Water Plan Dear Mr. Banks : This Board of Consultants was first retained on January 6, 1956 by the State Water Resources Board to review Bulletin No. 3, The California Water Plan. Upon establishment of the Department of Water Resources in July 1956, you reappointed the same members and assigned the same duties. Five meetings of this Board were held prior to July 1956 and six meetings thereafter. This Board of Consultants endorses the principle of long-range planning for full development and use of the water resources of California, where such plans are subject to continuing review. However, The California Water Plan, as presented in Bulletin No. 3, includes projects of doubtful economic justification and works of unproven physical feasibility. This Bulletin properly calls attention to the fact that the irrigation of desert areas involving net pumping lifts of several thousand feet is not now and may never be within the limits of economic justification and finan- cial feasibility. This Board believes that further study should be given to the extent and cost of the works that would be needed to supply water for the irrigation of such desert areas and that more positive estimates should be made of the cost of an Aqueduct System designed to serve all other areas and purposes throughout the State. This Board of Consultants endorses your recommendations: (a) that more detailed investigation and study be made of component features of The California Water Plan to determine their need, engineering feasibility, economic justification, financial feasibility, and recommended priority of construction; and (b) that there be continuing review, modification, and improvement of The California Water Plan in the light of changing condi- tions, advances in technology, additional data, and future experience. Such studies should include determination at then current price levels of: the capital and annual costs per acre-foot of water for its development and delivery within each hydrographic unit for use within the same area ; and the capital and annual costs per acre- foot of water for its development in areas of surplus and its transportation and delivery to each area of shortage. This Board of Consultants is confident that there is enough water in northern California, surplus to all poten- tial local needs, to satisfy all requirements for additional water in the San Francisco Bay Region, in the San Joaquin Valley, in the Central Coastal area, and south of the Tehachapi Mountains. It believes that continuing development of these water resources as needed is essential to the future welfare of this State. Accordingly, this Board recommends that the Legislature receive The California Water Plan as an evolving, continuing, coordinated proposal for the progressive and comprehensive future development of the water resources of California, and that this plan be commended to all agencies concerned with the development of these resources. This Board further recommends that no specific project be authorized for construction prior to detailed investigation of its engineering feasibility, economic justification, and financial feasibility. Respectfully submitted, Board op Consultants Walter I* Iluber _^£^£/fMz^4 Samuel B. Morris A. H. Ayers ^ ^**r*-^- Raymond A. Hill Ralph A. Tudor xv ACKNOWLEDGMENT Valuable assistance and data used in the investigation were contributed by agencies of the Federal Government and of the State of California, by cities, counties, public districts, and by private companies and individuals. This co- operation is gratefully acknowledged. Special mention is made of the helpful cooperation of the following : Bureau of Reclamation, United States Department of the Interior Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army Federal Power Commission Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of the Interior Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior Soil Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture California Department of Fish and Game California Department of Public Works, Division of Highways California Public Utilities Commission University of California at Berkeley and at Davis East Bay Municipal Utility District Hetch Hetchy Water Supply, Power and Utilities Engineering Bureau, City of San Francisco The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Department of Water and Power, City of Los Angeles San Diego County Water Authority City of San Diego Pacific Gas and Electric Company Southern California Edison Company ORGANIZATION STATE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DIVISION OF RESOURCES PLANNING HARVEY O. BANKS Director of Water Resources M. J. SHELTON Deputy Director of Water Resources WILLIAM L. BERRY Chief, Division of Resources Planning This bulletin was prepared under the supervision of JOHN M. HALEY Assistant Division Engineer by PRINCIPAL ASSISTANTS ALBERT J. DOLCINI Supervising Hydraulic Engineer OSWALD SPEIR Supervising Hydraulic Engineer NAEDILL P. THIEBAUD Principal Hydraulic Engineer MEYER KRAMSKY Supervising Hydraulic Engineer WiLLIAM L. HORN Supervising Hydraulic Engineer HAROLD B. KNIGHT Assistant Hydraulic Engineer Responsibility for planning activities and preparing pertinent sections of this bulletin was delegated to NORTH COASTAL AREA EDWARD D. STETSON Associate Hydraulic Engineer Assisted by HELEN J. PETERS Associate Hydraulic Engineer J. PRESTON CEDARHOLM Assistant Hydraulic Engineer RICHARD E. SLYFIELD ....... Associate Hydraulic Engineer STEPHEN H. CHAN ..... .. Assistant Hydraulic Engineer JACK G. WULFF .... Associate Hydraulic Engineer DONALD A. RALPH Assistant Hydraulic Engineer SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, RUSSIAN RIVER BASIN, AND MONTEREY COUNTY ALBERT J. DOLCINI Supervising Hydraulic Engineer Assisted by JICHARD W. MEFFLEY.. .Senior Hydraulic Engineer PHILLIP E. BENJAMIN, JR...... Assistant Hydraulic Engineer JEAN H. JAQUITH Associate Hydraulic Engineer HAROLD B. KNIGHT. ... Assistant Hydraulic Engineer ROBERT J. ROONEY Associate Hydraulic Engineer J. BURTON YORK . Assistant Civil Engineer SACRAMENTO VALLEY AREA MYER SAMUEL Supervising Hydraulic Engineer Assisted by STUART T. PYLE Senior Hydraulic Engineer CORTLAND C. LANNING Assistant Hydraulic Engine JACOB ANGEL Associate Hydraulic Engineer HERBERT M. MATSINGER, JR Assistant Hydraulic Engine G. DONALD MEIXNER, JR Associate Hydraulic Engineer GORDON N. BOYER Assistant Civil Engine SAM L. STRINGFIELD, JR Associate Hydraulic Engineer LOUIS R. MITCHELL Assistant Civil Engine JERRY D. VAYDER Associate Hydraulic Engineer JAMES E. ALVERSON Junior Civil Engine PHILIP H. SHEDD, JR Junior Civil Engineer SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AREA ROBIN R. REYNOLDS Supervising Hydraulic Engineer Assisted by FRED E. BLANKENBURG. .Senior Hydraulic Engineer RICHARD G. FIELDS ...Assistant Hydraulic Engine*' ERWIN DAMES Associate Hydraulic Engineer JAMES C. SCHELER Assistant Hydraulic Engine*! HARRY E. ANDRUS Photogrammetrist II THOMAS P. WOOTTON Assistant Hydraulic Engine* AUGUST J. BILL Assistant Hydraulic Engineer WILLIAM H. BLACKMER Junior Civil Engine* ROBERT J. WAHL Junior Civil Engineer LAHONTAN AND COLORADO DESERT AREAS ROBERT O. THOMAS Supervising Hydraulic Engineer Assisted by THOMAS C. MACKEY Associate Hydraulic Engineer DONALD W. FISHER Junior Civil Enginee ROBERT R. STUART Assistant Hydraulic Engineer JOHN E. FLACK Junior Civil Engineer CALVIN H. MAGNUSON ......Junior Civil Engineer GROUND WATER STUDIES IN SACRAMENTO AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS JOHN R. EATON Associate Civil Engineer ELDON E. RINEHART Associate Hydrographet Assisted by JOHN E. ANDERSON Assistant Hydraulic Engineer JAMES D. GOODRIDGE Assistant Civil Engineer FREEMAN H. BEACH Assistant Hydraulic Engineer WILLIAM G. BLAKE Engineering Aid II HAROLD T. VEDERA Assistant Hydraulic Engineer WILLIAM H. MILLER Engineering Aid II Sections of this bulletin dealing with work in the South Coastal Area, and in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, were prepared in the Southern California Branch Office under the direction of MAX BOOKMAN District Engineer and ROBERT M. EDMONSTON Principal Hydraulic Engineer by LUCIAN J. MEYERS THOMAS M. STETSON Supervising Hydraulic Engineer anc ' Senior Hydraulic Engineer Assisted by ROBERT H. BORN Associate Hydraulic Engineer ARNOLD F. NICOLAUS Associate Hydraulic Engineer HAROLD M. CROOKER Associate Hydraulic Engineer DAVID O. POWELL Associate Hydraulic Engineer ; PAUL E. HOOD Associate Hydraulic Engineer HUGO J. HANSON Associate Civil Engineer : JOHN O. McCLURG Associate Hydraulic Engineer RICHARD E. ANGELOS Assistant Hydraulic Engineer THOMAS A. SANSON Assistant Hydraulic Engineer Geologic studies in southern California were performed by LAURENCE B. JAMES Supervising Engineering Geologist ROBERT G. THOMAS Senior Engineering Geologist GLENN A. BROWN Associate Engineering Geologist Water quality studies in southern California were performed by DAVID B. WILLETS Supervising Hydraulic Engineer ROBERT F. CLAWSON Associate Hydraulic Engineer Staff activities, including criteria, procedures, surveys, mapping, and statistical services MEDILL P. THIEBAUD Principal Hydraulic Engineer Assisted by DONALD P. THAYER Principal Engineer, Design and SAMUEL A. WILLIAMS Junior Civil Engineer Construction of Dams CARL G. B. PETERSON Engineering Aid II RICHARD W. JOHNSON Senior Electrical Engineer CHARLES D. SKINKLE ..Engineering Aid II E. PHILIP WARREN Associate Statistician WILLIAM W. GEDDES Junior Engineering Aid GEORGE D. WINKELBLACK.... Photogrammetrist I WILLIAM B. CHASTAIN Engineering Aid I The following personnel have given special assistance to various studies related to the investigation WALTER A. BROWN Principal Engineer, Design and JOHN W. KEYSOR Senior Engineer, Design and Construction of Dams Construction of Dams WILLIAM R. GIANELLI Principal Hydraulic Engineer JACK J. COE Senior Hydraulic Engineer JOSEPH I. BURNS..... Supervising Hydraulic Engineer JOHN W. SHANNON Land and Water Use Specialist ROY N. HALEY ..Associate Soil Technologist Geologic studies were performed under the direction of ELMER C. MARLIAVE Supervising Engineering Geologist by ROBERT T. BEAN Supervising Engineering Geologist Assisted by DAVID M. HILL Senior Engineering Geologist WILFERD W. PEAK Senior Engineering Geologist PHILIP J. LORENS Senior Engineering Geologist WALLACE D. FUQUA Associate Engineering Geologist COLE R. McCLURE, JR Senior Engineering Geologist HAROLD D. WOODS Associate Engineering Geologist ' Water quality studies were performed under the direction of CARL B. MEYER Principal Hydraulic Engineer by CARLETON E. PLUMB Senior Hydraulic Engineer Assisted by CHARLES G. WOLFE Senior Hydraulic Engineer MATHIAS HILLING Assistant Civil Engineer WILLIAM DURBROW, JR Associate Hydraulic Engineer ROBERT F. MIDDLETON, JR. Assistant Civil Engineer GORDON A. RICKS Associate Hydraulic Engineer EARL MOLANDER, JR Assistant Civil Engineer JOHN E. STELLWAGEN Assistant Civil Engineer Power studies were made in consultation with, and reviewed by FREDERICK J. GROAT, Supervising Electric Utilities Engineer, and RICHARD W. JOHNSON, Senior Electrical Engineer Economic studies were performed by NORMAN D. STURM Supervising Economist Assisted by JAMES W. THURSBY Senior Economist Legal studies were performed by FORMER DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES fENRY HOLSINGER Principal Attorney GAVIN M. CRAIG Senior Attorney (now Chairman, State Water Rights Board) (now Principal Attorney, State Water Rights Board) IRVING PFAFFENBERGER Senior Attorney DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ORTER A. TOWNER Chief Counsel MARK C. NOSLER Senior Attorney RUSSELL KLETZI NG Associate Attorney Maps and plates for the report were prepared under the supervision of JOHN L. JAMES Supervisor of Drafting Services ADMINISTRATIVE "HEODORE R. MERRYWEATHER Administrative Officer LENORE N. CASE ..... Senior Stenographer-Clerk SABEL C. NESSLER Coordinator of Reports H. ARLENE STEVENS Senior Typist-Clerk ORGANIZATION DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES STATE WATER BOARD CLAIR A. HILL, Chairman, Redding A. FREW, Vice Chairman, King City JOHN P. BUNKER, Gustine W. P. RICH, Marysville EVERETT L. GRUBB, Elsinore PHIL D. SWING, San Diego KENNETH Q. VOLK, Los Angeles SAM R. LEEDOM Administrative Assistant CONSULTANTS BOARD OF ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS FOR REVIEW OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN RAYMOND A. HILL, Chairman, Los Angeles A. H. AYERS, San Francisco SAMUEL B. MORRIS, Los Angeles WALTER L. HUBER, San Francisco RALPH A. TUDOR, San Francisco ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS FOR REVIEW OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN FOR THE AMERICAN RIVER BASIN JOHN S. COTTON, Kentfield and LLOYD LUCKS, Kentfield ENGINEERING CONSULTANT FOR REVIEW OF PROCEDURES FREDERICK L. HOTES, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering University of California ENGINEERING CONSULTANT FOR REVIEW OF GROUND WATER STUDIES FRANK B. CLENDENEN, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering University of California SPECIAL CONSULTANT FOR ORGANIZATION OF BULLETIN MASON A. JOHNSTON, Instructor of Public Speaking, Sacramento Junior College Studies of fish and wildlife problems were conducted in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Game SETH GORDON Director ROBERT M. PAUL Water Projects Coordinator RICHARD J. HALLOCK Senior Fisheries Biologist DAVID E. PELGEN Senior Fisheries Biologist LEONARD O. FISK Assistant Fisheries Biologist ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES The State-wide Water Resources Investigation, re- sulting- in the formulation of The California Water Plan, was authorized by the State Legislature in 1947 and initiated on September 5, 1947, under direction of the former State Water Resources Board. Royal Miller was Chairman of the Board at the inception of the investigation, being succeeded by C. A. Griffith who, in turn, was succeeded by Clair A. Hill. Changes in the membership of the Board were occasioned by the deaths of Messrs. L. S. Ready and B. A. Etcheverry; the retirements of Messrs. Royal Miller, H. F. Cozzens, C. A. Griffith, and R. ' V. Meikle; and the subsequent appointments of Messrs. Hill, W. P. Rich, A. Frew, and W. Penn Rowe. Upon the redesignation of the State Water Resources Board as the "State Water Board" on July 5, 1956, Messrs. John P. Bunker, Kenneth Q. Volk, and Everett L. Grubb were appointed as members, and W. Penn Rowe resigned to accept an appointment with the newly created State Water Rights Board. Phil D. Swing is the only member of the State Water Board who has had continuous service since creation of the State Water Resources Board in 1945. Edward Hyatt was State Engineer and Secretary of the State Water Resources Board at the inception of the State-wide Water Resources Investigation in 1947. The significant broadening of state policy relat- ing to flood control and water conservation, encom- passed in the State Water Resources Act of 1945, largely reflected Mr. Hyatt 's enlightened and progres- sive thinking in these matters. As State Engineer from 1927 to 1950, Mr. Hyatt directed the surveys which culminated in formulation of the State Water Plan, predecessor to The Califor- nia Water Plan. Moreover, he was instrumental in initiation of the investigations which led to The Cali- fornia Water Plan, and determined many of the con- cepts upon which it is based. A. D. Edmonston succeeded Mr. Hyatt as State Engineer in 1950. He vigorously carried forward the work on The California Water Plan, and was directly responsible for the authorization of the Feather River Project as the initial unit of the Plan. He retired on November 1, 1955. Harvey 0. Banks succeeded Mr. Edmonston and remained State Engineer until July 5, 1956, when the office of State Engineer was abolished and the Department of Water Resources was created. The State-wide Water Resources Investigation wa® conducted successively under the general direction of] Assistant State Engineers A. D. Edmonston; P. II. Van Etten, until his retirement on June 15, 1951 ; Thomas B. Waddell, until his retirement on Novem-' ber 1, 1955 ; and William L. Berry, until July 5, 1956, when the Department of Water Resources was cre- ated. Since the latter date, the organization of the Department has been as shown on page xvn. During the final phase of the State-wide Water Re- sources Investigation, culminated by the preparations of this bulletin, a major change in the status of this* organization has taken place pursuant to Chapter 52, Statutes of 1956, effective on July 5, 1956. The statute; created the State Department of Water Resources, . which succeeded to and was vested with all of the! 1 powers, duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdic- tion in matters pertaining to water or dams formerly vested in the Department and Director of Public- Works, the Division of Water Resources of the De- partment of Public Works, the State Engineer, and the Water Project Authority. The Department of Water Resources also succeeded to and was vested I with the powers, duties, purposes, responsibilities, and I jurisdiction of the Department of Finance under Part 2 of Division 6 of the Water Code. In addition, the former State Water Resources Board was redesignated the "State Water Board," and was placed within the Department of Water Re- sources to confer with, advise, and make recommen- dations to the Director with respect to any matters and subjects under his jurisdiction. Finally, the State Water Rights Board was created, . which board succeeded to and was vested with all of the powers, duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction formerly vested in the Department and Director of Public Works, the Division of Water Re- sources of the Department of Public Works, and the State Engineer, regarding the adjudication of water rights, and the issue, denial, or revocation of permits or licenses to appropriate water. It should be pointed out at this time that the au- thority and responsibilities of the former State Water Resources Board, relative to the conduct of the Slate- wide Water Resources Investigation, special investiga- tions, and the preparation of this bulletin, are now- vested wholly in the Department of Water Resources. SYNOPSIS This is the final of a series of three bulletins setting forth the results of the State-wide Water Resources Investigation, which has been in progress for the past 10 years under provisions of Chapter 1541, Statutes of 1947. This investigation entailed a three-fold pro- gram of study to evaluate the water resources of California, to determine present and probable ulti- mate water requirements, and to formulate plans for the orderly development of the State's water re- sources to meet its ultimate water requirements. Funds to meet the cost of the investigation were pro- vided by the cited statute and subsequent budgetary acts of the Legislature. The first phase of the State-wide Water Resources Investigation comprised an inventory of data on sources, quantities, and characteristics of water in California. The results are available in State Water Resources Board Bulletin No. 1, "Water Resources of California," published in 1951. This bulletin comprises a concise compilation of data on precipita- tion, runoff of streams, flood flows and frequencies, and quality of water throughout the State. The second phase dealt with present and ultimate requirements for water. The associated report, State Water Resources Board Bulletin No. 2, "Water Uti- | lization and Requirements of California," was pub- lished in 1955. This study comprised determinations of the present use of water throughout the State for all consumptive purposes, and forecasts of ultimate water requirements based in general on the capabil- ities of the land to support further balanced develop- ment. The final phase of the State-wide Water Resources Investigation is presented herein as "The California AVater Plan." Bulletin No. 3 describes a comprehen- sive master plan for the control, protection, conserva- tion, 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. The Plan is designed to include or supplement rather than to supersede existing water resource development works, and does not interfere with existing rights to the use of water. The objective in the formulation of The California Water Plan has been to provide a logical, engineering basis for future administration of the water resources of the State and for coordination of the efforts of all "lit i ties engaged in the construction and operation of water development projects, to the end that maximum benefit to all areas and peoples of the State may ultimatelv be achieved. The California Water Plan includes local works to meet local needs in all portions of the State. It also includes the California Aqueduct System, an unpre- cedented system of major works to redistribute excess waters from northern areas of surplus to areas of deficiency throughout the State. The Plan gives con- sideration to water conservation and reclamation ; to flood contro 1 and flood protection ; to the use of water for agricultural, domestic, municipal, and industrial purposes; to hydroelectric power development; to salinity control and protection of the quality of fresh waters; to navigation; to drainage; and to the inter- ests of fish, wildlife, and recreation. It contemplates the conjunctive operation of surface and ground wa- ter reservoirs, which operation will be essential to regulation of the large amounts of water ultimately to be involved. The very magnitude of the task involved in formu- lation of The California Water Plan was such that detailed surveys and studies, and economic and finan- cial analyses, could not be undertaken in this initial phase of investigation. At this stage of its develop- ment, therefore, the Plan must be regarded as no more than a broad and flexible pattern into which future definite projects may be integrated in an or- derly fashion. As additional data and experience are gained, as technology advances, and as future con- ditions change in manners that cannot be foreseen today, The California Water Plan will be substan- tially altered and improved. However, the basic con- cept of the Plan as a master plan to meet the ultimate requirements for water at some unspecified but dis- tant time in the future, when the land and other resources of California have essentially reached a state of complete development, will remain un- changed. Voluminous data and information have been com- piled and assembled in connection with preparation of The California Water Plan. It is realized that the need of the general public, on the one hand, is for a summary report with a minimum of technical de- tail but containing all of the information essential to an adequate understanding of the Plan. The need of engineering and other professional people, on the other hand, is for more detailed technical information which would be of minor interest to the general pub- lic. Therefore, publication has been set up to meet these separate needs — Bulletin No. 3 itself to meet the general need and the several appendixes to Bul- letin No. 3 to meet the engineering and other technical needs. Bulletin No. 3 consists of a summary report on The California Water Plan. It discusses available water resources, present and probable ultimate water re- quirements, and associated problems. It describes the development works that may be necessary to meet local requirements, and the interbasin transfer facil- ities which could convey water from nothern areas of surplus to major areas of deficiency in the central and southern parts of the State. It also discusses briefly the basic considerations in implementation of The California Water Plan and the possible accomplish- ments accruing therefrom. The several appendixes will present a more de- tailed engineering report on The California Water Plan, reports on geology and other technical subjects, as well as reports by other agencies concerned in specific phases of the investigations. All of these ap- pendixes are listed in the Table of Contents and are described in more detail in Chapter I. It should be mentioned at this time that although the publication of Bulletin No. 3 completes the State- wide Water Resources Investigation, it by no means signifies the termination of planning activities by the Department of Water Resources. Rather, it marks only the beginning of an intensive and continuing program of study of the needs for specific local and state-wide water development projects, analysis oq their economic justification and financial feasibility, and determination of the recommended priority of' their construction, using The California Water Plan as a general guide. This study program, known as the "California Water Development Program," willi enable the planning endeavor to keep pace with the needs of a rapidly growing State. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Today, the future agricultural, urban, and indus- trial growth of California hinges on a highly impor- tant decision, which is well within the power of the people to make. We can move forward with a thriving economy by pursuing a vigorous and progressive water development planning and construction pro- gram; or we can allow our economy to stagnate, per- haps even retrogress, by adopting a complacent atti- tude and leaving each district, community, agency, or other entity to secure its own water supply as best it can with small regard to the needs of others. The choice of these alternatives is clear. The need for coordinated planning on a state-wide basis has long been realized. Comprehensive plans have been formu- lated and reported upon in the past, and noteworthy accomplishments have been achieved by local enter- prise and private and public agencies. But despite the great water development projects constructed in the past, California's water problems continue to grow day by day. The construction of highways, schools, hospitals, and other public works has greatly accelerated since the end of World War II. However, to supply its necessary water, California is relying for the most part on works which were designed to meet the needs as anticipated 20 to 30 years ago. These facts are now becoming known and more generally understood by the people. It is apparent to most that the continued growth and prosperity of California is dependent upon prompt and substantial efforts by the respon- sible local governmental agencies, the State, and the Federal Government to ensure that the planning and construction of water development projects keeps pace with the growing needs for water. The population of California has continued to grow at a phenomenal rate, and irrigated agriculture and industrial activity have increased proportionately. This recent rapid expansion of the economy has oc- curred largely in areas of inherent water deficiency, thus intensifying the problem in those areas. While in most instances the increases in water requirements are physically being met, they are provided for by drawing on diminishing ground water reserves in order to meet the deficiency. Such perennial overdraft has been increasing rapidly in recent years and has resulted in accelerated lowering of ground water levels in many parts of the State. Effects of these overdrafts are presently manifested in the intrusion of sea water into the principal pump- ing aquifers of a number of coastal ground water basins, and the threat of such intrusion into others. Certain inland ground water basins have experienced degradation in quality of their fresh waters by mix- ture with underlying entrapped connate brines (i.e., salt water entrapped when the formation was de- posited) or other waters of undesirable mineral qual- ity. Furthermore, overdraft conditions may result in an accumulation of excess minerals or salts in a ground water basin, which in a period of time may degrade the water quality beyond acceptable limits. Thus, it is evident that continuing overdrafts will not only drastically reduce the reserves in storage, with possible exhaustion in some cases, but in many in- stances will irreparably damage the immensely valu- able ground water reservoirs unless supplemental water supplies are developed. While experiencing problems of water deficiency on the one hand, California is presently faced with the anomaly of other problems of the exact opposite nature — that of periodic floods which result in major damage and loss of life. Ironically, in many cases the same areas suffering deficiency in water supplies are besieged with winter floods when the water, so ur- gently needed for the economy, wastes to the ocean, accomplishing nothing but damage and grief. His- torically, agricultural and urban development has occurred largely in valleys and on plains inherently subject to flooding. With the intensification of agri- culture and expansion of urban and industrial areas, future flood problems will become more severe unless remedial action is taken. Concurrently with the expanding population and increasing irrigation and industrial development in the valleys and metropolitan areas of the State, there has been increasing pressure for enhancement of fish and wildlife resources and for the provision of ade- quate recreational opportunities, particularly in the hill and mountainous areas. If these needs are to be adequately met, provision must be made therefor in future water development through development of water areas and live streams. The magnitude of the foregoing water problems may be better appreciated by referring to Plate 1, entitled "Present Water Problems." The 1947 Legis- lature, recognizing these problems and appreciating the role of water in the future of the State, directed that the water resources and present and future water requirements of California be studied and evaluated, and that plans be formulated for the orderly develop- ment of the State's water resources to meet its ulti- mate water requirements. This directive initiated the "State-wide Water Resources Investigation," which THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN has been under way for the past 10 years, culminating in the preparation of this bulletin. BASIS AND AUTHORITY FOR STATE-WIDE WATER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING The principle of state-wide planning for develop- ment of California's water resources is no innovation. Development of the water resources of California has long been recognised as a primary responsibility of the State. Expressions of state policy regarding water supply development are found in the State Constitu- tion and numerous court decisions. The State Water Code incorporates the following pertinent sections which constitute the basis for a state-wide water de- velopment plan : "100. It is hereby declared that because of the conditions prevailing in this State the general wel- fare requires that the water resources of the State be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable, and that the waste or unreason- able use or unreasonable method of use of water be prevented, and that the conservation of such water is to be exercised with a view to the reasonable and beneficial use thereof in the interest of the people and for the public welfare. . . . "102. All water within the State is the property of the people of the State, but the right to the use of water may be acquired by appropriation in the manner provided by law. "104. It is hereby declared that the people of the State have a paramount interest in the use of all the water of the State and that the State shall determine what water of the State, surface and un- derground, can be converted to public use or con- trolled for public protection. "105. It is hereby declared that the protection of the public interest in the development of the water resources of the State is of vital concern to the people of the State and that the State shall de- termine in what way the water of the State, both surface and underground, should be developed for the greatest public benefit. "12578. It is hereby declared that the people of the State have a primary interest in the control and conservation of flood waters, prevention of damage by flood waters, the washing away of river and stream banks by floods, and in the determination of the manner in which flood waters shall be con- trolled for the protection of life and property and the control, storage, and use of the State's water resources in the general public interest. "12579. It is hereby declared that recurrenl Hoods on streams and rivers, and other waterways of the State, causing loss of life and property, dis- ruption of commerce, interruption of transportation and communications, and wasting of water, are det- rimental to the peace, health, safety, and welfare of the people of the State. The control, storage and full beneficial use of flood waters, and the preven- tion of damage by flood waters, and the washing away of river and stream banks by floods are proper functions and activities of the State, in cooperation with counties, cities, state agencies and public dis- tricts, and in cooperation with the United States, or any of its departments or agencies. "12580. It is further declared that the State should engage in the study and coordination of all water development projects, including flood control projects, undertaken by counties, cities, state agen- cies and public districts, and the United States or any of its departments or agencies in order that such allocations and appropriations as are made by the State Legislature for such purposes will be expended upon those projects which are most bene- ficial to the State, and which will bring maximum benefits to the people of the State from the expendi- ture of public funds, and also that the State should participate in the construction of flood control works and projects and render beneficial aid thereto, when the benefits are in excess of the estimated cost. "12581. In studying water development proj- ects, full consideration shall be given to all bene- ficial uses of the State's water resources, including irrigation, generation of electric energy, municipal and industrial consumption of water and power, repulsion of salt water, preservation and develop- ment of fish and wildlife resources, and recreational facilities, but not excluding other beneficial uses of water, in order that recommendations may be made as to the feasibility of such projects and for the method of financing feasible projects. "12582. Fish and wildlife values, both economic and recreational, shall be given consideration in any flood control or water conservation program. ..." To implement state policy, the State Water Re- sources Board was established by legislative enactment in 1945, and was endowed with broad powers to initi- ate and conduct investigations of the water resources of the State. The Board was vested with the responsi- bility for conduct of the State-wide Water Resources Investigation by Chapter 1541, Statutes of 1947. Funds were provided in the 1947-48 budget for com- mencement of the investigation, and the Budget Acts of 1948 and subsequent years have made appropria- tions for completion of the investigation and for preparation of reports thereon. During the final phase of the State-wide Water lie- sources Investigation, major functions of the State Water Resources Hoard were radically changed by provisions of Chapter 52. Statutes of 1956. This statute INTRODUCTION created the Department of Water Resources which succeeded to the responsibilities of the former Board for initiating- and conducting' water resources inves- tigations. THE STATE-WIDE WATER RESOURCES INVESTIGATION The State-wide Water Resources Investigation has been conceived and developed as a fundamental, com- prehensive survey, designed to serve as the basis for a logical and orderly pattern of development of the State's water resources. The first phase of the investi- gation consisted of an inventory of the basic water resources of California. All available data on sources, quantities, and characteristics have been evaluated, and the results are presented in State Water Resources Board Bulletin No. 1, "Water Resources of Califor- nia," published in 1951. This bulletin contains a compilation of data on precipitation, natural stream runoff, flood flows and frequencies, and quality of water throughout the State. The second major phase of the State-wide Water Resources Investigation dealt with present and ulti- mate requirements for water. Its findings are published in State Water Resources Board Bulletin No. 2, "Wa- ter Utilization and Requirements of California," June. 1955. This bulletin includes determinations of the present use of water throughout the State for all con- sumptive purposes, and presents forecasts of probable ultimate requirements based, in general, on the capa- bilities of the land to support further development. The bulletin also discusses implications of non- consumptive requirements for water as they relate to planning for the future. The foregoing studies provide basic data for the third and concluding phase of the State-wide Water Resources Investigation, presented herein. This phase correlates the determinations of water resources and ultimate requirements established in Bulletins Nos. 1 and 2, and, based on these findings, formulates The California Water Plan for satisfying these require- ments, insofar as practicable, as well as for the solution of the State's many other water problems PREVIOUS STATE-WIDE PLANNING The State-wide Water Resources Investigation, al- | though the first truly comprehensive effort to evolve ( a complete state-wide plan for ultimate water supply 1 development, has been preceded by a number of studies that approach it in scope a ml magnitude. The first broad investigation of the irrigation prob- 1 lem of California was made by a board of commis- sioners authorized by Congress and appointed by the President. The commission's report on "The Irriga- tion of the San Joaquin. Tulare, and Sacramento Valleys of the State of California" was published by the House of Representatives in 1*74 as Ex. Doc. No. 290, Forty-third Congress, First Session. It outlined a hypothetical irrigation system for the San Joaquin, Tulare, and Sacramento Valleys. Other investigations by federal and state agencies followed during the next several decades, the most noteworthy of which were made by Wm. Ham. Hall, State Engineer from 1878 to 1889. His reports contain meteorological and stream flow data, with notes on irrigation, drainage, and flood control, all of which proved of great value in planning water developments in the years that followed. The most comprehensive recent investigations of the water resources of California were those made by the State Engineer under authority of acts of the Legisla- ture in 1921, 1925, and 1929. First reports of these investigations were presented in Division of Engineer- ing and Irrigation Bulletins Nos. 4, 5, and 6, and in Division of Water Resources Bulletins Nos. 9, 12, 13, 14, and 20. A report giving results of subsequent investigations, and outlining revised proposals, was published in 1930 as Division of Water Resources Bulletin No. 25, entitled "Report to Legislature of 1931 on State Water Plan." It outlined a coordinated plan for conservation, development, and utilization of the water resources of California. The plan was ap- proved and adopted by the Legislature by Chapter 1185, Statutes of 1941, and designated the "State Water Plan." Division of Water Resources Bulletins Nos. 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31 outlined in greater detail project plans for coordinated development of the water resources of the Central Valley, and for water conservation and flood control in the Santa Ana River Basin. Bulletins Nos. 34, 35, and 36 dealt with collat- eral matters of water charges and costs and rates of irrigation development. Bulletin No. 31 discussed briefly the plans for diversion and transmission of Colorado River water to the South Coastal Basin under the project of The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Contemporaneously with these studies by the State, agencies of the Federal Government, notably the Bu- reau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers, have conducted comprehensive studies of the develop- ment of water resources on various streams in Cali- fornia, particularly with respect to the Central Val- ley. The most noteworthy of these reports are: Senate Document 113, 81st Congress, First Session. "Cen- tral Valley Basin," by the U. S. Bureau of Reclama- tion, August 1949; and House Document No. 367, 81st Congress, First Session, "Sacramento-San Joa- quin Basin Streams, California," by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, 1949. It should be noted that none of these previous studies have envisioned the transfer of water from northern California to south- ern California. THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN CONCURRENT RELATED INVESTIGATIONS A number of specific regional water resources in- vestigations, complementing the state-wide studies, have been carried on concurrently by the Department of "Water Resources and its predecessors. Some of these investigations utilized state funds entirely, while others were financed cooperatively by state and local interests. The planning for water develop- ment in those regions has been coordinated with and integrated into The California Water Plan. The features of the Plan in those regions of special in- vestigation have been formulated and reported upon in more detail than are presented herein. The follow- ing bulletins present results of these regional studies. California State Department of Public Works, Division of Water Resources. "Survey of Mountainous Areas." Bulletin No. 56. December, 1955. "Santa Margarita River Investigation." Bulletin No. 57. June, 1956. "Northeastern Counties Investigation. Report on Upper Feather River Service Area." (interim report) April, 1955. "Program for Financing and Constructing the Feather River Project as the Initial Unit of The California Water Plan." February, 1955. "Report to the California State Legislature on Putah Creek Cone Investigation." December, 1955. California State Department of Water Resources. "Investiga- tion of Upper Feather River Basin Development, In- terim Report on Engineering, Economic, and Financial Feasibility of Initial Units." Bulletin No. 59. Febru- ary, 1957. "Interim Report to the California State Legislature on the Salinity Control Barrier Investigation." Bulletin No. 60. March 1957. California State Water Project Authority. "Report to the Cali- fornia State Legislature on Feasibility of Construction by the State of Barriers in the San Francisco Bay System." March 1955. California State Water Resources Board. "Santa Cruz-Mon- terey Counties Investigation." Bulletin No. 5. Sep- tember, 1953. "Sutter-Yuba Counties Investigation." Bulletin No. 6. September, 1952. "Santa Clara Valley Investigation." Bulletin No. 7. June, 1955. "Elsinore Basin Investigation." Bulletin No. 9. Febru- ary, 1953. ■ — "Placer County Investigation." Bulletin No. 10. June. 1955. ■ "San Joaquin County Investigation." Bulletin No. 11. June, 1955. — "Ventura County Investigation." Bulletin Xo. 12. Oc- tober, 1953, Revised April, 1956. — "Alameda County Investigation." Bulletin No. 13. (preliminary report) July, 1955. "Lake County Investigation." Bulletin No. 14. (pre- liminary report) October, L955, "Santa Ana River Investigation." Bulletin No. 15. (preliminary report) April, 1956. "American River Basin Investigation, Report on De- velopment Proposed for The California Water Plan." P.ulletin No. 21. (preliminary report) June, 1955. "Interim Report on Klamath River Basin Investiga- tion, Water Utilization and Requirements." March, 1954. "Interim Summary Report on San Luis Obispo County Investigation." October, 1955. Other studies conducted by the Department and its predecessor agencies, the results of which are not yet- available in final report form, include the following: Cache Creek Watershed Investigation — Yolo County Klamath River Basin Investigation Northeastern Counties Investigation Salinas River Basin Investigation San Luis Obispo County Investigation Shasta County Investigation Data and information from the many other investi- gations conducted by the Department have been uti- lized. Pertinent investigations and plans of the U. S. Department of the Interior; the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army; and the Department of Agriculture have been utilized and integrated into The California Water Plan. THE CALIFORNIA WATER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM In order to plan intelligently for future develop- ment of California's water resources to meet increas- ing water needs, the investigation and study of water requirements, available resources, and potential water development projects must be a continuing process. This continuing need has been recognized, as is evi- denced by legislative acts authorizing the Feather River Project provides for a multipurpose develop- tion, and, most recently, the Inventory of Water Re- sources, all of which are designated functions of the Department of Water Resources. These three investi- gations are discussed in the following sections. Com- plementing these investigations, and in close coordi- nation therewith, the Department is engaged in an intensive and continuing program of study of the needs for specific projects, economic and financial analyses, and determination of recommended staging of construction. All of these investigations and studies collectively comprise the California Water Develop- ment Program, which incorporates subsequently au- thorized data gathering and planning activities. Feather River Project Many of the principles of The California Water Plan are embodied in the authorized Feather River Project, the initial unit of the Plan. The Feather River Project provides for a multipurpose develop- ment for firming water supplies, providing flood pro- tection in the Feather River area, generating hydro- electric energy, and exporting surplus waters available in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to areas of deficiency in the San Joaquin Valley, San INTRODUCTION Francisco Hay Area, and .southern California, with incidental fish, wildlife, and recreational benefits. This project was conceived by former State Engineer A.. D. Edmonston and formulated by the former Di- vision of Water Resources. It was first presented in 1951 in a publication of the State Water Resources Board entitled "Report on Feasibility of Feather River Project and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Diversion Projects Proposed as Features of The Cali- fornia Water Plan." The Legislature authorized the project in 1951 and provided funds for additional i studies, including preparation of plans and specifica- tions. These further studies are published in a report on "Program for Financing and Constructing the Feather River Project as the Initial Unit of The California Water Plan," submitted in February, 1955. The Legislature, by the Budget Act of 1956, appro- priated $9,350,000 for continued engineering design (and exploration, including the preparation of con- istruction plans and specifications and providing for acquisition of right of way for some of the project [features. The 1957 Legislature passed an urgency ap- , propriation for $25,190,000 to commence relocation \ of the Western Pacific Railroad and U. S. Highway 40 Alternate out of the Oroville Reservoir area. Salinity Control Barrier Investigation The need and feasibility of physical barriers to salt-water inflow in the San Francisco Bay system has been evaluated by the Division of Water Resources, ! pursuant to the Abshire-Kelly Salinity Control Bar- rier Act of 1953. Chapter 1104, Statutes of 1953. In- corporated in the report entitled "Feasibility of Con- struction by the State of Barriers in the San Francisco Bay System," March 1955, are provisions for conserving and developing waters presently being utilized for repulsion of sea water in the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta. A conduit for conveying Sacra- ment River flow across the Delta is also proposed. These features, which are vital elements of The Cali- fornia Water Plan, are receiving further considera- tion through an extension of this study authorized by the Abshire-Kelly Salinity Control Barrier Act of 1955, Chapter 1434. Statutes of 1955. An interim report entitled "Salinity Control Barrier Investiga- tion," March 1957, describes the recommended plan for accomplishing the foregoing objectives. Inventory of Water Resources Pursuant to Chapter 61, Statutes of 1956, the De- partment of Water Resources is conducting an in- vestigation to determine in detail: the amount of water resources available in the separate watersheds in the State ; the amounts of present and ultimate water required for beneficial uses in those watersheds ; and, from the foregoing, the quantities of water, if any, available for export from the watersheds of ori- gin. This investigation, which will continue over a period of years, will be accomplished in greater detail than has heretofore been undertaken and will serve as a basis for assuring reservation of adequate water resources for the areas of origin. OTHER PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE'S WATER RESOURCES The increasing awareness of the present prevailing water problems, and of the need for state-wide devel- opment of California's water resources, has been man- ifested in a number of ideas or proposals paralleling The California Water Plan. In general, these pro- posals purport a common objective, that is, the trans- fer of surplus northern waters to southern areas of deficiency. However, they have been advanced without adequate engineering and geologic study. Further- more, their objectives and scope, as compared with those of The California Water Plan, are inadequate. One such proposal, which has been termed the "Gravity Plan," has received considerable publicity during recent years. This plan would convey water by gravity conduit extending from Shasta Dam southerly to the Merced River. There it would cross the San Joaquin Valley and would be pumped over the Coast Range, where it would continue by gravity conduit into southern California. It is a fact, however, that the water supplies involved in the Gravity Plan are not available in adequate quantity, nor in proper monthly distribution to enable operation of the plan. Another serious shortcoming in the Gravity Plan and other similar proposals involves their conflict with presently vested water rights, and interference with existing projects of various agencies. These plans would involve exchanges of water which would be impossible of accomplishment. All of these alternatives have been analyzed by the Department of Water Resources in the formulation of The California Water Plan, and those elements found feasible have been incorporated into the Plan. SCOPE OF PLANNING PHASE OF STATE-WIDE WATER RESOURCES INVESTIGATION The planning phase of the current State-wide Wa- ter Resources Investigation, broader in scope than that for earlier investigations, has as its objective the form- ulation of a long-range plan for the comprehensive development of the water resources of the entire State. It contemplates the full control, conservation, protec- tion, distribution, and utilization of the water re- sources of California, both surface and underground, to meet present and future water needs for all bene- ficial purposes and uses in all areas of the State, in- sofar as practicable. THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN The scope of the planning phase includes studies of numerous physical and economic considerations necessary to the formulation of a realistic long-range water resource development plan. Use has been made of all available basic data and information pertinent to water supply, water requirements, characteristics of water service areas, hydroelectric power potentialities, food control, ffch and wildlife, recreation, drainage, water quality, physical features of dam sites and con- duit routes, physical characteristics of ground water basins, construction methods, construction costs, and trends of social, economic, and technological advance- ment. These basic data have been utilized in an analyt- ical process involving engineering design, cost esti- mates, and economic selection from alternative project proposals. Throughout the process a substantial meas- ure of engineering judgment has been necessary, tem- pered by knowledge of the limitations of the informa- tion on hand, and with awareness of inherent un- knowns in planning for the indefinite future. One of the most outstanding aspects of the planning phase of the State-wide Water Resources Investiga- tion is the consideration of unprecedented interbasin projects, by means of which large quantities of sur- plus water could be regulated and transported long distances from areas of surplus to areas of deficiency. These projects are of such scope and magnitude as to constitute in the aggregate a very real but not im- possible challenge to the future of California. Of equal significance is the planning for local projects to meet present and future local water needs. Such projects are often intimately involved with the major export- import works. In areas of ultimate water deficiency, the distribution and use of additional supplies that may be developed locally would be coordinated with that of imported supplemental waters. In areas of ulti- mate surplus, works for local water service would be fully coordinated with those for export. In the case of all projects, involving either major or minor works, full consideration has been given to existing develop- ments and interests and to vested water rights. Formulation of The California Water Plan was based upon the concept of optimum utilization of the water resources of the State. It involves, where pos- sible, the use of multipurpose reservoirs to gain their several advantages, including economy of construction and the conservation of project sites. Favorable dam and reservoir sites are rare and it is essential that the potentialities of each site be utilized to the maximum feasible extent. Water supplies would be developed and conserved for irrigation, municipal, and indus- trial purposes. Furthermore, the works would provide for flood control and flood protection; production of hydroelectric energy; quality control; salinity con- trol; enhancement of fish, wildlife and recreation; drainage; and other beneficial purposes. Estimates of water requirements published in State Water Re- 1 sources Board Bulletin No. 2 have been generally ac- cepted as a measure of requirements, although minor 1 modifications have been made, where such have been indicated by further study. Concepts of Planning The formulation of The California Water Plan was predicated upon and guided by certain basic concepts) which are expressed herein as the essence of the Plan. These concepts should be clearly borne in mind when evaluating the various facets of the Plan subsequently described in this bulletin. 1. The California Water Plan is conceived as ai ultimate plan, one that will meet the requirements for water at some unspecified but distant time in the future when the land and other resources of Cali- fornia have essentially reached a state of complete development. 2. The Plan is designed to be comprehensive. It provides for future beneficial uses of water by in- dividuals and agencies in all parts of the State. Legis- lative acceptance of the Plan, and firm provision for its progressive project authorization as component projects become feasible, would tend toward elimina- tion of sectional concern as to future availability of necessary water supplies. 3. The California Water Plan is a flexible pattern or framework into which future definite projects may be integrated in an orderly fashion, with due consid- eration being given to varying interests. As additional data and experience are gained, as technology ad- vances, and as future conditions change in patterns that cannot be foreseen today, The California Water Plan will be substantially altered and improved. 4. The Plan is designed to be susceptible of orderly development by logical, progressive stages as the growing demands and requirements of the State may dictate. Certain of these features should be imple- mented immediately, while others should be deferred. 5. The many features broadly embraced in The California Water Plan, while believed to be endowed in common with physical feasibility, have widely variant relationships to present concepts of economic and financial feasibility. As an example, extremely costly works would be required to conserve and con- vey water long distances to irrigate certain lands of very limited present crop adaptability, or to serve lands lying at high elevations, requiring net pump lifts of several thousand feet in some cases, such as the desert area in southern California. Such works are for the indefinite future and their need may never be realized. However, the economics of the distant fu- ture cannot be foreseen, and the planning effort is deemed necessary at this time in order that provi- sion may be made for such development if and when the requirement arises. INTRODUCTION 6. The California Water Plan is designed to in- Lude or supplement, rather than to supersede, exist- \g water resource development works. It also in- orporates certain of the planned works now pro- osed or authorized by public and private agencies nd individuals. Of special significance in this re- pect is the Feather River Project, which is proposed a unit for initial construction under The California S'ater Plan. Summarized, the foregoing concepts define The ,'alifornia Water Plan as a comprehensive pattern, i-ith broad flexibility and susceptible of orderly and rogressive development as needed, under which the orecast ultimate requirements for water by indi- iduals and agencies for all purposes in all parts of he State can be met. Water is not to be taken away rom people who will need it ; rather, it is proposed supply the needs of areas of deficiency by transfer nly of excess or surplus water from areas of abund- nce. Under The California Water Plan, water de- elopment by all agencies, federal, state, local, and private, can proceed in a coordinated manner toward ommon objectives and for maximum ultimate benefit, he Plan is not intended in any way to constitute n inflexible regulation or construction proposal. The California Water Plan does not purport to in- lude all possible water development projects in the tate. Rather, it serves to demonstrate that the full atisfaction of ultimate water requirements in all arts of the State is physically possible of accomplish- nent. Therefore, the omission herein of any project loes not preclude its future construction and integra- :ion into the Plan. Further investigation may indicate ilternative projects which are more feasible than :hose discussed herein and which would accomplish :he same results. It is fully acknowledged that The California Water Plan, like any plan for the indefinite future, is based m present forecasts, utilizing data from the short recorded past and accepted technology of today, and. as such, is inherently subject to substantial alteration vith the passage of time and the trial of experience. For these reasons, investigation and planning for I further water resource development must be a con- ■Itinuing process. ' Planning Considerations In all planning for water resource development, ■[first and prime consideration was given to the re- Iquirements, both present and future, for all water iuses in areas of origin, before a determination was tmade of the surplus waters that might be available ■ for exportation to areas of deficient supply. Inter- [ ference with works of existing entities, or with their operations with respect to use of water, was avoided wherever possible. In fact, most existing facilities would be integrated into the Plan. Present rights and established interests in the use of water have been taken into consideration, although no detailed studies of the status of existing rights have been made specifically for this report. The significance of such studies to state-wide planning is fully recognized but is beyond the scope of this bulletin. It should be recognized that the planning has nec- essarily been of a preliminary nature and is appropri- ate only to the initial definition of projects. In this connection, one controlling factor is dam site founda- tions, for which, in general, only limited engineering and geologic examination has been possible within the scope of the present investigation. Subsurface geo- logic conditions have been estimated in most cases only by reconnaissance surface inspection, which is gen- erally not adequate to determine all essential subsur- face features. The need for further surveys involving foundation excavations and borings before projects can be def- initely proposed for construction can be best appreci- ated with knowledge of the importance of foundation characteristics in engineering design. Not only does the foundation constitute one of the major factors in determination of type, height, cost, and feasibility of a dam, but quite often the inadequacy of a foundation leads to abandonment of one site and adoption of an- other. Similar geologic and engineering information must be developed with respect to availability and quality of construction materials in the vicinity of dam sites. Detailed subsurface investigations will also be needed along conduit routes. It will be imperative to conduct an extensive program of exploratory drill- ing and excavation under more detailed planning studies, prior to final determination of the feasibility of the features of definite projects. Even more de- tailed engineering and geologic studies will be re- quired for preparation of construction plans and specifications. Limitations inherent in the concept of "ultimate," on which are based the pattern of development and the water requirements under The California Water Plan, are of prime significance. This concept pertains to con- ditions after an unspecified but long period of years in the future when land use and water supply devel- opment will be at a maximum and essentially stabi- lized. It must be realized that any forecasts of the nature and extent of such ultimate development and resultant water utilization are inherently subject to appreciable errors. However, such forecasts, based upon best available data and judgment, are necessary in establishing long-range objectives for development of water resources. They are so used herein, with full knowledge that their re-evaluation, after the experi- ence of a period of years, will result in considerable revision. Possible advancement in certain fields of technology relating to water development may require considera- THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN tion at a future time. The field of atomic energy may offer a most promising potentiality in this respect. Utilization and production of electrical energy under The California Water Plan have been based generally on current economic considerations. Future develop- ments in utilization of atomic energy may become in- strumental in making economically feasible the con- version of saline water to water of acceptable quality. At the present time, research studies by certain agen- cies are concerned with the various aspects and proc- esses available for the desalting of sea water. It is reported that certain of these processes show promise for the distant future. Large-scale availability of low-cost energv might ef- fect future changes in The California Water Plan with respect to feasibility of pumping lifts and eco- nomic lengths of conveyance tunnels. In addition, eco- nomics of hydroelectric projects would be affected, since the cost of thermal energy production is a factor in evaluating hydroelectric energy. This would prob- ably mean that the power plants proposed under the plan for hydroelectric generation, based upon preva- lent concepts of value of power, may be subject to re- consideration under future concepts. Another potentiality for change in requirement for imported water supplies exists in the possible ad- vancement of technology and economy in treatment and reclamation of sewage. Currently, such waters are substantially wasted, with little consideration being given to their use either because of the cost involved or for esthetic reasons. The technique of weather modification might ad- vance to the point whereby The California Water Plan could be affected to some degree. It appears un- likely, however, that effects of this modification could be of sufficient proportions as to change materially the over-all plan as presented herein. If such did oc- cur, it could result in a significant increase in water supply in areas of natural surplus of water, a minor increase in areas of deficiency, with both areas need- ing added flood protection. One additional aspect of the planning process re- quires emphasis. It is evident that the development of water in California today deals largely with "left- over" projects, and must utilize dam sites and even entire stream systems which were passed over in the early days as being too difficult of development. Not so evident, however, nor as Avell recognized, is the fact that in order to effect the greatest benefit at the leasl cost for any water resource development project today, careful sorting of many alternative plans is required. This involves painstaking study, engineer- ing judgment, and consideration of all possible aspects of the development as related to multiple and often incompatible demands for the water. Thus, while it is appareni that the fundamental hasis of The California Water Plan must rest on presently available economic and technical knowl- edge, it is recognized that future developments mayi- change this basis. Accordingly, The California Water Plan has been formulated to perform an essential function, in that it forms the engineering basis for guidance and coordination in the planning, construc-i tion, and operation of water resource developments! which are and will be required in meeting the needs! for water throughout the State. It represents an assurance that the waters of the State can be devel- oped in such a manner that the greatest public benefit! will be derived, in the light of best available knowledge. PUBLIC HEARINGS ON PRELIMINARY EDITION OF BULLETIN No. 3 In order to evaluate the adequacy of The Call] fornia Water Plan, a preliminary draft of Bulletin No. 3, "Report on The California Water Plan," dated May, 1956, was released to responsible agencies and individuals throughout the State for their review and comment. Opportunity for presentation of written or oral comments on the Plan Avas afforded by a series of public hearings which all agencies and individuals were invited to attend. These hearings, conducted jointly by the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Board, were held as shown in the following tabulation : San Francisco August 31, 1956 Eureka September 6, 1956 Redding September 7, 1956 Quincy September 8, 1956 Los Angeles September 13, 1956 Santa Barbara September 14, 1956 Fresno September 24, 1956 Bakersfield September 25, 1956 Sacramento October 4, 1956 In addition to providing information to the public, thus facilitating a better understanding of the water problems of California and of plans for their solu- tion, the public hearings were highly beneficial to the Department of Water Resources in the preparation of Bulletin No. 3 for final publication. Nearly 1,500 persons attended the hearings, and some 200 written or oral statements representing a wide diversification of areas and interests throughout the State were pre- sented. These statements, which covered a variety of subjects, have been given careful review and analysis, and the recommendations have been incorporated into The California Water Plan wherever pertinent. ORGANIZATION OF BULLETIN Results of the third and final phase of the State- wide Water Resources Investigation, comprising the planning necessary for the solution of California's water problems, are presented in this bulletin in the live ensuing chapters. Chapter II, "Water Problems of California," evaluates the primary water problem INTRODUCTION of California through a comparison of the water re- sources and water requirements as determined during the first two phases of the State-wide Water Re- sources Investigation, and corollary problems. Chap- ter III, "Water Development Planning," presents a brief historical account of water resource planning and development in California up to the present time, discusses the urgent need for comprehensive coordi- nated planning and development on a state-wide basis, and outlines the considerations necessary to the formulation of plans to accomplish the solution of California's water problems. Chapter IV, "The Cali- fornia Water Plan," describes the physical features and accomplishments of works, both local and state- wide, which would meet the basic objectives heretofore described. Chapter V, "Implementation of The Cali- fornia Water Plan, ' ' discusses various considerations, such as legal, economic, financial, and engineering, and others which are vital to the physical implementa- tion of The California Water Plan. Chapter VI, "Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations," summarizes the bulletin, and presents the conclusions resulting from the State-wide Water Resources In- vestigation and the recommendations based upon the conclusions. Appendix A to this bulletin presents a more de- tailed engineering report on The California Water Plan. It describes both local and interbasin transfer projects on an individual basis, with accompanying tabulations of physical features and capital costs. It also discusses, in some detail, the accomplishments of The California Water Plan and the considerations upon which the operation of the plan will be con- tingent. There will be published separately, and at later dates, additional appendixes which will elaborate on certain specific phases of The California Water Plan, and on considerations and premises on which the Plan was based. The basic assumptions, criteria, and procedures employed in formulating the Plan are presented in Appendix B. General geology of the State, geologic conditions affecting the location and design of engineering works, and ground water geology are described in Appendix C. Appendix D outlines the utilization of ground water storage capacity under The California Water Plan, particu- larly with regard to conjunctive operation of surface and underground reservoirs. Factors involved in maintenance of water quality are treated in Appen- dix E. The effects of The California Water Plan on fish and wildlife are presented in Appendix F, as are the potentialities for enhancement of recreational facil- ities. Flood problems and existing project works are described in Appendix G, and flood control accom- plishments of The California Water Plan are dis- cussed. Economic and financial aspects of The Cali- fornia Water Plan are discussed in Appendix H. Water rights and attendant legal considerations and their implications with respect to The California Wa- ter Plan are presented in Appendix I. In the State-wide Water Resources Investigation, due cognizance has been taken of all possibilities for augmenting the State 's water supplies. The potential- ities of sea-water conversion, waste-water reclama- tion, artificial increase of precipitation, and watershed management are discussed and evaluated in Appen- dix J. Future power sources and energy requirements as related to The California Water Plan are con- sidered in Appendix K, which discusses the develop- ment of power requirements and future load char- acteristics, and the adaptability of atomic energy and its influence upon the development of hydroelectric energy. .* arf * >*< ^.. v "The primary water problem of maldistribution of California's water resources . . ." Klamath River San Joaquin Valley CHAPTER II WATER PROBLEMS OF CALIFORNIA The past and future growth of California has been and will continue to be dependent upon the develop- ment of its water resources. The primary reasons for this are threefold : first, California is endowed by nature with millions of acres of fertile lands of high crop productivity; secondly, due to the semi-arid climatic characteristics, most agricultural lands in j the State must be irrigated; and thirdly, California j has a great potential for urban and industrial de- velopment, resultant in part from the substantial | agricultural potential. However, the growth of the State, in itself made possible and stimulated by the development of water, has continually created water problems which have become progressively more and more difficult of solution as local sources of surplus water have been developed. Why. we might ask, should California have water problems when nature has provided an abundance of water within the State? The answer to this question is simple and clear: the bulk of the waters of the State do not occur where they are needed and are not naturally available when they are needed. However, this answer — true as it is — grossly oversimplifies the far-reaching and serious basic water problem pres- ently facing us. and becoming magnified and intensi- fied year by year. The primary water problem of maldistribution of ( 'alif ornia 's water resources and requirements is evaluated in this chapter for each of the major hydro- graphic areas of the State. This is followed by a dis- cussion of other corollary problems, namely surface water deficiency, ground water overdraft, floods, and impairment of water quality. WATER RESOURCES As previously mentioned, the first phase of the State-wide Water Resources Investigation was de- voted to evaluation of the water resources of the State and determination of their characteristics, specific nature, occurrence, quantities, and distribu- tion. These data, which have been published in State Water Resources Board Bulletin No. 1, form the basis for the generalizations presented herein. Precipitation From a practical standpoint, all Avater resources stem from precipitation. Its regimen and other char- acteristics profoundly affect the occurrence of water supplies. California receives most of its precipitation from north Pacific storms. Most of the precipitation occurs in the form of rain at lower elevations and snow in the higher mountain regions. Precipitation varies widely geographically throughout California, due principally to the topography and the Pacific storm pattern. This variation is illustrated by Plate 2, entitled "Geographical Distribution of Precipita- tion and Runoff." At sea level along the coast, pre- cipitation varies from a seasonal depth of about 50 inches in the north to 10 inches in the south. In the Coast Range and Sierra Nevada, precipitation gen- erally increases with elevation, reaching an aver- age of 110 inches per season in the northwest corner of the State. By way of contrast, the deserts of the southeast, with elevations extending below sea level, average as little as 2 inches of precipitation per sea- son. On the floor of the Central Valley, seasonal pre- cipitation ranges from about 38 inches at Redding to about 6 inches at Bakersfield. In addition to the wide range of geographical dis- tribution, precipitation in California varies consider- ably with time, both within the season and from year to year. In general, more than 80 per cent of the total seasonal precipitation occurs during the five months of November through March. To add further to the problem, precipitation frequently departs widely from the mean from year to year, and it is quite common to experience a several-year period of greater than mean precipitation, followed by a period of somewhat similar or even greater length during which the pre- cipitation is considerably less than mean. These two types of periods are commonly referred to as "wet periods" and "drought periods," and their generally alternating occurrence in the past has given rise to the term ' ' cycles. ' ' These so-called cycles have varied both in length and intensity. One of the most severe drought periods of record occurred throughout most of the State from 1928 through 1934, with an average precipitation of less than 60 per cent of the mean. The seasons of 1923-24 and 1930-31 were generally the driest in California for the period of record. Runoff Runoff is defined as that portion of precipitation which drains from the land through surface channels. The amount of runoff constitutes that portion of the water resources that is available for control, regula- tion, and distribution to meet requirements for water. Most of the runoff in California originates on moun- tain and foothill lands, and debouches from these wa- (11) 12 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN tersheds onto adjoining valley floors. For this reason, estimates of runoff presented herein generally repre- sent that part of precipitation that flows from moun- tain and foothill areas. The Sacramento River, which, along with the San Joaquin River, drains the Central Valley, is the larg- est stream in the State. The main stream originates in the Cascade Range at the northern end of the State and flows almost due south through the Sacra- mento Valley. It is joined at the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by the San Joaquin River, which drains the northern portion of the San Joaquin Valley, and both streams flow westward in a network of channels emptying into San Francisco Bay. The Klamath-Trinity River system, second only to the Sacramento River, drains a large part of the northern mountain watershed, including lands across the state boundary in Oregon. Other major streams, including the Mad, Eel, and Russian Rivers in the north; Salinas, Santa Maria, and Santa Ynez Rivers in the central part of the State ; and Santa Clara, Los Angeles, San Gabriel, Santa Ana, San Dieguito, and San Diego Rivers in the southern sector, convey run- off from the seaward slopes of the Coast Range to the ocean. The remainder of the State, with the exception of a narrow strip adjoining the Colorado River, has no outlet to the ocean. The eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada give rise to a number of rivers flowing east- ward into Nevada, including the Truckee, Carson, and "Walker. The Owens River, also rising along the east slopes of the Sierra, flows southerly along the foothills and terminates in Owens Lake. In the southern part of the State several streams originate on the landward side of the coastal mountains and extend easterly to natural sumps in the desert. Among these are the Mojave River, whose course traverses the Mojave Desert to Soda Lake, although its flow rarely reaches its terminus, and the Whitewater River, which ex- tends to but seldom discharges into the Salton Sea. Because runoff in California is derived from pre- cipitation, it generally reflects similar monthly and seasonal variations, particularly in those portions of the State where precipitation occurs as rainfall. More- over, the steep slopes, shallow soil mantle, and rela- tively sparse vegetative cover in many of the water- sheds have little retarding effect on the precipitation as it collects and concentrates in stream channels on its inexorable journey to the ocean. Thus, with the ex- ception of snow-fed streams, runoff in California is generally sporadic in nature, with short, intense floods followed by long periods of little or no flow. A substantial portion of California's precipitation occurs in the form of snow in the Sierra Nevada and parts of the Cascade and Siskiyou Ranges, which con- tributes a modifying effect, era runoff. This water accu- mulates during the winter in extensive snow fields at high elevations and is released, as runoff, months later during the late spring and early summer snowmelt period. This flow is far more uniform than runoff resulting directly from rainfall, and its value is< greatly enhanced by its more or less predictable na- ture and the fact that it is sustained well into the! growing season when precipitation is negligible. Out-j standing examples of the retarding effect of snowpack storage on runoff are found in the flows of the San Joaquin River at Friant and the Kings River at Piedra, where 75 per cent of the runoff occurs during the April-July snowmelt period, during which time average precipitation approximates 15 per cent of the seasonal total. It is estimated that seasonal natural runoff for the State (not including California's rights in and to the waters of the Colorado River) averaged some 71,000,- 000 acre-feet per season during the 53-year period 1894-95 through 1946-47. Runoff in individual years has varied from a high of 135,000,000 acre-feet in 1937-38 to a minimum o f 18,300,000 acre-feet in 1923-24. The average seasonal runoff during the crit- ical 10 years from 1927-28 through 1936-37 averaged only 69 per cent of the mean for the 53-year period, and in no season did runoff reach the long-time mean. As previously stated, the bulk of the total seasonal natural runoff in California occurs in the northern portion of the State, with more than 40 per cent from the North Coastal Area and about 32 per cent stem- ming from the Sacramento Valley. In contrast, only 2 per cent of the total runoff occurs in the South Coastal and Colorado Desert Areas. Estimated mean seasonal natural runoff for the several major hydro- graphic areas of the State is listed in Table 1 and is graphically illustrated on Plate 2. The major hydro- TABLE 1 ESTIMATED MEAN SEASONAL FULL NATURAL RUNOFF OF HYDROGRAPHIC AREAS Area Hydro-graphic area Runoff » number on Plate 3 In acre-feet In per cent of total 28,890,000 1,245,000 2,448,000 1,227,000 1,212,000 22,390,000 11,240.000 3,177,000 221,000 4,150,000 2__ 4_. 5A 5B, C 6 San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin Lahontan. 14.7 7. TOTALS... 70,212,000 100.0 Values uivi'ii represent runoff from mountain anil foothill areas generally at the base of the foothills. Comparatively little control Is possible below that point. ' Ih-ulalcd Nous represent in« California's rights in and to the waters of the Colorado River, WATER PROBLEMS OF CALIFORNIA 13 raphic areas are delineated on Plate 3, entitled 'Major Hydrographic Areas and Planning' Groups." Ground Water The extensive ground water basins of California provide natural regulation for runoff from tributary ilrainage areas and for precipitation directly on over- ying lands. Some 250 ground water basins having /alley floor areas of about 5 square miles or larger lave been identified in California. A large part of the { surface runoff from tributary mountain and foothill -j Ivatersheds that would otherwise waste to the ocean is retained in these basins and conserved for later utili- I Ration. In effect, these ground water reservoirs pro- : K-ide a means for natural regulation of stream flow in much the same manner as is accomplished by surface reservoirs. • Sufficient data on the ground water basins of Cali- fornia are available to permit an estimate of grofs | storage capacity within certain depth limits for 211 Jjv'alley floor areas. The areas for which such storage capacities were estimated comprise 96 per cent of the total valley floor area of all basins of the State. The depth limits vary from basin to basin, but the average I weighted interval is approximately 185 feet, or gen- • erally between the depths of about 15 and 200 feet. The gross storage capacity within this depth interval is about 450,000,000 acre-feet. The Central Valley alone contains over 130,000,000 acre-feet of this total in approximately the same depth interval. Only a portion of the gross storage capacity is usable storage, largely because of the presence of saline water or other waters of deleterious mineral ■■ quality. These waters either limit the depth to which ground water levels may be lowered or, in many areas, preclude the use of ground water. Enough informa- I !tion is presently at hand to estimate the usable stor- age capacity for only 80 ground water basins, com- prising 43 per cent of the total valley floor area of the State. In the Central Valley, usable capacity in the depth interval from 15 to 200 feet aggregates about 100,000,000 acre-feet. 1 More than half the water presently consumptively used in California comes from underground sources. Many of these ground water basins have been in- tensively developed. In the San Joaquin Valley and parts of southern California particularly, the ready (availability of ground water has been primarily re- ' sponsible for supporting rapid expansion of agricul- [jture and industry far beyond the firm capabilities of water resource developments. This has been accom- plished by utilizing the vast reserves of water stored in these underground reservoirs, in many cases at rates greatly exceeding their replenishment. Presently available data concerning ground water are far less comprehensive than for surface water resources. Much more study will be necessary to evaluate rea- sonably accurately the capability of ground water resources of the State. WATER REQUIREMENTS Under the State-wide AVater Resources Investiga- tion all lands in the State have been classified as to their suitability for development under probable ulti- mate conditions. Determinations have also been made of the location, nature, and extent of present water service areas, and appropriate factors for the various types of water use have been evaluated. Estimates of present and probable ultimate water requirements de- veloped from these data, and published in State Water Resources Board Bulletin No. 2, have been generally accepted as a measure of water requirements for the formulation of The California Water Plan. However, modifications have been made where the need for such has been indicated by further study. These estimates, modified where necessary, are sum- marized in this section. In 1950, the year adopted as "present" in Bulletin No. 2, a gross area of about 7,300,000 acres was under irrigation in California. The actual area irrigated, or net area, was about 6,900,000 acres. A gross area of about 20,000,000 acres is classified as suitable for irrigated agriculture, of which an estimated 16,200,- 000 acres could be irrigated in any one season under ultimate conditions of development. In 1950, approxi- mately 1,100,000 acres were devoted to urban, sub- urban, and industrial types of land use. It is esti- mated that urban, suburban, and industrial water service areas will ultimately occupy about 3,600,000 acres. For the most part, the remaining lands of Califor- nia include only scattered water service areas, largely in mountainous and desert regions and in national forests and monuments, public beaches and parks, private recreational areas, wildfowl refuges, and mili- tary reservations. It is expected that even under ulti- mate development the majority of these lands will be only sparsely settled and will have only very minor requirements for water service. About 180,000 acres of such remaining lands actually receive water service at the present time. It is assumed that all of the ap- proximately 77,300,000 acres of such lands ultimately will be served with water in the minor amounts suf- ficient for their needs. Table 2 summarizes data relative to present and ultimate water service areas in the seven major hydro- graphic areas of California, classified by broad laud usage groupings. The potential water .service areas under The California Water Plan, consisting of all lands included in the irrigated and urban-suburban- industrial categories, are delineated on Plate 4. en- titled "Present and Ultimate Areas of Intensive Water Service." 14 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN TABLE 2 PRESENT AND PROBABLE ULTIMATE WATER SERVICE AREAS Area number Hydrotrraphic area Areas of intensive water service Urban, surburban, and industrial Miscellaneous water service areas 5A... 5B, C. North Coastal San Francisco Bay Central Coastal South Coastal Sacramento River Basin San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin Lahontan Colorado Desert 223,000 163,000 362,000 652,000 ,130,000 ;, 993,000 236,000 587,000 (123,01111 66,000 244,000 156,000 603,000 955,000 107,000 822,000 19,000 225,000 52,000 547,000 101,000 90,000 10,000 14,000 53,000 ,408,000 169,000 ,611,000 127,000 165,000 54,000 33,000 19,000 50,000 12,000 1,000 28,000 57,000 5,000 10,000 11,425,000 1,222,000 5,808,000 4,228,000 13,380,000 12,820,000 17,812,000 10,561,000 12,501,01 2 7,221, 6,995, 17,110,i 20,940,000 >; 20,973,000 12,416,000 TOTALS. 7.346,000 19.976,000 1.058,000 3.620,000 ISJOOO 77,256.000 100,852.000 l Present seivicc areas determined as of 1950. TABLE 3 ESTIMATED PRESENT AND PROBABLE ULTIMATE MEAN SEASONAL WATER REQUIREMENTS (In acre-feet) Area number Hydrographic area Irrigation Urban, suburban, and industrial Miscellaneous Totals Plate 3 Present* Ultimate Present* Ultimate Present* Ultimate Present* Ultimate j 483,000 294,000 572,000 1,020,000 3,645,000 9,057,000 712,000 3,261,000 1,880,000 98,000 2,010,000 1,901,000 6,912,000 15,605,000 0,508,000 6,192,000 21,000 386,000 52,000 885,000 104,000 173,000 12,000 23,000 85,000 3,408,000 217,000 3,635,000 303,000 438,000 108,000 107,000 9,000 30,000 6,000 2,000 70,000 143,000 17,000 56,000 99,000 6,000 19,000 16,000 212,000 262,000 876,000 120,000 111,000 513,000 710,000 630,000 1.907,000 3.819.000 9,373,000 741,000 3,340,000 2,064,000 2 3,512,000 3 2,246,000 5A. . Sacramento River Basin San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin (Including Sacramento-San 5B, C 16,305,000 Operation of Salinity Control 876,000 6 6,736,000 7 6,410,000 TOTALS 19,044,000 41,106,000 1,656,000 8,301,000 333,000 1,721,000 21.033,000 51,128,000 * Present requirements determined as of 1950. By far the largest use of water in California is for agriculture, a condition that will prevail even under conditions of complete development. The present con- sumption of water for irrigation is estimated to be about 90 per cent of the total for all beneficial pur- poses, and will amount to about 80 per cent ulti- mately. Tli " actual requirement for water for irri- gated agriculture, at present about 19,000,000 acre- feet per season, would more than double under con- ditions of complete development, to about 41,000,000 aere-feet per season. The total requirement for water in California for all consumptive purposes in 1950 was about 21,000,000 acre-feet per season. It is fore- east that this will eventually increase to some 51,000,- 000 acre-feet per season. Estimates of present and ultimate mean seasonal water requirements, under the broad land use group- ings and by the major hydrographic areas, are pre- sented in Table 3. CALIFORNIA'S WATER PROBLEMS From the discussion and data presented in the pre- ceding sections of this chapter, it is apparent that California 's water problems result primarily from the maldistribution of its water resources and water re- quirements, both geographically and with respect to time. The major sources of water are in the northern part of the State where stream flow wastes into the ocean virtually unused. The productive land and major urban areas are located in the central and southern regions, where water supplies are insufficient. Interposed between the major sources of water and the principal areas of deficiency are great distances and formidable ranges of mountains. Well over 70 per cent of the total stream flow in the State occurs north of an east-west line drawn through Sacramento. In contrast, an estimated 77 per cent of the present and 80 per cent of the forecast ultimate water require- WATER PROBLEMS OF CALIFORNIA L5 nients are found south of the same line. This geo- graphic disparity is clearly indicated in Table 4, which shows a comparison of the water supply with the present and ultimate water requirement for each major hydrographic area of the State, expressed as percentages of the respective totals for the State. In addition to the unequal areal distribution of California's water resources and requirements, its water problems are further intensified by the sporadic nature of the occurrence of runoff, both within the season and from year to year. The greater part of the runoff occurs during the winter and spring months when the demand for water is the least. Fortunately, a considerable portion of the runoff of most major inland mountain streams is detained in snowfields of the Sierra Nevada until the late spring and early summer snowmelt period. However, this natural regu- lation is not by any means sufficient to provide for the large demands in the summer and fall. Although seasonal fluctuation of runoff is a serious problem, because its regulation requires a consider- able amount of storage, it is the fluctuation of stream flow from year to year that presents the most difficult problem of regulation. California is subject to ex- tended wet and dry periods. As previously stated, the State suffered a severe drought in the late 1920 's and early 1930 's, one of many in the past, during which the runoff of streams throughout the State for a 10- year period averaged only 69 per cent of the long- time mean. These periodic droughts have superim- posed on the need for storage for normal seasonal regulation the need for provision of extremely large amounts of reservoir storage capacity for necessary cyclic regulation of water supply. A severe drought, superimposed upon present deficiencies in water sup- ply development, could create widespread havoc and even economic disaster throughout California. Fur- thermore, there is no reason to believe that drought conditions in the future may not be more intense and of longer duration than those of the short recorded past. All other water problems of California basically result from the primary problem of geographical mal- distribution and seasonal and cyclic fluctuation of the water resources of the State, and are briefly discussed herein as problems of water deficiency, both surface and underground, floods, and impairment of water quality. Problem of Water Deficiency Because of the characteristic semiarid climate, nearly all areas of the State experience a natural sur- face water deficiency during the summer and fall months when rainfall is negligible and runoff is mea- ger. This seasonal deficiency is often greatly intensified and prolonged by the extremely variable occurrence of California's water resources from year to year, whereby rainfall and resultant runoff is subnormal for varying periods of years. To add to the natural problems of seasonal and cyclic deficiency, the water resources are not geographically distributed in con- formity with the requirements. This has necessitated a high degree of development of available resources in the central and southern parts of the State. Works have been constructed by numerous entities for regulation of stream flow and conveyance to areas of use, and the water thus delivered has allowed ex- tensive agricultural activity on fertile lands which formerly supported only hay, grain, and native grasses. Many fertile areas of potential productivity, however, are not close enough to surface supplies to allow their development within the limited means of some local agencies. Further, during periods when runoff is deficient over a series of years, those agencies and individuals depending on facilities adequate only for seasonal regulation are faced with the necessity of cutback in their economy. Occasionally, agricultural develop- TABLE 4 DISTRIBUTION OF WATER RESOURCES AND REQUIREMENTS Area number on Hydrographic area Natural stream flow, in per cent of total for State Requirement for water, in per cent of total for State Requirement for additionally developed water, in acre-feet Plate 3 Present* Ultimate Present* Ultimate 40.8 1.7 3.5 1.7 31.6 15.9 0.0 4.5 0.3 2.4 3.4 3.0 9.1 18.1 44.5 0.0 3.6 15.9 4.0 6.9 4.4 10.9 14.5 31.9 1.7 13.2 12.5 13,000 42.000 65,000 370,000 124,000 1,661,000 279,000 '.- **3,027.000 3,732,000 5A 5B. C San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin (including Sacra- 9,427,000 6 7 Lahontan 6,148,000 TOTALS 100.0 100.0 100.0 2.554.000 Present requirements determined as of 1950. Assumes imports to full extent of claimed water rights. 16 THE CALIFORNIA ments — and urban developments as well — have over- extended their economy during wet periods with extremely critical results during following periods of drought, Surface diversions and interbasin transfers have done much in the past to develop the economy of the State and are the great potential of the future. How- ever, it may be categorically stated that the degree of economic development which is enjoyed today would not have been possible without the utilization of ground water. The availability of what appeared to be an unlimited supply of ground water has been a great boon to this development. It has been necessary only to put down a well and utilize water from a vast underground reservoir at relatively small cost ; expen- sive conservation and transmission systems have been unnecessary and distribution facilities minimized. Ex- tensive areas overlying natural ground water basins have been developed to a high level of productivity. By utilization of a ground water source, many munici- palities in the central and southern parts of the State have also experienced expansion which otherwise would have been impossible. However, the high level of economic development in many areas of the State has been achieved at the expense of overdraft conditions on the underlying ground water basins, wherein the extraction has ex- ceeded the replenishment. In many of these areas the overdraft is continuing — in fact increasing — generally with no active measures being taken to correct the serious problem. How long these conditions of over- draft, or "mining" of ground water resources, can continue without drastic and far-reaching detrimental consequences is a matter of serious concern. If the underground sources of water are allowed to be completely depleted and no other sources of supply are developed in the interim, the economy of the State will not just stand at the current level, but must of necessity regress to one supportable largely by surface developments. Surface water sources are mea- ger in the central and southern areas of the State where the water requirements are the greatest. The calamity of economic depression attendant on the excessive depletion of ground water reservoirs would not be limited to those agricultural areas overlying the reservoirs. Just as the whole State now enjoys the benefits of an expanding economy, so would the whole State — north as well as south — feel the possible catas- trophic effects of the destruction of ground water basins by continued overdraft. Overdraft conditions presently exist in several of the major and in many of the minor ground water liasins in the State. The most serious overdraft in terms of magnitude is manifested in the San Joaquin- Tulare Lake Basin where the present (1955) draft exceeds the mean seasonal replenishment by some 2,500,000 acre-feet. Conditions are particularly acute WATER PLAN along the west and south sides of the basin. Overdraft : \ conditions are also serious in the Antelope Valley, presently approximating 175,000 acre-feet per season. 1 The overdraft on the coastal plain of Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties is esti- mated at 400,000 acre-feet per season. In addition to ] these areas of critical overdraft, substantial over- drafts are being experienced in portions of the Sacra- mento Valley, in the Santa Clara, Salinas, and Santa Maria Valleys in central California, and the Santa Clara River Valley in southern California. Twenty- four smaller ground water basins are also known to be overdrawn. The present (1955) deficiency in developed water supply, both surface and underground, aggregates some 4,000,000 acre-feet per season on a state-wide basis, largely representing an overdraft on ground water supplies. It is forecast that, if California is to attain her full economic potential, additional water supplies amounting to some 31,000,000 acre-feet per season must ultimately be developed to meet con- sumptive requirements plus irrecoverable losses. On certain streams additional water will have to be de- veloped for stream flow maintenance for fish, wildlife, and recreational purposes, and for maintenance of water quality. Problem of Floods It is ironical that the very forces which man now attempts to control to prevent flood damage have formed the flat fertile valleys which attracted him originally. Agricultural enterprise, with the resultant urban and industrial economy, has been developed almost entirely upon the fertile natural flood plains and basins and alluvial fans of active streams. The great Central Valley is itself an evolvement of many centuries of periodic flooding of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries. It also is the major example in California of the results of recent intensive improvements encroaching upon flood plains. During the flood of December, 1955, great havoc was wrought throughout this area, which in- cludes that particular area of disaster in and about Yuba City. Protective works were generally designed for the economy existent prior to World War II. When the levees of the Feather River were breached, 38 lives were lost and some 100,000 acres flooded, in- cluding Yuba City. It should be noted that this tragic loss of lives and destruction of property would have been prevented had Oroville Dam and Reservoir been in operation in conjunction with existing downstream flood control works. The combined effect of Hood runoff of Central Val- ley shrams and coincident extremely high tides dur- ing the l!)5. r > flood, produced critical conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Consisting as it does of a maze of reclaimed islands and separating chan- '. . . the State . . . has developed an economy which is largely contained on areas naturally subject to flooding." Break on Feather River Near Yuba City, December, 1955 18 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN nels, the Delta is particularly vulnerable to the com- bination of flood flows, high tides, and strong winds, as is a great part of the shore of San Francisco Bay. The below-sea-level elevation of most of the islands in the Delta, and the poor bearing properties of the organic soils which limit the height to which levees can be built, constitute a flood problem. This resulted during the 1955 flood in the inundation of two islands and partial flooding of three others. Flood conditions in the North Coastal Area are particularly acute on the isolated flood terraces along streams such as the Klamath, Trinity, Mad, Eel, and Van Duzen Rivers. During floods these streams dis- charge tremendous quantities of water with extremely destructive force. Floods have, in fact, removed whole villages and left little evidence to indicate their former existence. The isolated nature and partial de- velopment on these flood terraces restrict the amount of protection which could be economically afforded at the present time ; but the nature of existing conditions does point up the flood damage potential as develop- ment proceeds in this and other comparable areas and the necessity for giving consideration to flood control needs in future water projects. The critical position of extensive urban encroach- ment on alluvial fans, with respect to the inherent flood conditions on these fans, is particularly notable in the area along the east shore of San Francisco Bay and in the South Coastal Area, the major examples of this development in California. Constantly shifting channels, high flood velocities, and heavy debris loads are always a threat on active alluvial fans. The result- ant danger to human life and concentrated economic developments was early realized, particularly in the South Coastal Area. Basin-wide flood control projects constructed in that area are indicative of the degree of planning which is necessary and which will become necessary in many other natural flood areas as they develop in the future. Although flood conditions still exist in the South Coastal Area, because many proj- ects are not yet completed, the potential damage has been greatly reduced. Likewise, the Sacramento River Flood Control Project, first authorized in 1917, has provided a substantia] degree of protection to valley lands, although additional upstream storage is re- quired for full protection. An important consideration in the matter of flood conditions is that of lack of watershed management. Early-day hydraulic mining contributed substantially to flood problems in the valley lands below areas i I mining operations. The debris load of flooding streams was increased many fold over what would have been naturally transported. The debris load is a prime factor in the cause of flooding, because al slower stream velocities on the valley floor the debris Settles out and effectively reduces the stream channel rapacity. Today hydraulic mining has virtually ceased in the mountains of California, but there are still causes existent which unnaturally increase the debris load of streams and, also, unnaturally increase the runoff of streams during periods of high flow. Overgrazing by stock, forest fires, and often excessive cutting of tim- ber very seriously reduce the vegetative cover of moun- tainous watersheds, thereby lessening or destroying completely the natural retentive and retarding qual- ities of the watershed with regard to the precipitation which falls thereon. In summary, the present population of the State — some 14,000,000 people — has developed an economy which is largely contained on areas naturally subject to flooding. While noteworthy progress in flood con- trol has been achieved, particularly by the flood con- trol projects constructed and under construction by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, the growth of the State has been so rapid that these efforts still fall far short of providing an adequate degree of protection, even for the present population, in most areas of the State. Future increases in population of the State to an estimated ultimate total of some 40,000,000 will magnify and intensify present flood problems, as the increased development will continue to concentrate generally in the same areas naturally subject to flood- ing. Additional flood protection must be provided as rapidly as possible. Problem of Water Quality Deleterious effects on the quality of water are gen- erally manifested as a consequence of surface and ground water deficiencies, lack of drainage, and im- proper disposal of wastes. Problems of water quality are common to nearly all other water problems. In 1949 the State Legislature considered mainte- nance of the quality of the State's water resources of sufficient importance to warrant the formation of a State Water Pollution Control Board and nine re- gional water pollution control boards to protect the beneficial uses of the State's waters from adverse and unreasonable detriment due to disposal of sewage and industrial wastes. Responsibility for protection of the public health from hazard due to improper disposal of sewage and industrial wastes was continued in the State and local health departments. By a concurrent action, the Legislature added Sections 229 and 231 to the Water Code, which direct the Department of Water Resources to: "229. . . . , either independently or in coop- eration with any person or any county, state, fed- eral or other agency, to the extent that funds are allocated therefor, shall investigate conditions of the quality of all waters within the State, including saline waters, coastal and inland, as related to all sources of pollution of whatever nature and shall report thereon to the Legislature and to the appro- WATER PROBLEMS OF CALIFORNIA 19 priate regional water pollution control board annu- ally, and may recommend any steps which might be taken to improve or protect the quality of such waters. "231. . . . , either independently or in coop- eration with any person or any county, state, fed- eral or other agency, shall investigate and survey conditions of damage to quality of underground waters, which conditions are or may be caused by improperly constructed, abandoned or defective wells through the interconnection of strata or the introduction of surface waters into underground waters. The department shall report to the appro- priate regional water pollution control board its recommendations for minimum standards of well construction in any particular locality in which it deems regulation necessary to protection of quality of underground water, and shall report to the Leg- islature from time to time, its recommendations for proper sealing of abandoned wells." By these actions, it was recognized that the problem of water quality is essentially an unnatural one, caused largely by mismanagement of water resources as well as by inadequate treatment before disposal of utilized waters. In numerous coastal ground water basins normally containing fresh water, overdraft conditions have re- sulted in the intrusion of sea water into the aquifers, or the natural underground formations which store and transmit water. This has been caused by reversal of the natural seaward ground water gradient due to excess of pumped extractions over the natural ground water replenishment. As the aquifers of the coastal ground water basins are generally below sea level, saline water has moved in to replace a portion of the extracted water. In some cases — the Salinas Valley, southern Alameda County, and Orange County are notable examples — sea water has intruded into these erstwhile fresh water aquifers for distances of two or more miles. The restitution of areas which have been lost to sea-water degradation or any other type of degradation will be a long process — if possible at all, since the saline water must be physically removed, either by pumping or by maintenance of favorable gradients for an extended period. Meanwhile, overly- ing users have lost an economical source of water which can be replaced only by the costly process of deepening wells to a lower undegraded aquifer — when existent, or by importing surface supplies. There also exist potential sources of quality degra- dation from deep connate brines and adverse salt balance. Connate brines are ocean waters that were trapped in ground water basins which were inundated by the ocean in past geologic periods. Bodies of con- nate brines underlie large areas of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys at varying depths. In some areas the upper surfaces are relatively close to the land surface, as along the west side of the San Joa- quin Valley and in the Delta area, thereby reducing the potential yield of these basins by limiting the ex- tent to which the ground water resources can be developed without infiltration of these brines. In many areas of the Central Valley connate brines have already been encountered in pumping operations where localized overdraft conditions exist. In some of these areas, the overlying fresh waters have be- come too saline for use. The extent of adverse salt balance in ground water basins throughout the State is not known at the pres- ent time, due to the lack of long-term records of mineral analyses. Salt balance refers to that desirable condition wherein the amount of soluble salts entering a basin is balanced by the amount of salts leaving the basin — either by natural disposal, sewage outflow, or by pumping for export. All waters contain some salts in solution. Circula- tion of available water by continued use and re-use in a ground water basin, with a gradual decrease in supply due to evaporation and transpiration while the mineral content of the basin remains relatively constant, will result in an increase in the proportion of salts in solution with respect to the remaining water available. Continued lack of supplementary water supplies in present areas of overdraft points to the fact that eventually the concentrations of soluble salts will reach limiting values beyond which the water will be unfit for beneficial use. In the process of drilling and altering wells, im- proper methods are being employed in many in- stances, resulting in an inadequate seal between strata of usable and unusable waters, thus allowing inter- change ; and in lack of adequate surface seals, permit- ting inflow of inferior surface waters with consequent damage to ground water quality. Likewise, failure to seal abandoned wells, or improper sealing when at- tempted, has resulted in the degradation or pollution of ground water. These problems are rapidly be- coming more serious as older well casings deteriorate and are abandoned and the drilling of new wells con- tinues at an unprecedented rate. At the present time the Department of Water Resources is investigating well drilling conditions and methods in the State in order to formulate well drilling and abandonment standards to afford adequate protection to the quality of ground waters. A quality problem involving surface water is pres- ently manifested in the inherently high mineral con- tent of streams draining the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. The problem is particularly acute during periods of low flow when, in traversing ground water basins on the valley floor, the water percolating into these stream beds contributes to adverse salt bal- ance in those basins, particularly those suffering an overdraft condition. I'd THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Surface sea-water encroachment into the Delta region of the Central Valley has occurred in the past due to the seasonal and cyclic fluctuation in stream flow and the depletion by extensive upstream diver- sions. All irrigation supplies for fertile Delta islands, and for many of the lands along the Sacramento River, are diverted from the intervening streams and sloughs, and the threat to the agricultural economy of this area is serious. Alleviation of the salt-water intrusion problem was of prime consideration in the planning and construc- tion of the Central Valley Project. Stored winter surplus waters from reservoirs of the project have been used for repulsion of saline Avater by maintain- ing a certain minimum fresh-water outflow to Suisun Bay during periods of low natural flow in the summer and fall months. However, ultimate developments re- quiring greater beneficial use of all available waters will eventually require that repulsion of saline water by fresh-water outflow be substantially reduced. A plan for physical barriers, being considered in the ultimate development of the State's water supply, is discussed in Chapter IV. So far, this discussion has dealt largely with prob- lems of protection of mineral quality from deteriora- tion due to man's development of the water resources concerned, a matter to which too little attention has been given to date. Better known are the disastrous results caused by disposal of inadequately treated sewage and industrial wastes to streams and to ground water basins. Waste disposal problems may arise not only from liquid-borne wastes but also from disposal of garbage, refuse, and industrial wastes. Notable progress has been made by the State and Regional Water Pollution Control Boards and by the State and local health departments in preventing and abating pollution and contamination due to waste disposal. Every effort must continue to be made in the future to maintain the quality of the State's waters by ap- propriate planning for and control of the treatment and disposal of wastes, giving consideration to the effect of such waste disposal upon future planned uses as well as the present uses of the receiving waters. In planning for future urban and industrial development, careful consideration must be given to problems of waste disposal to prevent damage to the quality of the State's water resources. Man's development has characteristically exerted an adverse effect upon the native quality of waters. .Musi uses of water by man, For irrigation, for in- stance, as well as for the disposal of sewage and industrial wastes, add pollutants and degradants to the waters with resultant deterioration of the quality. Bencej ;is these uses increase, the necessity for ade- quate treatment and disposal of waste waters be- comes increasingly imperative if the quality is to be maintained at satisfactory levels for the higher uses. This is particularly true in areas of deficiency, where the quality of imported waters must be maintained at sufficiently high levels to permit necessary re-use. The removal and final disposal of harmful de- gradants or pollutants without danger or detriment, whether by means of separate lined conveyance con- duits or in natural channels, in may cases is possible only by providing for dilution of the waste waters with waters of higher quality. This may require the use of a portion of developed local supplies or the importation of water specifically for that purpose. The use of water resources for waste disposal is a necessary one and must be considered along with other water requirements for beneficial use. It will be neces- sary to find and apply the degree of dilution of waste waters needed in order to arrive at the proper and economic balance in the use of water as between waste removal and higher uses. One of the determinants in the use of water for waste removal is the necessity for maintaining a favorable salt balance. These are prob- lems requiring continuing study for proper solution. In summary, it may be stated unequivocally that unless the quality of the State's water resources is maintained at proper levels, full satisfaction of Cali- fornia's ultimate water requirements will not be possible. Problem of Production of Hydroelectric Energy The further extensive development of hydroelectric power as an inseparable part and partner in Cali- fornia's water resource development is a fully recog- nized requisite. The power potential of the north coastal streams, certain tributaries of the Sacramento River, and remaining undeveloped sites on east side tributaries in the San Joaquin Valley almost equals the total present steam and hydroelectric capacity now available in California. Full future satisfaction of water demands in all parts of California will re- quire mass movement of large volumes of water through long conveyance systems and over high mountain ranges. Considerably more energy will be needed for pumping than is presently developed in California. Moreover, it is estimated that by the year 2000, California's total energy demand Avill exceed by 10 to 12 times the present power capability; the pumping load will be only a small part of that total demand. Hydroelectric power now finds its greatest value as "peaking" energy, and efficiently and eco- nomically complements steam power generated from fossil fuels. Likewise, it will combine equally well with atomic power generation in the years ahead. It seems reasonably certain that the power market will absorb hydroelectric power output as rapidly as it can he made available. The problem then, is to make each hydroelectric power opportunity yield the maximum in terms of energy output and revenue, but in proper balance with the other demands on and for the water resources concerned. WATER PROBLEMS OF CALIFORNIA 2] Problems of Recreation, Fish, and Wildlife The need for more and better opportunities for wholesome outdoor recreation in California is rapidly expanding', due to the impact of a growing popula- tion, increased awareness by the people of the joys and benefits of such activity, and increased time and opportunity available to them for such pursuits. Ac- cessible water areas and flowing streams well stocked with fish constitute an important aspect of the public- desire for recreational opportunities. Satisfaction of that desire to the maximum feasible extent is a prob- lem inherent in the development of California's wa- ter resources. That development will provide several hundred new reservoirs with many thousands of i acres of water area, and will make possible releases of water in hundreds of miles of natural streams for improvement of fish and wildlife habitat. Enhance- I ment of fish and wildlife resources and development 1 of the recreational potential will provide important • economic assets to many areas in California, particu- I larly in the mountains and foothills. Provisions of facilities and opportunities for such use by the public therefore becomes an important objective in further water development. Problem of Drainage An ever-present problem in irrigated agriculture is the necessity of providing adequate drainage. Ex- tensive drainage systems may be necessary to main- tain soil productivity. Leaching and drainage have made possible the reclamation and use of large areas formerly considered valueless. Adequate drainage and proper disposal of saline drain waters may be an : important factor in maintenance of ground water quality. At the present time, the most serious unsolved drainage problem in California is in the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. It is considered probable that full solution will require a master drainage channel extending from Buena Vista Lake in Kern County to Suisun Bay. Drainage must be considered an integral and in- dispensable part of the development and utilization of water resources. Adequate provision must be made therefor in the total program. Problem of Full Use of Available Storage Capacity A highly important problem which must be con- tinually kept in mind in the further development of California's water resources involves the proper use of available storage capacity, both surface and under- ground. With respect to surface storage development, the most economical clam and reservoir sites have already been developed, leaving the less desirable projects available for future construction. Remaining combinations of good dam sites with surface reser- voir sites of adequate capacity are rare, particularly in the areas in which export waters must be devel- oped. With regard to groin id water, it has been demonstrated in many areas of the State that the ground water basins, once considered a source of virtually inexhaustible supply, must be carefully managed in order to ensure their continued usability. Because of the limited remaining surface storage capacity susceptible of development and the many purposes and uses to which the developed water must be put, it is highly important and urgently necessary that the available storage capacity be used wisely and for maximum benefit. This can be accomplished only by achieving the optimum development at each site selected for construction, which necessitates provi- sion for the full development of the water production capabilities of the watershed and, in many instances, operation of the reservoir to meet the needs of several purposes, such as irrigation, urban, and industrial uses ; flood control ; power generation ; recreation ; fish and wildlife ; and protection of water quality. Failure to develop a site to its full potential through construction of a single-purpose project where a multipurpose project is necessary and justi- fied initially in the public interest, or initial construc- tion such as to preclude later full development, would result in the extravagant waste of the site. Of paramount importance among the advantages inherent in multipurpose planning and development are economy and conservation of project sites. With respect to economy, it is generally cheaper to provide for several water uses in a single project than to build several single-purpose projects. Conservation of project sites is necessary because the scarcity of favor- able dam sites dictates the fullest practicable develop- ment of the potential of each site. In view of California's continuing growth in popu- lation and water demand, practices which result in the wasting of surface storage opportunities by in- adequate development, without regard to future re- quirements for other purposes, should no longer be permitted on any stream in the State. These criteria should apply wherever storage is contemplated by the State or any other agency. In those cases where initial construction to optimum size of reservoir is currently infeasible, then provisions for future rais- ing of the dam to full height should be incorporated in the original construction. Careful management of California's underground storage capacity will be required not only in areas where increased use of ground water resources is ex- pected, but also for preservation of the present level of use in those basins which are experiencing or are threatened with overdraft and deterioration of water quality. In other words, unless an effective manage- ment program is implemented in the near future, in- volving the maintenance of water quality and the limiting of pumping extractions within safe yield rates, the utility of the State's ground water basins cannot be perpetually maintained. water is the lifeblood of recreation and fish and wildlife. CHAPTER III WATER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING The discussion and data presented in Chapter II have firmly established the fact that the number one present and future water problem in California centers around the disparities in the occurrence of water supply and requirements — both in terms of time and place. In brief review, the disparity in time refers to the natural occurrence of runoff principally during the winter and spring months and in highly varying quantities from year to year, while the re- quirements for water imposed by man's develop- ments are characteristically the greatest during the summer months and are relatively uniform from year to year. The disparity in place refers to the varying distances between the sources of supply and the areas of need, with the bulk of the resources occurring in the north and the major requirements in the central and southern areas of the State. All planning and construction efforts by agencies and individuals have been and will continue to be dedicated mainly to the equalizing of the "time" and "place" factors. How- ever, with a few notable exceptions, these efforts have in the past been limited in scope and objectives to local areas. This chapter presents a brief historical account of water resource planning and development in Cali- fornia up to the present time, discusses the urgent need for comprehensive coordinated planning on a state-wide basis, and outlines the planning considera- tions utilized as bases for formulating The California Water Plan. HISTORY OF WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT The history of water resource development in Cali- fornia has largely been that of control and regulation of the supply at its source, to insure its availabil- ity when needed, and conveyance to the area where needed. Fortunately, the greater portion of the water resources of the State so far developed and utilized have been regulated in ground water storage by na- ture, thus reducing the need for construction of sur- face storage reservoirs. Furthermore, the extensive occurrence and ready availability of ground water resources in these areas have greatly reduced the past need for extensive conveyance facilities. However, many areas of the State have been and will continue to be dependent primarily upon the development of surface water supplies. As future water requirements increase throughout the State, development of surface water supplies and transfer to areas of need will be- come increasingly important. History of the use of water in California by white settlers began with the Spanish missions in the final third of the eighteenth century. Profiting by their ex- perience in arid Baja California, the padres estab- lished most of the Alta California missions at loca- tions where water for irrigation was available. Except for limited cultivation by Indians along the west bank of the Colorado River, it was in the mission gardens of fruits and vegetables, and perhaps in oc- casional fields of grain, that irrigation in California had its beginnings. Even today, more than a century and a half later, remnants of mission works to supply irrigation and domestic water may be seen, notably at San Diego Mission Dam on San Diego River, at Santa Barbara Mission Dam and Reservoir above Santa Barbara, and at Mission San Antonio de Padua near King City. Acreage irrigated at the Spanish missions was small, yet it provided an important object lesson for American and European settlers who began arriving in California in the 1830 's and 1840 's. During the first two decades of American occupation, from 1850 to 1870, settlers in the southern part of California built small ditches diverting from streams of the coastal plain, mainly in the Los Angeles, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana River Basins. In the northern and central parts of the State water was also diverted from streams or obtained from artesian flows, and to a limited extent was lifted from streams with steam- driven pumps. In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada development of irrigated agriculture was accelerated by the expansion in population that accompanied and followed the Gold Rush. Mining ditches were subse- quently utilized to convey irrigation supplies to areas of use after mining had ceased. The first irrigation supplies were diverted from nearby streams, without storage, and lands irrigated were limited to those that could be watered from available low summer flows. In southern California, however, the need for storage reservoirs was soon recognized and several important dams, including Bear Valley, Hemet, Sweetwater, and Cuyamaca, were constructed or begun in the 1880 's. In the re- mainder of the State all major storage reservoirs, pri- marily for irrigation and flood control, have been con- structed since 1900. A number of these, such as Melones, Don Pedro, and Exchequer, were financially assisted by the hydroelectric power developed from the water stored. (23) 24 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Early irrigation following' the Spanish and Mexican days was practiced mainly on an uncoordinated, indi- vidual basis. By 1856, however, a commercial company had constructed canals to irrigate wheat near Wood- land in Yolo County, and about that time groups of settlers were joining together to build ditches in the south. Construction of larger irrigation works by de- velopment companies and cooperatives was well under way by the 1870 's and 1880 's, in both the southern part of the State and the central and southern parts of the San Joaquin Valley. In 1887, the original Wright Irrigation District Act was passed by the Legislature, partly as a result of prior court decisions regarding water rights which were adverse to irrigation development. These de- cisions had established the doctrine of riparian rights, which largely limited the use of water to lands border- ing natural stream channels. By providing for the organization and government of irrigation districts, declaring use of water for irrigation of district lands a public use, and vesting in the districts the power of eminent domain to acquire necessary water, riparian or otherwise, the Wright Act and subsequent acts which have developed from it have made possible much of the present great agricultural development of California. Activities of many individuals, cooper- atives, and water utilities also have contributed to the dominant importance of irrigated agriculture to the economy of the State. The large metropolitan areas of the State, under pressure of ever-increasing requirements and dimin- ishing sources of undeveloped local water, have exer- cised initiative and leadership in solving their water supply problems. By their efforts, outstanding achieve- ments in developing remote sources of supply and crossing mountains and deserts with extensive con- veyance systems have been accomplished. Typical of such accomplishments is the history of the City of Los Angeles which, as far back as 1905, had outgrown its local water supplies and had initi- ated studies to locate additional sources of water. These studies culminated in construction of a 238-mile aqueduct to convey waters developed on the Owens River, on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, to terminal reservoirs in the San Fernando Valley. This project was completed in 1913, and in 1940 the system was extended northward to develop additional sup- plies from the Mono Basin watershed. The present average capacity of the Los Angeles Aqueduct is esti- mated at 320,000 acre-feel per season. The system op- erates entirely under gravity flow, except that during periods Of extreme drought- 1 he surface runoff has been augmented by pumping from wells in Owens Valley. Hydroelectric power generating installations are provided to utilize the substantial elevation differ- entials along the route of the aqueduct. Ten years after completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the City of Los Angeles and other commu nities in southern California foresaw the need for additional water supplies. Studies of the possibilities of importing water from the Colorado River were ini- tiated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, but were taken over in 1928 by The Metropoli- tan Water District of Southern California, then a newly formed organization of 11 southern California cities. The studies culminated in construction by the district of the Colorado River Aqueduct, which di- verts water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu behind Parker Dam. The water is lifted 1,617 feet over mountain barriers by a series of five pumping plants, and conveyed a distance of 242 miles to Lake Mathews, western terminus of the aqueduct proper. A distribution system from Lake Mathews serves lands in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. The San Diego Aqueduct, a twin-barrelled conduit, conveys water from the Colo- I rado River Aqueduct to San Diego County. The Colo- 1 rado River Aqueduct, in operation since 1941, is the ] longest and largest domestic water supply line in the I world. It is designed to deliver 1,212,000 acre-feet annually, the total right of the Metropolitan Water ! District, when completed to full capacity. It is now I estimated that this source will furnish ample water for perhaps 10 or 15 years, at which time another i and even longer step must inevitably be taken. Other outstanding examples of initiative and lead- ership in water supply development in California are manifested by the major reservoirs constructed by communities of the San Francisco Bay Area on the Mokelumne and Tuolumne Rivers on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, and the aqueducts which con- vey municipal and industrial water great distances to the Bay area, the South Bay area, and southern por- tions of Alameda County. The City and County of San Francisco foresaw many years in advance that its locally available water supply would be outgrown, and initiated planning studies as early as 1900 for develop- ing a major system for importing large quantities of water from a distant source. The Tuolumne River sys- tem was chosen as the source of San Francisco's future water supply, and by 1934, when needed, Hetch Iletchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor in the Tuolumne River watershed had been completed and water was delivered to the San Francisco Peninsula by the Hetch Iletchy Aqueduct, extending some 135 miles from the Tuolumne River to Crystal Springs Reservoir on the peninsula. The Hetch Iletchy Aqueduct features a 25-mile tun- nel through the Coast Range, the longest tunnel in the Avorld at the time of completion. The aqueduct will convey not less than 448,000 acre-feet per season to the service area, as now constituted, of the Hetch Iletchy system when that system is developed to its ultimate capacity. This will require additional storage and duplication of present conveyance facilities, in- cluding a parallel bore through the Coast Range. . the East Bay area Pardee Dam has developed the waters of the Mokelumne River . . . water pumped from the Delta for use in Contra Costa County.' Contra Costa Canal 26 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN The many communities in the East Bay area, through the formation of the East Bay Municipal Utility District, have developed the waters of the Mokelumne River by Pardee Reservoir, and have con- structed the Mokelumne Aqueduct to transport the de- veloped waters from Pardee Reservoir to terminal reservoirs in western Contra Costa and Alameda Coun- ties. The aqueduct presently delivers about 125,000 acre-feet per season, and has a conveyance capacity of some 162,000 acre-feet per season. The district con- templates an ultimate yearly delivery of 364,000 acre- feet through the Mokelumne Aqueduct. The district proposes to construct additional storage facilities on the Mokelumne River and additional aqueduct ca- pacity to make this delivery possible. All the aforementioned water supply projects have been conceived and consummated through local effort. However, especially during the past 20 years, federal agencies have entered the field of water resource de- velopment in California. The Corps of Engineers of the United States Army, through its responsibilities for flood control and navigation, as previously men- tioned in Chapter II, and the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior, in the interests of conservation and reclamation, have both constructed comprehensive projects. The most extensive of these is the Central Valley Project, now being completed in substantial accord with the State Water Plan, as pub- lished in Division of Water Resources Bidletin No. 25 and reported to the Legislature in 1931. The Central Valley Project, constructed and oper- ated by the Bureau of Reclamation, is a multipurpose development designed to supply water for irrigation, municipal, industrial, and other uses, improve navi- gation on the Sacramento River, provide adequate flows to maintain suitable water quality in the Sac- ramento-San Joaquin Delta, control floods in the Cen- tral Valley, and produce hydroelectric energy. In ac- complishing the first-named function, it conserves sur- plus flows of the Sacramento River for use in the Sac- ramento Valley and in the Delta and for conveyance to and use in the San Joaquin Valley. Shasta Dam, key structure of the project, stores headwaters of the Sacramento River. Its regulated releases, after pass- ing through hydroelectric power plants at Shasta mid Keswick Dams, flow down the stream channel to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A pumping plant located near Tracy lifts water from sea level in the Delta to an elevation of about 200 feet and discharges it into the Delta-Mendota Canal, which extends 117 miles along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley to Mendota Pool in the San .Joaquin River. The second major elemenl of the Central Valley Project consists of Prianl Dam on the San Joaquin River and the Madera and Friant-Kern Canals. Tins unit supplies lands on the easl side of the San Joaquin Valley in Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties. These diversions from the San Joaquin River are partly replaced by Sacramento River waters at Men- dota Pool to supply certain former users of San Joa- quin River flows under an exchange contract. These basic elements of the Central Valley Project are augmented by additional associated units. The transfer of Sacramento River water across the Delta to the Tracy Pumping Plant is accomplished by the Delta Cross Channel. The Contra Costa Canal con- veys water pumped from the Delta for use in Contra Costa County. A number of lesser conservation, con- veyance, and distribution works provide additional water service, and an extensive transmission network has been established to facilitate utilization of energy j from the several power features of the project. Folsom Dam on the American River, now com- pleted, will contribute to the over-all operations of the Central Valley Project. Consideration is now being given to the so-called Folsom South Canal to convey releases from Folsom Reservoir southward to supply lands in Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties. Lat- est addition to the Central Valley Project is the Trinity Project, incorporated in the original State Water Plan but later eliminated by action of the State Legislature. This unit, the only feature of the project extending beyond the Central Valley water- shed, is now under construction. It will develop flows of the upper Trinity River and convey them eastward across the drainage divide to the Sacramento River, utilizing the elevation differential for production of hydroelectric power. It should be noted that Folsom Reservoir and Trinity Diversion Project, although incorporated in the Central Valley Project, as author- ized by the Federal Government, and included in The California Water Plan, are not included in the Cen- tral Valley Project as defined in the State Water Code. Several other projects have been completed recently or are under construction in the State by the Federal Government. The Solano Project of the Bureau of Reclamation consists of Monticello Dam and Reservoir on Putah Creek, now completed, and the Putah South Canal extending southerly through Solano County, presently under construction. The Sly Park Project, recently constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation, develops water in the mountain watershed of the Cosumnes River and conveys it to the American River Basin for use on foothill lands. The Corps of Engineers has completed Pine Flat Reservoir on the Kings River and Isabella Reservoir on the Kern River for flood control and irrigation. The Corps is initiating construction of the Success Project mi the Tide River and is preparing plans for construc- tion of the Terminus Project on the Kaweah River, both also for flood control and water conservation. In the Central Coastal Area the Bureau of ReclaJ mation is constructing Vaquero Reservoir on the 'The Central Valley Project . . . conserves surplus flows of the Sacramento River for use in the Sacra- mento Valley . . . the Delta . . . and in the San Joaquin Valley." Shasta Dam Delta-Mendota Canal 28 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Cuyama River, a tributary of the Santa Maria River. This reservoir will provide water conservation for recharge of ground water and flood control. In coordi- nation with a levee project authorized for construction by the Corps of Engineers on the Santa Maria River, nearly complete flood protection will be provided in the Santa Maria Valley. Cachuma Reservoir, recently completed by the Bureau of Reclamation on the Santa Ynez River, provides supplemental water in Santa Barbara County. The Bureau of Reclamation also is constructing Casitas Reservoir on Coyote Creek, a tributary of the Ventura River, to increase supple- mental water supply in Ventura County. Several reservoir projects are presently under con- sideration by the Bureau of Reclamation, including Auburn Reservoir on the American River and San Luis Reservoir westerly of Los Banos in the San Joaquin Valley. The United States Department of Agriculture under the authority of the federal "Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act" as amended, is partici- pating to an increasing extent in water resource control and development in California. The federal legislation authorizes the Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the states and their political sub- divisions to investigate, to provide financial and other assistance, and to undertake works of improvement for : (1 ) flood prevention, including structural and laud treatment measures; and (2) the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water for all purposes and uses. The act provides that initial appli- cations for projects be submitted to the appropriate state agency or the governor, and if not disapproved within 45 days, the Secretary of Agriculture may approve and proceed with the investigation, negotia- tions for, and construction of the proposed works. Projects are limited to watershed areas not exceeding 250,000 acres, and reservoirs are limited to a capacity not exceeding 2,500 acre-feet, unless specific congres- sional approval of larger reservoirs is given. Despite the foregoing limitations on size of projects, this program if undertaken on a large scale may have far-reaching consequences in the development of Cali- fornia's water resources. It is therefore of primary importance that the closest coordination and coopera- tion be maintained as to these projects during plan- ning and later stages among the state agencies concerned with land and water resource development, the federal agencies, and the local agencies involved. The coordination should be initiated long before offi- cial submission of proposals to the State for approval or disapproval, in order that the availability and the best use of the water resources involved may be determined and agreed upon. Waters of the Colorado River are of vital importance to the developed economy of southern California. In addition to supplying The .Metropolitan Water Dis- trict of Southern California through the Colorado River Aqueduct, these waters are utilized to irrigate* lands in Palo Verde, Imperial, and Coachella Valleys. The All- American Canal, built by the Bureau oi Reclamation and now operated by the Imperial Irriga-j tion District, originates at Imperial Dam on the Colorado River near Yuma and extends westerly across Imperial Valley along the California side of the Mexican border. The canal has an intake capacity of about 10,000 second-feet. Near the boundary of the Imperial Irrigation District, the Coachella Canal branches northward from the All-American Canal to supply lands along the eastern shore of the Salton Sea and in lower Coachella Valley. It should be noted that the Ail-American system, in common with the Colorado River Aqueduct, is dependent upon Hoover Dam and its reservoir, Lake Mead, for regulation of the Colorado River. The foregoing water supply projects by no means represent the entire existing water development pic- ture for California. Projects of lesser magnitude, though not necessarily of secondary significance, transport supplies to areas of use in other drainage basins. Localized conservation developments, many of them incorporating flood control and hydroelectric power features, constitute a large factor in the State 's water supply program. Not to be overlooked in the history of water supply development in California are the ground water reser- voirs, which at present furnish more than one-half the water used on irrigated lands and for domestic, mu- nicipal, and industrial purposes. Extensive develop- ment of ground water is concentrated largely in the Central Valley and southern California, and consists primarily of a multitude of individually owned instal- lations operated on a completely uncoordinated basis. Improvement of pumping equipment, and extension of electric power service generally over most of the important ground water basins since the turn of the century, together with the rapid growth of water re- quirements, particularly in recent years, have so stim- ulated development that in many basins the ground waters have been severely overdrawn. Serious losses have already resulted and more will follow until cor- rective measures are taken. The Raymond Basin area in Los Angeles County provides an example of prop- erly managed ground water resources. This resulted from court action. Similar actions are in process for the West Coast Basin in Los Angeles County and the Tia Jtiana Basin in San Diego County. Perennial lowering of ground water levels has been substantially retarded in several ground water basins by artificial recharge with both native and imported waters. About 25 public districts and private entities of various types are presently conducting such pro- grams. Essentially, artificial recharge involves the use of stream channels, spreading basins, or aban- WATER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 29 doued gravel pits to supplement natural percolation. The recharge capability of these percolation works is commonly increased by detention of excess runoff in upstream reservoirs and the control of releases to rates within the percolation capacity of the works. Notable achievements in artificial recharge have been accomplished by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, the Orange County Flood Control District, United Water Conservation District in Ven- tura County, San Bernardino County Flood Control District, Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation Dis- trict, and Kern County Land Company, among others. COMPREHENSIVE COORDINATED PLANNING AT STATE-WIDE LEVEL A great deal of progress has been made so far in the development of California's water resources. No one can refute the fact that the initiative and re- sourcefulness of local agencies in planning and con- structing water development projects has been largely responsible for the present highly developed level of economy throughout the State. The assistance of the Federal Government has been most helpful. However, the growth of the State, made possible by the progres- sive development of water supplies, has constantly created new water problems, each of which has be- come successively more difficult of solution. All too often, limited planning for the future has resulted in construction of works sufficient only to meet the needs of the present, as growth throughout the State has continued at rates exceeding even the most optimistic forecasts. The great water development projects conceived and constructed in the past, notable as they are and vital to the State's development as they have been, represent comparatively localized planning when con- sidered from the state-wide standpoint. Even the Cen- tral Valley Project, a revolutionary plan when con- ceived and a phenomenal development as it is being constructed, is limited in its scope and benefits to a comparatively small part of the State as a whole, nota- bly portions of the Sacramento Valley, the Sacra- mento-San Joaquin Delta, and of the San Joaquin Valley. It is but a magnification of what some 100 irrigation and reclamation districts have done on their own initiative with local financing. Without such local projects constructed in the past, however, California for the most part would still be a semiarid wasteland. Because of the dictates of economics, which governs i water development as well as all other engineering projects, the cheapest and easiest-to-develop water projects have always been selected first for construc- tion. Naturally, local water supplies were developed first. Development of water from distant sources and conveyance through lengthy and costly aqueducts have been resorted to only after available local supplies have become insufficient. The same principle of eco- nomics has prevailed in the selection of alternative sources of imported water supplies. Thus, we are now faced with the inevitable consequences : future water development in California must involve "leftover" lo- cal projects and costly major import projects which are generally beyond the means of all but a very few local agencies. Today, there is increasingly severe competition be- tween areas and between uses for the remaining avail- able water resources. In some streams there is no remaining unappropriated water available for the further development of areas which should logically be served therefrom. As previously mentioned, sev- eral of the major ground water basins are seriously overdrawn. In view of this and of the previously discussed wide disparity between the occurrence of the State's water resources and needs, both as to time and place, it is apparent that the era of piecemeal water de- velopment planning and construction virtually has reached an end. Future development of the State's water resources must rely, to a constantly increasing- extent, on coordinated, comprehensive planning on a state-wide level if the needs of all areas and all uses are to be met in the most effective and economical manner. The need for such planning is continually becoming more evident as undeveloped local water resources diminish and development of supplemental supplies becomes more complex, while water require- ments increase in unprecedented proportions. The purpose of such coordinated, state-wide plan- ning must be to establish a framework into which all future water development projects, both local and state-wide, can be integrated, and which will serve as a guide to ensure optimum development and utiliza- tion of available water resources, with due considera- tion to the varying interests and uses involved. This is the objective of The California Water Plan. It will serve as the engineering basis for proper administra- tion in the public interest of the State's water re- sources by the various agencies involved. It will provide the means for badly-needed coordination in further planning and in the construction and opera- tion of water projects among the manifold entities, federal, state, local, and private, engaged in water control and development in California. A continuing, coordinated, state-wide, planning program, implemented progressively by the construc- tion of projects as necessary and justified, is the only means by which the logical, orderly, and economic development of California's water resources can be assured to the degree necessary to meet the ultimate requirements for all uses. The construction of proj- ects to accomplish the objectives of the planning pro- gram will undoubtedly require the combined efforts of the Federal Government, the State Government, 30 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN and local entities, but the State logically must take a leading role, since much of the development that will be needed is outside the scope of federal interest and beyond the capabilities of local entities. Further, the magnitude of the job to be done -will require the financial support of all agencies involved. PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CALIFORNIA'S WATER Solution of California's water problems will not be fully accomplished until the water resources are captured and controlled at their source, transported to areas of need, and reregulated to the demand schedules prevailing in the particular areas served in amounts sufficient to meet the ultimate require- ments for all beneficial uses. The indicated solution will involve the redistribution of water supplies for use in local areas, and the transfer on a state-wide basis of water from northern areas of abundance to central and southern areas of deficiency. Thus, the planning of projects necessary for achievement of the required degree of water resource development to meet the ultimate requirements involves three pri- mary considerations, each of which presents difficult but not insurmountable obstacles. As presented herein, these considerations concern the development of a solution of ultimate problems, but do not cover the many phases of interim uses and transfers of water that would inevitably occur during the step-by- step implementation of the ultimate plan. Capture and Control of Water The first consideration — capture and control of the water at its source — involves the planning of large surface storage reservoirs and substantial ground water storage to regulate the inherent seasonal and cyclic fluctuation of stream flow to a more or less uniform seasonal supply, for conveyance to areas of use both local and distant. Actually it is the varia- tion of runoff from year to year, rather than that within the season, that imposes the large storage re- quirements, as sufficient storage must be available to capture surplus water during wet periods to carry through subsequent extended drought periods. "Were it not for the variable or cyclic occurrence of the water resources, the storage requirement would be greatly reduced. The enormous storage requirement, as subsequently developed in this bulletin, probably could be met by surface storage alone on the north coast streams. However, full cyclic regulation of the flow of the Sacramento Valley streams would neces- sitate not only full development of all available sur face storage opportunities but also conjunctive opera- tion of the large underground reservoirs in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Some 30 per cent of the developed runoff of the Sacramento Val- ley would need to be regulated by underground storage. This in turn would require the provision of conveyance canals adequate in capacity to transport this secondary water, of irregular occurrence and variable flow characteristics, to the areas of recharge of the underground storage basins. Conveyance to Areas of Need The second consideration — the conveyance of water over long distances to areas of need — involves large conduits which must pass over or through either or both the Coast Range and Tehachapi Mountains, and which would extend practically from the northern to the southern borders of the State. Economic and geo- logic considerations dictate the design of such con- duits generally for continuous year-round conveyance of a uniform quantity of water, in order to minimize the size of tunnels, pumping plants, canals, siphons, and other conveyance facilities. In certain cases, how- ever, pumping plants and conduits would be designed for larger capacities to enable the use of lower cost off-peak power. Moreover, conveyance of the variable seasonal secondary water from the Sacramento Valley to the San Joaquin Valley would necessitate the de- sign of certain conduits to the maximum rather than the average seasonal flows. Even at their minimum possible size wherever possible, conveyance facilities required for interbasin transfer of water under ulti- mate conditions would be without precedent in magni- tude and scope. Reregulation in Areas of Use Finally, the third consideration — the reregulation of delivered water to the monthly demand schedule prevailing in the areas of use — involves the planning of terminal storage reservoirs to regulate the largely uniform deliveries to the varying monthly demands for the various uses in the areas served. Because the bulk of the water would be delivered to most areas on a uniform seasonal basis, the required terminal stor- age facilities would be relatively small. However, in areas such as the San Joaquin Valley, where a portion of the supplemental water would be delivered on a variable basis from year to year, final regulation would be accomplished by use of ground water storage to a very large extent. Development and Use of Water In addition to the foregoing considerations of de- velopment, conveyance, and reregulation of water, planning for the ultimate solution of California's water problems also requires the consideration of other physical problems brought about by the development and use of water. Those problems associated with the I development of water involve the operation of reser- voirs for the several beneficial, although somewhat in- compatible, purposes of providing municipal, irriga- tion, and industrial supplies; Hood control; fish and WATER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 31 wildlife ; recreation ; navigation ; and power genera- tion. Problems associated with the use of water in- volve the consideration of protection of water quality and provision for adequate drainage. Means of financ- ing, although involving problems vital to the effectua- tion of the vast system of works necessary to the solu- tion of California's water problems, are beyond the scope of planning considerations presented herein. Certain basic legal concepts are inherent in the planning considerations necessary to the solution of California's water problems. Minimum pQssible inter- ference with vested water rights is a major objective. However, some instances of conflict with vested rights are inevitable in a plan of such magnitude. In those instances of interference and to the extent vested rights might be adversely affected, the interference would have to be adjusted either by agreement, pur- chase, or condemnation. Exchanges of water, where necessary or desirable, would be accomplished by mu- tual agreement among the parties affected, including the State and Federal Government where pertinent. With respect to the protection of areas of origin of water and the areas of deficiency for which new water supplies must be made available, it is assumed that the legislation necessary to provide that protection would be enacted prior to its need. Similarly, with regard to ground water operations, it is assumed that necessary legislation would establish the policy and the authority which would enable the operation of ground water basins to the degree required under ultimate conditions, prior to the time such operation becomes necessary. Many other legal problems are certain to arise as the water resources are developed. For the purposes of this report it is assumed that they will be solved as the need arises. Development of Water. As previously stated, problems associated with the development of water involve the operation of reservoirs for the somewhat incompatible purposes of providing municipal, irriga- tion, and industrial supplies; flood control; fish and wildlife ; recreation ; navigation ; and power genera- tion. This statement refers to the problem of resolving the inherent conflict in the allocation of limited avail- able reservoir storage to each of those purposes. As an example, operation for flood control sometimes re- M in i is the tise of storage that might otherwise be used for conservation. Operation for power generation sim- ilarly may encroach upon conservation storage, be- cause of the required minimum storage for mainte- nance of power head. Moreover, the schedule of power releases is not in phase with the schedule of releases for irrigation purposes, although a large portion of the conservation releases also accomplishes the dual purpose of power generation. Operation of reservoirs for water supply, flood control, and power generation is not readily amenable to recreational use of the res- ervoir area because of the extreme and sometimes rapid fluctuations of water levels. Furthermore, reservoir releases for downstream fishery enhancement may ad- versely affect the conservation yield for other pur- poses. Conversely, any major storage structure would affect anadromous fish by blocking their passage to upstream spawning areas, necessitating the provision of adequate facilities for maintaining the fisheries re- sources. To minimize the effects of these conflicts and thus achieve the maximum degree of conservation con- sistent with the manifold benefits desired, carefully coordinated operation of multipurpose reservoirs is mandatory. All of the foregoing purposes of water development are vitally necessary and must be fully considered in planning for the solution of the State's water prob- lems. Such planning involves consideration of certain reservoirs to be operated solely for flood control, other reservoirs to be operated solely for fish and wildlife and recreational purposes, and certain reservoirs to be operated primarily for power generation. However, most major reservoirs would be operated for all of these and other beneficial purposes. 1. Flood Control. It should be pointed out that, in addition to planned operation for flood control, a measure of incidental flood protection would be de- rived from operation of any storage reservoir. How- ever, storage capacity sufficient to contain all flood waters would require extremely large and expensive reservoirs. Generally, it is not feasible to attain com- plete conservation and flood control by storage alone. Improvement of downstream channels in combination with upstream storage reservoirs will probably pro- vide the most economic solution to the important problem of flood control in California. Flood control has in the past and will continue to be largely a joint endeavor between the United States, the State, and local public interests. 2. Recreation, Fish, and Wildlife. Outdoor recrea- tion and fish and wildlife conservation are essential considerations in planning for water resource develop- ment. When reservoir storage is contemplated on streams with recreation potential, sufficient reservoir releases must be planned to maintain favorable down- stream conditions for recreational pursuits and prop- agation of fish life. Planning of major dams which would block passage of migratory fishes to their an- cestral spawning grounds requires the concurrent plan- ning of fish ladders, substitute fish hatcheries, or spawning ground, or development of other streams solely for fish life as compensatory measures. Plan- ning for recreational purposes also involves the con- templated operation of reservoirs dedicated solely to the improvement of summer stream flow conditions in popular recreational areas where such Hows are pres- ently deficient. 'Generally, it is not feasible to attain . . . flood control by storage alone." Sacramento Weir on Sacramento River '. . . hydroelectric power as an inseparable part and partner in California's water resource develop- ment is a fully recognized requisite . . Electra Power Plant on Mokelumne River WATER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING At the time of acquisition of lands, easements, and rights of way for reservoirs and other water develop- ment works, additional lands should be included tor public access and for development and use of rec- reational opportunities. Likewise, at the time water i resource development planning is done, planning by those state, federal and local agencies responsible for issociated recreational opportunities should be ac- : :omplished. • 3. Power Generation. The essential role of hydro- electric power production in the further development of California's water resources and economy was dis- cussed in Chapter II. As therein stated, the problem vvill be to make each hydroelectric power opportunity viehl the maximum feasible output in terms of firm japacity, energy, and revenue, consistent with the itlier demands for the water resources concerned. Major planning considerations include in each case: ^termination of the most economic combination of height of dam, dead storage, head, and releases for power in balance with releases for other purposes; {provision for generation of the most economically Favorable peaking power capacity and energy, wher- ever pertinent, which includes adequate afterbay stor- ige and forebay storage as needed; and utilization of power drops along major aqueduct routes where feasi- ble, particularly on the descending side of mountain arossings. A possible future power opportunity may levelop in the form of pumped storage power plants which would use low-cost off-peak power from other sources for pumping to a reservoir at a higher eleva- tion and would generate high-value peaking power pn return of the water to an afterbay or to the aque- luet system. Use of Water. Delivery and use of supplemental water supplies in areas of need will solve the prob- lems of water deficiency and directly resultant problems ; but unless precautions are taken, other prob- lems may result as a consequence. Of these corollary (problems, water quality is one of the most significant. rThis is particularly serious in areas overlying ground ' water basins which are utilized to any appreciable t extent in meeting the water requirements. The prob- I |lems in point concern the protection of mineral I jquality of the local ground waters by importing J waters of good mineral quality, by maintenance of i proper salt balance, and by the maintenance of favor- | able drainage conditions through control of the jground water levels by pumps and drainage systems. Maintenance of proper quality in surface streams is equally important. Another serious problem is that of [subsidence of lands, caused by heavy withdrawals of ground water and by application of surface water. 1. Protection and Maintenance of Water Quality. The basic objective with regard to quality of water in the State under ultimate development concerns the assurance that the available waters will meet the minimum quality requirements for all beneficial uses thereof. Planning toward this objective involves the evaluation of the native quality of waters in terms of their suitability for such uses, the careful main- tenance of quality in areas of use, and protection of the quality of water in source areas in streams and reservoirs and of exported waters from degradation during transfer, at requisite levels to prevent in- jurious effects. With respect to the suitability of waters for bene- ficial uses, certain minimum quality requirements have been set forth, and are generally accepted as standards for classification of waters for the various uses. Probably the most widely accepted standards are those formulated by the United States Public Health Service for drinking water, as shown in Table 5. TABLE 5 MINERAL STANDARDS FOR DRINKING WATER U. S. Public Health Service, 1946 (In parts per million) Constituent Limit Mandatory limits 0.05 0.0.5 0.05 Nonmandatory but recommended limits Chloride (CI) 250 250 3.0 Dissolved solids 500 (1,000 permitted) Quality requirements for irrigation water have been proposed by various investigators. Classifications of irrigation water presently in use by the Department of Water Kesources are based on studies of the Uni- versity of California at Davis. One such classification is set forth in Table 6. The classes shown in Table 6 TABLE 6 QUALITATIVE CLASSIFICATION OF IRRIGATION WATERS Chemical Class I Class II Class III properties Excellent Good to Injurious to to good injurious unsatisfactory Total dissolved solids: In ppm* Less than 700 700-2,000 More than 2,000 In conductance, Ec X 10»at25°C Less than 1,000 1,000-3.000 More than 3,000 Chlorides, in ppm. - Less than 175 175-350 More than 350 Sodium, in per cent of base constituents Less than (10 (10-70 More than 7(1 Boron, in ppm Less than 0.5 0.5-2.0 More than 2.0 larts per million. 34 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN are generally empirical, being based on average soil and crop adaptability. Recent research has been conducted at the Uni- versity of California at Davis, taking into account drainage characteristics of the soil and employing re- vised standards for evaluation of salinity of irriga- tion waters. These standards, which are coming into more general use, are presented in Table 7. Water quality standards will undoubtedly change in the fu- ture as a result of further study. Hence the standards given herein should not be regarded as absolute. TABLE 7 TENTATIVE CLASSIFICATION FOR EFFECTIVE SALINITY OF IRRIGATION WATER Class of wate Soil conditions Terms used 11 II ni* Little or no leaching of the soil can be expected. m.e./l' of ions ppm lbs/acre-foot 3 165 450 3-5 165-275 450-750 5 275 750 Some leaching but re- stricted. Deep percola- tion or drainage slow. m.e./l of ions ppm lbs/acre-foot 5 275 750 5-10 275-550 750-1500 10 550 1500 Open soils. Deep percola- tion of water easily ac- complished. m.e./l of ions ppm lbs/acre-foot 7 385 1050 7-15 385-825 1050-2250 15 2250 Upper limit — maximum limit. - Lower limit — minimum limit. 3 m.e./l — milli-equivalents per liter. Planning considerations with respect to water qual- ity involve the following: provision for protecting the mineral and sanitary qualities of waters at requisite levels; determination of natural base levels of radioactivity to facilitate the detection of any future increase in radioactive contamination; deter- mination of the waste assimilation capacity of the various waters concerned, or, in other words, the degree to which these waters can be used for waste disposal without adverse and unreasonable detriment to the beneficial uses, considering future as well as present uses thereof ; the necessity of providing water to dilute and carry away waste products resulting from man's activities without harmful effects; plan- ning for further urban and industrial development with due regard to the problems of waste disposal ; and maintenance of a favorable salt balance in the many basins of the State by provision for exporting from each basin at least as much salt as is brought into it each year by native and imported waters, as well as from other sources. Because of the widely varying quality require- ments for the manifold industrial uses, these require- ments are not discussed in this chapter. Such informa- tion will be published in Appendix E to this bulletin. In general it may be said that waters meeting the United States Public Health Service drinking water standards and the requirements for irrigation can be made acceptable for even the most exacting indus- trial requirements by proper treatment at the point of use. With respect to maintenance and enhancement of fish and wildlife, the maintenance of adequate dis- solved oxygen in the water and freedom from toxic concentrations of harmful materials are prime con- siderations. Also important are low turbidity and freedom from floating oil and grease. Further, high- quality water is necessary for maintaining a suitable habitat, food supply, and spawning areas. With respect to the quality of water necessary for the full effectuation of The California Water Plan, a Board of Water Quality Consultants, retained to advise on water quality problems under the ultimate pattern of water transfer and use, has submitted a report recommending specific limits of quality for water diverted from the southern boundary of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These recommendations, as presented in Table 8, have been adopted by the Department of Water Re- sources as the quality objectives to be met at the points of diversion for water to be exported to the major areas of deficiency. These objectives have been used in formulation of The California Water Plan, and unless the quality is maintained at or higher than these levels, full implementation of the Plan will not be possible. TABLE 8 WATER QUALITY LIMITS FOR WATER FOR EXPORT AT POINTS OF DIVERSION AT SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA RECOMMENDED BY BOARD OF CONSULTANTS ON WATER QUALITY AND ADOPTED BY DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Item Limit 400 ppm 600 160 ppm 50% 100 ppm 100 ppm 1 . ppm . 5 ppm 7.0-8.5 10 ppm rspiis Li Hardness as CaCOa _. __ Sodium Percentage pH Value _ Other constituents as to which the U. S. Public Health Service has or may establish mandatory or rec- 2. Maintenance of Drainage. Drainage of agricun tural lands, already a serious problem in many areas of California, will become an increasingly important consideration in planning for the future development and use of California's water resources. The large imports of water and the greatly increased applica- tion of water, under ultimate conditions would aggra- vate present drainage problems, would create new problems by forming swamps or "water-logged" areas in the lower portions of ground Avater basins, and would increase the probability for salinizat ion of WATER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 35 the soils unless prevented by appropriate measures. The existence of high-water-table areas and increased Salinity problems would not only preclude the useful- mess of large areas of potential agricultural lands, but Avould result in excessive, uneconomic consump- tive use by swamp-type vegetation of water which ptherwise could be salvaged for beneficial purposes. I Solution of drainage problems will involve consid- eration of drainage ditches and canal networks, and pumps to control the elevation of the water table in areas subject to waterlogging. In addition, studies should be made relative to the permeability of soils, particularly with regard to reclamation of vast acre- wages of presently saline and sodium saturated lands, plethods employed under ultimate development prob- Fably would be similar to present practices in the [San Joaquin Valley, but on a broader scale. A further [consideration in planning for drainage is the point ■of disposal of highly saline drainage waters. For the San Joaquin Valley, for instance, this may necessi- tate a master drain emptying into Suisun Bay. 3. Subsidence. Subsidence of the land surface pre- sents unusual and difficult problems which must be considered in planning for the major conduits re- quired for transportation of water to central and southern areas of deficiency. The most serious sub- idence now is in the San Joaquin Valley, where sink- ing of the land surface has changed the gradient of portion of the Delta-Mendota Canal of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation enough in places to reduce its capacity. Subsidence also has damaged canals, wells, and pipe lines of numerous irrigation systems, well as oil and gas pipe lines, electric transmission towers, and numerous buildings. Two separate types of subsidence have been identified in the San Joaquin Valley, namely: (1) regional or deep-seated, sub- sidence, and (2) local shallow subsidence. The deep-seated subsidence is believed to be caused by withdrawal of ground water from pressure aquifers, the lowering of the pressure head being ac- companied by sinking of the land surface. A related type of subsidence has occurred in the Long Beach area, where subsidence accompanying heavy with- drawals of oil has caused actual or threatened surface advance of the sea into certain areas. The deep-seated subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley is occurring principally on the west side of the valley in an elongated area stretching from north of Mendota to south of Huron, and in the southern part of the valley an irregularly shaped area centering near Delano. The maximum amount of subsidence in the Mendota- Huron area is actually greater than 16 feet, and the area is presently subsiding at a rate of almost 1 foot per year. It is the effect of this deep-seated subsidence which has changed the gradient of the Delta-Mendota Canal. The maximum subsidence in the Delano area amounts to more than 13 feet. Other areas in the State, such as the Santa Clara Valley, also are affected by subsidence. Notwithstanding the adverse effects from deep- seated subsidence, the local shallow type of subsidence probably has the potential to cause most damage to man-made structures. This type of subsidence occurs when water is applied in quantity, as by irrigation, on certain low-density soils which occur extensively on the semiarid west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Settlement of this type of land after irrigation is very irregular and causes heavy sinking of irrigation ditches, breaking of concrete-lined ditches and of pipe lines, tilting of high tension towers, and cracking and breaking of foundations of buildings after lawn irri- gation which, in places, has caused houses to tilt at strange angles. The areas affected by shallow subsidence extend around the western and southern borders of the San Joaquin Valley, at the base of the Coast Range. Local subsidence of 10 feet and more has occurred in loca- tions where unlined ditches were attempted in earlier days. The surface of an experimental test plot, kept under water continuously for several months during 1956 and 1957, has subsided 7 feet in 7 months. Although the mechanism of shallow subsidence is not clear, it probably involves rearrangement and compac- tion of soil particles when wetted, accompanied per- haps by removal of gypsum and other solubles by solution. Shallow subsidence also has occurred in the peat lands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where much of the land is now below sea level, resulting in severe flood control problems. This subsidence may be due to a lowering of the water table, consumption of peat by plant growth, drying and blowing away of the peat by wind, or a combination of these and other factors. The magnitude of the effect of subsidence on plan- ning the routes and design of major conduits for transportation of water from north to south is evi- denced by the large areas subject to subsidence, which must be either crossed or detoured. In addition to subsidence of peat lands in the Delta, which must be crossed by all water transferred to the central and southern portions of the State, there are more than 70 miles of lands along the contemplated conduit routes in the Mendota-Huron area which are subject to both shallow and deep-seated subsidence. Moreover, along these routes, some 50 miles of lands south of Kettleman City and Tulare Lake and 20 miles of lands south of Buena Vista Lake are subject, at least in part, to shallow subsidence. Faced by these conditions, the Department of Water Resources is actively investigating the causes and mechanisms of land subsidence in cooperation with a number of other state and federal agencies, coordinated by the Inter-Agency Committee on Land Subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley. CHAPTER IV THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN The water problems of California and the need for comprehensive planning have been described in the preceding' chapters. This chapter presents a summary discussion of the physical features and accomplish- ments of the works which would fulfill the objectives of The California Water Plan in the solution of those problems. To facilitate a greater appreciation and better understanding- of the Plan, its scope and objec- tives and the concepts basic to the attainment of its objectives should be clearly borne in mind, and are re-emphasized for this purpose in the following para- graphs. The California "Water Plan is a master plan for the control, conservation, protection, and distribution 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. It is a comprehensive plan which would reach from border to border both in its constructed works and in its effects. The Plan is a flexible pattern susceptible of orderly development by logical progressive stages, the choice of each successive incremental project to be made with due consideration to the economic and other pertinent factors governing at the particular time. The water development works described in this chapter and shown on the plates accompanying this bulletin demonstrate one means believed practicable of accomplishing the objectives of The California Water Plan in each area of the State, based on presently available knowledge. As knowledge in- creases, as technology improves, as conditions change through the years, and as future patterns of devel- opment become more easily discernible, more suitable alternatives to any feature or features herein dis- cussed are likely to be found. It is the intention that as the time approaches for construction in any given area, further studies will be made to determine the most feasible solution in the light of conditions then obtaining. That solution may depart considerably from the Plan as now conceived. In the meantime, the elements of The California Water Plan presented herein will provide a basis of comparison with other alternatives, and furthermore, will serve as a guide for the selection of works for future construction. It is anticipated that continuing study will be given to The California Water Plan and that it will be modified when and as necessary. The California Water Plan, as now presented and as it may be modified from time to time, is designed to serve as the engineering basis for the administra- tion of the State's water resources by the various agencies concerned, to the end that maximum benefit may ultimately be achieved. It will provide a much needed means of coordination of the efforts of the manifold federal, state, and local public agencies and private entities engaged in the planning, construction, and operation of water projects. The California Water Plan is an ultimate plan, de- signed to meet the water requirements of the indefi- nite future when the land and other resources of the State are essentially fully developed. It is fully ac- knowledged that certain of the forecast ultimate re- quirements for water may never be realized, and that the facilities which would provide for those require- ments may never be constructed. However, the plan- ning effort is deemed necessary at this time in order that provision may be made for such development if and when such requirements arise. The Plan includes and would fully utilize existing works, as well as those works presently proposed by public and private agen- cies and individuals. It is designed so that it would interfere with vested water rights to the minimum possible extent. In those instances where such inter- ference would be inevitable, it is contemplated that just compensation would be paid. Likewise, it is anticipated that exchanges of water, where necessary to achieve the most economical solution, would be consummated only after agreements had been reached with the holders of vested rights thereto. The omission of a project from those described herein does not necessarily preclude the possibility of construction of that project. Nor does the inclusion of a particular project indicate that that specific ele- ment is the only one that should be considered. Bather. each project should be judged on its merits when it is proposed, in the light of its prospective accomplish- ments in meeting the basic objectives of The Cali- fornia Water Plan for the particular water resources concerned. The California Water Plan consists of two principal categories of water resources developments. The first category embraces the local works designed to meet present and future water needs in each of the major hydrographic areas of the State. Water development projects within this category are hereinafter described under the heading "Development to Meet Local Re- quirements/' The second category comprises a major system of works to conserve and export surplus waters from the North Coastal Area and the Sacramento 38 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN River Basin, and to transfer these waters to areas of deficiency elsewhere in the State in sufficient amounts to meet the forecast ultimate requirements. These in- terbasin transfer facilities are collectively designated the "California Aqueduct System," and are subse- quently described under that heading. The California Water Plan, comprising both the local development works and the California Aqueduct System, gives consideration to water conservation and reclamation, to flood control and flood protection, to the use of water for agricultural, municipal, and in- dustrial purposes, to hydroelectric power generation, to salinity control and protection of the quality of fresh waters, to drainage, to navigation, and to the interests of fish, wildlife, and recreation. It con- templates the conjunctive operation of surface and ground water reservoirs, which operation would be essential to regulation of the large amounts of water ultimately to be involved. DEVELOPMENT TO MEET LOCAL REQUIREMENTS In the course of the current investigation, numerous preliminary plans have been made for development of local water resources to meet local needs throughout California. The formulation of these plans was based upon the premises that the water occurring in each hydrographic area would be developed to the maxi- mum reasonable and practicable extent, that exports from areas of surplus would be limited to that water available over and above local needs, and that imports to areas of deficiency would be limited to only that water needed to supplement locally developed supplies. Although this section is confined to a summary description of local developments insofar as possible, features of the California Aqueduct System necessarily enter into the discussion wherever their effects would supplement the accomplishments of local developments. However, the description of the aqueduct facilities is presented separately in a later section of the chapter. Local development features of The California Water Plan are presented by the major hydro- graphic areas of the State, in the following order : North Coastal Area, San Francisco Bay Area, Cen- tral Coastal Area, South Coastal Area, Sacramento River Basin, San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin, Lahon- tan Area, and Colorado Desert Area. The location of these areas is shown on Plate 3, and the local develop- ment works are delineated on the 26 sheets of Plate 5. North Coastal Area The North Coastal Area is by far the most prolific water-producing area in California, with an aggregate mean seasonal unimpaired runoff of nearly 29,000, 000 acre-feet. The estimated present and probable ulti mate seasonal waier requirements of 518,000 acre-feel and 2, Kid, 0(H) acre-feet, respectively, represent hut a fraction of the available supply. In spite of this abun- dance of water, the North Coastal Area is not without its water problems. Because of the relatively low elevation of the North Coastal Area and its proximity to the ocean, most of the precipitation occurs as rainfall, and stream dis- charge into the ocean increases markedly within a short time following a storm. More than 85 per cent of the total seasonal runoff occurs during the 6-month period from November through April, on the average. The need for water is characteristically greatest dur- ing the dry summer months from July through October, when less than 10 per cent of the total seasonal runoff occurs. Thus, there is need for seasonal regulation by storage, whereby winter flood flows are stored for use during the following summer months of high demand. In addition to variation within the season, runoff in the North Coastal Area experiences considerable fluc- tuation in amount from year to year, resulting in so-called "wet" or "dry" periods. This characteristic of the water supply creates a need for cyclic carry- over storage in addition to the need for seasonal regulation. The greatest water problem facing the North Coastal Area is that of occasional great floods such as occurred in 1907, 1938, 1950, and 1955. The last and worst of these great floods, in December, 1955, sent streams of the area to record heights, and caused loss of life and widespread destruction of communities, farm lands, industry, and utilities, particularly along the Eel, Klamath, Trinity, Mad, Smith, and Russian Rivers, and Redwood Creek. However, because of the large amount of storage required for effective flood control, single-purpose flood control reservoirs are generally not economically justified. Except for the extensive Klamath Project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation, described here- after, present development of the ample water re- sources of the North Coastal Area is very limited. Storage at Lake Pillsbury on the upper Eel River and a diversion into the Russian River Basin are operated primarily for generation of hydroelectric power. A power development is located on the Kla- math River near the state line, the water supply for which is regulated in Oregon. Sweasey Dam on the Mad River provides municipal water supplies for the City of Eureka. Dwinnell Dam and Reservoir on the Shasta River furnishes irrigation water to lands in Shasta Valley. Several relatively small irrigation systems serve upland valleys, and minor pumping of ground water for domestic, municipal, and irrigation purposes is scattered throughout the area. Two major projects are presently under construc- tion in the North Coastal Area by federal agencies. The Coyote Valley Project, under construction by the Corps of Engineers, P. S, Army, on the East Fork of the Russian River, will develop water for munici- THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 39 pal. industrial, and irrigation purposes, and will sub- stantially enhance recreational opportunities and fish and wildlife resources in the Russian River Basin. [The Trinity Division of the Central Valley Project. being constructed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, will divert water from the upper Trinity River to the Sacramento Valley, to develop hydro- electric energy and to augment the water resources of the Central Valley. The project will also provide local benefits. Local development works of The California Water Plan would meet future water requirements in the North Coastal Area. Both the local works and the works of the California Aqueduct System would pro- vide much needed flood control and would enable releases of stored water to enhance summer and fall stream flow in the interests of fish, wildlife, and recreation. It should be emphasized that facilities of the California Aqueduct System, in addition to their primary export function, also would accomplish sub- stantial benefits in the North Coastal Area in terms of flood control, stream flow maintenance, and power generation, and in this respect are difficult of differ- entiation from the local works. For planning purposes the North Coastal Area has been subdivided into four units, and the local develop- ment works are segregated according to these units for discussion herein. These units are designated the "Klamath-Trinity Group," "Eel-Mad Group," "Rus- sian River Group," and "Pacific Basins Group," and their locations are shown on Plate 3. The physical features and costs of all local works for the North Coastal Area are presented in Table 9 which follows this discussion under the heading "Summary of North Coastal Area." Klamath - Trinity Group. The Klamath -Trinity Group consists of the California portion of the drain- age system of the Klamath River, including the entire Trinity River system. Its area within California ap- proximates 10.000 square miles, most of which «s occupied by mountains and foothills. However, the Tule Lake area and Shasta, Scott, Hayfork, and Hoopa Valleys contain substantial areas of agricul- tural lands. The Klamath Project, built and operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, is by far the largest existing water supply development in the Klamath-Trinity Group. This project utilizes waters of the Klamath River and Lost River system to irri- gate nearly 200.000 acres of lands in Oregon and California. The project also controls water levels in Tule Lake, and reregulates the flows of the Klamath River for power generation. The previously men- tioned Trinity Diversion of the Central Valley Project will divert H72.000 acre-feet of water annually from the upper Trinity River to the Central A'alley. and 3—5:14 7!' will generate a substantial block of hydroelectric power. The Klamath-Trinity Group, although favored with abundant water resources, is confronted with several present and future water problems. First, the group will require the development of an additional 640,000 acre-feet of water per season to meet the full irriga- tion, urban, and industrial potential. Second, there is an urgent need for the control of floods on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers. Floods threaten the valley lands adjacent to those rivers, and the threat is particularly acute in the urban and agricultural areas on the coastal plain. The community of Klamath near the mouth of the Klamath River, and Klamath Glen a few miles upstream, were virtually demolished by the flood of December, 1955. Third, there is the problem of maintenance of favorable anadromous fishery, which is not so much a problem at the present time, but which will arise after the development of major dams and reservoirs in the area which would block the passage of anadromous fish to their spawning grounds and would inundate spawning areas. More- over, the streams of the Klamath-Trinity Group have a large hydroelectric power potential which is a prime consideration in future development of the water re- sources of the group. The Klamath River Basin Compact, an interstate compact which has as its purpose the promoting of orderly and comprehensive development and the use of the water resources of the Klamath River Basin, has been ratified by the States of California and Ore- gon and is now awaiting approval of the Congress of the United States. This compact provides for the dis- tribittion and use of water within the Upper Klamath River Basin, which is defined as the drainage area of the Klamath River and all its tributaries upstream from the boundary between Oregon and California, including the closed basins of Butte, Red Rock, Swan Lake, and Lost River Valleys, and Crater Lake. Terms of the Klamath River Basin Compact estab- lish an order of preference of use of water within the Upper Klamath River Basin, with domestic and municipal use first and irrigation use second, followed in turn by recreational use, including use for fish and wildlife, industrial use, and use for hydroelectric power generation. Diversions of water outside the Upper Klamath River Basin are prohibited, with minor exceptions, by the compact, which also makes available to the California portion of the upper basin sufficient water from the Klamath River in Oregon for the future irrigation of 100,000 acres of unde- veloped irrigable land which cannot feasibly be served from any other source. There is also established a per- manent commission to administer the terms of the compact. The objectives of The California Water Plan in the Klamath-Trinity Group are threefold: first, the de- 5 3f I to <* f; 1 : iV?' i ' *1 ^31 >3 JSS ;a*- '*:** "ar * * 1 I 3 1 rt J*" P' ^5 I ;f.~wm^ im .■^ .» «r North Coastal Area— Redwood Grov THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 41 velopment of sufficient water supplies to satisfy the present and ultimate requirements for water for irri- gation, urban, industrial, recreational, and power generation purposes, and to preserve and enhance fishery and wildlife resources; second, the provision of adequate flood protection; and third, the conser- vation of some 8,000,000 acre-feet of water per season for export to areas of deficiency elsewhere in the State. These objectives could be met by the planned local developments and the major reservoirs and conduits of the California Aqueduct System. Local development works in the Klamath-Trinity Group could provide water to meet irrigation, urban, and industrial needs, and could considerably improve existing stream flow conditions in the interests of fishery resources and recreation. In addition, opera- tion of these works could effect some flood control. Major reservoirs of the California Aqueduct System on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers, in developing some 8,000,000 acre-feet of water seasonally for ex- port, could effect a high degree of flood control on those rivers, and generate an abundance of power for enhancement of the local economy. The adverse effect of these major reservoirs on the anadromous fishery could be offset somewhat by compensatory measures, such as improvement of downstream flow conditions and a new lake fishery. Also, the improvement of environmental conditions on other streams could be effected, as will be shown during the ensuing discus- sion. Beatty, Boundary, and Chiloquin Narrows Dams, if constructed as parts of the Klamath Project of the Bureau of Reclamation, could augment the yield of that project by developing the waters of the Sprague j and Lost Rivers. Boundary dam site is located on Lost River at the upper end of Langell Valley on the Cali- fornia-Oregon line. Beatty and Chiloquin Narrows Dams and Reservoirs would be located on the Sprague River in Oregon. Under terms of the aforementioned Klamath River Basin Compact, the water supply de- veloped by these works would be utilized throughout the Upper Klamath River Basin, including lands in Oregon as well as in California. Water would be served to lands in California by appropriate convey- ance facilities, as shown on Sheet 1 of Plate -5. Iron Gate Dam and Reservoir, located on the Klam- ath River about 4 miles east of Hornbrook, California, could be constructed primarily to provide urgently needed reregulation of releases from the California Oregon Power Company's hydroelectric power devel- opments on the Klamath River. It could also provide a forebay for pumping irrigation supplies for use in Shasta Valley. Under this plan the water developed in the upper basin would be conveyed to Shasta Val- ley by the Bogus Conduit, two pumping lifts along the route of the conduit being required. Montague Dam and Reservoir, located on the Shasta River about 4 miles north of Yreka, if constructed would also provide water for irrigation use in Shasta Valley. In addition, sufficient releases would be made to the Shasta River to maintain a minimum flow of 20 second-feet for recreational purposes. Grenada Ranch Dam and Reservoir, located on the Shasta River about 3 miles southeast of the town of Grenada, could be constructed to supply municipal water to the City of Yreka, as well as to provide a gravity irrigation supply for portions of Shasta Val- ley adjacent to the river. Callahan Dam and Reservoir, located near the town of Callahan, could be constructed to regulate the Scott River and to develop water for irrigable lands in Scott Valley. Callahan Reservoir would also pro- vide flood control for the valley. Releases would be made to maintain and improve the present fishery. Layman Dam and Reservoir, located on Hayfork Creek just above its confluence with the South Fork of the Trinity River, if constructed would be utilized primarily to supply water for irrigable lands in Hay- fork Valley. In addition, sufficient releases to the downstream channel would be made to maintain a minimum flow of 10 second-feet during the summer months, which would enhance fishery conditions below the dam. The hydroelectric power potential of the Salmon River could be developed by Morehouse Reservoir and its associated power plant, located on the Salmon River just below the mouth of Morehouse Creek. Al- though Morehouse Reservoir would be utilized pri- marily for power production, the incidental stream flow regulation provided would materially enhance accomplishments of downstream units of the Cali- fornia Aqueduct System. Moreover, the reservoir would provide a measure of flood control. Waters of the South Fork of the Trinity River could be regulated by Smoky Creek Reservoir, located about 7 miles upstream from Forest Glen and above Eltapom Reservoir, a feature of the California Aqueduct System. This reservoir would be dedi- cated solely to maintenance of favorable stream flow conditions throughout the summer months. A mini- mum flow of 45 second-feet would be maintained, whereas under present conditions the summer flows have upon occasion virtually ceased. Thus, a 22-mile reach of stream between Smoky Creek Dam and Eltapom Reservoir would be considerably improved as a habitat for fish life, particularly for the several trout species, and spawning areas would be available for the lake fishery that would develop in Eltapom Reservoir. In summary, the 10 reservoirs and associated works constituting the local development works for the Klamath-Trinity Group under The California Water Plan would have an aggregate storage capacity of 4 2 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 1,920,000 acre-feet, and would make available addi- tional water supplies amounting to some 760,000 acre- feet per season. About one-third of this yield would be utilized in Oregon, and the remainder would serve California lands. The described development would not fully satisfy the possible ultimate water require- ments of the group, as there are a number of small scattered areas of irrigable land which are too remote to be economically reached by projects of the scope considered herein. However, adequate local water re- sources are available in the event that requirements for such lands materialize. Facilities considered for conveyance of the devel- oped water supplies to areas of use include 7 pumping plants and 53 miles of conduits. A yearly total of about 343,000,000 kilowatt-hours of electric energy could be made available by the Morehouse Power Plant. Furthermore, the foregoing local development works, operated in conjunction with facilities of the California Aqueduct System, would considerably en- hance the recreational potential of the group by reservoir releases to maintain stream flow throughout the summer months. Data on the general features and capital costs of the local development works in the Klamath-Trinity Group are presented in Table 9. The location and lay- out of their component features are delineated on Sheets 1 and 3 of Plate 5. In addition to local developments, The California "Water Plan envisages 10 storage reservoirs in the Klamath-Trinity Group, to be operated primarily as features of the California Aqueduct System. These reservoirs would provide nearly 27,500,000 acre-feet of additional storage capacity in the group. As previ- ously stated, the aqueduct features are difficult of dif- ferentiation from local developments with respect to creation of recreational opportunities, protection from flood damage, and power generation. These 10 reser- voirs would constitute large bodies of water adaptable for swimming, boating, and other recreational activi- ties. The minimum pools maintained at many of these reservoirs would provide opportunities for develop- ment of trout fisheries. Furthermore, a large degree of protection from floods would be afforded by the con- servation reservoirs, for both local and export pur- poses, which would provide about 870,000 acre-feet of surcharge storage in addition to their normal conser- vation pools. The detention effect of this storage ca- pacity would substantially reduce peak flood flows, even without planned operation of the reservoirs for flood control. Damage caused by the floods of Decem- ber, 1955, would have been considerably reduced had these units of The California Water Plan been in operation. Complete flood protection could be provided by reservation of storage space specifically for that purpose. However, the degree of flood protection war- ranted is a matter of economics and a factor for future determination. Eel-Mad Group. The Eel-Mad Group includes the drainage basins of the Eel and Mad Rivers, and all the remaining coastal drainage between the Mattole River on the south and Redwood Creek on the north. The terrain, typical of most of the North Coastal Area, is predominantly mountainous. Valley and mesa lands comprise only about 5 per cent of the total area of 4,340 square miles, and are mostly located near the mouth of the Eel River and adjacent to Humboldt Bay. Eureka, the largest city in the North Coastal Area, is situated on the shore of Humboldt Bay. The abundant water resources of the Eel-Mad Group are largely undeveloped at present. The Scott and Van Arsdale Dams on the upper Eel River are operated in conjunction with a diversion from the Eel Riven Basin to the Russian River Basin for hydroelectric i power generation, and Sweasey Dam on the lower i Mad River is operated for development of a munici- pal water supply for the City of Eureka. Small local surface diversions and minor ground water pumping, constitute the only remaining water supply develop- ments within the group. Water problems of the Eel-Mad Group are of the same nature as those of the foregoing Klamath-Trinity Group. The demands for agricultural, domestic, and I industrial water supplies are growing and will ulti- mately require a supplemental water supply of about 366,000 acre-feet per season, most of which will be fori irrigated lands. However, the industrial potential fori water is considerable, particularly in the processing of 1 timber for pulp production. Although the foregoing! estimate of ultimate supplemental water requirements includes provision for future pulp production, it is quite possible the estimated requirements for this pur- pose may have to be revised upward, with a resultant modification of water development plans. Adequate water could be made available for such possible in- creases if they materialize. The pressing need for flood control projects in the- Eel-Mad Group was demonstrated by the flood of December, 1955. Record flows in the Eel River caused widespread destruction in areas important to both the present and future economy of the group. Agricul- tural lands and a number of lumber mills on the alluvial plains near the mouths of streams, particu- larly those of the Eel and Mad Rivers and Redwood Creek, were severely damaged. There exists a significant potential for improvement of summer stream flow characteristics in every major waterway of the Eel-Mad Croup, not only for en- hancement of the fish habitat, but also for the further- ance and development of recreational areas. Such areas are now in increasing demand by visitors from throughout the State. Recreation is bound to be im- THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 43 portant to the future economic welfare of the North iCoastal Area. The objectives of The California Water Plan in the Eel-Mad Group consist of the development of suf- ficient water supplies to satisfy the ultimate water I (requirements for all beneficial purposes, including irri- gation, urban, industrial, recreational, fish and wild- life, and power generation ; provision of adequate i 'flood control; and the regulation of some 2,600,000 acre-feet of water per season for export to areas of deficiency elsewhere in the State. The ultimate water ((requirements within the group itself could be met by construction of storage reservoirs on local streams ad- jacent to the areas of need. Such reservoirs would also enhance the fishery and the recreational opportunity, and would provide some flood control. In addition, the major reservoirs of the California Aqueduct Sys- tem on the Eel River could serve to generate a large \ block of hydroelectric power to support local in- dustrial development, and effect a high degree of flood control on the Eel River. In compensation for adverse effects of the major reservoirs on the anadrom- lous fishery, the South Fork of the Eel River and the Bear River could be developed solely for improve- ment of the fishery and of recreational conditions. , Local developments discussed herein generally fall into two categories. Reservoirs in the first category would be primarily for development of irrigation, municipal, and industrial water supplies, while those of the second category would provide for enhancement of the fishery and the general recreational potential. Crannell Dam and Reservoir, located on Little River about 1 mile upstream from the community of Crannell, if constructed would provide domestic and industrial water for the Eureka-Arcata area. Water service would also be provided to the northernmost portion of the agricultural and domestic areas lying- north of the Mad River. The Butler Valley dam site is located on the Mad River about 1 mile northwest of the community of Maple Creek. If a dam were constructed at this site, releases from the reservoir would flow down the Mad River, from which water could be diverted at Sweasey Dam or pumped from the lower Mad River and con- veyed to service areas lying both north and south of the river. In this connection, a dam and reservoir is con- templated for construction by the Humboldt Bay Mu- nicipal Water District on the upper Mad River at the Ruth site near the Humboldt-Trinity county line. Ruth Dam and Reservoir would develop municipal and industrial water for use in the Eureka area. This project has been approved by the Department of Wa- ter Resources as an initial local development on the Mad River. However, the development of the upper Mad and Van Duzen Rivers for export purposes, as subsequently described under the California Aque- duct System, would necessitate the eventual replace- ment of Ruth Dam with a similar development, at the Butler site or an alternative downstream site. Yager Dam and Reservoir, located on Yager Creek about 8 miles east of Fortuna, could serve lands lying north and south of the lower Eel River. Water would be released from the reservoir down Yager Creek and pumped to the service areas. In addition, releases from Yager Reservoir would improve summer stream flow conditions in lower Yager Creek, and in the lower Van Duzen and Eel Rivers into which it dis- charges, thus enhancing fishing and other recreational pursuits. The South Fork of the Van Duzen River could be developed by Larabee Valley Dam and Reservoir, located at Larabee Valley about 7 miles east of Bridgeville. Water released from Larabee Valley Reservoir would flow down the Van Duzen River, im- proving summer flows for fishing and recreation along the lower river, an area of scenic beauty and the pres- ent location of a state park. The water could then be routed from a pumped diversion to the delta areas north and south of the Eel and Van Duzen Rivers. The ultimate requirements for irrigation, urban, and industrial water in the vicinity of Will its in Little Lake Valley could be met by Valley 's End Dam and Reservoir on Tomki Creek about 7 miles east of Willits. Under this project water would be diverted from Valley's End Reservoir through a tunnel into Berry Creek in Little Lake Valley, and rediverted from Berry Creek for delivery around the edge of the valley. Streeter Dam and Reservoir could be constructed on Tenmile Creek, a tributary of the South Fork of the Eel River, about 5 miles northwest of Laytonville. The conserved water could be delivered to irrigable lands in the Laytonville area by means of pump lifts and conduits. In addition, the reservoir would be well suited for recreational development, because of its proximity to U. S. Highway 101. Plans for provision of supplemental water to Round Valley involve a special situation. Under ultimate con- ditions the supplemental requirements of Round Val- ley could be met by water from Etsel Reservoir, a feature of the California Aqueduct System, and by pumpage from the Round Valley ground water basin. However, during the interim period preceding con- struction of Etsel Reservoir, Franciscan Dam and Reservoir which would be located on a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Eel River about 6 miles north- east of Covelo, could be operated in conjunction witli a direct diversion of water from Williams Creek to meet the ultimate requirements of Round Valley. The construction of Etsel Reservoir would require the raising of Franciscan Dam which would then become an auxiliary dam of Etsel Reservoir, as can he seen on Sheet 5 of Plate 5. Branscomb Dam would be located on the South Fork of the Eel River about 5 miles northwest of the 44 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN community of Branscomb. If constructed, the reser- voir would improve summer flows in that accessible stream as is flows through groves of great redwood trees. The South Fork is world famous as a scenic recreational area. Releases of water from the reser- voir would eliminate summer stagnation in pools and temperatures intolerable to fish life. A minimum flow of 100 second-feet in the South Fork of the Eel River below the mouth of Rattlesnake Creek would be pro- vided. The fishery on the Bear River could be enhanced by construction of Brushy Creek Dam and Reservoir at a point 6 miles south of Scotia. Brushy Creek Res- ervoir would provide a minimum summer flow of about 14 second-feet in the Bear River for improve- ment of recreational and fishery conditions. Caution Dam and Reservoir on the North Fork of the Eel River could similarly improve stream flow conditions in the interest of fish life and recreation. Caution Dam would be located 8 miles north of the Trinity-Mendocino county line. Releases of water would be made from the reservoir to maintain a mini- mum discharge of 30 second-feet in the downstream channel to the proposed Sequoia Reservoir, a feature of the California Aqueduct System. In summary, the 10 reservoirs and associated fa- cilities comprising local development works for the Eel-Mad Group under The California Water Plan could meet all local ultimate supplemental water re- quirements, with the exception of those for certain small scattered parcels of land. The reservoirs would have an aggregate gross storage capacity of about 450,000 acre-feet and could develop about 410,000 acre-feet per season of firm supplemental water, in- cluding water to be released from storage for fish and recreation. The local developments, along with the major reservoirs of the California Aqueduct System in the Eel-Mad Group, could provide a high degree of flood control, particularly on the Eel River. It is esti- mated that the record peak flow of 500,000 second- feet in the Eel River at Scotia during the flood of December, 1955, would have been reduced to a peak flow of only 315,000 second-feet if all of the works proposed under The California Water Plan had been in operation. A considerable measure of flood control could also be provided on the Mad River by Ranger- Station Reservoir, or a substitute therefor, of the California Aqueduct System, and by Butler Valley Reservoir, a local development feature. Recreational opportunities associated with the local development works and the California Aqueduct Sys- tem would be abundant for the Eel-Mad Group. In addition to improved stream flow conditions, ap- proximately 73,000 acres of water surface area would be created by the 15 new reservoirs, thus affording expanded opportunities for such recreational pursuits as fishing, boating, picnicking, and swimming. Russian River Group. The Russian River Group comprises the Russian River Basin and a small area to the south draining into the Pacific Ocean and Tomales Bay. Its area totals about 1,750 square miles, of which some 1,500 square miles comprise mountains and foothills and the remainder is classified as valley and mesa land. Present water needs in the Russian River Group are met both by diversion of surface flows and pump- age of ground water. The largest existing water supply development is that of the Potter Valley Irri- gation District which serves about 4,000 acres of land in Potter Valley, utilizing waters diverted from the Eel River and released into Potter Valley for power generation purposes. The Santa Rosa water works is the largest municipal water service agency, delivering supplies from both surface and underground sources. Coyote Valley Dam and Reservoir, on the East Fork of the Russian River about 5 miles north of TJkiah, is presently under construction by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, as a water conservation and flood control project. The project will develop irrigation and municipal water supplies for use on lands along the Russian River and in the lower basin extending south to the City of Santa Rosa. It will also enhance recreational opportunities and fish life in the lower Russian River by maintenance of desir- able summer stream flow. Coyote Valley Reservoir, when completed, will have a gross storage capacity of 122,000 acre-feet, includ- ing 48,000 acre-feet of flood control storage reserva- tion. Provisions have been made in the planning for future enlargement of the dam and reservoir to an ultimate storage capacity of 199,000 acre-feet. The Corps of Engineers is authorized to construct down- stream channel improvements as a part of this project. The Russian River Group has ample water resources to meet its present and future water requirements. However, because of the large fluctuation in runoff from season to season and within the season, the con- trol and development of the water resources presents a problem. Supplemental water supplies aggregating about 375,000 acre-feet per season would be neces- sary to fully meet requirements under ultimate condi- tions. The requirement for water for fish and recreation is also a major consideration on the Russian River and its tributaries. The lower portion of the Russian River is a famed summer recreational area, with pleasant weather, water for swimming and fishing, pleasing scenery, and proximity to large centers of population. Summer stream flows have, in the past, dropped considerably below the minimum re- quirements for these purposes. This condition will be corrected by operation of Coyote Valley Reservoir, which will provide release of water in sufficient volume to maintain a minimum flow of 125 second-feet in the THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 4.') lower Russian River near Guerneville, particularly during the summer months. In common with the rest of the North Coastal Area, the Russian River Group is presently faced with a serious flood control problem. The flood of December, 1955, inundated agricultural lands, commercial struc- tures, and homes along the Russian River. Particu- larly heavy damage was inflicted on summer homes along the lower river, notably in and around Guerne- ville. Under The California Water Plan, 14 new dams and reservoirs are contemplated in the Russian River Group, including the future enlargement of the Coyote Valley Reservoir to its ultimate stage. These reservoirs could supply sufficient water to meet ulti- mate requirements for irrigation, municipal, and rec- reational purposes, and provide a substantial measure of flood control as well. The upper Russian River and tributaries could be developed by 6 reservoirs, in addition to the Coyote Valley Reservoir enlarged to its ultimate stage as proposed by the Corps of Engineers. These reservoirs, on Franz, Maacama, Big Sulphur, Cummisky, Feliz, Robertson, and Saysal Creeks, would be supplemen- tary to and operated in coordination with Coyote Valley Reservoir. Their combined yield could be uti- lized throughout the Russian River area, the Santa Rosa plains, and the Tomales-Bodega area, and sur- plus water could be exported to the San Francisco Bay Area. Knights Valley Reservoir would be unique in that it would involve two separate dams, one on Franz Creek and one on Maacama Creek, constructed to sufficient heights that they would form a common reservoir at higher water stages. Franz and Maacama Dams Avould be located about 6 miles east of Healds- burg. Knights Valley Reservoir could furnish water to local downstream lands and provide minimum sum- mer and winter stream flows in Maacama Creek of 5 second-feet and 30 second-feet, respectively, for fish- ery enhancement. Big Sulphur Dam and Reservoir, located on Big- Sulphur Creek about 3 miles east of Cloverdale, could develop water for local downstream use and for conveyance to the Santa Rosa-Sebastopol and the Tomales-Bodega areas. In addition, the reservoir could provide 43,000 acre-feet of flood control storage space, and releases could be made to provide minimum summer and winter flows of 10 second-feet and 50 Becond-feet, respectively, for improvement of fishery conditions. In addition to the foregoing, reservoirs could be constructed on four smaller tributaries to the upper Russian River. These include Cummisky Dam and Reservoir on Cummisky Creek, 5 miles north of Cloverdale ; Feliz Dam and Reservoir on Feliz Creek, 1 mile west of Hopland ; Robertson Dam and Reser- voir on Robertson Creek, 4 miles north of Ukiah ; and Saysal Dam and Reservoir on Saysal Creek, 6 miles northeast of Healdsburg. Lands downstream from these reservoirs could be served by local distribution works. As previously stated, the seven reservoirs in the upper Russian River area could develop water for conveyance to the Santa Rosa plains, the Tomales- Bodega area and the San Francisco Bay Area, in addition to providing water for local downstream service areas. The water could be conveyed to all but the downstream service areas by the Sonoma Aque- duct, a feature of the California Aqueduct System, which would also convey water diverted from facili- ties of the Eel River Division of the California Aque- duct System. These facilities are delineated on Sheets 5 and 7 of Plate 5. Dry Creek Dam and Reservoir, located on Dry Creek about 5 miles southwest of Cloverdale, could be operated to provide water for downstream service areas, and for fishery enhancement by releases of water to maintain minimum summer and winter flows of 10 second-feet and 75 second-feet, respectively. A minimum reservoir storage of 15,000 acre-feet would create favorable conditions for propagation of warm- water fish species. In addition, Dry Creek Reservoir could provide substantial flood protection by main- taining a flood control reservation of 43,000 acre-feet of storage capacity. A dam and reservoir on Warm Springs Creek, 6 miles west of Geyserville, and one on Mill Creek, 3 miles east of Healdsburg, could augment the water supply developed by Dry Creek Reservoir. Releases sufficient to maintain minimum summer and winter stream flows of 5 second-feet and 25 second-feet, re- spectively, could be provided from each reservoir for maintenance of fish life. Furthermore, minimum res- ervoir pools could be reserved for propagation of warmwater fishes. In addition to providing water to local downstream service areas, water from these res- ervoirs and Dry Creek Reservoir could be pumped from the Russian River and conveyed to the northerly portion of the Santa Rosa plains. Bearpen Dam and Reservoir on East Austin Creek about 7 miles above its mouth was planned for fishery and recreational purposes only, and as such would be operated to maintain summer stream flows in that creek below the dam. In addition to maintenance of a desirable stream flow for fishing and swimming, a minimum reservoir storage of 1,000 acre-feet could be provided for propagation of warmwater fish. Mark West Dam and Reservoir on upper Mark West Creek and Laguna Dam and Reservoir on lower Mark West Creek near its junction with the Russian River could jointly develop sufficient water to meet the remainder of the ultimate requirements of the Santa Rosa plains. Although the primary purpose of these reservoirs would be for conservation, there + % ■>*..;' '»*♦ 3- ." ' •■- "i.:*,. rSflSk**.: Kfc IP JJU*. I*- ,1 , y & ww. ■ » . ...ia ■TIP! / ■ :^^.i; P^ j 11^ ; North Coastal Area Economic Activities— Recreation and Dairying THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 47 would be major incidental benefits to the fishery and to recreation. The Laguna reservoir area is already one of the most popular places in the State for duck and pheasant hunting, and enlargement of the exist- ing water area would substantially improve duck hunting. Furthermore, the reservoir would form a highly desirable warinwater fishing lake because of the shallow water and long shore line. Minimum sum- mer and winter flows of 5 second-feet and 25 second- feet, respectively, could be maintained by releases from .Mark West Reservoir for fishery enhancement. AValker Dam and Reservoir on Walker Creek about 2 miles southwest of Tomales, could be constructed, to I j provide water for the Tomales-Bodega area. The water I developed by Walker Reservoir would be used pri- marily in the Stemple Creek drainage area, which I would require a substantial pumping lift. In summary, the local phase of The California Water Plan for the Russian River Group would com- I prise 14 reservoirs and associated works. Operated coordinately and as a basin-wide development, these I: local works could accomplish a threefold purpose: I namely, (1) provision of sufficient water to serve all I I potentially irrigable and urban lands within the Rus- i sian River Group, and to export a small supply to t the San Francisco Bay Area (2) enhancement of the I I anadromous, resident trout, and warmwater fishery j and of the recreational opportunity, and (3) pro- I vision of a substantial measure of flood control. The ' local development works would have an aggregate gross storage capacity of about 1,100,000 acre-feet and could make available additional water supplies aggregating some 415,000 acre-feet per season. As I planned, the Russian River Group would receive • about 375,000 acre-feet of this water per season, and j about 40,000 acre-feet would be exported to the San III Francisco Bay Area. A large portion of the yield made available would be conveyed to the Santa Rosa i plains, the Tomales-Bodega area, and the San Fran- I cisco Bay Area by the Sonoma Aqueduct, proposed I I as a feature of the California Aqueduct System pri- > marily for transferring Eel River water to the San II Francisco Bay Area. The importance of the Russian River and its trib- I; utaries to sport fishing and recreation is fully recog- \ . nized in The California Water Plan. Releases of water I could be made from the reservoirs on the more im- i portant fishing streams to assure conditions satis- factory for fish life and for public recreation. In addition to the foregoing accomplishments, flood II control storage reservations aggregating about 134,000 acre-feet could be maintained in Dry Creek, Big I Sulphur, and Coyote Valley Reservoirs. This reserved I storage capacity would provide a substantial measure I of flood protection. Additional incidental flood con- I trol benefits could be derived from the remaining I reservoirs and from authorized channel improvements to be constructed by the Corps of Engineers. These works would greatly reduce damage from flooding along the Russian River flood plain. However, com- plete prevention of damage to property would in- quire appropriate flood zoning in conjunction with the foregoing works. Pacific Basins Group. The Pacific Basins Group comprises three relatively small non-contiguous seg- ments of the North Coastal Area adjacent to the ocean, which are isolated from each other by the Klamath - Trinity and the Eel-Mad River drainage basins. Its total area of 3,530 square miles is predominantly mountainous. The group includes the Smith River drainage area in the northernmost segment and the Redwood Creek drainage area in the middle portion, while the larger southern section includes the drain- age areas of the Mattole, Noyo, Navarro, and Garcia Rivers. Present water development in the Pacific Basins Group is insignificant compared to the available water resources, and includes only the minor works of a number of small public and private agencies formed to supply water for municipal and domestic use. Agri- cultural water is presently developed entirely on an individual basis. The ultimate seasonal water requirement of the en- tire group is estimated to be only a little more than 180,000 acre-feet, compared to the total mean seasonal runoff of about 12,000,000 acre-feet. However, satis- faction of those requirements would require the con- struction of water storage facilities. Moreover, since the streams flow largely in deep narrow canyons, sub- stantial pumping lifts and conduits with rather tor- tuous alignments would be required to deliver the conserved water to service areas which are located mainly on hills and ridge tops. The streams of the Pacific Basins Group are a natural habitat for anadromous fish such as steelhead trout and silver salmon, as well as resident trout. However, under present conditions extremely low summer flows cause the loss of a large percentage of the young fish, while erratic flows during early winter and spring frequently severely reduce the success of the spawning runs. Because of the importance of rec- reation and the fishery to the present and future econ- omy of the group, a number of reservoirs contem- plated under The California Water Plan would be dedicated to the improvement of stream flow condi- tions by planned releases for that purpose. In certain areas, notably on the Smith River Plain, on lands near the mouth of Redwood Creek, and along the lower Mattole River, large winter flows create a significant flood problem, causing consider- able damage to utilities and low-lying farm lands. The ultimate water requirements of the Pacific Basins Group could be met by local surface water development works and increased use of ground wa- ter. Summer stream flow conditions could be im- 4S THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN proved by releases of water from reservoirs in the interests of fish life and recreation. The ultimate supplemental water requirement of about 55,000 acre-feet per season on the Smith River plain could probably be met by operation of the un- derlying ground water basin, without surface storage development. It appears that an adequate supply is available in the ground water basin if operated in con- junction with direct diversions from the Smith River. However, in the event that the yield of ground water should prove inadequate, Rowdy Creek Dam could be constructed on Rowdy Creek for development of the required additional yield. Green Point Reservoir, which would be located on Redwood Creek a short distance upstream from High- way 299, could be operated for maintenance of favor- able flow conditions in the downstream channel dur- ing the summer months. Releases of water from the reservoir amounting to 15 second-feet would supple- ment the natural flow below the dam, thus improving 42 miles of stream channel for fishery and recreational purposes. Thorn Dam and Reservoir on the headwaters of the Mattole River could similarly be operated to improve downstream flow conditions by releases of water at the rate of 55 second-feet, resulting in improved con- ditions for fish on a 55-mile reach of the river. Water to meet the requirements of the area along the Mendocino coast from Rockport south to Fort Bragg could be developed by dams and reservoirs on Pudding, Campbell, and Hayworth Creeks, and on the South Fork of Tenmile River. Glenblair Dam and Reservoir would be located on Pudding Creek about 4 miles east of Fort Bragg. Yesmar Dam and Reser- voir would be located a short distance downstream from the confluence of Campbell Creek and the South Fork of Tenmile River. These two dams would cre- ate a common reservoir in Little Valley which nor- mally drains into Pudding Creek. The yield of Glen- blair-Yesmar Reservoirs could be used in the northern portion of the Mendocino coast, including Fort Bragg. Hayworth Dam and Reservoir, located on Hay- worth Creek about 3 miles north of its confluence with the Noyo River, could meet the remaining water requirements of the northern portion of the Mendo- cino coast. Although the primary purpose of Hay- worth Reservoir would be water conservation to meet the foregoing requirements and not stream flow main- tenance, its operation would provide a minimum re- lease of 10 second-feet, which would improve stream flow conditions in the 26-mile reach between the dam and a downstream diversion point near the ocean. The water developed by Caspar Dam and Reser- voir, which would be located on Caspar Creek about 4 miles upstream from the town of Caspar, could be utilized in the southern portion of the Medocino coastal area. Summer stream flow conditions in the Big River Basin could be improved by construction of Hellgate Reservoir on the South Fork of Big River about 5 miles above the main stem. Releases of water from Hellgate Reservoir could increase the natural sum- mer flow in a 33-mile reach of the stream below the: dam by 15 second-feet. McDonald Dam and Reservoir, which would be h>- M cated on the Albion River approximately 6 miles east !| of Albion, could develop water for use on lands lying ! I on both sides of the Albion River. The ultimate water requirements of Anderson Val- ley and other service areas of the Navarro River Valley could be met by Lone Tree, Big Foot, and Castle Garden Dams and Reservoirs. In addition, re- leases of water from the reservoirs could be made for improvement of the fishery and the recreational op- portunity in the area. Lone Tree Dam and Reservoir would be located on Indian Creek about 6 miles upstream of Philo. A portion of the water yielded from the reservoir could supply irrigable lands located along the Navarro River between Booneville and Philo. In addition, water re- leased from the reservoir for the service area from Philo downstream to Navarro would utilize the nat- ural stream channel, thus improving the fishery and the recreational conditions. Big Foot Dam and Reservoir on Rancheria Creek about 4 miles south of Yorkville Post Office, could be operated for the maintenance of summer stream flow. Castle Garden Dam and Reservoir, located on the North Fork of the Navarro River, could also be operated for this purpose. Releases from Big Foot and Castle Garden Reservoirs could be made on a schedule designed to enhance the fishery and recreational op- portunity, with minimum summer flows of 16 sec- ond-feet and 10 second-feet, respectively, provided below the dams. Thus, fish life on the main stem of I the Navarro, as well as on two of its principal tribu- taries, would be considerably improved. Moreover, the attractiveness of the stream for recreational purposes, such as swimming, boating, camping, and picnicking in the redwood groves along the lower reaches would be enhanced. Tin Can Dam and Reservoir, which would be located on Alder Creek about 5 miles northeast of Manchester, could serve lands lying along the coast from the mouth of the Navarro River southerly to the Gualala River at the Mendocino-Sonoma county line, including the relatively extensive irrigable area in the vicinity of Point Arena. A headwater reservoir could be created in the Garcia River Basin by the construction of Garcia Dam and Reservoir just below the joining of Pardaloe and Mill Creeks. A minimum summer stream flow of 25 second-feet for recreational purposes and fishery en- THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 49 hancement could be assured by operation of Garcia Keservoir. Three reservoirs in the Gualala River Basin could be operated for improvement of summer stream flow conditions. Billings Dam would be located on the North Fork just below the junction of Billings and Bear Creeks, and could provide a summer release of 20 second-feet into the downstream channel. Neese Ridge Dam and Reservoir, which would be located on the Wheatfield Fork just above "Wolf Creek, could also release 20 second-feet in the downstream channel during the summer months. Houser Bridge Dam and Reservoir would be located on the South Fork of the Gualala River about 6 miles southeast of Stewarts Point. It could provide summer releases of 35 second- feet into the downstream channel to supplement natu- ral flows. These three reservoirs in the Gualala River Basin would collectively improve the fishery and rec- reational conditions in 60 miles of stream channel, as well as maintain an open channel for the Gualala River all the way to the ocean. In summary, the 16 reservoirs constituting the local development works for the Pacific Basins Group under The California Water Plan would have an aggregate gross storage capacity of 314,000 acre-feet. They could make available additional water supplies amounting to some 156,000 acre-feet per season, consisting of 84,000 acre-feet of conservation yield and 72,000 acre- feet of yield assigned to stream flow maintenance. An additional yield of approximately 55,000 acre-feet per season probably could be obtained from ground water storage underlying the Smith River plain. Including the foregoing yield from the ground water basin in the vicinity of Crescent City, the prospective local development works could meet all estimated future water requirements of the Pacific Basins Group, with the exception of certain widely scattered small parcels of agricultural lands which are too remote to be economically reached by projects of the scope considered herein. However, sufficient wa- ter supplies are available in the event that those lands should ever require service. In addition to meeting the agricultural, municipal, and industrial water requirements of the Pacific Basins Group, the local development works could sub- stantially improve more than 310 miles of stream channels for sport fishing and for general recreational purposes, including camping, boating, swimming, and picnicking. The future development of further recre- ational facilities has been considered so significant in the North Coastal Area that, wherever possible, stream flow maintenance works have been planned on the smaller streams of this group to minimize impairment on the more important streams elsewhere in the area. Summary of North Coastal Area. The California Water Plan in the North Coastal Area envisages a total of 50 new reservoirs for local water develop- ment purposes. Included are 25 reservoirs planned primarily for development of water supplies to meet increased consumptive use, 15 reservoirs planned pri- marily for stream flow maintenance, and 10 reservoirs that would provide water for both purposes. In addi- tion, 15 major dams and reservoirs with associated power plants, pumping plants, and tunnels, would be constructed in the area as features of the California Aqueduct System. These facilities, which are de- scribed in a subsequent section of this chapter, would conserve surplus flows of stream systems of the North Coastal Area for export to areas of deficiency else- where in the State. The prospective reservoirs to meet local water requirements would have an aggregate storage capacity of about 3,280,000 acre-feet and could provide an estimated yield of some 1,310,000 acre-feet per season for this purpose, plus an additional yield of about 250,000 acre-feet per season for stream flow maintenance. In addition to the yield of the foregoing reservoirs, an estimated 100,000 acre-feet per season of the ulti- mate local water requirement could be met by further development of ground water resources. The remain- der of this requirement in the North Coastal Area, not satisfied from contemplated local works of The Cali- fornia Water Plan, would occur primarily in connec- tion with irrigable lands lying in isolated small scat- tered tracts which, as previously stated, are considered too remote to be economically reached by projects of the scope considered in this bulletin. However, water resources are available for such lands for development by individuals or appropriate local agencies when and if the demand develops. Planned and incidental releases of water to down- stream channels from the local reservoirs and the in- cidental water releases from major reservoirs of the California Aqueduct System would increase the fish population and improve facilities for camping, boat- ing, swimming, and other recreational activities. These improved conditions would attract many addi- tional vacationists to the area, which is already fa- mous for such attractions. Features of the California Aqueduct System, in addition to enhancing the recreational potential of the North Coastal Area by provision of large water sur- face areas and improved stream flow would also result in a substantial measure of flood protection. This would be especially effective in the Eel River Basin. Studies indicate that the initial upstream features of the Eel River Division of the California Aqueduct System, consisting of Willis Ridge and Etsel Reser- voirs, could have almost completely regulated the flow of the Eel River below Dos Rios during the flood of December, 1955. Data on the general features and capital costs of the local development works of The California Water Plan in the North Coastal Area are presented in Table 9. The locations and layouts of these facilities, 50 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN o © ooooooo o o o © o ooo oo © oo oooooooooooo o o ooooooo o o o o o ooo o o ©^ p. ©_ OOOOOOO o o o 5_ 5_ o o o I o o -h o • < 7 O "1 u S. O Si. Z I Z o » £ : UJ 0) UJ £ S 3 if o £ i i s i siii 9t PS fe - 8 §§8888 8 O O O O <~ CD O >0 ©" eq •* o" i-f o" o" to" 8 8 888! o ■* o ^< o < oo oooooooooooo o O 00 -K C -" M I- o O O O CN o O o o oooooo o § § § £88888 8 o' o" o" toiodo'do" to I §§ § 8 § 5 5 5 3 5 S "# O 00 O lO o ■nfcr'SW'i'©" i-a §§ § > a o o o i .2 b- ! CO CO CO CO C j CO 03 CO ( I CO CO CO CO a v o> o v « v aj cu ti< ojoj oj a>cocucucoc3ajco ^ w£££ohMcoQ<£fflhjS^ | v i s «; § § I 6 O: I "21 Isf PI I |§ O ^COJ^ co JO w if to, s si 2 s a .sp||-g|ba Soht«x.D3iS(S h 3S^ THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 5] o o ooo ooo ooooo o 8 8 8§8 III || 888 °- ^ -* fe r~ — r~ l-: c y- xx noa -i c c o c o c o co c c r r c 8 8 8 888 8 88 88888 US CO rH od oo >o" o" O •*" tC ^" Oi Oi" ^ - I -i -i SO i >o o o o m O i H HHHHHH SH WHHHW H « « !>■ r~ »o > co ** cm *# to -t -T el k "SS^SS 52 52225 zssz I? z,-zz zz zzzz, ^°3S^§p^E-£^ ^ HHHHH >/jx; = - 2.5 £ cjSp ||| ||E||i §5|s|in '£« Hi .2 8 =?Sj § III 5ZS o ° 8 o 0C X 1* i siai ^ 8 3 o o "Si 1 1'i.sf a & | 8 o o" Oi 1* „ s < o ■s is ■a -8 il §§ §1 § % ffl g* H s en "a O 1 il o ° o E o 8 cc o g £ i O! f. V. "S '3, a Seasonal power consumption, in kilowatt- hours o o o" ; 8 ; o ; 8 o o" 8 "Si S ~ T, _ C3 J §.S £ 2 a o wo 3 8 3 8 1 3| o 2 a '3 8 "5 M ►3 3 to O 00 t^ oi IN 1 CO 05 d a H oi o O IN Oi i 00 o CO 8 1 1 ■i 1 < c a 1 £ i 1 c c e i , c 1 1 p 1 § o o 1 1 ;_ I 1 c E- 1 1 g g a B -3 & ■§ o I § § "3 M.O a J3 fc£ ■I £&tf||(2 I IT N I o S ,1 & tf [i a, ft, -i: SfSO ■silo 52 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN which have been described in all the foregoing sec- tions, are delineated on Sheets 1, 3, 5, and 7 of Plate 5. San Francisco Bay Area Because of its mild and equable climate, its strategic location, its waterways and outstanding natural har- bor, and its fertile agricultural lands, the San Fran- cisco Bay Area has become one of the most highly developed regions of California. However, this high degree of development has imposed water demands far in excess of the yield of local water resources throughout most of the area. Had it not been for far- sighted planning and progressive water resource de- velopment, wherein water is imported on a large scale from distant watersheds, the population growth could never have reached its present stage. Yet, in spite of the notable steps taken to obtain water supplies to meet the ever increasing needs, severe water problems exist in several portions of the San Francisco Bay Area. The great need for water, coupled with the paucity of available water resources, has forced the people of the San Francisco Bay Area into a more advanced stage of water resource development than in many other areas of California. Opportunity for further de- velopment of local water resources is and has for some time been very limited, and has fostered the development of foreign watersheds and the importa- tion of water through aqueducts many miles in length. In efforts to solve water supply problems a number of public and private agencies have been formed, and by their initiative several outstanding water supply projects have been constructed. One of the most widely known of such projects, the Hetch Hetchy Project, was constructed by the City of San Francisco, and be- gan delivery of water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor in Yosemite National Park to the San Francisco Peninsula in 1934. The Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct is about 150 miles in length and features a 25-mile tunnel through the Coast Range, the longest tunnel in the world at the time of completion. The East Bay Municipal Utility District likewise has constructed an outstanding water supply project, involving the importation of water from Pardee Res- ervoir on the Mokelumne River to the East Bay area, a distance of some 95 miles, through the Mokelumne Aqueduct. I 'resent water problems in the San Francisco Bay Area are manifested by serious overdrafts on the ground water resources of Santa Clara Valley, Liver- more Valley, and the southern portion of Alameda County. Although these ground water basins are physically meeting the demands, their usefulness is threatened by the intrusion of sea water or of other waters of undesirable quality. The draft on these basins presently (1955) exceeds their mean annual replenishment by an estimated 41,000 acre-feet. The developed water surface supplies in Marin County are presently (1955) adequate to meet the requirements; however, the potential for further local development is limited, and water deficiency problems are immi- nent in the near future. Nearly all areas in the San Francisco Peninsula and the East Bay are dependent upon imported water supplies. It is estimated that satisfaction of water require- ments in the San Francisco Bay Area will ultimately involve the use of nearly 7 per cent of the total de- veloped water supplies in the State. "With less than 2 per cent of the water resources of the State, it is obvious that the area will be a major area of ultimate water deficiency. The requirements for supplemental water, in addition to the import of water through present facilities to the full extent of existing or claimed rights, are forecast to reach some 2,110,000 acre-feet per season under ultimate conditions. Nearly all of this water would of necessity be supplied by im- ports from areas of water surplus in other regions of California. Flood problems in the San Francisco Bay Area are largely local in nature, and occur primarily on the highly developed urban areas immediately adjacent to stream channels and along the bay shore. The flood of December, 1955, exemplified this type of damage. Throughout the entire bay area that flood sent streams to record heights and caused considerable damage in upstream areas as well as along the bay shore. The Napa River overflowed its banks through most of its length in Napa Valley. Large areas of agri- cultural lands in the Livermore and Amador Valleys were inundated by overflow of tributaries of Alameda Creek, and industrial developments in Livermore Valley and the highway and railroads in Niles Can- yon suffered heavy damage. Heavy damage was also inflicted upon southern Alameda County. The re- cently completed Lexington Dam and Reservoir on Los Gatos Creek averted a disaster of major propor- tions in Los Gatos and a portion of the City of San Jose. The objectives of The California Water Plan in the San Francisco Bay Area are twofold : first, the development of local water resources to the maximum practicable extent to satisfy increasing needs for irri- gation, urban, industrial, and recreational purposes, and a measure of flood control ; and second, the im- portation of water through facilities of the California Aqueduct System to meet the ultimate requirements of all lands considered susceptible of water service. Because of the limited potential for further develop- ment of local water resources, elimination of present water problems and provision of water to meet future increased requirements in the area will necessitate substantial importation of water from areas of sur- plus in other regions of the State. In this regard, additional imports proposed by certain water service 54 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN agencies, notably the City of San Francisco and the East Bay Municipal Utility District, by extension and enlargement of their existing: facilities, have been taken into consideration in the formulation of plans for ultimate water supply in the area. For convenience of presentation herein, the San Francisco Bay Area has been divided into three major subareas. These are designated and are herein- after referred to as the "North Bay Group," "South- east Bay Group, ' ' and ' ' Peninsula Group, ' ' and their locations are shown on Plate 3. The layout of the water development works in the San Francisco Bay Area is delineated on Sheets 7, 8, and 10 of Plate 5. Data on the physical features and costs of the local works considered are presented in Table 10 which fol- lows this discussion under the heading "Summary of San Francisco Bay Area. ' ' North Bay Group. The North Bay Group em- braces those portions of Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano Counties draining into San Francisco, Bo- dega, Tomales, San Pablo, and Suisun Bays. It reaches from the Pacific Ocean on the west to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta on the east, and ex- tends north to the drainage divides defining the Sac- ramento Valley and the Russian River Basin. The area is drained by the Napa River and Suisun, Sonoma, and San Antonio Creeks, which flow into San Fran- cisco Bay, and Lagunitas Creek, which empties into Bodega Bay. The meager water resources of the North Bay Group have been rather intensively developed. La- gunitas Creek, the principal stream in Marin County, has been almost fully developed by the Marin Mu- nicipal Water District. Present development on that creek includes Kent Lake, formed by the recently completed Peters Dam, Lagunitas Reservoir, and sev- eral smaller reservoirs. Surface water storage works in Napa Valley include, among others, Lake Henessey on Conn Creek, owned and operated by the City of Napa, and Rector Creek Dam, constructed by the State Department of Public Works to develop a water supply for the State Game Farm and the Veterans Home near Yountville. The City of Vallejo operates several reservoirs in Solano County for development of water supplies. In addition, the city has recently constructed an im- port water supply project involving' a pumped diver- sion of water from Cache Slough in the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta and its conveyance to the city by pipe line. The capacity of this project is about 23,000 acre-feel per season, although present (1955) delivery is less than 10,000 acre-feet. In addition to the foregoing surface water facilities, ground water is developed in I'etaluma, Sonoma and Napa Valleys, and the Fairfield area of Solano County. It is estimated that these ground water basins have an aggregate yield equivalent to the present (1950) draft therefrom, or about 18,000 acre-feet per season. The potential for additional development of ground water in these basins is limited. In localized areas in each of the basins excessive pumping has lowered ground water elevations below sea level, so that sea-water intrusion has become an active threat. Because of the paucity of suitable dam and reser- voir sites on the greater water-producing streams, and prior development of the more feasible sites, oppor- tunity for further development of the water resources of the North Bay Group is very limited. Marin and southern Sonoma Counties are faced with an immi- nent water shortage, and certain water service agen- cies there are looking to the Coyote Valley Project on the East Fork of the Russian River near Ukiah as an early available source of supplemental water. Solano County is similarly faced with the need of an imported water supply for future growth, although the problem in that area is not as urgent as in Marin and Sonoma Counties. The entire North Bay Group will be in need of an imported water supply in the near future, and will ultimately require an import of more than 1,200,000 acre-feet of supplemental water per year. Flood problems exist along all the principal streams of the North Bay Group. Most of the lands subject to inundation lie in the lower reaches of the streams, being in large part reclaimed tidal marshes. However, flooding also occurs along the upper reaches, where agricultural lands and residences on lower-lying lands are inundated. Expansion of existing urban areas is intensifying this problem. Local public agencies and private land owners have built levees, cleared chan- nels, and placed revetments to halt bank erosion. How- ever, no coordinated plans have been followed, and in general works are inadequate to contain floods of any appreciable magnitude. Local water development works contemplated as features of The California Water Plan in the North Bay Group comprise reservoirs on Sonoma and Ni- casio Creeks, and on the Napa River and its tribu- taries. Operation of these reservoirs would provide water to meet irrigation, urban, and industrial uses, and improve existing stream flow conditions in the interests of the fishery and the recreational oppor- tunity. In addition, these works could effect some flood control. Municipal and industrial water supplies could be made available to service areas in Marin County from Xieasio Reservoir, located on Xieasio Creek about 3 miles east of the community of Xieasio. This reser- voir and associated conveyance facilities are presently scheduled for construction by the Marin Municipal Water District to supplement its presently developed water supplies. Water would he conveyed from the i reservoir to the service areas by means of a pipe line and booster pumping' plants. THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 55 Bear Creek Dam and Reservoir, located on Sonoma Creek about 2 miles north of Kenwood, if constructed could provide domestic water for communities in the vicinity immediately downstream from the dam. Oper- ation of Bear Creek Reservoir could also provide some flood control and enhance summer stream flows for recreational purposes. Further conservation of the water resources of Xapa Valley could be accomplished by dams and reser- voirs on Dry and Sulphur Creeks, tributaries to the Xapa River, and a pumped diversion of water from the Napa River to an off -stream storage reservoir near St. Helena. The reservoir formed by Wing Canyon Dam would be located on Dry Creek about 3 miles southeast of Yountville, and could serve downstream urban areas. Sulphur Springs Dam, located on Sul- phur Creek about 1.5 miles southwest of St. Helena, could similarly serve urban lands in Napa Valley. The Spring Valley Project would involve a diversion of excess winter flows from the Napa River to a point about 2 miles west of St. Helena, and pumping of this water through an average lift of 75 feet into Spring Valley Reservoir, an off-stream storage unit, located about 1,000 feet east of the diversion point. The water stored during the winter months woidd be regulated to an irrigation demand schedule for release into the Napa River for downstream diversions. The five reservoirs and associated facilities compris- ing the local development work of The California Water Plan in the North Bay Group would provide 29,000 acre-feet of new water per year, which would serve an estimated 8,400 acres of irrigated and urban ; lands in the group. The reservoirs would have an aggregate gross storage capacity of some 53,000 acre- feet, and would enhance the recreational and sport fishing potential of the area by creating new bodies of water and by improving summer flows in downstream channels. It is apparent that the additional seasonal yield of 29,000 acre-feet to be obtained from further develop- ment of local water resources is insignificant compared to the estimated total ultimate supplemental water requirement of nearly 1,250,000 acre-feet per season in the North Bay Group. Even with full development of the local yield, there would remain an ultimate seasonal supplemental water requirement of 1,217,000 acre-feet, Provision of this water would be made by facilities of the California Aqueduct System, the Putah South Canal of the Solano Project, the North Bay Aqueduct, the Eel River Diversion, the Cedar Roughs Tunnel, and Montezuma Reservoir. These works are summarized herein and are described in more detail subsequently under the heading "Cali- fornia Aqueduct System." The Solano Project, presently under construction by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, will serve water developed in Monticello Reservoir, on Putah Creek, to lands in Solano County through the Putah South Canal. Studies made by the Department of Water Resources in connection with the Salinity Control Barrier Investigation have indicated that 55,000 acre-feet per season of this water will be util- ized in the portion of Solano County within the San Francisco Bay Area, The North Bay Aqueduct would serve large areas of low lying lands to the north of Suisun and San Pablo Bays. It is contemplated that eventually the water would be diverted from Montezuma Reservoir on the Sacramento West Side Canal of the California Aqueduct System, located near Fairfield. However, initially the water would be diverted from Lindsay Slough in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. From Lindsay Slough the water would be conveyed in a westerly and southwesterly direction past Fairfield and Cordelia, to a small terminal reservoir about 2 miles northeast of Novato. An ultimate seasonal deliv- ery of about 308,000 acre-feet of water to the North Bay Group is contemplated, distributed as follows: Marin and Sonoma Counties, 156,000 acre-feet; Napa Valley, 28,000 acre-feet; and Solano County, 124,000 acre-feet. Delivery of this water would be accom- plished by releases along the route of the aqueduct, The Eel River Diversion contemplates a delivery of about 422,000 acre-feet of water per season to Marin and southern Sonoma Counties to meet the remaining ultimate supplemental water requirements in that area. The water would be conveyed from the Eel River by means of a tunnel from Willis Ridge Reservoir into Potter Valley, thence down the Russian River to a rediversion near Geyserville. From this point the water would be conveyed southerly about 40 miles by canal and pipe line to Stemple Reservoir, located on Stemple Creek about 3 miles southwest of Cotati. Stemple Reservoir would regulate the continuous di- version to the variable monthly demand schedule in the service area. In Napa Valley, there would still remain a supple- mental water requirement of about 224,000 acre-feet per season under ultimate conditions, in addition to the contemplated delivery of 28,000 acre-feet per sea- son by the North Bay Aqueduct. This requirement could be met by a diversion of Eel River water, as described later in this chapter under the California Aqueduct System, from Monticello Reservoir on Putah Creek, and its conveyance westerly by a tunnel through Cedar Roughs Ridge, where it would be re- leased into Conn Creek for regulation in Lake Hen- nessey. Water to meet the remainder of the ultimate sup- plemental requirements in Solano County, over and above deliveries by the Putah South Canal and the North Bay Aqueduct, would be provided by diver- sion from Montezuma Reservoir at the terminus of the Sacramento West Side Canal near Fairfield. Although diversions could be made from any desired point along the Sacramento West Side Canal, which San Francisco Bay Area— Napa Valley Grape Harvest THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 57 .vould pass through Solano County, such diversions Ivould have to be made at a constant rate so as not to ;acrifice the delivery potential of the canal, and local lltorage would be required to regulate the constant Ipiversions to the varying monthly demands in the Ljrvice area. In summary, facilities of the California Aqueduct flystem would ultimately deliver some 1,220,000 acre- eet of water per season to service areas in the North Bay Group, distributed as follows : Solano Project, 55,000 acre-feet; North Bay Aqueduct, 308,000 acre- feet ; Eel River Diversion, 422,000 acre-feet ; Cedar Roughs Tunnel, 224,000 acre-feet ; and Montezuma Reservoir, 208,000 acre-feet. These deliveries, with the 28.000 acre-feet of water per season secured by fur- ther local development, would fully satisfy the ulti- mate water requirements of all lands considered sus- ceptible of water service in the North Bay Group. Southeast Bay Group. The Southeast Bay Group comprises the portions of Contra Costa, Alameda, and Santa Clara Counties within the San Francisco Bay drainage, being bounded by San Pablo and Suisun Bays on the north, the San Joaquin Valley drainage divide on the east, San Francisco Bay and San Mateo county line on the west, and the Santa Cruz Moun- tains and Morgan Hill Divide on the south. The group is occupied by a highly developed urban and industrial economy. Irrigated agriculture also plays a significant role in the economy, particularly in | Santa Clara Valley. j The high degree of development attained in the Southeast Bay Group has been made possible, in large ipart, by exploitation of the extensive ground water storage in alluvial fill areas, notably the Santa Clara and Livermore Valleys, and southern Alameda iCounty along the east shore of the bay. More than 100,000 acres of irrigated lands in north Santa Clara Valley are presently (1955) served from wells. The principal surface water development works consist of Calaveras Reservoir on Calaveras Creek, and in- stallations on Alameda Creek at and above Sunol, operated by the City of San Francisco for local water service and export to the Peninsula; the Upper and Lower San Leandro, San Pablo, and Lafayette Reser- voirs operated by the East Bay Municipal Utility District both for conservation of local water resources and for terminal storage for the Mokelumne Aque- duct; and reservoirs on Coyote, Arroyo Calero, Ala- mitos, Guadalupe, and Los Gatos Creeks, operated conjunctively with ground water storage by the Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District. Artificial recharge of ground water basins is prac- ticed both in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties. The Alameda County Water District is utilizing abandoned gravel pits for spreading surplus flows in Alameda Creek, thus supplementing natural stream channel percolation in the Niles Cone area. The Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District operates percolation ponds and natural stream channels in con- junction with surface reservoirs which control re- leases to rates within the percolation capacity of these works. Water is presently imported to the Southeast Bay Group through the Contra Costa Canal, constructed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation; the Mokelumne Aqueduct of the East Bay Municipal Utility District; and the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct of the City of San Francisco, which now serves supple- mental water to the City of Hayward, the Alameda County Water District, other areas in southern Ala- meda County, and the portion of northern Santa Clara County included in the Milpitas-Sunnyvale- Palo Alto area. The Contra Costa Canal diverts water from Rock Slough in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and serves lands along the northern portion of Contra Costa County extending generally from Oakley on the east to Martinez on the west. The present capacity of the system is estimated to be about 85,000 acre- feet per season to the Bay area. It is estimated that this delivery could be increased ultimately to 146,000 acre-feet per season. The East Bay Municipal Utility District serves lands in western Contra Costa and northwestern Ala- meda Counties. The Mokelumne Aqueduct furnishes the principal water supply for the service area of the district. Although the present capacity of the system is limited to 162,500 acre-feet of water per season, the district has secured permits, and plans to ultimately import some 364,000 acre-feet per season, which quan- tity will meet the ultimate requirements of its service area. Construction of additional local reservoir storage is contemplated by the district, for the joint purposes of providing terminal storage for the Mokelumne Aqueduct, and developing local water resources. These planned local works comprise Pinole Reservoir on Pinole Creek, Briones Reservoir on Bear Creek, both in western Contra Costa County, and enlargement of the existing Upper San Leandro Reservoir. As a result of heavy long sustained drafts on ground water resources in the Southeast Bay Group, and the continuing trend toward increasing munici- pal, industrial and irrigation demands, the ground water basins of Livermore Valley, Santa Clara Val- ley, and southern Alameda County are seriously over- drawn at the present time. Ground water pumping levels in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay are sub- stantially below sea level in the latter two areas, with the resultant threat of destruction of the ground water resources by intrusion of sea water from be- neath the bay. In fact, sea water has already intruded into the upper aquifer in southern Alameda County, rendering the water unsuitable for use, and has en- tered the lower aquifer, largely through abandoned 58 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN or defective wells. Overdrafts on ground water in these areas presently (1955) aggregate an estimated 41,000 acre-feet per season. In addition to ground water overdrafts, the surface water supplies of the Southeast Bay Group are in- herently deficient, and the group depends primarily on imported water supplies to meet present require- ments. Under ultimate conditions, some 825,000 acre- feet per season of supplemental water will be required, in addition to the delivery of water through present import facilities to the full extent of existing or claimed rights. The Southeast Bay Group is presently faced with a two-fold flood problem : tidal flooding of lands adja- cent of San Francisco Bay, and storm water flooding by streams flowing across the coastal plain. Lands adjacent to the bay have been reclaimed by dikes, with tidal gates across stream outlets which hold back the tides but limit outflow to the bay and cause pond- ing of surface runoff on the valley floor behind them. A number of streams have thus been completely cut off from direct access to the bay. Flood problems other than those directly related to tidal influence occur principally in the Walnut Creek watershed in Contra Costa County, along Alameda and San Lorenzo Creeks in Alameda County, and on the flood plains of streams tributary to San Francisco Bay in Santa Clara County. These streams flow through some of the most rapidly developing urban areas in the San Francisco Bay Area, the problem being intensified in recent years by encroachment of urban and industrial development on the flood plains. The principal flood problems of the Southeast Bay Group are within the boundaries of the three county flood control districts in the group. These districts are actively engaged in planning and constructing works for the alleviation of flood conditions, taking cognizance of the probable urban nature of develop- ment under ultimate conditions in their respective areas. When completed, these flood control works should provide adequate flood protection. Opportunity for further development of local water resources toward meeting ultimate water re- quirements in the Southeast Bay Group is very lim- ited. In fact, full practicable development could not meet the present supplemental water requirement, assuming existing imports were continued in their present quantities. The objectives of The California Water Plan in the group are, therefore, development of the remaining local water resources within the limits of feasibility, and importation of water through facilities of the California Aqueduct System in amounts sufficient to meet the ultimate water require- ments of all lands considered susceptible of water service. The utility of the ground water resources would be preserved by maintaining a proper balance between ground water replen islimeiit and the pump- ing draft from the basins. Local water development works contemplated as features of The California Water Plan in the South- east Bay Group consist of reservoirs on the Alameda Creek system in Alameda County; and a reservoir on San Francisquito Creek, a Avell field, and a percolation canal to augment ground water replenishment, all in the Santa Clara Valley. Sanatorium Dam and Reservoir, located on Arroyo del Valle about 5 miles south of Livermore, and Mocho Dam and Reservoir on Arroyo Mocho, 5 miles southeast of Livermore, could, if operated in con- junction with downstream ground water storage in Livermore Valley, develop a new seasonal yield of about 9,300 acre-feet for use in the valley. In order to develop this yield, the use of considerable cyclic ground water storage capacity would be required. Such operation would involve the detention of runoff in surface storage only for the time required for regulation of releases to rates which could be absorbed in downstream channels for replenishment of ground water storage. In addition to its local function in developing the waters of Arroyo del Valle, Sanatorium Reservoir could provide regulation for water imported to Ala- meda County through the South Bay Aqueduct, de- scribed subsequently. A portion of the available stor- age could be allocated to development of local runoff, and the remainder could serve to regulate the im- ported waters. La Costa Dam and Reservoir on San Antonio Creek about 3 miles above its confluence with Ala- meda Creek, when constructed would control the waters of La Costa, Indian, and San Antonio Creeks. This reservoir could be operated effectively in con- junction with ground water storage capacity in the Niles Cone area, and the conserved water could pro- vide a portion of the present supplemental require- ments in that area. However, the City of San Francisco proposes to construct La Costa Dam and Reservoir, under claim of water rights on Alameda Creek and tributaries, as an integral portion of the water supply operated by San Francisco ; and, under such circumstances, the reservoir would not be oper- ated conjunctively with the Niles Cone ground water basin. Prospective local water resource developments in the Santa Clara Valley consist of a dam and reservoir on San Francisquito Creek, a well field for the salvage of ground water adjacent to Coyote Creek, and a di- version canal from Calero Reservoir to Los Gatos Creek to augment ground water replenishment. Little Francis Dam and Reservoir would be located (in San Francisquito Creek about 5 miles upstream from U. S. Highway 101 in San Mateo County. The Coyote Valley well field would be located near the north end of Coyote Valley, and could provide an urban water supply for the City of San Jose by sal- Calaveras Reservoir on Calaveras Creek Provides Water for San Francisco Metropolitan Area 60 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN vaging ground water which presently wastes to San Francisco Bay because of existing high ground water levels. The well field would consist of a series of deep wells spaced about a quarter of a mile apart in a line adjacent and parallel to Coyote Creek. The Calero Diversion would extend northwesterly from the existing Calero Reservoir on Arroyo Calero, to Los Gatos Creek, intercepting flows from Alamitos and Guadalupe Creeks, and conveying these waters in open canal for a distance of about 9 miles to Guada- lupe Creek and then in pipe line an additional 6 miles to Los Gatos Creek. The waters would be discharged into Los Gatos Creek for percolation in the channel of that creek. The total seasonal new yield developed by the fore- going works in the Santa Clara Valley would aggre- gate about 12,900 acre-feet. However, it should be mentioned that the Santa Clara Valley Water Con- servation District is presently proposing a program, including recharge of ground water basins, to im- prove and expand its existing system for conservation of water that would otherwise waste to San Francisco Bay. This program includes enlargement and exten- sion of the present distribution system, and construc- tion of dams and reservoirs on Penitencia, Guadalupe, Silver, and Calabazas Creeks. The district estimates that these four reservoirs, with a combined storage capacity of 17,500 acre-feet, would develop a new yield of about 10,000 acre-feet per season when oper- ated in conjunction with ground water storage. The seasonal yield of the new local water develop- ment works in the Southeast Bay Group contemplated under The California Water Plan would aggregate only 34,000 acre-feet, including the proposed develop- ments of the East Bay Municipal Utility District on Pinole, Bear, and San Leandro Creeks. These works could only partially offset the present supplemental water requirements in the group, even though they represent essentially the full practicable development of local water resources. This fact points up the real necessity for the early development of an imported water supply. In addition to the yield from the foregoing local developments, there would remain a total ultimate supplemental water requirement of some 1,148,000 acre-feet per season in the Southeast Bay Group. Of this total, the following supplies could be made avail- able by existing agencies: (1) an additional 201,- 000 acre-feet per season could be imported by the East Bay Municipal Utility District for service within the district, (2) an additional 61,000 acre-feet per season could be delivered to Contra Costa County by the Contra Costa Canal of the Central Valley Project, and (3) the City of San Francisco states that an additional 10!). 000 acre-feet per season could be de- livered to tlie Santa Clara Valley and an additional 12."), 000 acre-reef to the southern Alameda County and Livermore units by the Hetch Hetehy Aqueduct of the City of San Francisco. The remainder neces- sary would be provided by the Kirker Pass Aqueduct and the South Bay Aqueduct, both features of the California Aqueduct System. The Kirker Pass Aqueduct contemplates the de- livery of 164,000 acre-feet per season to lands in Contra Costa County not considered susceptible to service by facilities of the Contra Costa Canal and the East Bay Municipal Utility District. The aque- duct would convey water from the Antioch Crossing of the Delta Division of the California Aqueduct Sys- tem in a general southwesterly direction about 21 miles to Lime Ridge Reservoir, about 2 miles west of Clayton. The Kirker Pass Aqueduct would provide the balance of the ultimate supplemental water re- quirement in Contra Costa County. The South Bay Aqueduct would provide water in amounts sufficient to meet the remainder of the sup- plemental water requirements of Alameda County and Santa Clara Valley under ultimate conditions. As contemplated, the aqueduct would be constructed inj two stages. The initial stage would comprise the Alameda-Contra Costa-Santa Clara-San Benito Coun-i ties Branch of the authorized Feather River Project Aqueduct, presently under intensive study by the Department of Water Resources for possible early construction. Deliveries of water by the Alameda- Contra Costa-Santa Clara-San Benito Counties Branch would be supplemented at a future time by construc- tion of additional diversion and conveyance works which would parallel the facilities of the initial stage. The total contemplated deliveries under ultimate con- ditions would be about 627,000 acre-feet per season, distributed as follows: Livermore Valley, 187,000 acre-feet; southern Alameda County coastal plain, i 198,000 acre-feet; and Santa Clara' Valley, 242,0001 acre-feet. Regulation of water delivered by the initial stage of the South Bay Aqueduct would be provided in Air- point Reservoir, about 2 miles east of Mission San Jose, and Evergreen Reservoir located about 6 miles south- east of San Jose, or alternatives thereto. These res- ervoirs would regulate the constant or uniform delivery to the variable monthly demands in the Southeast Bay Group. In this connection, available data indicate that the use of Airpoint Reservoir might be questionable from the geologic standpoint, due to possible excessive leakage. Construction of the South Bay Aqueduct to the ultimate stage contemplates the use of a portion of the storage space in Sanatorium Reservoir on Arroyo del Valle. However, it is now apparent that the ridges on either side of the reservoir are capped with gravel which arc probably permeable. Thus, storage in the reservoir would probably be limited due to the possi- bility of leakage at higher water stages. THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN (il Delivery of water to southern Contra Costa County and the northern portion of Livermore Valley could be accomplished by an alternative route of the South Bay Aqueduct. This alternative would consist of a diversion of water at the outlet portal of Brushy Peak Tunnel, and the conveyance along the northerly edge of Livermore Valley to a regulatory storage reservoir in Doolan Canyon, as shown on Sheet 10 of Plate 5. A reservoir at this site would be strategically located with respect to serving lands in Contra Costa County not within feasible reach of any existing water serv- ice agency. Studies of this alternative route have been of only a preliminary nature. In summary, the objectives of The California Water Plan in the Southeast Bay Group would be met by local water developments which would pro- vide 34,000 acre-feet per season; an increase in de- livery capacity of existing import facilities, amount- ing to 357,000 acre-feet per season, and imports through facilities of the California Aqueduct System, in the amount of 791,000 acre-feet per season, dis- tributed as follows: Kirker Pass Aqueduct, 164,000 acre-feet ; and South Bay Aqueduct, 627,000 acre-feet. Together, the foregoing deliveries would fully satisfy the ultimate water requirements of all land considered susceptible of water service in the Southeast Bay Group. Sanatorium, La Costa, and Little Francis Reser- voirs would provide a measure of incidental flood control. However, the bulk of the required flood con- trol works in the Southeast Bay Group are planned for construction by the three county flood control agencies in the area. Benefits to recreation and fish life would probably be slight because of operation primarily for water conservation. Peninsula Group. The Peninsula Group comprises the City and County of San Francisco and nearly all of San Mateo County. San Francisco County occupies only the northern tip of the peninsula, forming an approximate square about 7 miles on each side. A major topographic feature of the peninsula is a moun- tain range lying north and south, forming its back- bone. The City of San Francisco and adjacent com- munities in the northern portion of the bay side of San Mateo County constitute one of the most highly developed urban areas in the United States. The major segment of the economy is based upon industrial de- velopment, primarily manufacturing and food proc- essing. The Peninsula Group is drained principally by streams on the western slope which discharge into the Pacific Ocean. There are no undeveloped streams of any significance draining the eastern slope into the bay. with the exception of San Francisquito Creek, which forms the southerly boundary of the group. The high degree of urban development attained in the Peninsula Group has been made possible, for the most part, by water supplies imported from foreign watersheds. Development of local water resources had been virtually completed prior to 1900, with the con- struction of Pilarcitos, San Andreas, and Upper and Lower Crystal Springs Reservoirs by the Spring Val- ley Water Company, predecessor to the San Francisco Water Department. Alameda Creek in the Southeast Bay Group was first developed for a water supply for San Francisco and the peninsula around 1900, and was fully developed and outgrown by the early 1930 's. The need for imports of water from distant sources on a large scale Avas foreseen by the City of San Francisco sufficiently in advance that Lake Eleanor and Hetch Hetchy Reservoir on the Tuolumne River watershed and the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct were com- pleted by the time the peninsula and Alameda Creek systems became insufficient to meet the water require- ments. Water was first delivered from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor in Yosemite National Park to Crystal Springs Reservoir on the peninsula through the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct in 1934. Other than possible minor localized water problems along the coast in San Mateo County, there are no water shortage problems in the Peninsula Group. Moreover, the City and County of San Francisco plan to import sufficient water through the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct to meet the ultimate water requirements of San Francisco, the bay side of San Mateo County, and the coastal side of the county south nearly to Half Moon Bay. Present flood problems in the Peninsula Group oc- cur principally on the bay side of the peninsula, and are of a localized nature due to the comparatively small drainage areas of the uncontrolled streams. However, during intense storms these streams pre- sent serious flood threats to the highly developed urban areas which are rapidly extending along the bay shore over the entire length of the peninsula. Encroachment of these developments on the channels and flood plains has restricted channel capacities and has made maintenance difficult, as well as subjecting high-value property to possible inundation. Flood plains of streams on the coastal side of the peninsula are utilized mainly for agricultural pursuits, and flood damage has not been great. However, predic- tions of future land use patterns indicate a predomi- nantly urban culture under conditions of ultimate development, and future flood problems will become greatly magnified. The objectives of The California Water Plan in the Peninsula Group would be met by local develop- ment works on Pescadero and Butano Creeks to serve the coastal portion of San Mateo County south of Half Moon Bay, and by increased imports by the City and County of San Francisco to serve the re- mainder of the group. Waters of the Pescadero Creek system would be de- veloped by two dams, one on Pescadero Creek, about 62 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 1.5 miles east of Pescadero, and another on Butano capacity of 227,500 acre-feet, of which 199,000 acre- Creek about 1 mile southeast of Pescadero and just feet would be devoted to local water conservation, above the confluence of Butano and Pescadero Creeks. These works could provide a measure of incidental Pescadero Dam would be limited in height to avoid flood control, although there would be no primary inundation of any portion of Memorial Park with its flood control operation. Maintenance of minimum beautiful grove of virgin redwoods. Water conserved pools in proposed reservoirs, although small, would by Butano Point Reservoir would be augmented by a create conditions favorable to the warmwater fishery, gravity diversion through a pipe line from Pescadero Moreover, recreational opportunities could be in- Reservoir. The water supply made available by these creased by construction and operation of these reser- j reservoirs could be conveyed in a pressure pipe from voirs. Butano Point Dam northerly along the coast to the Data on the general features and capital costs of the vicinity of Half Moon Bay. A pumping plant located local development works contemplated as features of at the downstream toe of the dam would lift the water The California Water Plan in the San Francisco Bay to an elevation of about 400 feet at a summit about Area are presented in Table 10. The locations and 6 miles north of the dam. From this point the water layouts of all of these facilities are delineated on would flow by gravity to the vicinity of Half Moon Sheets 7, 8, and 10 of Plate 5. Bay. Releases would be made to service areas along , the conduit route. Cen ' ra/ Coasfa ' Area m . _, ^ . , , , , The Central Coastal Area is primarilv an agricul- The Pescadero Creek development would make ^^ { gituated between the heayil lated available a seasonal supply of 40,000 acre-feet, winch gan FranciscQ Bay and Log An leg metropolitan quantity could meet the ultimate water requirements areag _ milfi icultural industria l, and population of the forecast exclusively urban-tvpe land use in the ., . ,, ■, , , , -j ,, „ ,, . -5, o -n • growth in the area, m general, lias not been as rapid areas south of the service area of the San Francisco ° . ., . S~. , , -, . ,, , m _ , _. . .,,,.. or extensive as that which has occurred in these ad- Water Department. In addition, considerable inci- ... , . , ,. , ,. . ,.,.,,,, , . ,, t. v ■ i 1 -, joining regions, certain localized portions have dental flood control would be accomplished, and , . ° , ,. , ' , -. , , , , -, _ , , , , , i mi i i achieved a high degree ot development where ade- Ti^non" &sher / ™f d * e e + nhance f The + 1 bala ^ Ce quate water supplies are available. ot 196,000 acre-feet of ultimate supplemental water t -+j • i* j • a j • j * • e . ' , ,, ~. . t ri ,i , Irrigated agriculture and associated industries for requirements in the Peninsula Group would be met ,, . ° „ . ,. , ... . ,, , . ~ , . . , ,, , ,, TT , , the processing of agricultural products comprise the by service of water imported through the Hetch . . ,. ., . ,, V, , , ~ f . . T ; , , . , , , ,, r... ,,-? ~c major economic activitv in the Central Coastal Area, Hetchy Aqueduct by the City and County of San J ,. , . . ., „ _r.. ,, , x , _ . J . ^ J J J particularly m the fertile valleys, such as the Pajaro ' and Salinas Valleys, where underlying ground water Summary of San Francisco Bay Area. Objectives is readily available. Other industries of lesser im- of The California Water Plan in the San Francisco portance consist of oil refineries, lumber mills, and Bay Area would be met by further development of fishing. local water resources, by increases in deliveries of Water supplies in the Central Coastal Area are i existing import projects operated by local water serv- presently obtained principally from ground water i ice areas, and by imports through facilities of the sources. Although these water supplies are physically California Aqueduct System. Further development meeting present requirements, most of the ground of the meager and presently highly developed local water basins are highly developed, and in some cases water resources is limited. Of the total ultimate sup- are overdrawn. Such conditions have developed in plemental water requirements of 2,111,000 acre-feet the Pajaro and southern Santa Clara Valleys, the per season, only 103,000 acre-feet would be provided Hollister area, and the Salinas, Santa • Maria, and by increased development of local water resources, Cuyama River Valleys. As a result of these overdraft and the remaining 2,008,000 acre-feet would be de- conditions, degradation of quality of ground water livered by the facilities of the California Aqueduct supplies, resulting from sea-water intrusion, has oc- System indicated in the following tabulation: curred in the Monterey coastal area of the Salinas Solano Project __ 55,000 acre-feet and Pajaro Valleys, and perennial lowering of ground North Ray Aqueduct 308,000 acre-feet water levels is manifested in the San Benito, Pajaro, Eel River Diversion __ 422,000 aere-fe-t and lower Salinas Valleys. The overdraft on the Cedar Roughs Tunnel 224,000 acre-feet . " Montezuma Reservoir __ 208,000 acre-feet ground water resources in the Central Coastal Area Kirker Pass Aqueduct 164,000 acre-feet is presentlv (1955) estimated to aggregate some 65,- South Bil >' A ■"" H " 627 ' 000 aere - fw1 000 acre-feet per season. The foregoing developments would make available There are at the present time eight surface storage sufficient water to meet the ultimate requirements of developments in the Central Coastal Area, with an the highly developed Hi-ban economy of the San Fran- aggregate capacity of about 626,000 acre-feet and an cisco Bay Area. The prospective local developments estimated safe seasonal yield of about 315,000 acre- would include 10 storage reservoirs with an aggregate feet. The largest of these developments is Naeimienli THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 63 = =3 s o s m uj q. < Qi «- a: | < - % s - s 5 o o IBS o o o o o SS. 8 8 8 2nS3 5 S .S .52 « o3 oi a is q a c. a t3§ £££ EEgo i io^ {•So c c r r 1 a £2 O O O S £ S c a i H 03 03 ^ £ fe £ rafe fefe ££ £►_-£ - -0Q0Q CQCG t 1 - 00 006(O CC GO ^ CO cow 2 2 oo ~ ' 8 8 il- ia !§.sg S a 3= ■3 J o S ^03-3 £ £i3 S3« Sot o o « r 5? a "2 I'- 3 1 a 2-1 = *s © a 2 o I £ S -c <° h . I g I ° 1 ' a5 e Jj C O? 39 J= § Co " S c8o | 64 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Reservoir on the Nacimiento River, constructed to a storage capacity of 350,000 acre-feet by the Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation Dis- trict. It is planned that this reservoir will be oper- ated in conjunction with ground water storage in the Salinas Valley. Among other significant develop- ments in the Central Coastal Area are Cachuma Res- ervoir on the Santa Ynez River, recently constructed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, and Va- quero Reservoir on the Cuyama River, presently un- der construction by the same agency. Vaquero Reser- voir will be operated in conjunction with ground water storage in the Santa Maria Valley. The present (1955) water requirement in the Central Coastal Area, amounting to about 630,000 acre-feet per season, will ultimately increase to about 2,246,000 acre-feet per season. The present require- ment for supplemental water will ultimately be in- creased from the present (1955) total of 65,000 acre- feet per season to about 1,681,000 acre-feet per sea- son. Ground water resources of the area could meet little more than the present supplemental water re- quirements, even if developed to their full potential. It is evident, therefore, that the future development to meet ultimate requirements must rely upon local surface storage works, and upon imports through facilities of the California Aqueduct System. In addition to the serious water supply problems in the Central Coastal Area, there exists a problem of the opposite nature — the periodic occurrence of major floods which have caused extensive damage to agricultural lands and urban development. Flood damage has been experienced along the lower reaches of the San Benito, Salinas, San Lorenzo, and Pajaro Rivers; Soquel Creek; the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Rivers ; and Arroyo Grande Creek. The channels of the streams in the area have gen- erally steep gradients and storms produce relatively high precipitation intensities. Resultant flood flows in these 'streams are characterized by very high intensi- ties of relatively short duration. On San Lorenzo River and Soquel Creek, the recent flood of December, 1955, is considered to be the most damaging flood that ever occurred. Continuing development of urban and suburban areas will increase the flood damage poten- tial adjacent to all the foregoing streams. The objectives of The California Water Plan in the Central Coastal Area are twofold: first, the control and development of local water resources to the maxi- mum practicable extent to satisfy increasing needs Eor irrigation, urban, industrial, and recreational pur- poses, to provide flood control, and to enhance the fishery wherever feasible; and second, the importa- tion of water through facilities of the California Aqueducl System to satisfy fully the ultimate re- quirements of all lands considered susceptible of water service. Local development works contemplated as features of The California Water Plan in the Central Coastal Area are considered under nine geographical sub- divisions. These are designated and are hereinafter referred to as the "Santa Cruz-Pajaro Group," "San Benito Group," "Monterey-Carmel Group," "Sa- linas River Group," "Carrizo Plain," "San Luis Obispo Group," "Santa Maria Valley," "Cuyama Valley, ' ' and ' ' Santa Barbara Group ' ' ; and their loca-1 tions are shown on Plate 3. Suggested plans for local water supply development are presented individually for each of these divisions. Possible methods for im-j portation of supplemental water will be described in the ensuing section entitled "California Aqueduct System." The layout of the projected, water development works in the Central Coastal Area is delineated on Sheets 10, 13, 16, 17, and 20 of Plate 5. Physical features and costs of all the local works are pre- sented in Table 11, which follows this discussion under the heading "Summary of Central Coastal Area." Santa Cruz-Pajaro Group. The Santa Cruz-Pa- jaro Group embraces nearly all of Santa Cruz County, the southerly tip of San Mateo County adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, and the Pajaro Valley, portions of which lie in Monterey and San Benito Counties. The area totals some 500 square miles, of which 425 square miles comprise mountains and foothills. The moun- tains are generally well covered with timber, includ- ing extensive growths of redwood. About three-fourths of all the water developed in the Santa Cruz-Pajaro Group is presently supplied: by water pumped from underlying ground water; basins. Lands utilizing ground water are generally served by individually owned wells and pumps. Sur- face diversions are made from numerous streams rising in the Santa Cruz Mountains, principally for urban and recreational uses. The largest surface di- versions are made by the Cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville. The City of Santa Cruz diverts water from Liddell, Laguna, and Majors Creeks, and from the San Lorenzo River ; while the City of Watsonville diverts from Corralitos Creek and Brown Valley Creek in the Pajaro Valley. Although the Santa Cruz-Pajaro Group has ample water resources to meet present and probable ulti- mate water requirements, except in Pajaro Valley, the area is presently faced with serious water prob- lems. Heavy irrigation season pumping draft from the confined ground water aquifers in the Pajaro Valley has resulted in the intrusion of sea water into the lower portion of the aquifers near Monterey Bay. The overdraft is estimated (1953) to be about 4,000 acre- feet per season. The City of Santa Cruz, which de- pends almost entirely upon surface diversions, is faced with the threat of a deficiency of available supplies during the late summer months of low runoff, because Central Coastal Area— Point Lobos 66 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN of the lack of adequate storage facilities. Recurrence of a very dry year, such as 1931, would undoubtedly force late summer water rationing throughout the Santa Cruz area. Another major water problem in the Santa Cruz- Pajaro Group is manifested in periodic floods, result- ing from high rainfall intensities, particularly on the Santa Cruz Mountains. The recurring threat of flood- ing along the lower reaches of San Lorenzo and Pajaro Rivers and Soquel and Branciforte Creeks is great, as was demonstrated by the flood of December, 1955. As an example, the San Lorenzo River at Big Trees reached a peak discharge of 30,000 second-feet during that flood. The previous high for this stream was 24,000 second-feet in February of 1940. With the exception of Pajaro Valley, the ultimate water requirements in the Santa Cruz-Pajaro Group could be met by development of local water resources. Fulfillment of the objectives of The California Water Plan in the Pajaro Valley would require an import of water through the facilities of the California Aque- duct System. Agricultural and urban water requirements of lands along the coastal strip north of the City of Santa Cruz could be met by development of Scott Creek. Water of Scott Creek would be conserved in Archibald Reservoir, located about 3 miles north of the town of Davenport. The probable ultimate supplemental water require- ments of the area tributary to Monterey Bay between Meder Creek, immediately west of the City of Santa Cruz, and the Pajaro drainage area, could be pro- vided by storage reservoirs on Bear, Zayante, Soquel, and Aptos Creeks, on the upper reaches of the San Lorenzo River and Soquel drainage basins, and a pumped diversion from the San Lorenzo River near the City of Santa Cruz to an off -stream storage reser- voir on Doyle Gulch. Bear Creek Dam and Reservoir would be located on Bear Creek 4 miles west of the town of Boulder Creek. The reservoir would provide water for urban and recreational uses along the upper reaches of the San Lorenzo River drainage area. Zayante Creek Dam and Reservoir on Zayante Creek, about 4 miles east of the town of Felton, would develop water for use along Zayante Creek and the San Lorenzo River be- tween Zayante Dam and the City of Santa Cruz. The City of Santa Cruz and surrounding areas near Soquel and Capitola could be served by a pumped diversion of winter runoff of the San Lorenzo River at Santa Cruz, and conveyance of the water by pumping facilities and pipe line to an off-stream stor- age reservoir on Doyle Gulch about 3 miles east of Santa Cruz. Water could he delivered to the service areas directly from the diversion works during the winter mouths, and by releases from Doyle Culch Reservoir through the conveyance facilities by grav- ity during the summer months. Glenwood Dam and Reservoir would be located on the West Branch of Soquel Creek, about 6 miles north of the town of Soquel. The reservoir would develop water for use along the down stream channel, and along the coast generally east of Capitola. A similar development on Soquel Creek, about 6 miles north- west of the town of Soquel, would provide water for use along Soquel Creek and on the coastal area in the vicinity of Soquel and Capitola. Aptos Creek Dam and Reservoir would be located on Aptos Creek about 1 mile north of the town of Aptos. The reservoir could provide urban and agri- cultural water supplies in the vicinity of the town of Aptos. The foregoing works could meet the ultimate sup- plemental water requirements in all of Santa Cruz County, with exception of Pajaro Valley. In addition, operation of these reservoirs would sustain summer flows in the upper reaches of the San Lorenzo River and Soquel Creek, thus enhancing stream fishing and recreation. Although a measure of flood protection would be provided by these developments, such pro- tection would be inadequate for the lower reaches of the San Lorenzo River and Soquel Creeks because of insufficient storage for full control. In this connec- tion, flood control on the San Lorenzo River by means of reservoir storage is not feasible of accomplishment because of the lack of storage sites anywhere on the river. However, the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, is preparing to construct an authorized project for levee and channel improvement on the lower San Lorenzo River, which will relieve the present flood threat in the City of Santa Cruz and vicinity. The ultimate supplemental water requirement in the Pajaro Valley could be met by a diversion of surplus winter flows from the Pajaro River and con- veyance of the diverted water to an off -stream storage reservoir in Corn Cob Canyon, and by import through the South Bay Aqueduct of the California Aqueduct System. Surplus flows in the Pajaro River would be diverted during the winter months and conveyed by canal to the vicinity of Watsonville Reservoir, in Corn Cob Canyon, about 1 mile southeast of Watson- ville Junction. The water would be pumped into the reservoir and would he released through the same facilities during the irrigation season for use along the lower Pajaro River, in the area where the present ground water overdraft exists. In addition to the new yield developed by the Pajaro diversion, an additional amount of about 15,000 acre-feet of water per season would be required to satisfy fully the ultimate supplemental require- ments in Pajaro Valley. This quantity of water would be conveyed to Paeheeo Creek by facilities of the South Bay Aqueduct and released into that creek, where it THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 67 Lvould flow by gravity down the Pajaro River to be t rvailable for rediversion in the Pajaro Valley. With respect to flooding along the lower Pajaro River, there are no storage sites on the main stream, land no upstream storage development offers sufficient wrotection. As in the case of the San Lorenzo River, ■hannel improvement and levee construction affords lie most satisfactory solution to flood problems. The &>rps of Engineers, U. S. Army, has improved the ower Pajaro River, and has plans for further channel Improvement. . In summary, prospective local development works by which the objectives of The California Water Plan Kn the Santa Cruz-Pajaro Group would be accom- plished comprise eight dams and reservoirs and two Diversion features. Together these works would de- Ivelop a seasonal new yield of 48,000 acre-feet which ■would provide for the ultimate water needs in all but ■the Pajaro Valley, where an additional amount of [about 15,000 acre-feet per season would be imported by facilities of the California Aqueduct System. Thus, [about 63,000 acre-feet per season would be developed for use in the Santa Cruz-Pajaro Group, which i amount would fully meet the ultimate requirements [of all the lands considered susceptible of w r ater serv- ice. In addition to the conservation accomplishments, pthe prospective local developments in conjunction with downstream channel improvement would provide flood control on the San Lorenzo River and Soquel [Creek, and would enhance recreation and stream fish- ing in those streams by maintenance of improved [summer flow's. San Benito Group. The San Benito Group gen- erally comprises those lands lying in Santa Clara and [San Benito Counties which make up the drainage basin of the Pajaro River above Chittenden. Its area Totals about 1,190 square miles, of which some 950 square miles comprise mountain and foothills and the remainder is classified as valley and mesa lands. ! The present (1954) irrigated acreage in the San ^Benito Group approximates 70,000 acres, of which Kabout 40,000 acres are located in the Hollister area and the remainder is found in south Santa Clara Valley. The relatively high degree of development has been achieved by exploitation of the extensive ground water storage in alluvial fill areas, notably the south I Santa Clara Valley and the Hollister area. The de- velopment of the ground water basins has been aided by the facilities operated by local water service agen- flcies for ground water recharge by controlled releases |from surface storage reservoirs. The principal storage works in the San Benito Group consist of the recently completed Chesbro Dam on Llagas Creek and Uvas Creek Dam on ITvas Creek, Lboth projects developed by the South Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District; Paicines Reser- voir, an off -stream storage site for water diverted from the San Benito River, constructed by the Hollis- ter Irrigation District to serve irrigated lands during winter and spring months when water is available; and the North Fork Reservoir on the North Fork of Pacheco Creek, owned and operated by the Paeheco Pass Water District for controlled percolation in Pa- checo Creek. The combined storage capacity of these reservoirs is about 28,000 acre-feet, and their yield, obtained by operation in conjunction with ground water storage, is about 22,000 acre-feet per year. As a result of the sustained drafts on ground water resources in the San Benito Group and the continually increasing irrigation demands, the ground water basin underlying the Hollister area is overdrawn at the present time. The present (1954) seasonal overdraft in this area is estimated to be about 8,000 acre-feet. To meet fully the ultimate requirements of the group, supplemental w r ater supplies totaling 132,000 acre-feet per season would be required in addition to the pres- ently developed supplies. The quality of the ground water underlying about 5,000 acres skirting the foothills easterly of Hollister is somewhat adversely affected by a relatively high boron content. Recurrent flooding is a threat to the intensively cul- tivated lands along the Pajaro River where the flood plains of Llagas and Carnadero Creeks merge with the bottom land lake area, extending westward from San Felipe Lake to the vicinity of Sargent. This area is flooded by discharge of tributaries to Tequisquito Slough, as well as Llagas and Carnadero Creeks. In addition, the banks of the San Benito River are sub- ject to severe erosion during periods of high runoff such as that which occurred during the December, 1955, flood. The opportunity for further development of local water resources of the San Benito Group is very limited. Therefore, accomplishment of the objectives of The California Water Plan in that group must rely primarily on the importation of supplemental water from areas of surplus elsewhere in the State. However, further development of local water resources could provide sufficient water to meet the ultimate water requirement in the south Santa Clara Valley and to overcome the present deficiency in the Hollister area. Enlargement of the existing Uvas Creek Reservoir from its present capacity of 10,000 acre-feet to a capacity of 34,000 acre-feet could, if operated in con- junction with the downstream ground water basin in south Santa Clara Valley, provide sufficient water to meet the ultimate supplemental water requirement of the valley. Diversion facilities have been provided so that when releases from this reservoir exceed perco- lation capacity of the downstream channel in Uvas Creek, excess flows would be diverted into the absorp- tive Llagas Creek channel. Water supplies for the Hollister area could be made available by four dams and reservoirs on tributaries to 68 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN the Pajaro River, consisting of a reservoir on Paeheco Creek, two reservoirs on the San Benito River, and a diversion dam from Tres Pinos Creek. Harper Canyon Dam and Reservoir would be lo- cated on Paeheco Creek about 11 miles northeast of Hollister. Initially, the reservoir could be operated entirely for conservation, with releases being made for augmenting stream channel percolation in Paeheco Creek. However, under ultimate operation, the reser- voir could be enlarged to provide sufficient additional storage for regulation of deliveries through the South Bay Aqueduct to the variable monthly demands in the Hollister area. San Benito Dam and Reservoir, located on the San Benito River about 6 miles downstream from the town of San Benito, would develop an irrigation supply for lands along the river between the dam and the town of Paicines. Cienega Dam and Reservoir, located about 1 mile east of the town of Paicines, would augment the ground water supplies in the Hollister area by releases to the downstream channels. Yield developed by Cienega Reservoir could be augmented by a diver- sion from Tres Pinos Creek of surplus flows in excess of the percolation capacity of that creek. The diversion dam on Tres Pinos Creek would be located about 2 miles southeast of the town of Paicines, and the water would be conveyed about 1 mile by canal to Cienega Reservoir. In summary, the prospective local development works in the San Benito Group would provide a total seasonal new yield of 20,700 acre-feet, of which 6,400 acre-feet would be provided in south Santa Clara Valley and 14,300 acre-feet in the Hollister area. A measure of flood control would be provided by opera- tion of these works, although no planned operation for that purpose is contemplated. The Corps of Engi- neers is investigating the control of floods in the area by channel improvement and/or reservoir control. Water supplies in the amount of 113,000 acre-feet per season would be delivered through facilities of the California Aqueduct System in order to satisfy fully the ultimate water requirements of lauds in the San Benito Group. Monterey-Carmel Group. The Monterey-Carmel Group embraces the Carmel River Basin and the area tributary to the Pacific Ocean immediately to the south, extending to the Monterey-San Luis Obispo county line. Its area totals about 610 square miles, of which nearly 600 square miles comprise mountains and foothills. The Carmel River Basin contains the majority of the irrigable lands, most of which arc in the Carmel Valley, and the Monterey Peninsula, a widely known resort area. [rrigated lands in the Carmel Valley and the urban and suburban areas on the Monterey Peninsula make up the total present (1950) water requirement of about 10.400 acre-feet per year in the Monterey-Carmel Group. The only existing major surface water supply developments in the group consist of Los Padres and San Clemente Reservoirs on the Carmel River, owned ' and operated by the California Water and Telephone Company. The remainder of the water service is gen- \ erally supplied by individuals who utilize ground water or who divert directly from the many small ' streams emanating from the Santa Lucia Range. The Monterey-Carmel Group has ample water re- . sources to meet present and probable ultimate require- , ments, water now wasting to the ocean substantially exceeding the latter requirement. The ultimate supple- , mental water requirement of the group is estimated to , be about 37,500 acre-feet per season. As contemplated • under The California Water Plan, this requirement < would be furnished by increasing the present yield,' of the ground water basin in Carmel Valley by greater ground water utilization, and by a surface storage de- >) I velopment on the Carmel River, which would also have; some recreational values. Development of the Carmel River could be com- )| pleted by construction of a dam at the Klondike sitew about 15 miles upstream from Carmel Bay. Klondike i Reservoir would inundate the present San Clemente; |; Dam and the filtration plant below the dam. The res-( ervoir would be operated in conjunction with the* present Los Padres Reservoir and filter plant, releas- ing water into existing facilities for urban and in- dustrial distribution on the Monterey Peninsula. In addition, 2,200 acre-feet of water per season would be released directly to the Carmel River for agricultural use along the river below the dam. The present ground water yield of 2.300 acre-feeti per season in the Carmel Valley ground water basin could be increased to 4,600 acre-feet as the acreage: of overlying irrigated lands increases in the future The increased yield would be developed by greater extraction from the ground water basin, thus provid- ing a greater seasonal and cyclic storage depletion during dry periods, which would create additional storage for conservation of water supplies which would otherwise waste to the ocean during ensuing wet periods. The ultimate supplemental water requirements of about 8,000 acre-feet per season in the coastal por- tion of the Monterey-Carmel Group south of the Carmel River could be provided by direct diversions from the high-producing streams of the area. Avail able data indicate that the minimum summer flows in' the streams of that area, particularly the Sur andj Little Sur Rivers, would always be adequate to mee* the peak monthly demands for water in their im mediate areas, including sufficient flow for mainte- nance of fish life. Thus, the diversion of water undei ultimate conditions should not impair the present high recreational, fishery, and wildlife value of the area Should the necessity occur, small headwater reservoirs could be constructed for maintenance of stream flow THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 69 The 8,000 acre-feet of water per season available Erom direct diversion from the coastal streams, along with the 27,200 acre-feet developed by Klondike Res- jrvoir and 2,300 acre-feet secured by greater utiliza- ion of ground water in the Carmel Valley, would oeet the ultimate supplemental water requirement of B?,500 acre-feet in the Monterey-Carmel Group. Salinas River Group. The Salinas River Group ?mbraces the total area of some 4,330 square miles irained by the Salinas River and its tributaries. From the southern coastal portion of Monterey Bay, just 'lorth of the Monterey Peninsula, this group extends generally southeasterly for a distance of 150 miles through major portions of Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties and a small part of San Benito bounty. The topography is generally mountainous and rally, but is split longitudinally for a distance of learly 100 miles along its major axis from Monterey Bay to Wunpost by the floor of the Salinas Valley and the meander of the Salinas River. | Described by early visitors as the ' ' Salinas Desert, ' ' :he Salinas Valley has developed to the point where B0 per cent of the lands susceptible of irrigation are bresently irrigated from underlying ground water re- sources. The major economy of the valley is based lipon its agricultural development and allied indus- tries which process and package agricultural products. I Development of agriculture in the Salinas Valley has been possible due to the availability of water in large quantities and of excellent quality. Underlying ilmost the entire valley floor is an extensive ground water basin which, until recently, has economically rielded sufficient water to satisfy all agricultural, in- dustrial, and domestic water requirements. ' Present (1954) water requirements in the Salinas River Group are estimated to be about 267,000 acre- feet per season, nearly all of which are supplied by tramping from underlying ground water storage, particularly in the Salinas Valley north of San Lucas. Net seasonal pumping draft from the extensive ground water basin underlying that valley presently averages 225,000 acre-feet. Nacimiento Dam and Reservoir, recently con- structed by the Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and Salinas Reservoir ure the only major existing surface water develop- ments in the Salinas River Group. Nacimiento Res- •rvoir, located on the Nacimiento River about 12 miles upstream from its confluence with the Salinas River, has a storage capacity of 350,000 acre-feet, of which 150,000 acre-feet is to be reserved for control jf floods on the Nacimiento and Salinas Rivers. The listriet plans to operate the conservation storage to ■etain winter flood flows for release during the ensuing months to recharge ground water basins underlying he Salinas River. Salinas Reservoir, with a capacity >t 26,000 acre-feet, was built by the Corps of Engi- neers, U. S. Army, in 1942 for water supply for Cam]) San Luis Obispo. It is now used for the municipal supply of the City of San Luis Obispo. Although the safe yield of the ground water re- sources of the Salinas River Group exceeds the total pumping extraction on an over-all basis, serious overdrafts prevail in the vicinity of Monterey Bay and along the easterly fringe of the valley floor from Salinas southeast to the vicinity of Gonzales. The problem of overdraft in the vicinity of Monterey Bay is typical of many coastal basins where ground water occurs in confined aquifers, or water-bearing zones, which are open to the ocean at their lower end. The present (1954) overdraft on the confined aquifer in the vicinity of Monterey Bay is estimated to be 20,- 000 acre-feet per season. Sea water has already intruded for a distance of about 3 miles and has neces- sitated the abandonment of pumping from the in- truded aquifer in an area of some 5,000 acres. The deficiency along the eastern fringe of Salinas Valley is due to the inherent deficiency in natural water sup- plies in that area, and presently (1954) amounts to 8,000 acre-feet per season. The probable ultimate supplemental water requirements of the potential service areas in the Salinas River Group are estimated at 483,000 acre-feet per season, which substantially exceeds the developable local water resources. In addition to the water conservation problem in the Salinas River Group, the periodic occurrence of floods causes damage to agricultural lands and utili- ties on the Salinas River flood plain below Wunpost. Operation of the 150,000 acre-feet of flood control storage space in Nacimiento Reservoir will greatly re- duce flood hazards and flood damages. However, at- tainment of the required degree of flood protection for the highly developed economy of the lower Salinas Valley will ultimately necessitate a control structure and channel improvements on the main stem of the Salinas River below its major tributaries. Objectives of The California Water Plan in the Salinas River Group could be accomplished by both local development works and by imports through facilities of the California Aqueduct System. The local development phase would consist of eight storage reservoirs and three conveyance conduits. The reser- voirs would be operated coordinately and in conjunc- tion with downstream ground water storage to attain the optimum degree of local water resource develop- ment, and to correct the present problem of sea-water intrusion into the confined aquifer in the vicinity of Monterey Bay. Such operation would necessitate the limiting of draft in the confined aquifers to the safe yield rate, and the delivery of a supplemental surface supply to meet the balance of the water requirements of overlying areas. It would also require the rearrange- ment of the present pattern of pumping draft in the forebay area, or zone of unconfined ground water, and JO THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN the increased utilization of underground storage, thus creating greater space for recharge by water which would otherwise waste to the ocean. It is esti- mated that the safe ground water yield could be so increased by some 50,000 acre-feet per season under ultimate development, in addition to the yield of sur- face storage facilities. The contemplated local development works in the Salinas River Group would provide surface water service to the lower and a portion of the upper Salinas Basin by releases and direct conveyance to service areas. Reservoir releases would also be made for control of downstream ground water levels to effect their efficient operation. The prospective sur- face storage reservoirs include single units on Santa Rita and Jack Creeks, the Arroyo Seco, and the Sa- linas River, and two units each on the Nacimiento and San Antonio Rivers. Santa Rita Dam and Reservoir would be located on Santa Rita Creek about 3 miles upstream from its confluence with Paso Robles Creek. Water developed by the reservoir could be released into Santa Rita Creek for diversion downstream to supply urban and irrigation demands in and around the communities of Atascadero and Templeton along the upper Salinas River. Jack Creek Reservoir on Jack Creek, about 2 miles upstream from its confluence with Paso Robles Creek, would supplement the yield developed in Santa Rita Reservoir by similar downstream releases. Development of the Nacimiento River would be completed by San Miguelito and Jarrett Shut-in Reservoirs. San Miguelito Reservoir would be formed by a dam about 34 miles upstream from the existing Nacimiento Dam. Jarrett Shut-in Reservoir would be located about 8 miles downstream from the San Miguelito site. Both reservoirs would be operated co- ordinately to conserve the flows of Nacimiento River in excess of the amounts controlled by Nacimiento Reservoir. The yields developed by these reservoirs would be released downstream through Nacimiento Reservoir, and diverted from the Nacimiento River and conveyed to areas of use in the Nacimiento- Shandon Conduit. This Nacimiento-Shandon Conduit would convey the water easterly from the Nacimiento River, in pres- sure conduit, to a wye east of San Miguel. The main conduit would continue easterly to Shandon Terminal Reservoir about 1 mile southeast of the town of Shan- don. Water would be pumped into the reservoir at an elevation of about 1,190 feet. The Creston Lateral would extend from the wye near S;m Miguel in a general southeasterly direction, terminating in the Creston Terminal Reservoir about a mile south of Creston. The foregoing facilities would deliver new urban and irrigation water to valley and foothill lands along the cast side of the upper Salinas Valley and to the City of Paso Robles. Two storage developments on the San Antonio River would complete development of its water re-( sources. Milpitas Dam and Reservoir would be located about 40 miles upstream from the confluence of San, Antonio and Salinas Rivers. Pleyto Dam and Reser- voir would be located at the lower end of Lockwood Valley, about 10 miles upstream from the confluence of San Antonio and Salinas Rivers. Water from these, reservoirs would serve Lockwood and Hames Valleys. Runoff of the Arroyo Seco would be controlled by Greenfield Dam and Reservoir about 5 miles south- west of Greenfield. A portion of the yield of Green-, field Reservoir would be released into the stream channel to support pumping withdrawals from; ground water storage underlying the Arroyo Seco. and Salinas River channel. However, the major por-, tion of the new water yield would be diverted and, delivered through the Greenfield-Monterey conduit tt areas along the west side of Salinas Valley, particu, larly the area between Salinas and Monterey Bay. The runoff in the main stem of the Salinas Rivei| n could be controlled by San Lucas Dam and Resen m voir, located about 3 miles downstream from Saj} « Lucas and 4 miles upstream from King City. San ^ Lucas Reservoir, which has been authorized anq | adopted by the Legislature, would be operated both Q f, for conservation and flood control, with 150,000 acre! feet of storage reserved for control of flood flows orL t the Salinas River and its tributaries. .': With San Lucas Reservoir in operation, the tota, \ n new seasonal yield of the surface storage devel opments contemplated on the Salinas River systen would approximate 102,000 acre-feet. An additional yield of 18,000 acre-feet per season could be obtainec by transferring the 150,000 acre-feet of flood contro; storage space in Nacimiento Reservoir downstrean 7, to San Lucas Reservoir, at such time as the lattej reservoir would become operational, and by operating the additional storage space in Nacimiento Reservoh C: for conservation. Transfer of the flood control spac» I from Nacimiento to San Lucas Reservoir would be logical move because of the high degree of control the drainage area of the basin at the San Lucas site im In addition to its efficacy in the control of floods! San Lucas Reservoir would be necessary for captur and reregulation of the substantial return flows whicli would result from irrigation of large areas of land, ^ in the upper Salinas Basin under ultimate condition!' The waters conserved by San Lucas Reservoir, antly, portions of the yields of the future reservoirs on th Nacimiento and San Antonio Rivers would be utilizei to eliminate present overdraft conditions and to mee future increases in water requirements in the Salina Valley. Water would be made available to the lowe portion of the valley north of Gonzales, where over draft conditions prevail, by a surface diversion frorj the Salinas River and conveyance in the San Lucasj East Side Conduit. This conduit would originate a THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN le San Lucas Dam and be constructed along- the west de of the Salinas River, crossing- the river in a phon near Soledad, and continuing along- the cast de of the river to a terminus about 3 miles north of ic City of Salinas. The conduit would also provide ater service for foothill lands on the east side of the alley by means of takeouts and pump lifts along the mduit route. In summary, the local development works contem- lated in the Salinas River Group would make avail- blc 12(1.0011 acre-feet of supplemental water per ?asou by operation of eight conservation reservoirs dth a total storage capacity of 1,130,000 acre-feet, hese reservoirs woidd be operated coordinately and i conjunction with downstream ground water basins > facilitate the development of an additional sea- >nal yield of 50,000 acre-feet from increased utili- ation of ground water storage. Thus, a total yield of dditional water in the aggregate amount of 170,000 cre-feet per season would be made available to meet portion of the estimated ultimate water require- ents of lauds in the Salinas River Group. However, s previously stated, the ultimate supplemental water equirements within the group are estimated to be 83,000 acre-feet per season. Therefore, additional rater in the net amount of 313,000 acre-feet per on, requiring a gross delivery of 335,000 acre- eet. would be supplied from the Central Coastal Lqueduct. a feature of the California Aqueduct ■stem. In addition to the foregoing water conservation ccomplishments of the contemplated local develop- lent works, a large measure of flood control would e provided by operation of flood control storage in an Lucas Reservoir, and by incidental flood flow re- liction from operation of 755,000 acre-feet of con- ervation storage in the seven other reservoirs. Carrizo Plain. The Carrizo Plain is a large arid alley of internal drainage, located between the Tem- lor and Caliente Ranges adjacent to the upper Salinas nd Cuyama Valleys. The valley floor lies at an eleva- lon of about 2.000 feet above sea level. Mean seasonal recipitation varies from about 8 inches on the valley loor to 10 inches in the surrounding mountains, tunoff in streams tributary to the Carrizo Plain is ^significant in amount and is largely disposed of taturally through evaporation from Soda Lake, a latural sump located near the center of the plain. At the present time a dry-farmed economy exists hich probably will continue for many years in the uture. A large portion of the potentially irrigable ands is utilized for dry-farm production of a high- [uality Baart wheat for which the flour milling indus- ry pays premium prices. The remainder of the area 3 devoted to cattle grazing, with small acreage of rigated pasture to supplement the natural forage. Small amounts of water are presently pumped from ground water storage underlying the Carrizo Plain ; but the supplies are very meager, and no opportunity exists for further development of local water supplies. If irrigation in this area were to expand, water to satisfy the needs therefor would have to be imported from outside sources. The cost of such water would be high. The possible ultimate seasonal water require- ments, amounting to 245,000 acre-feet, could be pro- vided through facilities of the Carrizo-Cuyama Aque- duct, a feature of the California Aqueduct System. San Luis Obispo Group. The San Luis Obispo Group consists generally of that portion of San Luis Obispo County lying on the western slopes of the Santa Lucia Range. A small portion of the group extends northward along the coast into Monterey County. The area consists of mountain and foothill lands interlain by numerous small stream valleys and the more extensive valley and coastal plain area of Arroyo Grande Creek. Present (1953) developed water supply in the San Luis Obispo Group totals about 16,000 acre-feet per season, the majority of which is obtained by pumping from underlying ground water storage. "Water sup- plies for the City of San Luis Obispo, however, are presently obtained largely by importation from Sa- linas Reservoir on the upper Salinas River near Santa Margarita, as described in the foregoing section deal- ing with the Salinas River Group. There are no local surface storage developments in the San Luis Obispo Group. The present net draft on ground water in the San Luis Obispo Group, amounting to nearly 14,000 acre- feet per season, is obtained without any overdraft problem. It is estimated that pumping draft could be increased to some 28,000 acre-feet per season with- out exceeding the safe yield of local ground water resources. The largest ground water basin in the group underlies the lower valley and coastal plain of Arroyo Grande Creek. Numerous small ground water basins underlie or are adjacent to the lower reaches of the coastal streams. The objectives of The California Water Plan in the San Luis Obispo Group would be met mainly by further development of local water resources. How- ever, full satisfaction of ultimate water requirements, amounting to an estimated 156,000 acre-feet per sea- son, would necessitate a delivery of some imported water through facilities of the California Aqueduct System. Most of the favorable local water development sites are located on the streams in the northern portion of the group, whereas the majority of potential wa- ter service areas are located in the southern portion. particularly in the vicinity of Arroyo Grande, the coastal plain, and the City of San Luis Obispo. Con- Nacimiento Reservoir on Nacimiento River Provides Water for Agricultural Uses in the Salinas Valley THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 7:: templated water development works would consist of an integrated system of reservoirs, comprising two dams on San Carporforo Creek; single dams on Anoyo de la Cruz, San Simeon Creek, Santa Rosa Creek, and Old Creek, all connected by a coastal con- duit conveying the developed water suppl}- southward to areas of use; and a reservoir on Arroyo Grande Creek. Waters of San Carporforo Creek would be controlled by dams and reservoirs at the Bald Top and Ragged Point sites, located about 5 miles and 2 miles, respec- tively, above the mouth of that creek. Bald Top Reservoir would be operated coordinately with the downstream Ragged Point Reservoir, both facilities releasing water for conveyance in the coastal conduit. Yellow Hill Reservoir, located on Arroyo de la Cruz about 1.6 miles upstream from its mouth, San Simeon Reservoir on San Simeon Creek about 3 miles north of the town of Cambria, and Santa Rosa Reservoir on Santa Rosa Creek about 5 miles east of Cambria would augment the southward delivery of water in the coastal conduit. Water to supply future needs of the City of San Luis Obispo and vicinity could be provided by con- struction of Whale Rock Dam and Reservoir on Old Creek about a mile east of the town of Cayucos. This project was recommended in October, 1955, for con- struction in the immediate future, under a program of staged development. The Whale Rock Project is contemplated as a joint venture of the State and the City of San Luis Obispo. The Legislature is presently considering an appropriation of funds to finance the State's interest in the project as a water supply for the California Polytechnic Institute and the Califor- nia Men's Colony. The City of San Luis Obispo has recently authorized the issue of bonds to finance the local cost of the project. In order to deliver the water to the areas of need, the Cambria Conduit would be constructed from San Carporforo Creek on the north to a terminal point in the vicinity of the City of San Luis Obispo. The Cam- bria Conduit would proceed along the coast, intercept- ing waters released from the reservoirs on San Car- porforo Creek, Arroyo de la Cruz, and San Simeon, Santa Rosa, and Old Creeks. It would leave the coast near the mouth of Morro Creek, proceeding up Las I teos Valley where the water would be lifted over the low divide into San Lans Valley, and the conduit would finally terminate at Indian Knob Terminal Res- ervoir on a small tributary of San Luis Obispo Creek about 5 miles south of San Luis Obispo. Water requirements of the service areas along Ar- royo Grande Creek could be met by Lopez Reservoir. on Arroyo Grande Creek about 7 miles upstream from the City of Arroyo Grande. Water would be provided by gravity releases from the reservoir. Lopez Reser- voir would be operated to provide water for additional development in the Arroyo Grande area, both by eon junctive operation with downstream "found water storage and by diversion of controlled reservoir re- leases either from the stream or from a conveyance conduit. Moreover, Lopez Reservoir would provide a substantial degree of incidental downstream flood con- trol, although it would not entirely eliminate the problem. In summary, the local development phase of The California Water Plan for the San Luis Obispo Group would comprise seven dams and reservoirs and a con- duit for conveying portions of the yields of these res- ervoirs to the areas of use. These reservoirs, with aggregate capacity of 315,000 acre-feet, would, to- gether with increased ground water utilization, pro- vide a safe seasonal yield of 111,500 acre-feet, which would meet a substantial portion of the ultimate water requirements of the group. However, in order to sat- isfy fully the ultimate requirements, an additional net amount of some 26,000 acre-feet of water per sea- son, requiring a gross delivery of 30,000 acre-feet, would have to be imported through the Central Coastal Aqueduct of the California Aqueduct System. Santa Maria Valley. The Santa Maria Valley comprises the drainage area of the Santa Maria River, excluding the drainage area of the Cuyama River above Vaquero Dam, and embraces portions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Counties. The valley includes the intensively developed agricultural area on the coastal plain, centered around the City of Santa Maria; the adjoining Nipomo Mesa; and tribu- tary mountain and hill areas. Essentially all developed water in the Santa Maria Valley is now obtained from the ground water basin underlying the coastal plain. Water is used princi- pally for agricultural purposes on the floor of Santa Maria Valley and the adjacent Nipomo Mesa. Until recently there have been no major surface storage de- velopments on the Santa Maria River or its tribu- taries. However, the Santa Maria Project, comprising a 214,000 acre-foot reservoir at the Vaquero site on the Cuyama River, and channel improvements along the Santa Maria River and Bradley Canyon, are now under construction by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers, respectively. Proposed oper- ation of Vaquero Reservoir contemplates the reserva tion of 89,000 acre-feet of storage for control of floods, and the balance of the reservoir storage capac- ity for water conservation. Water retained in the conservation storage pool will be released to the Santa Maria River at rates within the percolation capacity of the channel. It has been estimated by the Bureau of Reclama- tion that recharge to ground water by operation of Vaquero Reservoir will be increased by an average u THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN amount of 18,500 acre-feet per season. In addition, the flood control accomplishments of the reservoir will be augmented by the construction of levees along Bradley Canyon and along Santa Maria River down- stream therefrom to confine large flood flows within the leveed channel. For many years, pumping extraction from the ground water resources of Santa Maria Valley has exceeded replenishment, resulting in perennial over- draft. Although the large amount of ground water storage capacity has so far made possible the mainte- nance of overdraft without lowering of water levels below sea level, continuation of overdraft conditions would inevitably result in such lowering, with the re- sultant threat of sea-water intrusion. It is estimated that the present (1950) seasonal net draft on the ground water basin is about 91,000 acre-feet and that the safe seasonal yield of the basin is only 54,000 acre-feet. It should be noted that the new yield de- veloped by Vaquero Reservoir will not entirely elimi- nate the present ground water overdraft in Santa Maria Valley. The water requirements of Santa Maria Valley are forecast to be about 227,000 acre-feet per season under ultimate development. Taking credit for the new yield of the ground water basin operated in conjunction with Vaquero Reservoir, there will ultimately be a demand for supplemental water in the amount of about 154,000 aere-feet per season. It is estimated that waste of water to the ocean after completion of Vaquero Reservoir will be about 15,000 acre-feet per season on the average. There ex- ists a possibility of saving part of this wasted water by construction of Round Corral Reservoir on the Sisquoc River. However, it is considered that the yield de- veloped at this site would be extremely costly, and, in addition, it is questionable whether sufficient ground water storage would be available for operation in con- junction with storage at the Round Corral site. There- fore, no further local water supply developments in the Santa Maria Valley are considered to be practi- cable. It is concluded that the accomplishment of the ob- jectives of The California Water Plan in the Santa Maria Valley will be contingent on ultimate gross import of about 180,000 acre-feet per season from the Central Coastal and Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueducts of the California Aqueduct System. This would provide a net .seasonal supply of about 154,000 acre-feet. Pro- vision of supplemental water in this amount would fully satisfy the ultimate water requirements of all lands considered susceptible of water service in the Santa Maria Valley. Cuyama Valley. The Cuyama Valley consists of the drainage area of the Cnyania River above Vaquero Dam, and embraces portions of San Luis Obi.spo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Kern Counties. The floor of Cuyama Valley lies at an elevation of about 2,000 to 2,500 feet above sea level along the upper reaches of the Cuyama River. Below the lower end of the valley the river flows in a relatively narrow canyon through a rugged mountain area. Mean seasonal natural runoff from the entire Cu- yama Valley drainage area is estimated to be only 22,500 acre-feet, most of which originates in the moun- tainous area at the lower end of the valley. Runoff is directly responsive to precipitation, and the greatest portion occurs immediately after rain during the winter months. Runoff varies greatly from season to season, there being essentially no flow during some years. Irrigated lands are located principally on the floor of the Cuyama Valley. In addition, there are small irrigable areas lying along the Cuyama River and its major tributaries. At the present time water is used almost entirely for agricultural purposes, and it is believed that this will still be true under ultimate conditions of development. Essentially all water utilized within the Cuyama Valley is obtained by pumping from the ground water basii i underlying the valley floor. Available data indi- cate that present net draft on the ground water basin exceeds replenishment, and that ground water levels are experiencing a perennial lowering. No existing service storage developments are in the valley. As has been indicated, water resources of the Cu- yama Valley are relatively meager. With the exception of infrequent peak flood flows, essentially all of the stream flow originating in the mountain area of the upper end of the valley percolates to the ground water basin underlying the valley. The relatively large amount of ground water storage capacity in this basin is adequate to conserve this percolating water for pumped withdrawals by overlying landowners. It is therefore not considered practicable to give considera- tion to plans for further local water supply develop- ments in the upper valley. Moreover, the runoff orig- inating in the mountain areas at the lower end of the valley passes down the canyon of the Cuyama River and will be almost entirely controlled by con- junctive operation of Vaquero Reservoir and the Santa Maria ground water basin, as previously de- scribed. As is the case with the Said a Maria Valley, it is concluded that accomplishment of the objectives of The California Water Plan in the Cuyama Valley would be contingent upon an import from areas of surplus elsewhere in the State. The cost of such Avater would be high. Provision of supplemental water sup- plies in the amount of 53,000 acre-feet per season would satisfy fully the requirements of all lands con- sidered susceptible of water service in the Cuyama Valley, However, because of the very limited oppor- THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 75 t unity for re-use of applied water in the valley, a gross seasonal delivery of 80,000 aere-feet would be required. This delivery would be provided through facilities of the Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct. The excess water, amounting to 27,000 acre-feet per season, would be available for re-use in the downstream Santa Maria Valley. Santa Barbara Group. The Santa Barbara Group consists of the area lying south of the southerly bound- ary of the Santa Maria River watershed and westerly of the boundary of the South Coastal Area. Included are the watersheds of San Antonio Creek and the Santa Ynez River, as well as many minor streams. The group is situated almost entirely within Santa Barbara County with the exception of a small area of Ventura County along the easterly edge. Presently developed irrigated areas in the Santa Barbara Group are located near the City of Santa Barbara, on the Lompoc Plain at the mouth of the Santa Ynez River, and in the narrow valley along the Santa Ynez River inland from the Lompoc Plain. The principal urban areas are the City of Santa Bar- bara and the City of Lompoc and suburban areas adjacent thereto. The City of Santa Barbara receives its water supply principally from surface storage fa- cilities. However, surrounding areas obtain water from small local ground water basins. The present (1950) seasonal water requirement of lands in the Santa Barbara Group is estimated to be about 93,000 acre-feet. Of this total requirement, about 62,000 acre-feet is developed from underlying ground water resources and the remainder is supplied by surface storage developments. Although the ground water basins are physically meeting the present draft thereon, certain small local ground water basins in the vicinity of Santa Barbara are presently experi- encing an aggregate overdraft of about 2,300 acre- feet per season. The principal ground water basins in the Santa Barbara Group are located on the coastal plain at the mouth of San Antonio Creek, and in the rolling hill area inland from the Lompoc Plain and north of the Santa Ynez River. Smaller ground water basins are situated along the Santa Ynez River and on the Lom- poc Plain. The presently developed ground water yield aggregates about 60,000 acre-feet per season. At the present time, there are three surface stor- age developments of significant size on the upper reaches of the Santa Ynez River, namely: Jameson Lake, with a storage capacity of 6,700 acre-feet; Gibraltar Reservoir, with a capacity of 14,500 acre- leel : and Cachuma Reservoir, a United States Bureau of Reclamation project, with a capacity of 210,000 aere-feet. Water conserved by these reservoirs i.s con- veyed by tunnels through the Santa Ynez Mountains for use in and adjacent to Santa Barbara. The probable ultimate mean seasonal water require- ment of lands in the Santa Barbara Group is esti- mated to be about 343,000 acre-feet. Considering the developed yield of ground water and existing surface storage works, the requirement for supplemental water may ultimately amount to about 229,000 aere- feet per season. Plans for further development of local water re- sources of the Santa Barbara Group are limited to the further control of the Santa Ynez River. Because of the relatively small amount of w T ater available for further development, the objectives of The California Water Plan in the group would necessarily be accom- plished by an import of water from areas of surplus in other parts of the State. Camuesa Dam and Reservoir on the Santa Ynez River upstream from Gibraltar Dam, and Salsipuedes Dam and Reservoir on Salsipuedes Creek about 2.5 miles upstream from the confluence with the Santa Ynez River would jointly develop about 11,200 acre- feet per season of additional local water supplies. Water conserved by Camuesa Reservoir woidd be re- leased into the channel of the Santa Ynez River, passing through the existing Cachuma Reservoir, for diversion to lands adjacent to the river downstream therefrom. Water from Salsipuedes Reservoir would be released into the stream channel to recharge the ground water basin underlying the Lompoc Plain, to be pumped therefrom ; or it could be conveyed directly from the dam to the Lompoc area by pipe line. It should be noted that all or a portion of the yield developed by Camuesa Reservoir could be conveyed through existing tunnels to the area south of the Santa Ynez Mountains. On the other hand, it would be possible to use all or a portion of the yield of the presently constructed reservoirs in the Santa Ynez watershed. However, the changes in the distribution of the local waters would not affect the total quantity of imported water reqtiired within the Santa Bar- bara Group, but would merely redistribute this im- port requirement between the various areas of the group. As an alternative to Camuesa Reservoir, considera- tion was also given to possible developments on the Santa Ynez River at the Hot Springs site and at the Santa Rosa site. However, it was found that a devel- opment at either site would be much more costly than at the Camuesa site, and that a development at the Santa Rosa site would flood the majority of the irri- gable lands on the floor of Santa Ynez Valley. The foregoing local water development works would control the runoff of the Santa Ynez River to the maximum degree considered practicable, developing 11,200 acre-feet per season of new yield for use in the area. The remainder of the supplemental water requirements under ultimate conditions, amounting THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN to about 240,000 acre-feet per season, would be im- ported through facilities of the Central Coastal Aque- duct, a feature of the California Aqueduct System. A gross seasonal delivery of 255,000 acre-feet would be necessary to meet this requirement. Although no consideration was given to possible improvement of channels or reservation of reservoir storage for the purpose of flood control, operation of Camuesa and Salsipuedes Reservoirs, with total ca- pacities of 156,000 acre-feet, could provide some re- duction of peak flows in the Santa Ynez River as a result of temporary surcharge storage above the spill- way lip, and by the probable availability of some un- used storage space during most years because of the large reservoir capacity on that stream. Operation of the foregoing reservoirs would also provide a measure of enhancement of fishery resources and recreational opportunities. Summary of Central Coastal Area. The Central Coastal Area is an area of inherent water deficiency, because the yield obtainable from local water resources developed to their maximum practicable extent would be substantially less than the probable ultimate water requirements of the area. Objectives of The Califor- nia Water Plan in the Central Coastal Area would be accomplished by further development of local water resources and by imports through facilities of the California Aqueduct System. Of the total ultimate supplemental water requirement of some 1,680,000 acre-feet per season, only 468,000 acre-feet would be provided by increased development of local water re- sources. The prospective local developments in the Central Coastal Area would consist of 30 storage reservoirs with an aggregate active capacity of 1,800,000 acre- feet, of which 1,650,000 acre-feet would be devoted to water conservation, and 150,000 acre-feet of storage would be reserved in San Lucas Reservoir for control of floods. In addition, surface reservoirs would be operated in conjunction with downstream ground water storage, to develop the optimum yield from local water resources wherever available. Certain of these reservoirs could be operated for flood control in addition to conservation, while the others would provide a measure of incidental flood control. Opera- tion of these reservoirs would considerably enhance the recreational potential and warmwater fishery. Supplemental water in the net seasonal amount, of aboul 1,160,000 acre-feet to meet tlie ultimate require- ments of all lands considered susceptible of water service in the Central Coastal Area would be provided through facilities of the California Aqueduct System. This would require an aggregate gross delivery of 1,213,000 acre-feel per season, as shown in the follow- ing tabulation : Delivery, in j Aqueduct facility Group acre-feet South Bay Aqueduct— Santa Cruz-Monterey 15,000 n . . n . , San Benito 113,000 Central Coastal Aqueduct Salinas River 335,000 San Luis Obispo 30,000 Santa Maria Valley 140,000* Santa Barbara 255,000 Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct Carrizo Plain 245,000 Cuyama Valley 80,000 Total 1,213,000 * An additional 27.000 acre-feet would be available from return flow from Cuyama Valley. Data on the general features and costs of the local development works investigated as features of The California Water Plan in the Central Coastal Area are presented in Table 11. The locations and layouts of all of these facilities are delineated on Sheets 10, 13, 16, 17, and 20 of Plate 5. South Coastal Area The South Coastal Area comprises the drainage areas of those streams discharging into the Pacific Ocean between the southeastern boundary of the Rincon Creek watershed near the Santa Barbara- Ventura county line on the north, and the Mexican border on the south. All of Orange County, major portions of the Counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura, and small areas in the Counties of Kern and Santa Barbara are included within the boundaries of the area. The South Coastal Area contains over one-half of the State's population, with about seven per cent of its area, but receives less than two per cent of the total runoff of the State. Because of its desirable climate, and other factors such as strategic location for military and industrial installations, this area has experienced a growth in population and industry dur- ing the past half century which is unparalleled in the history of the United States. This rapid growth has accelerated during the past decade and as yet has shown no indication of levelling off. The population of the entire area in 1955 was about 7,000,000. It is estimated that within the next century the State will attain a population of over 40,000,000, of which about 45 per cent will be located within the South Coastal Area. The principal population centers in the South Coastal Area are the Cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, both surrounded by densely populated metro- politan areas. These cities owe their phenomenal growth and present large population not only to the influx of retired folks and tourists attracted by the climate, but to the migration of Large numbers of workers attracted by the industrial and commercial growth which the area has experienced. It has been estimated that the Los Angeles and Orange Counties area ranks third among the industrial areas in the THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 77 O O O O O i 2" g" III £ ; g g § e s S •* O 0° * 9 § >> 2 S> x -1 = S. ^5«-;' OS o3 03 o3 o3 03 ££££££ oj 03 o! o! 03 03 O O O O O O a a a a a a jj^j^jj co co co co co co ■ S3 P t= P 1= P o oocc==c §1 c ooccrcc OS* 00 SO" ■* ; j ►si 1 01 a. o 0) ?l 1 t- 15 1 1 "o 1 .3 3 H co !0 rH 06 3 o a c a> E a _0 m ai & ffi O 9 3 "3 c 03 c m CO (1) 1 I 1 c E c .8 C c i j t ! 1 j i i \ 5 I j ■ 5 1 5 .E a 1 ] 3 c 1 > ! s c i > U j ■> j c = IS : a. ! ■ 2 ■ c E- •§££«£ 1 a IT I I I O-i I'm THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN nation, and that nearly one-third of the two million persons employed in the two counties are engaged in manufacturing enterprises. There are many military reservations in the South Coa.stal Area, the largest of which are under the juris- diction of the Department of the Navy. The head- quarters of the Eleventh Naval District with training, air. and repair facilities, is located at San Diego, and is a very important element in the economy of that area. Other Department of Navy facilities in the South Coastal Area include several Marine bases, the largest of which is Camp Pendleton, and two major bases in Ventura County. Army and Air Force estab- lishments are distributed throughout the area, the principal base being March Air Force Base in River- side County. Concurrently with, but not always paralleling, the population expansion in the South Coastal Area has been the growth of irrigated agriculture. The mild climate allows the production of citrus, avocados, fruits, and nuts, all of which are high-value crops. The phenomenal expansion of population, agriculture, and industry has created ever increasing demands for water. Local water supplies have been obtained to a great extent through exploitation of the large ground water reservoirs. However, these local water supplies are limited and are far from sufficient to support the existing development. In 1950, about one-fourth of the total water used represented overdraft on ground water storage, and one-fourth was water imported from sources outside the area. The South Coastal Area has a long history of irri- gated agriculture dating back to the days of the missions in the eighteenth century. Intensive devel- opment of irrigated agriculture began in the late nineteenth century and has progressed rapidly to recent times. In 1950, it was estimated that the net irrigated area totaled some 617,000 acres, nearly one- half being devoted to the production of citrus, avo- cados, and other specialty crops. During the past half century, there has been an increasing expansion in the area occupied by urban and industrial developments, with the gross urban area estimated to have been 548,000 acres in 1950. Urbanization has been greatly accelerated in the past few years. This development has taken place largely on agricultural lands immediately adjacent to exist- ing urban areas, and it is considered probable that future urbanization will generally be at the expense of present agricultural areas. The area that will be ultimately occupied by urban and industrial develop- ment is estimated to be 1,611,000 acres. Increase in the area of irrigated lands probably will be dependent in large part upon the availability of an imported water supply, and will occur both by application of water to presently dry-farmed areas and by bringing under cultivation lands not presently farmed due to lack of adequate water supplies. It is estimated in State Water Resources Board Bulletin No. 2 that a gross area of 1,156,000 acres will be de- voted to irrigated agriculture under conditions of ultimate development. The climate of the South Coastal Area is character- ized by relatively mild temperatures and light pre- cipitation in the coastal areas, and by somewhat wider temperature variation and heavier precipitation in the inland areas. Precipitation on the area generally varies from as little as 10 inches along the coast to over 40 inches in some of the higher mountain areas. At present, water supplies in the South Coa.stal Area are obtained principally by pumping from underlying ground water basins, by storage in and diversion from surface reservoirs, and by importation from the Colorado River and from the Owens River and Mono Basin. Although a large quantity of water is obtained by individual pumping, most of the lands requiring water are served by a multitude of water companies or public agencies, with service areas vary- ing from a few acres to many square miles in extent. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern Cali- fornia has a right, presently under litigation, to 1,212,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually, of which amount about 400,000 acre-feet was delivered in fiscal year 1956. Operating at full capacity, the Owens-Mono Aqueduct of the City of Los Angeles presently delivers about 320,000 acre-feet annually into the area. Water requirements in the South Coastal Area under probable ultimate conditions of develop- ment are estimated to total 5,552,000 acre-feet per season. With the Colorado River and Los Angeles Aqueducts operating at full capacity, there will re- main about 3,000,000 acre-feet of water per season which must be obtained from further development of local water resources, or from importation through fa- cilities of the California Aqueduct System. Plans for further development of local water supplies subse- quently presented herein would increase the safe seasonal local yield by only about 149,000 acre-feet, which appears to be the maximum practicable amount of additional conservation, leaving in excess of 2,800,- 000 acre-feet of water per season which must be im- ported from northern California. Although the South Coastal Area is classified as an arid region, the tributary watersheds occasionally receive precipitation in torrential amounts which produce extremely high intensities of flood runoff in the streams draining the area. These floods have re- sulted in large financial losses in property damage due to inundation, erosion, and deposition of debris. as well as loss of life. Intensive development of urban areas adjacent to the flood channels has greatly in- creased the flood damage hazard in most of the area. The most comprehensive system of flood control works in the area is that of the Los Angeles and San THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 8] Gabriel Rivers and Ballona Creek project now under construction by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, with financial participation by the State of California. Flood control works of lesser mag- nitude have been constructed on streams throughout the remainder of the area, and additional small flood control works will probably become necessary in the future as a result of intensive urbanization of the area. However, these works would consist mainly of channel improvement measures which are not con- sidered to be within the scope of The California "Water Plan. The additional reservoir developments described hereinafter, with the exception of the enlarged Hodges Reservoir on San Dieguito River, include no specific storage reserves for flood control purposes. Plans for accomplishment of the objectives of The California Water Plan for the South Coastal Area envision the development of additional yield from local water resources to the maximum practicable de- gree by capture of waters presently wasting to the ocean, and construction of works adequate to convey and regulate sufficient additional imported water to provide fully for water requirements which will exist under probable ultimate conditions of development. In the formulation of plans, consideration was given to coordination of their construction and operation with existing water supply developments in the area, both surface and underground, to the maximum prac- ticable extent. Inasmuch as a high degree of conservation of run- off from most streams in the South Coastal Area has already been effected by surface storage developments and by artificially recharged underground storage, further conservation of the infrequent waste to the ocean by means of surface reservoirs will necessitate very large storage capacities with respect to the mag- nitude of the conserved supplies, with attendant long carry-over periods. Developments will be quite costly, and the additional yield quite small with respect to ultimate water requirements. The desirability of con- structing a local conservation development at a given time, or the question of whether such developments should be undertaken at all, will be matters for local decision, and will be based upon many factoids, in- cluding the financial capacity of the constructing agency, the amount of water required at the time construction is contemplated, the availability of a firm supply of imported water at that time, and the unit cost of imported water as compared to the unit eost of yield from a local water resource development. However, because of the small quantities of water involved, future deviation in the plans for local water resource development considered herein would have little material effect upon the over-all plan. It must be realized that there are numerous factors which, under constant change, tend to alter ground water recharge and the safe yield of ground water basins. Urbanization, with accompanying increase in impervious areas, produces two opposite phenomena. On the one hand consumptive use of precipitation is greatly reduced, increasing the water supply avail- able for conservation, while on the other hand run- off is increased, which, with increased storm drain facilities, may reduce recharge opportunity. Im- pervious channel lining for flood control purposes decreases the opportunity for recharge of under- ground basins from flood waters, while construction of spreading grounds tends to compensate for this effect. The effect of operation of flood control reser- voirs on the regimen of stream flow can generally in- crease the opportunity for percolation of flood flows. Artificial recharge of ground water basins in con- junction with the operation of both flood control and conservation reservoirs is presently accomplished or is planned where practicable. For purposes of this bulletin it is assumed that this practice will result in the maintenance of the present safe yields of the ground water basins. Because, as stated, waste to the ocean now occurs infrequently, the amounts by which the present safe yields might be increased through artificial recharge will be relatively small. For purposes of analysis, the South Coastal Area has been subdivided into three groups; namely the Ventura Group, the Los Angeles-Santa Ana Group, and the San Diego Group. The location of these groups is shown on Plate 3. In the following sections, plans are presented for the development of local water supplies in each of these groups. Ventura Group. The Ventura Group consists of the drainage areas of streams flowing into the ocean between the northerly boundary of the South Coastal Area and Topanga Creek, including the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers, Calleguas Creek, and several smaller creeks. The largest part of the area compris- ing the group is occupied by mountains and hills. The mountains northerly of the Santa Clara River are quite rugged and reach elevations in excess of 8,000 feet. The majority of the valley lands are on the coastal plain near the mouths of the Santa Clara River and Calleguas Creek, with smaller valley areas located inland along these streams and the Ventura River. The 1950 federal census reported the population of Ventura County to be 114,647, and by January, 1957, the population had increased to an estimated 159,300. In 1950, the populations of major cities in the county included: Oxnard, 21567; Ventura, 16534; and Santa Paula, 11,049. The oil industry is the leading industrj in the county. Other principal industries include agri- culture and the associated processing and packing of vegetables and citrus fruits and the processing of sugar beets. 82 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN At the present time the Santa Clara River Valley, the coastal plain, and portions of the Ventura River and Calleguas Creek drainage areas are extensively developed to irrigated agriculture. Land use surveys conducted in Ventura County during 1949-50 showed that there were in excess of 109,000 acres of irrigated land. Principal crops were citrus with about 43,000 acres, beans with about 33,000 acres, and walnuts with slightly less than 18,000 acres. The mild climate typical of the South Coastal Area prevails in the Ventura Group, with proximity to the ocean providing a moderating effect throughout most of the developed area. In excess of 80 per cent of the mean seasonal precipitation occurs during the months of December through March. Killing frosts in the Ventura County area are extremely rare, and con- sequently, portions of this region are producing as many as three crops per year. With the exception of small amounts of direct sur- face diversion, the presently utilized water supplies in the Ventura Group are obtained by pumping from several major ground water basins which underlie most of the developed area. It is estimated that the total usable ground water storage capacity in these basins is over 1,000,000 acre-feet, of which about 400,000 a -vi + „ Gabriel, upper Santa Ana, and San Jacinto Vallevs ; . storage on maior tributaries thereof. Possible storage ' f r . « , , e , . , , rr . nrir . e , , the coastal plain ot Los Angeles and Orange Coun- I developments include a 50,000 acre-foot reservoir at ,. , , *; , . s , , .„ % , J, , ., t,/ „ . tj- n i -innnnn, ? + ties ; and tributary mountain and hill areas. Included the Blue Point site on Pirn Creek, a 100,000 acre-foot ' , . • „ T , ,, m ., '„ , -, are the drainage areas ot the Los Angeles, San reservoir at the Topatopa site on Sespe Creek, and a n , . , , Q ° . T> . te immft . x ■ i. .t r\ u o • Gabriel, and Santa Ana Rivers, as well as several 100.1)00 acre-foot reservoir at the Cold Spring site on . ' ,. , . . ' ._ I „ ' _. , mi o, L ™ -r,- n \ -T -xi minor streams discharging into the Pacific Ocean be- Sespe Creek. The Santa Clara River Conduit, with a , Q , ,.- . -, XT x -o i » i '. " . x „ ._„ , „ , ', tween Santa Monica and Newport Beach. About maximum eapacitv ot 120 second-feet, could be con- , ,- » ., , , . . , , „ , , . ., . ,. « i. -n t • t> ■ x one-halt ot the total area is occupied bv valley and Bxucted from the existing Santa Felicia Reservoir to a , , „ -, , m, , -, , , . ,..,,. ? , „ , mesa lands. The tributarv mountain area separating distribution svstem serving the pressure area of the ,,. „ , T ,' , ^ , , -. ,.,,.%„ i •, » xi • thls group from the Lahontan and Colorado Desert eoastal plain. Water releasee from the reservoirs on . , • ., -> -, , , * . ,,,-,. , o i Areas is quite rugged and reaches elevations m excess Sespe Creek would be diverted from the stream chan- of 1()0()() feef A rf 1|j]ls rf ]my(M . ^.^ ; nel downstream from Topatopa Dam, and conveyed ,. ates thp 11]]aml va]1( , ys from ^ f . oasta] in into the Santa Clara River Conduit at its crossing of Sespe Creek for delivery to the coastal plain. The loea- The Los Angeles-Santa Ana Croup contains one of tions of the foregoing facilities are shown on Sheet 21 tne most populous urban regions in the nation. Popu- of Plate 5. lation within the group in 1955 was about 6,000.000, Conveyance of waters from the reservoirs in a con- ° 1 ' approximately 45 percent of the total for the State. duit would increase the amount of water available to In excess of 2,000,000 people now reside within the the coastal plain. If the stream channel were used for City of Los Angeles. In addition, there is extensive conveyance, a large portion of the water released from agricultural development. Tn 1950. nearly 70 percenl 84 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN of the irrigated lands in the South Coastal Area were located within the Los Angeles-Santa Ana Group. Water supplies required by the foregoing urban and agricultural development were first obtained by direct surface diversions and some small surface storage de- velopments. Continuation of the development resulted in intensive utilization of the large ground water basins underlying the valley and coastal plain lands. Of the total underground storage capacity, about 7,000,000 acre-feet of capacity is considered usable, on the basis of those factors of basin configura- tion, economic pumping lift, and others, as described in the appendix on ground water. The utilization of about 4,500,000 acre-feet of this storage historically has resulted in the development of a safe yield from the local water supplies of 780,000 acre-feet per season. In the light of the great importance of ground water basins to the economy of the Los Angeles-Santa Ana Group, many steps have been undertaken to assure the fullest practicable utilization of these basins. Percolation in natural stream channels is augmented by spreading operations during periods of flood. At the present time there are 70 artificial recharge projects in the Los Angeles-Santa Ana Group, with a capacity sufficient to spread a con- tinuous flow of about 17,000 second-feet. An addi- tional 55 artificial recharge projects, with capacity of about 4,000 second-feet, are proposed for construction by various local agencies in the group. It is estimated that over 1,000,000 acre-feet of water have been spread since 1900 in the upper Santa Ana Valley alone. The Los Angeles County Flood Control District is con- structing spreading works throughout pervious areas of the county to enhance natural percolation, and to attempt, insofar as possible, to replace losses in perco- lation capacity resulting from lining of stream chan- nels for flood control purposes. The district is also presently engaged in injecting Colorado River Avater into confined aquifers in the Manhattan Beach area of the West Coast Basin to create a pressure ridge along a portion of the coast line, in an effort to repel sea water. Additional Colorado River water is spread in the forebay areas of the Los Angeles and Orange Counties coastal plains. In addition to providing the equalizing storage capacity necessary to regulate the erratic natural inflow, the ground water basins provide a natural distribution system. A considerable part of the water used tor agricultural lands is obtained from ground water by individual effort, and the use of ground water basins eliminates much of the cost which would otherwise be incurred in the construction of -essary dist ribul ion facilities. Urbanized areas in the Los Angeles-Santa Ana Group are served water by surface distribution sys- tems of a number of agencies, the largest of which is the Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles. However, even in some of these urbanized areas supplied in part from ground water storage, ground water basins function as a means of convey- ance of water to convenient points of delivery to the numerous water service agencies. Water has been imported to the South Coastal Area from the Owens River and Mono Basin via the Los Angeles Aqueduct by the City of Los Angeles since 1916, and from the Colorado River via the Colorado River Aqueduct by The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California since 1941. The Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles reports that about 319,000 acre-feet per season can be im- ported from the Owens River and Mono Basin through the Los Angeles Aqueduct and that the full capacity of this facility is presently being utilized. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern Cali- fornia has rights to the waters of the Colorado River for service in both the Los Angeles-Santa Ana and San Diego Groups in the amount of 1,212,000 acre- feet per season, although this is presently under liti- gation. It is estimated that due to conveyance and regulation losses, only 1,140,000 acre-feet would be actually available to meet requirements in the South Coastal Area. During 1956, the capacity of the Colo- rado River Aqueduct was increased to 1,000 second- feet, or about 700,000 acre-feet per season. Plans are under way to complete the aqueduct to its full capac- ity of about 1,600 second-feet by the year 1960. Repre- sentatives of The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California estimate that the full conveyance capacity of this facility will be utilized by the year 1975. In 1950, draft upon ground water storage in the Los Angeles-Santa Ana Group exceeded replenish- ment by an estimated average amount of 307,000 acre- feet per season. The most serious manifestations of this overdraft are exhibited in the coastal plain area where, in addition to an actual insufficiency of recharge, the confined aquifers which underlie a large portion of the coastal plain are of inadequate capacity to convey required water supplies from areas of recharge to points of extraction without creation of conditions conducive to the intrusion of sea water. Montebello Forebay, the free ground water area which supplies a large part of the coastal plain pressure area, was es- sentially full in the early 1940 's, while ground water levels coastward thereof were below sea level. At the present time, water levels over the major part of the coastal plain are below sea level, and as a result, sea water has invaded actively pumped aquifers along much of the coast line. In addition to the foregoing, there are also over- drafts in certain of the interior groundwater basins. Increased use of water in the interior valleys, although not necessarily causing overdraft therein, will tend to diminish the natural supply to the coastal basins. South Coastal Area— Garvey Terminal Reservoir (top) and F. E. Weymouth Softening and Filtration Plant in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area 86 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN thereby tending to increase overdraft in the coastal m the Los Angeles-Santa Ana Group are summarized areas. in the following tabulation. In 1949-50, a total of As a result of these overdraft conditions, ground about 400,000 acre-feet of water was imported, and water rights have been adjudicated in the Raymond about 307,000 acre-feet represented ground water Basin Area in San Gabriel Valley and are in process overdraft. of adjudication in the West Coast Basin, which OC- Present conditions (1950) Acre-feet per season eupies the westerly portion of the : coastal plaKEs- Wate^— _ 1,483000 tractions from ground water of the Raymond Basin Area were limited to the safe yield thereof by terms of Requirement for imported water__, "07,000 the judgment rendered by the Trial Court in 1944, Probable ultimate conditions confirmed by the Supreme Court in 1949. The Supe- Water requirement 3,5: J >.">,oou rior Court has retained jurisdiction in each of these Safe yield of local su PP lies___ 776,000 cases. In the West Coast Basin, most of the parties to Requirement for imported water (in- litigation have by agreement limited their ground eluding importation from Owens- water extractions' pending final settlement. In both Mono and Colorado River Basins) 2,759.000 areas the court appointed the Department of Water it i s considered that the present degree of conser- Resources as Watermaster to administer provisions of ration of local surface runoff in the Los Angeles-Santa the court decree in the case of Raymond Basin Area Ana Group is very near to the maximum that is prac- and provisions of the current stipulated agreement ticable. Therefore, no plans for additional local water in the West Coast Basin. In each instance, use of supply developments are hereinafter presented. How- imported water has substantially increased since com- eve r, a future recreational development at Lake Elsi- mencement of watermaster service. Further litigation, nore j s contemplated by stabilizing and maintaining such as that now pending in other portions of the adequate lake levels. group, and subsequent adjudication of rights to ex- It j s possible that a small amount of additional tract ground water would save these basins from pos- wa ter eould and wi n be developed from local water sible eventual exhaustion and, in some cases, destruc- supplies by construction of additional artificial ground tion. As a consequence, the use of imported water water recharge works and improved methods of would be greatly accelerated. ground water storage operation. However, the Serious consideration must be given to the problem amounts of water that could be so obtained are rela- of salt balance in the underground reservoirs which tively insignificant as compared with the probable are so extremely important to the Los Angeles-Santa ultimate water requirements of the area. Ana Group if they are to be preserved for the regu- j n reC ent years there have been increasing cliscus- lation, distribution, and re-use of native and imported s j on an( j s t u dy of methods of reclaiming water of waters. The problems of salt balance have been pre- suitable quality for irrigation and other uses from viously discussed in Chapter II. the sewage flows presently being discharged into the Although there are indications of possible present ocean from the Los Angeles and San Diego metro- adverse salt balances in several basins in the group, it politan areas. In connection with statutory responsi- is believed that, except for certain localized conditions, bilities of the Department of Water Resources, the serious problems will not result under the present level possibility of reclamation of water from sewage has of development. In the future, anticipated large expor- been studied. The objective of this study was to de- lations of sewage directly to the ocean should prevent termine the quantities of water that could be re- occurrence of adverse salt balance in the San Gabriel claimed, the costs thereof, and potential markets for and San Fernando Valleys. Similarly, the coastal plain the reclaimed supply. In certain areas, particularly area is provided with necessary outflow in the form the upper Santa Ana Valley, involuntary reclama- of the relatively large extractions from the confined tion is occurring by land disposal of sewage treatment aquifers, the unconsumed residuum of which is largely plant effluent from interior communities and from prevented from returning to the pumped zone. How- cesspools of suburban dwellings. The trend, however, ever, in the upper Santa Ana Valley, a very serious j s toward construction of large-scale sewerage systems situation could develop if careful attention is not with ocean disposal because of aesthetic and public given to the problem of salt balance in operation of health considerations. the ground water basins and in the disposal of waters. Conclusions of the sewage reclamation studies to As hereinafter discussed, salt balance considerations date are generally that: (1) in the order of :>00,000 also influenced the planning of importation facilities acre-feel of sewage is discharged annually to the ocean] w ith respect to the effect on water quality of imported f,. om t \ n > | jOS Angeles metropolitan area and this quan- water supplies from various sources considered. tity will increase substantially with continued urban Present and probable ultimate wafer requirements, growth; (2) the total quantity of sewage should not be* safe local yield, and requirements for imported water all classed as "waste,'" since it is serving a beneficial THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 87 Lirpose in providing necessary outflow of ground ater extracted for municipal and industrial pur- i, thereby removing undesirable salts from the iderlying ground water basin; (3) the mineral iekup inherent in urban and industrial use of water akes the use of reclaimed water for ground water 'charge limited in scope because of the possibility producing an unfavorable salt balance in the *ound water basin; (4) by its very nature sewage • water reclaimed therefrom accumulates in greatest lantity at the coast at an elevation very near sea vel, requiring expensive conveyance and pumping cilities to make it available for use for ground ater recharge or for industrial uses in the Los ngeles area or farther inland; (5) the effect upon lblic health of use of water reclaimed from sewage r agricultural or urban purposes cannot be fully aluated at this time and, because of aesthetic and lblic health considerations, the market for reclaimed rwage waters may be limited to comparatively small jhantities for certain industrial purposes, at least in lie near future; and (6) continuing study and peri- lic evaluation should be given to the feasibility of fee of this possible source of water supply, with regard | changes in technological methods and varying con- ations by land use and water supply development pat the future may bring. At the present time it does ,ot appear that reclamation of water from sewage rill affect to a significant degree the demand of the los Angeles-Santa Ana Group for imported water. San Diego Group. The San Diego Group includes ie drainage areas of those streams flowing into the Jaeific Ocean between Newport Beach and the Mexi- |kn border. Included are the Santa Margarita, San luis Rey, San Dieguito, San Diego, Sweetwater, Otay, lid Tia Juana Rivers, as well as many minor streams. Ibout 85 per cent of the area is classified as moun- lins and foothills. However, much of the hill area tear the coast is gently rolling and suitable for agri- jiltural or urban developments. With the exception E the Temecula-Murrieta area in the upper Santa largarita River watershed, valley lands are found in Mattered small coastal and inland valleys along the iajor streams, and on coastal mesas near San Diego Included in the San Diego Group are the densely opulated San Diego metropolitan area surrounding an Diego and Mission Bays and the less populous at rapidly growing communities of Escondido. 'ceanside. Carlsbad, Fallbrook, and Rainbow. It is stimated that the population of San Diego County tcreased from about 550,000 in 1950 to more than 50,000 in January, 1957. About 700,000 of these wple reside in the San Diego metropolitan area. Aircraft manufacture and fishing are major in- ostries in the area. The capital investment in plant ml equipment for these industries has almost doubled since 1950. In addition, the headquarters of the Eleventh Naval District including training, repair, air, supply, and radio facilities, are located in the San Diego metropolitan area, and Camp Pendleton, the largest Marine Corps base in the nation, is lo- cated near Oceanside. Agriculture, principally the raising of subtropical fruits, has expanded rapidly in San Diego County during recent years. Although the citrus industry in the South Coastal Area has declined in importance in recent years, the raising of avocados and specialty crops has expanded rapidly. These latter crops have a very high monetary return. The climate in the San Diego Group is generally mild near the coast, with relatively light precipita- tion. Proceeding inland, temperature variations be- come wider and precipitation becomes heavier as elevation increases. Mean seasonal precipitation is ap- proximately 10 inches near the coast and in excess of 40 inches at the highest inland elevations of the tributary watersheds. Water supplies in the San Diego Group are ob- tained from numerous small ground water basins, from 12 major and several lesser surface storage de- velopments, and from importations through the two- barreled San Diego Aqueduct. The ground water ba- sins in the area have relatively small capacity and limited recharge. Ground water rights in the Tia Juana Basin are under adjudication, and the basin has been under watermaster service since 1947. Court proceedings have been instituted to adjudicate ground water rights in the San Luis Rey River Basin. In the years 1941, 1942 and 1943 the United 'States acquired most of the Rancho Santa Margarita by con- demnation and purchase. To these acquisitions it added, by executive order, some public domain lands and established thereupon the United States Naval Ammunition Depot at Fallbrook, the United States Naval Hospital, and Camp Joseph II. Pendleton. Since that time a controversy has arisen between the United States and other water users with regard to the respective right of each to make use of the waters of the Santa Margarita River, which flows through and empties into the ocean on this land held by the United States. Congress in 1954 undertook to resolve the contro- versy through legislation. The solution decided upon was the authorization of $22,636,000 for the De Luz Dam on the Santa Margarita River, to be constructed and operated by the Secretary of the Interior acting pursuant to federal reclamation law. The act ap- parently contemplates a solution of the controversy only as between the Department of the Navy and the Fallbrook Public Utility District. The district must agree, under the terms of the act, that it will not assert against the United States any prior appropria- tive right it may have to water in excess of the quan- tity which may be delivered to it under the terms of THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN the act. Sixty per cent of the water impounded by De Luz Dam is allotted by the act to the Secretary of the Navy and forty per cent to the Fallbrook Public Utility District. Storage may not begin, how- ever, until Camp Pendleton and the adjoining naval installations have received all the water to which the United States would be entitled under the laws of California had the dam not been built. The Secretary of the Navy is required to comply with water right acquisition procedures under the laws of California when he is satisfied, with the advice of the United States Attorney General, that such action will not adversely affect rights of the United States under California law. The act provides that water rights are to be determined by the laws of California, The Executive Branch of the Federal Government sought to resolve the controversy through the prosecu- tion of judicial proceedings. In January, 1951, the United States brought an action against some three thousand defendants to quiet title to water rights claimed to be appurtenant to the lands acquired by the United States. After granting the motion of the State of California to intervene in the proceedings. United States v. Fallbrook Public Utility District, 101 Fed. Supp. 298 (1951), defining issues affecting Fall- brook, Santa Margarita Mutual Water Company and the State, United States v. Fallbrook Public Utility District, et al., 108 Fed. Supp. 72 (1952), and order- ing a separate trial as against the State and Santa Margarita Mutual Water Company, with their acqui- escence, at the same time rendering a decision later described as superfluous and in the nature of pro- posed findings, United States v. Fallbrook Public Utility District et al., 109 Fed. Supp. 28 (1952), the United States District Court adjudged, that the Santa Margarita Mutual Water Company and the State of California and each of them "are forever barred from any and all claim of right, title, or interest in and to those rights to the use of water" which the court found vested in the United States. Declaration of Judgment No. 16. United States v. Fallbrook Public Utility Dis- trict, e1 al., 110 Fed. Supp. 767, 788 (1953). The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the judgment of the District Court, finding error in the breadth of the judgment entered against the State and the Santa Margarita .Mutual Water Company. People of tin State of California v. United States, 235 Fed. 2d. 647. The Court of Appeals declared that many of the declarations, findings and conclusions contained in the judgmenl of the District Court wen- premature ;iimI not well founded in the record before it. The action, which includes the entire Santa Margarita River watershed, was described as being in the nature o!' ;i plenary suit to settle the correlative rights of everyone interested in the water. The standard pro- cedure in such a case, the Courl declared, is to enter a decree setting up all the rights as of the same date. The ease has been remanded to the District Court with a direction that no judgment be entered until the; entire suit can be disposed of at the same time. Due to the limited storage capacity of ground waterl basins in the San Diego Group, surface development', plays a much more important role than in other por-ti tions of the South Coastal Area. Of the 148,000 acre-* feet per season of presently developed net safe yield.* an amount of 73,000 acre-feet, or about one-half, is obtained from surface reservoirs with an aggregate' storage capacity of over 700,000 acre-feet, The re-- maining yield of 75,000 acre-feet is obtained by pump- ing from ground water or by diversion of unregiuated stream flow. The foregoing safe yield of local surface water* supplies is obtained from surface storage reservoirs!! constructed on all of the major streams in southern* San Diego County, including: Morena and Barrett Reservoirs on Cottonwood Creek and Lower Otay Reservoir on Otay River; Loveland and Sweetwateri Reservoirs on Sweetwater River; San Vicente, Cuya- maca, and El Capitan Reservoirs on the San Diego River system ; Lake Hodges and Sutherland Reservoir on the San Dieguito River; and in the northern pari of the county, Lake Henshaw on San Luis Rey River and Vail Reservoir on Temecula Creek, a tributary oi Santa Margarita River. The San Diego Group has been supplied with im- ported Colorado River water through the existing San Diego Aqueduct since November, 1947. During the season of 1955-56, the flow in this aqueduct aver aged about 195 second-feet and totaled about 140, 00C acre-feet which is estimated to be equal to its maxl mum conveyance capacity. It is noted that this amount of imported water is substantially in excess of thi annual amount of Colorado River water which thi San Diego County Water Authority estimates as its, entitlement. The Department of Water Resources recently com- pleted an investigation of alternative routes for ar additional aqueduct to San Diego County, and recom mended construction of conveyance facilities to b< located generally parallel to the existing line but passing generally from immediately adjacent to ' miles west of it, The recommended facility would com prise about 30 miles of canal with a capacity of 1,00( second-feet, estimated to be necessary to provide fo> future water requirements in the service area unti about the year 2000, and 73 miles of pipe line with i capacity varying from 432 to 98 second-feet, Th pipe line capacity would supply the additional im ported water requirements forecast for the year 1980 and represents one-half the capacity estimated to b required in the year 2000. It is contemplated that thi aqueduct would convey Colorado River water unti Feather River Project water becomes available. THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN The Metropolitan Water District of Southern Cali- irnia and the San Diego County Water Authority ive announced that they intend to undertake financ- and construction of an aqueduct along the align- ent recommended by the Department of Water Re- mrces. The district has stated that the upper portion : the aqueduct will be constructed to a capacity of )0 second-feet, or one-half that recommended by the apartment. The capacity of the portion of the pipe ne section to be constructed by the authority has not >t been decided. The sum of the potential safe yield of the existing cal water supply developments and the conveyance ipacity of the existing San Diego Aqueduct exceeds Le present water requirement in the San Diego roup. However, because the full capacity of the ex- ting San Diego Aqueduct was not available or was at utilized at all times during the current and recent ries of years of low runoff, storage reserves in local ater supply developments have been overdrawn and le nominal safe yields of these developments cannot \\ be realized prior to the occurrence of flood years, he area is now experiencing a rapid growth with at- ndant increase in use of water, and additional im- rted water will be needed as soon as construction ! the proposed new aqueduct facilities can be com- et ed. The opportunity exists for development of some ad- tional local water supplies but the amounts of these ipplies are small when compared to the estimated iture water requirements of the San Diego Group, that it will be necessary to import large quantities ' water in the future through facilities of the Cali- Jrnia Aqueduct System. The following tabulation resents the present and probable ultimate need for ported water in the group, giving consideration to le eventual development of local water supplies to le maximum extent practicable : Present conditions < 1950 i Acre-feet per season Water requirement 225,000 Safe yield of local water .supplies 148,000 Requirement for imported water 77,000 Probable ultimate conditions Water requirement 1,505.000 ._ 210.000 Safe yield of local water supplies- Requirement for imported water. 1.2'.)5,0(t(l Conservation of the waters of the streams in the an Diego Group to the maximum practicable extent mid be accomplished by construction of a 1-13,000 3re-foot reservoir at the De Luz site and a 65,000 ;re-foot reservoir at the Fallbrook site, both on Santa 'argarita River; a 145,000 acre-foot reservoir at the lonserate site on San Luis Rey River; a reservoir t 310,000 acre-foot capacity at the Hodges site in eu of the existing 34,000 acre-foot reservoir; a reser- >ir of 174.000 acre-foot capacity at the San Vicente site in lieu of the existing 1)0,000 acre-fool reservoir; and a 100,000 acre-foot reservoir at the Daley site on Jamul Creek, a tributary of Otay River, including enlargement of the existing Dnlznra Conduit to bring additional spill waters to the Otay River Basin from Cottonwood Creek, along with controlled releases from the existing storage reservoirs there. By construction of the foregoing facilities, it would be possible to increase the safe yield of local water supplies of the San Diego Group by about 62,000 acre- feet per season. However, as previously shown, there would still be a demand for imported water of almost 1,300,000 acre-feet under ultimate conditions of de- velopment. This supplemental water could be supplied from the Southern California Division of the Cali- fornia Aqueduct System, discussed later in this chapter. It should be noted that alternative reservoir devel- opments might be selected in lieu of these reservoir projects just enumerated. These alternative projects include : construction of a 188,000 acre-foot reservoir at the De Luz site on Santa Margarita River with no development at the Fallbrook site; construction of a 163,000 acre-foot reservoir at the Pamo site on the San Dieguito River, rather than enlarging Hodges Reser- voir ; and construction of a 163,000 acre-foot reservoir at the Bonsall site on San Luis Rey River in place of Monserate Reservoir. These alternative possibilities would produce safe yields essentially equal to those that could be obtained from the previously stated projects, but their capital and annual costs, on the basis of preliminary estimates, are close enough to those for the projects shown in Table 12, that further studies should be conducted prior to construction of any of the developments involved. The Department of Water Resources, in cooperation with the City of San Diego, is currently conducting an investigation of the San Dieguito River for the purpose of selecting the best project for further storage on that stream. Summary of South Coastal Area. The South Coastal Area is extremely deficient in native water resources, being dependent to a major extent upon imported water supplies. Under ultimate conditions nearly 80 per cent of the forecast total water require- ments in the area will have to be imported from other regions through existing works and through facilities of the California Aqueduct System. With import of water through the Los Angeles and Colo- rado River Aqueducts to the full extent of existing and claimed rights, amounting to some 1, 530, 000 acre- feet per season, there would remain a supplemental requirement of 3,027,000 acre-feet per season in the South Coastal Area under ultimate development. Under The California Water Plan, local water re- sources in Hie South Coastal Area would be developed to their fullest practicable extent. However, the yield JK yb ■II^MBUHl^HnMHi South Coastal Area— Morris Dam on San Gabriel River (top), and Sepulveda Flood Control Reservoir on Los Angeles River THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN HI hich could be secured by sucb development would jgregate only 149.000 acre-feet per season, or 5 per >nt of the total ultimate supplemental water require- lents of the area. The balance of the supplemental quirements, amounting to 2,878,000 acre-feet per sason, would be provided by importation through icilities of the Southern California Division of the alifornia Aqueduct System. Increased yield of local water resources would be ieomplished by construction of nine reservoirs with rsrregate active storage capacity of 1,020,000 acre-feet. hese reservoirs would be operated in conjunction ith ground water storage, wherever practicable, to :cure optimum development of both surface and nderground resources. Artificial ground water re- large. presently practiced quite extensively, would e substantially increased, not only for spreading of teal runoff and reservoir releases, but for recharge ith imported water supplies as well. Adequate flood protection would be provided under he California Water Plan in the South Coastal Area ■ existing and planned flood control works of the ;veral flood control agencies in the area, and by the ine new local reservoirs hereinbefore described. In Idition, the recreation potential would be developed i the maximum feasible extent at existing and future ■servoirs. Because of the scarcity and value of water i this area, little or no opportunity is expected for le release of water in stream channels for fishery 3 velopment. However, the reservoirs would provide iportunities to develop a warmwater fishery. Data on the general features and costs of the local ^velopment works contemplated as features of The alifornia Water Plan in the South Coastal Area are resented in Table 12. The locations and layouts of 11 of these facilities are delineated on Sheets 20, 21, 1, and 26 of Plate 5. entral Valley Area— Sacramento River Basin The Sacramento River Basin is second only to the orth Coastal Area as a region endowed with water lpplies far in excess of its ultimate requirements, recipitation occurs principally in the late fall, inter, and early spring months, but melt from the lowpack in the high Sierra Nevada tends to extend le runoff period of the major streams. Some of the reams in the northern part of the basin have their turce in perennial springs of considerable magni- ide, and flow at a fairly constant rate the year •and. The runoff of others draining from the Coast ange and from the lower elevations of the Sierra evada closely follows the precipitation. Like the orth Coastal Area, a considerable variation occurs i the amount of runoff from year to year, and long fought periods have been experienced. Warm winter lins sometimes extend to the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada and, as exemplified by tin' disaster of December, 1955, can result in record floods in the Sacramento Valley, especially if snow is present in the mountains. The present water resource development of the Sacramento River Basin is considerable and varied, but by no means approaches the feasible potential. With the recent completion of Monticello Dam on Putah Creek, the basin now has about 10,000,000 acre-feet of reservoir storage capacity, including 1,600,000 acre-feet in Monticello Reservoir, 1,000,000 acre-feet in Folsom Reservoir, 4,500,000 acre-feet in Shasta Reservoir, 1,308,000 acre-feet in Lake Al- manor, and 319,000 acre-feet in the normal operating range of Clear Lake. While much of the present water development in the Sacramento River Basin has been accomplished by private interests and public utilities, the major developments are those of the Federal Government. The most important and comprehensive of these is the Central Valley Project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation which closely follows original plans of the State of California. The project develops surplus waters in the Sacramento River Basin for local use and export to the San Joaquin Valley. Principal completed features of the project pertinent to the Sacramento River Basin are the large multi- purpose Shasta and Folsom Reservoirs, and the Sly Park Unit serving lands on the divide between the American and Cosumnes Rivers. Work has been par- tially completed on the Sacramento Canals Unit of the project diverting from the Sacramento River at Red Bluff to serve lands on the west side of the valley. More recently, work has been initiated on the Trinity River Division of the project, involving the interbasin diversion of some 872,000 acre-feet of regulated water per year from the North Coastal Area to the Sacramento Valley for local use and ex- port, with attendant generation of large amounts of hydroelectric power. Irrigation in the Sacramento River Basin is cen- tered largely on the Sacramento Valley floor and along the Pit River, but is also practiced to some extent in the mountain areas, generally in places where old mining ditches are available for di- version and distribution. The vast ground water resources of the basin have been used extensively only in the Sacramento Valley, where the present pumpage is about 1,000,000 acre-feet per season. Upon the completion of licensed works on the North Fork of the Feather River by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, hydroelectric power will be generated at 44 utility-owned and public power plants with an aggregate installed capacity of about 2,000,000 kilowatts. However, only parts of the Pit River, the Bear and Yuba Rivers, and the North Fork of the Feather River have been intensively de- '- „ 5? r- I ■- i III s'8: o c: Z At o o o o o g II III I 1 1 2 MMM (5(3 ia o o o o o o 888888 Oi « a o a a a .= SS 2 PL, 03 03 -S ||2£ £ ; VSfeo°.j S S -3 g 8 6 | 4 ! i a a j Sgg 3 s ■§7 ! o ■?«|0 oj OS -^ mo=Q o o g o. 1,0 ' HI 1 Isll s >. inn tins ,000 spe f "s a & i-a-3§« g. ss ice n t >-t c "S f o o •Iff ■2 1 h* construction of a salinity control barrier at the lelta. In addition, change in land use from natural ) ultimate conditions will decrease the consumptive fee of precipitation by native vegetation and will lerefore tend to increase the runoff substantially. With these factors taken into account, it is estimated pat the future runoff of the Sacramento River Basin lay he in the order of 24,000,000 acre-feet per year. Tlic present gross water requirements of the Sacra- lento River Basin are estimated to aggregate about ,671 i.OOO acre-feet per season. These requirements are let principally by direct stream flow diversions, sup- lemented by releases from storage and by pumping rum ground water. About 30,000 acre-feet of the re- uirement is met by imports from the Truckee and losumnes River Basins. Additional imports for local se and for export will become available in the near ature from the Trinity River Division of the Central 'alley Project. Taking into account the availability of return flow rom the upland service areas for downstream use, nd based on the consideration that certain mountain lands classified as irrigable in State Water Resources Board Bulletin No. 2 are now considered to be better suited to forest use, the ultimate water requirement in the Sacramento River Basin has been estimated to be 7,430,000 acre-feet per year. Of this total, it is esti- mated that approximately 6,290,000 acre-feet will be consumed in plant growth and by urban and indus- trial users; 470,000 acre-feet will be recoverable as return flow at the Delta; and the remainder, 670,000 acre-feet, represents irrecoverable losses, including poor-quality waters and sewage and industrial wastes that would be disposed of by a separate waste conduit entering the Delta waste-Avay channels below a future barrier pool. In addition to the major problem of floods in the Sacramento Valley and to some extent in the uplands, the Sacramento River Basin contains several local areas of limited water supply. These are located at fairly high altitudes, principally around Goose Lake, in the vicinity of Alturas, and in Sierra Valley. In other mountain areas, notably in the Sierra Nevada, the irrigable lands are often situated on the broad ridges separating the main watercourses, and despite the abundant flow of these streams, cannot be served except by pumping from great canyon depths or through long and difficult gravity conduit routes. The diversion of water to serve these lands often conflicts with otherwise desirable hydroelectric power develop- ments. Seepage from the Sacramento River and rising saline waters in the Peach Bowl area of Sutter County have caused considerable damage on the valley floor. Not the least of the water problems of the Sacra- mento River Basin is the need to preserve and in some instances enhance its recreational potential and its highly important recreational and anadromous fishery. Objectives of The California Water Plan in the Sacramento River Basin are fourfold : first, the de- velopment of sufficient water supplies to satisfy ulti- mate water requirements for all beneficial local pur- poses, including irrigation, urban, industrial, fish and wildlife, recreational, and navigation; second. protection of urban and agricultural areas from dam- aging floods; third, the development of the hydro- electric power potential of the basin to its feasible maximum ; and, fourth, the development of about 10,000,000 acre-feet of surplus water per season for export to water-deficient areas elsewhere in the State. Corollary with these objectives is the need to preserve the quality of the water to a degree consistent with its anticipated use. Although this section is concerned primarily with developments to meet local requirements, it is pointed out that, like Shasta and Folsom Reservoirs, certain prospective works of the basin would have important export as well as local functions, and. as such, would be extremely difficult of classification as either solely local or solely export facilities. In general, these dual- 94 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN function works would consist of large multipurpose reservoirs at the foothills of the major streams, and certain smaller irrigation or flood control reservoirs at the foothill line on the less important streams. Although these works are designated and grouped together later as features of the Sacramento Division of the California Aqueduct System, they are described in this section along with those which would pri- marily serve local purposes. All works of the basin, existing and prospective, are conceived as an inte- grated system designed to conserve and regulate the native and imported water supplies to an optimum degree, to develop the hydroelectric, recreational, and fishery potential of these waters, and to provide flood protection. The works of the Sacramento River Basin are considered under 10 separate geographical subdivi- sions, as follows : the Goose Lake Unit in the extreme northeastern part of the basin; the Pit River Unit northeast of Redding; the Mt, Shasta Stream Group north of Redding; the Redding Stream Group be- tween Red Bluff and Shasta Dam; the West Side Stream Group, comprising the mountain and foothill area on the west side of the basin south of Red Bluff ; the Antelope-Butte Stream Group, comprising the mountain and foothill area on the east side of the basin between Red Bluff and the Feather River drain- age divide; the Feather River Unit; the Yuba-Bear River Unit ; the American River Unit ; and the Sacra- mento Valley Floor. Following the discussion of works in each of these subdivisions, there is a summary state- ment with tables showing principal characteristics of the various suggested works and their estimated cost. Goose Lake Unit. The Goose Lake Unit comprises the California portion of the Goose Lake Basin. This basin has an area of about 1,100 square miles, of which 688 square miles are in Oregon and 412 square miles are in California. The streams of the basin drain into Goose Lake, a large shallow body of water situated in both states at an elevation of about 4,800 feet. The lake occupies a shallow depression separated from its outlet to the North Fork of the Pit River by a low divide. Evaporation from the lake surface and consumptive use of water from influent streams tend to balance the inflow to the extent that there has been virtually no outflow during historic times. The lake is important as a wild fowl refuge. Its waters are brack ish and not suited to domestic or agricultural use. About 97 square miles of the Goose Lake Unit are mountainous and 315 square miles have been classified as valley and mesa land, but this includes about 120 square miles of water area when the lake is at its highest level. Precipitation in the (loose Lake Unit ranges from less than 15 inches per season on the flat lands to about 24 inches in the Warner Mountains east of the lake. The principal streams of the unit drain from these mountains, and are, from north to south, Pine, Cottonwood, Willow, Lassen, and Davis Creeks. None of these streams is more than 15 miles long, but sev eral flow perennially. These and the minor streams of the unit have an aggregate natural runoff of only about 68,000 acre-feet per year on the average. The water problems of the Goose Lake Unit relate entirely to the limited supplies available for develop, ment for consumptive purposes. There are no present or future flood problems to deal with and, insofar as the streams are concerned, no quality problems. Al- though the unique scenic, wildlife, and historical at tractions of the area are not widely known, they may become more important in the future, but no specia water problems are foreseen in their development The Goose Lake Unit is sparsely settled, with vir- tually no industries except a few small sawmills Present water development is limited to direct diver sion of natural stream flow, augmented by releases from a few small reservoirs aggregating less thai 4,000 acre-feet of storage capacity. About 24,000 acra feet of water per season is developed in this mannei to irrigate about 8,500 acres of land along the easl shore of the lake, in Fandango Valley, and at ■" mouths of small streams draining into the lake fron the west. Under ultimate conditions it is anticipated that th Goose Lake Unit will continue to be sparsely settled with only nominal water requirements for urban ust and industry. The water service areas, however, maj expand to as much as 30,000 acres if satisfactory supplemental water supplies for irrigation can be de veloped at reasonable cost. Based on prevailing irri gation practices in the unit, this would require a tota of about 80,000 acre-feet of water per season — ai amount 12,000 acre-feet in excess of the natura runoff. Plans to drain Goose Lake to obtain additiona water supplies for local use and export to the Pi River Unit have been considered but were found ¥ be impracticable in view of the desirability of pre serving the lake as a natural wild fowl refuge. Furthe complications are added by its interstate location Plans to import water from the Oregon tributaries the lake are likewise considered to be impracticable be cause of future requirements in that state. For thes- reasons and because of the limited local water supply full irrigation development of the land resources ■ the (loose Lake Unit may never be realized. Under The California Water Plan it is anticipate* that some further development of the remaining wate resources of the Goose Lake Unit may be obtainei through the construction of additional small resei voirs by individual owners, as at present; but an; substantial increase in the developed water suppl; would depend on possibilities for ground water utilize tion. Although little is known concerning the subsui face geology of the unit, existing and prospectiv Sacramento River Basin— Bear River Canal in the Sierra Nevada, Constructed in 185C in; THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN water service areas are believed to be underlain with alluvial deposits which may contain water of a quality suitable for irrigation. If such ground water basins can be delimited and developed for use, including recharge through spreading works and deep percola- tion of applied water, it is believed that all of the potentially irrigable lands of the unit could be irri- gated without import. Under these circumstances much of the return flow could be recovered for re-use, and a supplemental water supply of only about 26,- 000 acre-feet per season would be required as com- pared with 56,000 acre-feet without such re-use. Another way of bringing additional land under irrigation would be through the use of sprinkler methods of water application. With these methods there would be very little return flow wasted and supplemental water requirements would be nominal. General acceptance of these methods would depend on the economic conditions prevailing in the future. Pit River Unit. The Pit River Unit comprises all of the 5,350 square-mile drainage basin of the Pit River. About 3,080 square miles of the basin area are mountainous, and 2,270 square miles have been classi- fied as valley and mesa land. The Pit River forms near Alturas with the junction of its North and South Forks, and flows westwardly for a distance of about 170 miles to join the Sacramento River in Shasta Reservoir. Precipitation in the Pit River Unit averages about 24 inches at the headwaters in the Warner Mountains, 15 inches in the middle reaches, and as much as 80 inches in the Cascade Range, which forms the westerly part of the watershed. The mean natural runoff from the headwater area above Canby is about 260,000 acre-feet per year and, for the basin as a whole, 3,430,000 acre-feet. Stream flow in the upper and middle reaches of the basin is sporadic; but, in the lower reaches it is remarkably uniform due to the fact that the principal tributaries in this area have their source in perennial springs of considerable magnitude. An average of about 11,000 acre-feet of water per season is exported from tributaries of the South Fork of the Pit River into Madeline Plains in the Lahontan Basin. There are no present imports. I 'resent water development of the headwater area of the Pit River Unit is quite extensive, with most of the 50 or more reservoirs of the unit concentrated in this area. These have been constructed by both indi- viduals and organized water districts, and range in size from ;i few acre-feet to 77.000 acre-feel lor Big Sage Reservoir on Rattlesnake Creek near Alturas. Together they have an aggregate capacity of about 150,000 aere-feet. Releases from these reservoirs are combined with natural stream flow to irrigate an average of about 82,000 acres of land each year in tin- upper and middle reaches of the basin. Another 2:',. 000 acres are irrigated by direct stream How di- version in the lower basin area, principa'ly along Fall River and in the vicinity of McArthur and Pittville. The hydroelectric power potential of the lower basin area is partially developed by the Pacific- Gas and Electric Company. The company has six large plants on Hat Creek and on the Pit River below Fall River, with application pending before the Fed- eral Power Commission to complete the chain by constructing three additional units on the Pit River and involving a diversion from the McCloud River. Conflicting proposals for development of the latter stream are discussed under the Mt. Shasta Stream Group. A small locally owned plant develops power on Pine Creek near Alturas. Despite an abundant water supply for the Pit River Unit as a whole, the upper and middle sectors, where most of the irrigable land is situated, are areas of limited supply. Furthermore, these areas are 1.000 to 1,500 feet higher than possible major sources oi import from Fall River and other productive tribu taries of the unit. Except for some flooding in the vicinity of Alturas, there are no present flood prob-' lems of consequence in the unit, and, with the possible exception of Big Valley, none are foreseen for the! future. Swampy conditions in the highly developed main valley of the South Fork and in the vicinity oi McArthur are alleviated to some extent by drainage ditches and pumping. These conditions probably act count for considerable uneconomic consumption oi water. The unit is widely used for fishing and hunt ing and, in some areas, for general outdoor recrea tion. Lakes and reservoirs are used by wild fowl ai nesting places. The preservation and possible en hancement of these resources is a prime consideration in The California Water Plan. Under ultimate conditions it is anticipated tha present water service areas in the Pit River Unit wil expand to about 324,000 acres, supporting a populal tion of about 38,000 people. Taking into account th possibilities for re-use of return flow, it is estimate* that the ultimate water requirements of the uni for consumptive use would be about 478,000 acre-fee per season, as compared with a present requiremen of 244,000 acre-feet. Objectives of The California Water Plan in th Pit River Unit would be met insofar as possible b; the construction of local works. Plans for water dd velopmcnt in the Alturas area, comprising lands i the valleys of the North and South Forks and in Hd Springs Valley on the main stem of the Pit Riveit contemplate the eventual construction of small rese> voirs on Parker Creek near its mouth, on South For at Jess Valley, on Stony Canyon Creek at Sears Fla and on Crooks Canyon Creek by enlargement c Bayley Reservoir. Flood protection for Alturas wouli probably be accomplished by construction of a lv pass channel on the North Fork, together with chaii THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 97 1 improvements on the North and South Forks and e main stem of Pit River to relieve unsatisfactory «ainage conditions. None of these small works has en considered in detail for this report, nor have eir costs and accomplishments been firmly estab- Jlhed. They are simply suggested for future consid- eration. In general, due to the very limited water ■jpply of the Alturas area, any considerable expan- U>n of irrigation would be dependent mainly on water Ijpplies obtained from downstream areas. The pos- Ipilities for obtaining such supplies are intimately Hated to and entirely contingent upon the feasibility Id ground water development in Big Valley, which ■situated on the Pit River below Hot Springs Valley, lithough little is now known about the ground water ■feources of Big Valley, further investigations are Hieduled to begin in fiscal year 1957-58. I LPlans for water development for Big Valley contem- ■pte the construction of Allen Camp Reservoir at Ife head of the valley on the Pit River, and Round Riley Reservoir on Ash Creek with feeder canal from ■illow Creek, its principal tributary. Ash Creek en- H-s Big Valley from the south. It is anticipated that le combined yield of Allen Camp and Round Valley ■servoirs would be in the order of 120,000 acre-feet Ktr season. However, should it be found feasible in k future to operate these reservoirs in conjunction hth possible, but not assured, ground water storage fcaeity in Big Valley, the combined yield might ex- ftd 200,000 acre-feet per season. In this event, it ■uld be possible not only to meet the full ultimate liter requirements of Big Valley, but to allow limped diversions, in the amount of about 50,000 ■re-feet per season, to be made from Allen Camp ■servoir into Hot Spring Valley. Due to the relatively ■v cost of storage in Allen Camp Reservoir, it is ■ieved that it may be feasible in the future to re- wve about 40.000 acre-feet of its capacity for flood Irtrol. •Supplemental water supplies for Dixie Valley, Mich is located on the upper reaches of Horse Creek, •uld be obtained by pumping from Little Valley ■servoir to be located downstream. Horse Creek en- ws the Pit River from the south below Big Valley. ■Lands in the Fall River, McArthur, and Pittville ■as could obtain their supplemental water supplies I diversions from Fall River and / or pumping from 1.11 River Mills Reservoir, which would be formed I a dam on the Pit River below Fall River near the mm of Fall River Mills. Although it is believed that i-aiV dam could be constructed at this site, blanket- •i'r of the reservoir area in some places might be re- Hired to avoid large loss of conserved water. The ■servoir would be at the same level as the present Icifie Gas and Electric Company diversion dam on 111 River, and would replace that facility as well as ■prove the output of an associated power plant by piviiliii'j I'oivbay capacity not now available. Because of its narrow operating range, the reservoir would afford exceptional opportunity for recreational de- velopment, especially including an ideal lake fishery. Lands in the Burney area and in Goose Valley would continue to be served as at present by pumping from ground water and by direct stream flow diver- sion. Most of the land in these areas is considered better suited to continued forest use and recreation rather than to future irrigated agriculture. No stor- age works are now contemplated except possibly a small reservoir on Burney Creek in the general vicin- ity of Dry Lake, but there is some question concerning the ability of a reservoir in this porous lava area to retain water. The remaining hydroelectric power resources of the Pit River Basin would be developed by the construc- tion of Pit River Power Plants Nos. 2, 6, and 7 as has been proposed by the Pacific Gas and Electric Com- pany, with the water supply for Plants Nos. 6 and 7 possibly augmented by diversion from the McCloud River, if approved by the Federal Power Commission. For purposes of this report, however, it was assumed that the McCloud River would not be diverted into the Pit River. With the existing plants, these plants would develop the full power potential of the Pit River between Fall River and Shasta Reservoir, in- volving a total head of about 2,000 feet. A small de- velopment on Hat Creek at Sugar Loaf Mountain is also contemplated. This development would utilize the natural spring-fed flow of Hat Creek through a drop of about 600 feet. In summary, prospective works in the Pit River Unit would consist of major reservoirs at Allen Camp, Round Valley, and Fall River Mills; several minor reservoirs at various locations ; channel improvement works in the vicinity of Alturas ; and four hydroelec- tric power plants. The reservoirs would add more than 500,000 acre-feet of capacity to the present storage system of the basin, including 40,000 acre-feet that would be reserved in Allen Camp Reservoir for future flood control. Depending on the feasibility of conjunc- tive operation with ground water, the reservoirs would make supplemental water supplies of from 160,000 to 240,000 acre-feet per season available for local use. The new power plants would have a combined installed capacity of about 183,000 kilowatts and would gener- ate an average of about 886,000,000 kilowatt-hours per year. In addition to the probably excellent recre- ational and fishery potential of Fall River Mills Res- ervoir, it is anticipated that the other reservoirs may afford opportunities for recreational development, and there will be some incidental enhancement of stream flow for these purposes. Mt. Shasta Stream Group. The Mt, Shasta stream Group comprises the drainage basin of the McCloud River and the area tributary to the main stem of the Sacramento River above Shasta Dam. The combined 98 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 1,300 square-mile drainage area of these streams is essentially mountainous and heavily forested. Precipitation in the Mt. Shasta Stream Group is the heaviest in the entire Sacramento River Basin, vary- ing from about 34 inches per season at the City of Mt. Shasta to more than 80 inches on the higher peaks and ridges. The runoff averages about 2,300,000 acre- feet per year, of which the McCloud River contributes 1,400,000 acre-feet from 685 square miles of water- shed area and the Sacramento River provides 900,000 acre-feet from 618 square miles. Except for Shasta Reservoir, which regulates the water of the Pit River as well as the streams consid- ered herein, there is no present significant develop- ment of the water resources of the Mt. Shasta Stream Group. Towns, industries, and individuals obtain their water supplies from springs and wells. Minor diversion of natural stream flow is made for irrigation on the gentle lower slopes of Mt. Shasta in the vicinity of the towns of Mt. Shasta and McCloud. Shasta Res- ervoir, a feature of the Central Valley Project, de- velops water for power and irrigation and provides flood protection to downstream areas. Releases are coordinated with downstream accretions to provide for navigation on the Sacramento River below Red Bluff and to repulse sea water at the Delta, as well as for diversion from the Sacramento River for local use and from the Delta for export. Because of its export function, Shasta Reservoir is considered to be a feature of the California Aqueduct System and is further discussed subsequently in that section. There are no present water problems of consequence in the Mt. Shasta Stream Group. Consumptive water requirements are and will continue to be relatively small. With the exception of some minor flooding of low-lying areas at Dunsmuir, there are no present flood problems, nor is there any indication that floods will constitute a hazard in the future. Maintenance of stream flow for fish, wildlife, and recreation is con- sidered to be a fundamental requirement for all water development planning in this area. The basic plan for development of the water re- sources of the Mt. Shasta Stream Group under The California Water Plan, as outlined herein, contem- plates that the headwater runoff, not required for irrigation and stream flow maintenance, would be conveyed to and regulated in an off-stream storage reservoir on Squaw Valley Creek, principal tributary of the McCloud River, and then released through a system of works to develop (lie power head to Shasta Reservoir. Supplemental water supplies for irrigation of lands in the vicinity of the City of Mt. Shasta could be obtained by pumped diversions from Wagon Valley Reservoir. This reservoir would be located on the Sacramento River near Mt. Shasta and would also conserve water for .stream How maintenance on the Sacramento River. After fulfilling these requirement^ surplus water would be diverted from Wagon Valle;' Reservoir and conveyed eastward by canal and tin nel into Willow Reservoir on Squaw Valley Creek with return flow from the Mt. Shasta area and the sin plus flow of Soda Creek, a tributary of the Sacre mento River, intercepted enroute. Water from th' McCloud River, in excess of stream flow maintenanc! requirements, would be diverted at a point about miles southeast of the town of McCloud, and conveyej by tunnel to Willow Reservoir, with the surplus flo 1 of Elk Creek, a minor tributary, intercepted enrouti Willow Reservoir would be created by constructing dam at the lower end of Squaw Valley, about 7 milt south of the town of McCloud. From Willow Reservoir the water would be coi veyed southward by tunnel to the Willow Powe! Plant, discharging into the McCloud River arm cj< Chonton Tubas Reservoir. This reservoir would b formed by constructing a dam on the McCloud Rivd immediately below the mouth of Squaw Valley Creel! also known as North Fork of McCloud River. Froi4 Chonton Tubas Reservoir the water would be coi veyed by tunnel to the Chonton Tubas Power Plan! discharging into the McCloud River arm of ShasV Reservoir. Releases for stream flow maintenani| would be made from both reservoirs. Under an arrangement proposed by the Pacific (r,\ and Electric Company in its application to the Fee eral Power Commission for a license to develop tlj power resources of the McCloud River, the water fro:J Willow Reservoir would be conveyed eastward by tui< nel to a power drop at the head of a McCloud Dive.j sion Reservoir on the McCloud River north wvr development, as in the basic plan. The Department of Water Resources is currently l!),")? 1 giving further study to the proposals of the acific Gas and Electric Company and the California regon Power Company as to the accomplishments of lese proposals in relation to The California Water Ian. The department has filed a petition to intervene 1 any future hearings of the Federal Power Commis- si concerning pending applications for license. In summary, the basic plan of the Mt. Shasta tream Group would comprise three reservoirs and \d power plants with associated conduits and diver- on facilities. The reservoirs would have a gross orage capacity of about 324,000 acre-feet, of which 1,000 acre-feet would be inactive and 305,000 acre- :et would conserve water for local consumptive use, ream How maintenance, and power. Because of their datively small capacities, the reservoirs would contrib- te little to the safe yield of Shasta Reservoir. The ,'illow and Chonton Tubas Power Plants would have combined installed capacity of 208,000 kilowatts and on Id generate an average of about 1.1 billion .lowatt-hours per year. Redding Stream Group. The Redding Stream roup is situated directly north of the Sacramento alley and includes the stream basins tributary to the acmmento River between Red Bluff and Shasta Dam. hese tributary streams are Clear Creek and Cotton- ood Creek, entering the Sacramento River from the est. and Cow Creek with its many tributaries, and ear, Battle, and Paynes Creeks flowing from the east. he stream group encompasses a total area of about 610 square miles, comprising rich farm land on the illey floor, rolling grass-covered foothills, a gently oping volcanic plain in the middle sector of the isterly watershed, and rugged mountains at the east- •n and western boundaries. About 1,830 square miles : the stream group area are mountainous and 780 liiare miles have been classified as valley and mesa nd. Precipitation in the Redding Stream Group varies mil about 25 inches per season on the valley floor to 1 inches in the high mountains, generally as a direct mction of the elevation. The mean natural runoff of i" st ream group is about 2,7-10,000 acre-feet per year. Present water requirements for agriculture are met ibstantially by direct stream flow diversions, princi- illy from the Sacramento River to serve lands in the nderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District, and from "\v Creek and its tributaries to serve contiguous nds. Water supplies for Happy Valley are obtained Y long canal diversions from tributaries of Clear Creek and the North Fork of Cottonwood Creek, aug- mented by releases from Musselbeck (Rainbow Lake) Reservoir on the latter stream. The City of Redding pumps it Avater supply from the Sacramento River. Other communities obtain their water supplies princi- pally from wells. Hydroelectric power is developed on Cow and Battle Creeks at six small plants of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, utilizing the nat- ural spring-fed headwater runoff of these streams, with some minor storage regulation. A large block of power is developed at the federally owned Keswick Power Plant, situated at the Keswick Afterbay Dam on the Sacramento River below Shasta Dam. Mandatory controlled releases from Shasta Reser- voir sometimes cause flooding of urban developments which, in recent years and notwithstanding posted warnings, have encroached upon the flood plain of the Sacramento River in the vicinity of Redding. Other- wise, there are no present water problems of con- sequence in the Redding Stream Group. Abundant water supplies are available for local development to meet all future supplemental requirements. The main objectives of The California Water Plan in the group are to conserve and regulate the runoff of the tribu- tary streams to an optimum degree for local and downstream use for irrigation, power, fishery, and recreation purposes; and to provide flood protection for local and downstream areas. Plans for development of the water resources of the Redding Stream Group contemplate the eventual con- struction of eight main foothill reservoirs on tributary streams, together with certain related minor storage and diversion works, conduits, and one hydroelectric power plant. All of these works would be in addition to, and, in certain respects, complementary to the storage, conduit, and hydroelectric power facilities of the California Aqueduct System in the area. Storage features of the California Aqueduct System in the Redding Stream Group would consist, princi- pally, of Kanaka, Saeltzer, and Girvan Reservoirs on Clear Creek, and Iron Canyon Reservoir or suitable alternative thereto on the Sacramento River. The capacity of the latter reservoir under The Calif oimia Water Plan would be about 950,000 acre-feet ; whereas the authorized Iron Canyon Project of the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, contemplates a reservoir with a capacity of about 500,000 acre-feet. However, the difference in normal pool elevations would be only about 20 feet. These reservoirs, together with associ- ated conduits and power plants, are described later in this chapter as features of the Klamath-Trinity and Sacramento Divisions of the California Aqueduct System. Local works on Cottonwood Creek would consist of Dippingvat Reservoir on the South Fork ; Rosewood Reservoir on Dry Creek, a tributary of the South Fork, with diversion from Cold Fork, also a tributary 100 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN of the South Fork; Fiddlers Reservoir with power plant and afterbay on the Middle Fork; and Hulen Reservoir on the North Fork. These reservoirs would provide water for local use in Cottonwood Valley and in the Reeds Creek area west of Red Bluff. They would also provide flood protection for the Sacra- mento Valley as well as local areas, and improve and enhance stream flow to encourage the development of anadromous fishery in Cottonwood Creek in conjunc- tion with fish ladder provisions at Iron Canyon Reservoir. In addition to a small block of power that would be developed by the Fiddlers Power Plant, the water developed by these reservoirs, and not required for local use, would contribute to the supply available for use through the Iron Canyon Power Plant of the California Aqueduct System. As previously stated, the developments on Clear Creek are considered to be features of the California Aqueduct System in connection with import from the North Coastal Area. However, these features, particu- larly Kanaka Reservoir, would be effective in con- serving and regulating the runoff of Clear Creek. In this regard it is anticipated that Kanaka Reservoir would eventually assume the conservation and flood control functions of Whiskeytown Reservoir, which is authorized for federal construction as a feature of the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project. The transfer of these functions would be required because Whiskeytown Reservoir, located farther up- stream, would be at too high an elevation and of too small a capacity to regulate the future imports of the Klamath-Trinity Division. Studies indicate that it would not be economic at the present time to con- struct the larger Kanaka Reservoir rather than Whiskeytown Reservoir. As contemplated under The California Water Plan, small quantities of the con- served waters of Clear Creek would be used locally in Happy Valley and other places as required, but the bulk of the water supply would flow through the aqueduct features for downstream use, including the generation of hydroelectric power. Developments contemplated on tributaries of Cow Creek would consist of: Bella Vista Reservoir on Little Cow Creek, with natural water supply aug- mented by the diversion of Clover Creek into a small Oak Flat Reservoir on Oak Run, with further con- veyance by large tunnel into Norton Gulch which drains into Little Cow Creek; and Millville Reservoir in: South Cow Creek, which would be connected l>v a short equalizing tunnel with a small reservoir on Old Cow Creek. The inflow to the Millville-Old Cow Creek Reservoir combination would be augmented by the diversion of the winter flow of Bear Creek through ;i natural saddle into South Cow Creek. Part of the conserved and regulated waters of Cow Creek would he used locally as required, and the remainder would flow into Iron Canyon Reservoir for further disposi- tion. Flood protection for the Sacramento Valley J well as local areas would be provided by the reservoiij and they would improve and enhance stream flcl for the maintenance of fish life in Cow Creek. The regulation of Battle and Paynes Creeks fl conservation and flood control could be accomplish! by partial conservation of Battle Creek in Bail Creek Reservoir, supplemented by off -stream storaj in a large Wing Reservoir on Inks Creek. Spills frd Battle Creek as well as the winter runoff of PayJ Creek would be diverted into Wing Reservoir throul large-capacity flood channels. There woidd be J local use of the developed water supplies, except fl stream flow maintenance for fish life on the low reaches of Battle and Paynes Creeks, and all releaJ would flow into Iron Canyon Reservoir for furtli downstream regulation and use, including power ga eration. In summary, the local works of the Redding StreJ Group would provide 1,325,000 acre-feet of reservl storage capacity, of which about 100,000 acre-fl would be inactive and 260,000 acre-feet would be I served for flood control. Fiddlers Power Plant,! local development, would have an installed capac.J of about 8,000 kilowatts. Specifically, the local resl voirs would provide about 600,000 acre-feet of fil water per season from the tributary stream runoff M local and downstream use. When considered in c«H junction with Kanaka and Iron Canyon Reservoil and after taking into account future local consunl five requirements within the Redding Stream Groil the reservoirs would regulate for downstream use average of about 2,150,000 acre-feet of local runil per season, of which about 800.000 acre-feet woi be a firm supply. The local reservoirs, together w Kanaka and Iron Canyon, would contain about 5£l 000 acre-feet of storage space specifically reserved I flood control. This space operated in conjunction wH reserved storage space in Shasta Reservoir would! highly effective in reducing flood flows in the SaJ mento River at Redding and Red Bluff, and at I same time would afford local flood protection el where within the Redding Stream Group. The lie control storage space would be utilized to reffiill the flood flows in such a manner as to yield substl tial quantities of secondary water for power genel tion, ground water recharge, and export, Fiddll Power Plant could generate an average of about -I 000,000 kilowatt-hours per year. West Side Stream Group. The West Side Siren Group comprises all streams of the Sacramento TJi'r Basin draining from the easterly slopes of the C<1 Range south of Cottonwood Creek. The east I boundary of the area between Red Bluff and ArbfH is defined approximately by the projected locatiorw the Corning and Tehama-Colusa Canals of the I reau of Reclamation. These canals comprise featiMj Sacramento Valley— Agriculture and Navigation 102 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN of the Sacramento Canals Unit of the Central Val- ley Project. South of Arbnckle the boundary is more clearly defined by the natural topography. Capay Valley on Cache Creek is considered to be part of the Sacramento Valley floor area. The combined drain- age area to the base of the foothills is about 4,000 square miles, of which 3,000 square miles are moun- tainous and 1,000 square miles have been classified as valley and mesa land. The principal streams of the group are, from north to south, Redbank, Elder, Thomes, Stony, Cache, and Putah Creeks. Precipitation in the West Side Stream Group occurs largely as rainfall and varies from about 20 inches per season at the eastern foothill boundary to more than 80 inches in some places at the summit of the Coast Range. The aggregate natural runoff of the streams averages about 1,900,000 acre-feet per year. East Park and Stony Gorge Reservoirs on Stony Creek, Clear Lake on Cache Creek, and Monticello Reservoir on Putah Creek, comprise the present major water storage facilities within the West Side Stream Group. All other reservoirs have an aggregate capacity of less than 3,700 acre-feet, of which about 1,700 acre-feet are contained in Detert Reservoir near Middletown on Bucksnort Creek, a tributary of Putah Creek. Water conserved in reservoirs on Stony Creek and in Clear Lake is used in Sacramento Valley floor areas. Water conserved in Monticello Reservoir is also used in Sacramento Valley floor areas, but a large quantity will shortly be exported to parts of Solano County located south and west of the Sacra- ment River drainage divide boundaries. Because of its large capacity, Monticello Reservoir effectively con- trols and regulates the flood flows of Putah Creek. Clear Lake on Cache Creek and the reservoirs on Stony Creek provide only limited regulation of the flood flows of their respective streams. Operation of Clear Lake for irrigation and flood control is governed by court decree to a considerable extent. There are at present about 13,000 acres of land under irrigation within the West Side Stream Group. This land is irrigated principally by pumping from ground water, with some direct diversion of natural stream flow and releases from storage. Irrigable lands of the stream group aggregate about 270,000 acres, with an ultimate water requirement of about 635,000 acre-feet per season when land that would be inun- dated by reservoirs is taken into account. The irriga- ble lands occur in parcels of varying size throughout the middle and lower reaches of the stream group area, with principal concentrations located in the vicinity of Middletown and Pope Valley in the Putah Creek Basin; around Clear Lake and in Bear Valley in the Cache Creek Basin; around East Park Reser voir in the Stony Creek Basin ; and in the foothill area between Red Bluff and Arlmekle. It is estimated that the future population of the stream group may be about 26,000 people. There is no present water deficiency in the West Side Stream Group and no flood problems of conseJ quence except around Clear Lake, caused principally' by the limited capacity of the outlet channel. Thd quality of the water supplies is generally good, bd somewhat inferior to the supplies of other parts ol the Sacramento River Basin. In the Cache Creel Basin below Clear Lake some of the minor tributaries have an especially high boron content. The objectives of The California Water Plan in th West Side Stream Group are to conserve the water! for local and downstream use, and to provide flooc protection for local and downstream areas. Mainte nance of stream flow for recreation is generally noi of importance in this area, but the major reservoir themselves may develop important recreational oppor tunities. In addition, small reservoir impoundments designed specifically for recreation and fishing may hi desirable in some localities. There is little concen with hydroelectric power, except insofar as local watei supplies may be combined with imported suppl: from the Eel River under the California Aqueduc System and used for this purpose. Under The California Water Plan it is content plated that the waters of Redbank Creek, togethe with spill from Dippingvat Reservoir on the Soutl Pork of Cottonwood Creek, would be conserved fo irrigation and regulated for flood control in Schoen field Reservoir on Redbank Creek; and the waters o Elder Creek would be conserved for irrigation am regulated for flood control in Galatin Reservoir oi Elder Creek. These reservoirs would serve lands far south as Thomes Creek and would provide partia protection for downstream areas against damaging floods. The waters of Thomes Creek would be partiall; conserved in Paskenta Reservoir on Thomes Creel with spill diverted through a saddle into Newvill Reservoir on the North Fork of Stony Creek fo further conservation and regulation for flood control Newville Reservoir would also conserve surplus wate diverted from Stony Creek below East Park Reser, voir and from Grindstone Creek, principal tributar of Stony Creek. A small power plant would be in stalled at the base of Newville Dam. The remainin; waters of Stony Creek would be conserved for irrigfl tion and regulated for Hood control in Black Butt Reservoir on the main stem of the stream near th foothill line. This reservoir has been authorized fo construction by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Arm! and is classified as a feature of the Sacramento Divi sion of the California Aqueduct System. New wate supplies developed by Paskenta, Newville, and Blac! Butte Reservoirs would be used along and betwee Thomes and Stony Creeks and in the foothill area o the stream group as far south as Arbnckle. Secondar; water supplies, comprising regulated flood rele THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN L03 rom Black Butte Reservoir, would be used for ground Ivater recharge and export. The runoff from some of the minor foothill streams jetween the drainage divides of Stony and Cache Sreeks could be partially conserved for recreation by m instructing small reservoirs at Clark Valley on the (•South Fork of Willow Creek. Squaw Flat on Logan Creek, High Peak on Hunters Creek, and Golden Gate m Funks and Stone Corral Creeks. These small reser- voirs could possibly also be used for flood control and for terminal storage of pumped diversions from the Tehama-Colusa Canal to serve contiguous lands. I Irrigation developments in the Clear Lake area of Cache Creek would consist of Excelsior Reservoir on [Copsey Creek with feeder canal from Seigler Canyon Creek, both tributary to the outlet channel of Clear ILake. to serve lands near the lake outlet; Boggs and Kelseyville Reservoirs on Kelsey Creek, with feeder canal from Cold Creek into the latter reservoir, to fcerve Big Valley and other lands south of the lake; and Pitney Ridge Reservoir on Middle Creek and Lakeport Reservoir on Scott Creek, a tributary of Middle Creek, to serve lands on the north and west sides of the lake. J Flood control in the Clear Lake area could be pro- vided by conducting spills from Kelseyville and Lake- roort Reservoirs into Clear Lake through separate fioodway channels; by improving and leveeing the channel of Middle Creek ; and by enlarging the outlet channel of Clear Lake with downstream flood control [storage space provided in Guinda Reservoir at the head of Capay Valley, or in alternative reservoirs at fBlue Riclge or Wilson Valley. These alternative sites ore presently (1957) under detailed investigation. Present court decrees governing the operation of Clear Lake for flood control would have to be rescinded and/or modified before the outlet channel (could be enlarged. ' Firm water supplies developed in Guinda or suita- ble alternative reservoir would be used in Capay Val- iley and other downstream areas. Secondary supplies, comprising regulated flood releases, would be used for ground water recharge and export. Because of the latter function. Guinda Reservoir, or suitable alterna- tive, would be classified as a feature of the Sacra- mento Division of the California Aqueduct System. [ Other local developments in the Cache Creek Basin would consist of Indian Valley Reservoir on the North Fork of Cache Creek for conservation and iflood control, and pumped diversions from East Park Reservoir on Stony Creek to serve irrigable lands in Bear Valley. A small reservoir could be constructed .on Bear Creek at the lower end of Bear Valley to impound water for recreational purposes. Local works in the drainage basin of Putah Creek would consist of Middletown Reservoir on Putah Creek to serve lands in the vicinity of Middletown, and Goodings Reservoir on Maxwell Creek, a tribu- tary of Pope Creek which flows into Putah Creek, to serve lands in Pope Valley by pumped diversions. Local inflow to Goodings Reservoir would be aug- mented by importations of surplus water from Mid- dletown Reservoir and Pope Creek. The principal feature of the California Aqueduct System on Putah Creek would be Monticello Reser- voir of the Eel River Division. No increase in capac- ity of Monticello Reservoir is contemplated under The California Water Plan, but considerable revision in its planned operation may be desirable. In its local function this reservoir would serve downstream areas and provide flood protection thereto. It would also afford opportunities for recreational development. With respect to future local development it is perti- nent to note that recent permits issued by the State Water Rights Board to the United States Bureau of Reclamation in furtherance of the Solano Project, contain a condition subjecting the permits to deple- tion of stream flow above Monticello Reservoir in an amount not to exceed 33,000 acre-feet annually by future appropriations of water for reasonable bene- ficial use within the watershed of Putah Creek above said reservoir; provided such future appropriations shall be initiated and consummated prior to full beneficial use of water within the Solano Project service area. This permit term may make it necessary that any developments constructed in the area up- stream from Monticello Reservoir for conservation of local water resources subsequent to the time that full beneficial use has been made under the Solano Project be based on an exchange of water imported from the Eel River or other sources under The Cali- fornia Water Plan. In summary, the local works of the West Side Stream Group would consist of 17 reservoirs together with associated diversion dams and a power plant ; feeder and service conduits, including pump lifts where required ; and leveed stream channel improve- ments and floodway channels. The reservoirs would have a combined gross storage capacity of 1,920,000 acre-feet, of which only 154,000 acre-feet would be inactive. Operated in conjunction with ground water storage in local areas, these reservoirs would insure virtually full irrigation development of the land re- sources of the stream group and would provide oppor- tunities for recreational development. In conjunction with features of the California Aqueduct System, these reservoirs would regulate water for downstream use, including ground water recharge and export. Together with Monticello Reservoir and Clear Lake, the reservoirs would contain about 400,000 acre-feet of storage space specifically reserved for flood control and strategically disposed throughout the stream group to protect downstream areas. Flood protection for the Clear Lake area would be accomplished by 104 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN enlarging the lake outlet and other appropriate meas- ures. The Newville Power Plant at the base of New- ville Dam would have an installed capacity of about 8,500 kilowatts and would generate an average of about 33,000,000 kilowatt-hours per year. Antelope-Butte Stream Group. The Antelope- Butte Stream Group comprises the small stream basins of the Sierra Nevada located between the Feather River and the Battle and Paynes Creek drainage divides. The principal streams of the group, from north to south, are Antelope, Mill, Deer, Big Chico, and Butte Creeks. These streams, together with the smaller streams of the group, drain a moun- tainous area of about 1,140 square miles. They are distinguished from most other streams of the Sierra by their parallel courses and steep descent from the headwaters or headwater valleys to the Sacramento Valley floor, with few tributaries and little oppor- tunity for storage enroute. Precipitation varies from about 25 inches per sea- son at the western foothills to more than 70 inches at the eastern mountain boundary. Much of this precipi- tation falls as snow which, along with the porous char- acter of the upper watersheds, tends to equalize the runoff to some extent. The mean natural runoff of the stream group is about 1,180,000 acre-feet per season, of which the minor foothill streams contribute about 210,000 acre-feet. The irrigable lands of the Antelope-Butte Stream Group are situated mainly on the Paradise Ridge be- tween the West Branch of the Feather River and Butte Creek. Smaller parcels are located on the broad ridges on both sides of Big Chico Creek. A fairly large parcel at the headwaters of Antelope Creek is considered now as being better suited to continued forest use rather than for irrigated agriculture. Lands of the Paradise Irrigation District are served from Magalia and recently completed Mosquito Junction Reservoirs on Little Butte Creek. Mountain meadows and downstream areas are irrigated by direct diver- sion of stream flow without benefit of storage. Hydro- electric power is generated on Butte Creek at the De Sabla and Centerville plants of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. These plants utilize the natural stream flow of Butte Creek, supplemented by a diver- sion from the West Branch of the Feather River. There are no other present water developments of consequence in the Antelope-Butte Stream Group. All of the major streams of the group and several of the minor streams provide spawning ground for anadro- mous fish. There are no serious present water problems within the area of the Antelope-Butte Stream Group, but the streams often cause damage on contiguous areas of the Sacramento Valley floor. Flood problems are sometimes aggravated by the abrupt dislodgment of logs and debris. Under The California Water Plan it is contem- plated that the waters of Antelope Creek, together with Salt and Little Antelope Creeks on the imme- diate north and south, respectively, would be con- served through spreading and ground water recharge and regulated for flood control in Antelope Basin Reservoir. This reservoir would be created in an ex- ceedingly permeable area on the valley floor at the base of the foothills east of Red Bluff by constructing a long earthen dike across the several stream channels to form a closed basin. The lands which would be oc- cupied by the reservoir are not classified as irrigable and could be used for grazing most of the time, as at present. The waters of Mill and Deer Creeks would be de- veloped for power and conserved and regulated, to- gether with several adjacent minor foothill streams, for irrigation and flood control. The power features would consist of Morgan Springs Reservoir at the headwaters of Mill Creek, with releases diverted by canal to Deer Creek Meadows Reservoir on Deer Creek, whence the head would be developed by canal, tunnel, and pipe line in a series of four power drops to the base of the foothills. Flow from the intermediate reaches of Mill Creek below Morgan Springs Dam would be diverted into the power system by tunnel entering Deer Creek below the first power drop. Ex- cept for the headwater reservoirs on Mill and Deer Creeks, no structures are planned that, with adequate fish ladders, could not be negotiated bv anadromous fish. The power releases from the terminal plant of the system on Brush Creek would be reregulated in Brush Basin Reservoir, a feature of the California Aqueduct System located east of Vina. Like Antelope Basin, this reservoir would also be formed on the valley floor at the base of the foothills by constructing a long earthen dike to create a closed basin. In this case the inundated lands, though not classified as irrigable, are not permeable and very little direct ground water recharge could be anticipated. The reservoir itself would intercept the direct flow of a number of minor foothill streams besides Brush Creek; but the flood flows of Mill, Toomes, Deer, and Rock Creeks would be conveyed to the reservoir for storage and regula- tion through large-capacity floodway channels. Low diversion dams on these streams would permit the passage of anadromous fish; and normal stream flow would not be diverted. Irrigation supplies for lands on Keefer Ridge, north of Big Chico Creek, would be conserved in Butte Creek House Reservoir at the headwaters of Butte Creek. Water released from this reservoir would be diverted downstream at Butte Meadows into Big Chico Creek and from Chico Meadows on that stream to Keefer Ridge. Supplemental water supplies for the Paradise Ridge area and for the area between 1 > i u Chico and Bntte Creeks would be developed in THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 105 forizzly Gulch Reservoir on Butte Creek and diverted downstream at Carpenter to both areas. Grizzly Gulch Reservoir would also be used to maintain stream flow •for subsequent downstream diversion for power through the De Sabla and Centerville plants of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, as at present. Additional water supplies for the Paradise Ridge area Would also be developed by enlargement of Magalia •Reservoir and by construction of a large Forks of Butte Reservoir on Butte Creek. j Foothill development of Big Chico and Butte Creeks would consist of a small conservation reservoir ou Big Chico Creek, which would be used during the flood season to divert flood flows through a large tun- nel into Butte Creek for storage and regulation in Castle Rock Reservoir, a feature of the California ^Aqueduct System. While no insurmountable interfer- ence with the anadromous fishery of these streams 'would result from construction of the upstream reser- voirs, the foothill dams definitely would present seri- ous barriers to migration. Remedial measures would .include fish hatcheries, development of downstream spawning grounds, and possibly fish ladders — at least at Big Chico Dam. ; In summary, prospective works of the Antelope- Butte Stream Group would consist of 10 new and en- larged reservoirs ; 4 power plants ; a number of small .diversion and afterbay dams; and necessary convey- tance and service conduits, comprising tunnels, pipe lines, and canals. The reservoirs would add about 550,- i000 acre-feet of storage capacity to the stream group system, of which about 48,000 acre-feet would be in- |aetive and 125,000 acre-feet would be reserved in Antelope Basin, Brush Basin, and Castle Rock Reser- voirs for flood control. The new power plants would pave a combined installed capacity of 97,000 kilowatts : and would generate an average of about 456,000,000 ■kilowatt-hours per year. Releases would be made for stream flow maintenance from all reservoirs in the in- terest of fish, wildlife, and recreation. In combination 'with parallel levees, where needed, floods on Antelope, Mill, Deer, Big Chico, and Butte Creeks could be re- iduced to future leveed channel capacities. * Feather River Unit. The Feather River Unit comprises the entire drainage basin of the Feather River above Oroville and the adjoining foothill area (drained by Little Dry Creek on the north and Honcut Creek on the south. The unit has an area of about 3,740 square miles, of which about 3,000 square miles ,are mountainous and the remainder comprises valley 'and mesa lands. The Feather River has three prin- Bipa] tributaries which, in order of size and im- iportance, are the North, Middle, and South Forks. The North Fork has two main tributaries, namely [West Branch and East Branch. Irrigable lands of the 'Feather River Unit are located principally in the large headwater valleys of the Feather River Basin and in the foothill area south of Oroville. Precipitation over the Feather River Unit ranges from about 25 inches per season at the western foot- hill boundary to as much as 90 inches at the summit of Mt. Lassen, but only about 15 inches in Sierra Valley. The estimated mean natural runoff of the Feather River at Oroville is 4,600,000 acre-feet per year. The combined mean natural runoff of Little Dry Creek and Honcut Creek amounts to about 80,000 acre-feet per year. The main stem of the North Fork of the Feather River has been extensively developed for power by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company with storage provided principally in Mtn. Meadows, Lake Al- manor, Butt Valley, and Bucks Lake Reservoirs. The main power system, when completed, will comprise nine plants with a combined installed capacity of about 686,000 kilowatts, exclusive of Big Bend Plant which eventually will be abandoned due to submerg- ence by Oroville Reservoir. Separate diversions for power are also made by the company from the West Branch of the North Fork to serve the small De Sabla and Centerville plants on Butte Creek, as described in the Antelope-Butte Unit, and to serve the small Lime Saddle and Coal Canyon plants of the Feather River Unit. The mountain valleys of the Feather River are irri- gated by direct stream flow diversion, supplemented, in the case of Sierra Valley, by a small import of par- tially regulated water from the Truckee River Basin. Water supplies for the Oroville-Wyandotte Irrigation District, comprising lands in the foothill area of the unit south of Oroville, are diverted from the South Fork of the Feather River through the Palermo Canal ; from Lost Creek Reservoir on Lost Creek, a tributary of the South Fork, through the Forbestown Ditch ; and directly from North Honcut Creek with minor storage in Lake Wyandotte. Foothill lands northwest of Oroville are served from the Lime Saddle-Coal Can- yon Power Canal. Valley floor lands are served by di- rect diversions from the Feather River. Communities of the unit obtain their water supplies from wells, springs, and streams. Present water requirements of the Feather River Unit amount to about 189,000 acre-feet per season for water service areas aggregating about 92,000 acres. In the future, it is estimated that the water service areas will expand to about 218,000 acres with an ultimate water requirement of about 547,000 acre-feet per sea- son when opportunities for re-use of developed water are taken into account. Except for Sierra Valley and the community of Portola, there are no present major problems of water deficiency within the Feather River Unit. Floods on the Feather River do not constitute a major problem in upstream areas, but in the Sacramento Valley floor 106 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN they are the main, concern and, in the past, have caused great damage and loss of life. The objectives of The California "Water Plan within the Feather River Unit are to develop and regulate the water supplies to an optimum degree for local use and export, flood control, power, recreation, and stream flow maintenance for fish and wildlife. Recrea- tion and stream flow maintenance for the enhancement of fish is considered especially important to the econ- omy of the basin, with particular values attached to the streams of the upper Indian Creek area, the Mid- dle Fork Canyon system, and the Lake Almanor area. Under the California Water Plan it is assumed that the present undeveloped power potential of the North Fork of the Feather River between Lake Almanor and Belden will be developed in the near future by tunneling for three drops, as planned by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The remaining unde- veloped water resources of the North Fork, comprising principally the East Branch of the North Fork, would be developed by projects on Indian and Spanish Creeks, main tributaries of the East Branch. The waters of Indian Creek would be conserved and regu- lated for irrigation, power, recreation, and stream flow maintenance for fish and wildlife, in five head- water reservoirs above Indian Valley, namely, Genesee and Antelope Valley on Indian Creek ; Squaw Queen and Dixie Refuge on Last Chance Creek, an important tributary of Indian Creek ; and Abbey Bridge on Red Clover Creek, also an important tributary of Indian Creek. The plan also contemplates that Dixie Creek, a tributary of Red Clover Creek, would be diverted by canal into Squaw Queen Creek, a tributary of Last Chance Creek, for storage and regulation in Squaw Queen Reservoir. Water released from Antelope Valley and Abbey Bridge Reservoirs for stream flow maintenance would flow into Genesee Reservoir for further disposition. Water released from Dixie Refuge Reservoir for stream flow maintenance, together with water diverted from Dixie Creek, would enter Squaw Queen Reser- voir, whence the flow would be diverted by tunnel to develop the power head to Genesee Reservoir. Releases from Genesee Reservoir would be used for irrigation in Indian Valley, for stream flow maintenance in Indian Creek and in the main stem of the East Branch, and for power. The power head below Genesee Reservoir would be developed by tunnel in a single drop between a forebay above Indian Falls on Indian Creek and an afterbay on the East Branch below the mouth of Indian Creek. The works on Spanish Creek would consist of a large Meadow Valley Reservoir with feeder tunnels from Bear Creek, a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Feather River, and from Nelson Point Reservoir on the Middle Fork of the Feather River. Water re- leased from Meadow Valley Reservoir would be used for irrigation and urban purposes in American Valley for stream flow maintenance on Spanish Creek, and for power with the head between the reservoir and Rich Bar on the North Fork of the Feather River developed by tunnel in a single drop. On the Middle Fork of the Feather River, water supplies for Sierra Valley would be conserved in three reservoirs on separate headwater tributaries, namely Grizzly Valley on Big Grizzly Creek, French- man on Little Last Chance Creek, and Sheep Camp on Craycroft Creek, with minor streams intercepted by feeder canal and pumped into the latter reservoir. These reservoirs could also be used to a limited extent for stream flow maintenance on the Middle Fork. Additional supplies, if needed, could be obtained by gravity diversion from Squaw Queen Reservoir to Abbey Bridge Reservoir, and thence by pumping from Abbey Bridge Reservoir through a tunnel into Grizzly Valley Reservoir, in which event development of the power head to the floor of Sierra Valley might be warranted. The head could be developed by pipe line with an afterbay below the power plant on Big Grizzly Creek to reregulate the power releases to an irrigation and stream flow maintenance demand sched- ule. Other less favorable opportunities for reservoir development of additional water supplies for Sierra Valley exist at Clover Valley on Smithneck Creek near Loyalton, and at Randolph on Cold Stream near Sierraville. Finally, additional supplies might be ob- tained from ground water sources if well development should prove to be feasible. Supplemental water supplies for Portola and other communities along the main stem of the upper Middle Fork could be made available from the improved stream flow of Middle Fork but the local development of minor spring-fed streams would probably be more desirable. Development on the Middle Fork of the Feather River below Sierra Valley would consist of Nelson Point Reservoir to conserve water for stream flow maintenance and for power by diversion to Meadow Valley Reservoir, as previously noted. Below Nelson Point Dam at Hartman Bar the remaining flow of the Middle Fork, in excess of stream flow maintenance requirements, could be diverted by tunnel to Swayne Reservoir on French Creek, a tributary of the North Fork, with the flow of Little North Fork, a tributary of the Middle Fork, intercepted enroute. From Swayne Reservoir the water would be released through penstocks to a power plant on the North Fork arm of Oroville Reservoir. Under an alternative arrangement proposed by the Riehvale Irrigation District, the headwaters of the Middle Fork would be conserved and regulated im Frenchman and Grizzly Valley Reservoirs above Sierra Valley, in Gold Lake Reservoir on Frazier (reek, in Clio Reservoir on the Middle Fork above lev 3e»-. Genesee Valley in Feather River Basi V *- ** Sacramento Valley— Foothill Hay Production 108 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Blairsden, and in Nelson Point Reservoir, for power development along the Middle Fork and for irrigation of district lands on the Sacramento Valley floor. "Wa- ter conserved in the upstream reservoirs would flow down the stream channel of the Middle Fork into Nelson Point Reservoir, whence the power head to the Middle Fork arm of Oroville Reservoir would be de- veloped by tunnel in a series of five drops with regu- latory and diversion facilities provided enroute on the Middle Fork, as required. The feasibility of this pro- posal may depend upon utilizing for power virtually all of the present water supply in critical years with- out further impairment by additional upstream use in Sierra Valley. The district has been granted a pre- liminary permit by the Federal Power Commission. The Department of Water Resources is currently (1957) giving further study to this proposal, as well as to the other developments discussed herein for the Middle Fork. Other developments on the Middle Fork of the Feather River would probably consist of small reser- voirs on downstream tributaries to maintain stream flow for fish, wildlife, and recreation. Typical but not necessarily desirable sites are Mt. Ararat on Willow Creek, Whiskey Hill on South Branch, and Quartz Hill on Fall River. Water supplies for areas dependent on the South Fork of the Feather River would be made available under The California Water Plan by a combination power and water supply development involving the utilization of surplus flows from Canyon and Slate Creeks, tributaries of the North Yuba River, as well as from the South Fork itself. Under the plan the waters of the South Fork would be conserved in Little Grass Valley Reservoir and released to the stream channel of the South Fork for subsequent diversion by tunnel into an enlarged Lost Creek Reservoir on Lost Creek, a tributary of the South Fork. Water from Canyon and Slate Creeks would also be diverted by tunnel and conserved in the enlarged Lost Creek Reservoir. Part of the water released from Lost Creek Reser- voir would serve lands along the Forbestown Ditch, as at present, and new lands in the Dobbins-Oregon House area west of the North Yuba River. The re- mainder would be conveyed by tunnel to a power drop on the South Fork at the mouth of Lost Creek and thence again by tunnel to another power drop on the South Fork near Forbestown. From this point, the water would be diverted from the river and conveyed by canal and tunnel to serve the foothill lands of the uiiil south of Oroville. A number of other plans for development of the water and power resources of the South Fork of the Feather River, both with and without imports from the North Yuba River, have been proposed by various agencies Erom time to time. Among these are plans by the Pacific and conveyed to this point by the foregoing described; diversion facilities. A low afterbay dam on the Yubaj River below the power plant would reregnlate the power releases. All of the prospective foothill works of the Yuba River would have important export as 1 Sacramento River Basin— Spaulding Dam on South Fork of Yuba River and Fish Ladder at Deguerre Point Diversion Dam on Yuba River 112 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN well as local functions, and have therefore been desig- nated as features of the California Aqueduct System. Major foothill storage regulation of the remaining water resources of the Bear River below Rollins Reser- voir would be accomplished by enlarging the present Camp Far West Reservoir east of Wheatland. This reservoir would be used for both conservation and flood control, and has also been designated as a feature of the California Aqueduct System. The waters of French Dry Creek, principal down- stream tributary of the Yuba River entering from the north, would be conserved for local use in "Virginia Ranch Reservoir located about 7 miles above Browns Valley. Waters of Coon Creek would be conserved for local use by construction of a small Coon Creek Reser- voir on the middle reaches of Coon Creek. Other possi- bilities for storage development on the minor foothill streams of the unit would be a small Auburn Ravine Reservoir on Auburn Ravine below the town of Auburn and a Doty Ravine Reservoir on Doty Ravine northeast of Lincoln. In summary, prospective works of the Yuba-Bear River Unit under The California Water Plan would consist of about 16 new and enlarged reservoirs; a number of diversion works at various locations ; neces- sary conveyance and service conduits; and 15 new and enlarged hydroelectric power plants. The new reservoirs would add about 2,000,000 acre-feet of capacity to the present storage system of the unit. Of this, about 400,000 acre-feet would be reserved for flood control. The reservoirs would provide supple- mental water supplies for all dependent areas and would regulate substantial quantities of water for export. They would provide a measure of flood control for local areas and would afford substantial flood pro- tection to downstream areas. Releases would be made from the reservoirs to maintain and in some instances enhance the stream flow in the interests of fish, wild- life, and recreation. The power plants would provide about 325,000 kilowatts of new capacity and would generate an average of about 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours of new energy each year. Of this, about 40,000 kilo- watts and 83,000,000 kilowatt-hours are considered to be creditable to the Parks Bar Power Plant, a feature of the California Aqueduct System. This takes into account the loss of power at the upstream Narrows Power Plant, which eventually would be abandoned due to submergence by Parks Bar Reservoir. American River Unit. The American River Unit comprises the drainage basin of the American River above the Pair Oaks gaging station and the adjoining foothill area north to the southern drainage boundary of Auburn Ravine. The total area, measured to the base of the foothills, is 2,050 square miles, of which the American River Basin itself contains 1,920 square miles. About 1,900 square miles of the American River Basin are considered to be mountainous. Elevations range from about 150 feet at the western foothill boundary to about 10.000 feet along the crest of the Sierra. The main stem of the American River is formed by the junction of its North and South Forks in Folsoni Reservoir. The North Fork has no important tribu- taries except the Middle Fork which joins it near Auburn. The Middle Fork has one important tribu- tary, the Rubicon River. The South Fork has two main tributaries, namely Silver Creek and Silver Fork. The forks of the American River and their principal trib- utaries flow from the headwaters through deeply in- cised canyons separated from each other and from adjoining streams by comparatively broad east-west trending ridges. The irrigable lands of the unit are located on the main ridges and on the rolling foothills. Precipitation in the American River Unit ranges from about 25 inches per season at the base of the foothills to more than 70 inches in the high moun- tains. The estimated full natural runoff of the Ameri- can River amounts to about 2,770,000 acre-feet per year at the Fair Oaks gage. The runoff of the minor streams of the unit north of Folsom Reservoir amounts to only about 79,000 acre-feet per year. Under ulti- mate conditions of development it is anticipated that exchanges of water with neighboring basins will result in a small increase in the water supply of the unit. The economy of the American River Unit is based mainly on activities relating to agriculture, lumber- ing, mining, and recreation. Because of its proximity to large centers of population in northern California and because of an excellent -road network, including two transcontinental highways,, the recreational op- portunities, in particular, are being rapidly devel- oped. These include skiing resorts, summer home and camp sites, trout fishing, etc. Indicative of the interest in recreation is the almost unprecedented attraction of the recently completed Folsom Reservoir and Lake Natoma to boating, fishing, and water sports enthusi- asts. Development of the lake shore at both of these reservoirs has been authorized as part of the State Park System. Present water development in the American River Unit consists of: about 67,000 acre-feet of headwater storage located principally in Lake Valley, Loon Lake, Medley Lakes, Twin Lakes, and Silver and Webber Reservoirs for power, irrigation, and stream How maintenance ; 14,600 acre-feet of debris control storage in North Fork Debris Storage Reservoir near Auburn; and 1,000,000 acre-feet of multipurpose storage in Folsom Reservoir. Folsom Afterbay at Nimbus, called Lake Natoma, contains about 9,000 acre-feet of storage , capacity. The El Dorado Irrigation District in the; vicinity of Placerville obtains water from the El Do- rado Forebay and Webber Reservoir in the watershed , of the South Fork of the American River and from 1 Diamond Ditch and Slv Park Reservoir in the . THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 113 ! Cosumues River Basin. The Georgetown Divide Public Utility District, serving lands on the divide between the Middle and South Forks, obtains its water supply i principally from Loon Lake on Gerle Creek through a long and inefficient conduit system dating back to the s mining days. : The foothill area north of Folsom Reservoir is served from the Drum Power System of the Pacific !Gas and Electric Company with water originating i principally in the Bear and Yuba Rivers, but includ- ing a modest supply diverted from the North Fork of the North Fork of the American River at Lake Valley Reservoir. There is no important water development at present on the Foresthill Divide between the North and Middle Forks other than for municipal and indus- trial requirements of the town of Foresthill. Down- stream areas are served from Folsom Reservoir and by pumping from the American River. There are four [existing hydroelectric power installations in the •American River Basin, namely, the El Dorado and , American River plants of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the Folsom and Nimbus plants of the Federal Government. The present water requirements of the American River Unit, for consumptive purposes, amount to some 163,000 acre-feet per season for water service areas aggregating about 31,000 acres. These requirements are met, without deficiency, by releases from some of •the foregoing works, together with importations of xleveloped water from adjoining basins. Future de- pnands on the American River for agriculture and •.urban purposes may amount to about 217,000 acre- feet per season when dependent lands in the Cosumnes River Basin, as well as those within the unit, are •taken into account. The problem of floods is not a jmajor concern in the upper American River Basin; and Folsom Reservoir, in conjunction with river levees, provides a high degree of protection for down- stream areas. The preservation of fish and wildlife in the basin does not constitute a problem except as re- gards conflicting uses of developed water for other purposes. The former anadromous fishery of the upper basin has been blocked by the construction of Folsom Dam, but the provision of a salmon and steelhead n^h hatchery below Lake Natoma is proving to be remarkably effective as a remedial measure. Main objectives of The California Water Plan in fhe American River Unit are the development of its and, water, power, fish, wildlife, and recreational re- sources to the highest practicable degree. • Plans for development of the water resources of the American River Unit, in accordance with the prin- aples of The California Water Plan, were first pub- ished in preliminary draft form in State Water Re- sources Board Bulletin No. 21, entitled "American liver Basin Investigation, Report on Development 'roposed for The California Water Plan". Following release of the preliminary draft report in June, 1955, the Board held public hearings which culminated in the adoption of a somewhat modified plan of basin development proposed by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District as an acceptable alternative to the basic plan presented in Bulletin No. 21. The Board directed that both plans be presented in the final edi- tion of Bulletin No. 21 and in this bulletin. Accord- ingly, both plans are discussed herein under the gen- eral headings of "Basic Plan" and "Modified Plan". 1. Basic Plan. Prospective works in the watershed of the North Fork would consist of the enlargement of Lake Valley Reservoir on the North Fork of the North Fork for off-stream storage of water from the South Yuba River as discussed in the Yuba-Bear River Unit ; a small reservoir on the headwaters of the North Fork at The Cedars, or suitable alternative site, to conserve water for stream flow maintenance in the interests of fish, wildlife, and recreation ; a group of three small reservoirs on the Foresthill Divide, namely, Sugar Pine on North Shirttail Canyon, and Forbes and Big on Forbes Creek, with feeder canal or possible future tunnel from Secret Canyon and other tributaries of Middle Fork, for irrigation of the divide area and possibly for fish, wildlife, and recreational purposes; and a large Auburn Reservoir and Power Plant at the head of the North Fork arm of Folsom Reservoir, to conserve and regulate water for local use and export. Because of its export function, Au- burn Reservoir is classified as a feature of the Cali- fornia Aqueduct System. The other works on the North Fork have strictly local functions. Water developed and/or regulated for export in Auburn Reservoir would enter Folsom Reservoir for further disposition through the Auburn Power Plant at the base of the dam. In its local function, Auburn Reservoir, in addition to fishing and recreation, would store the winter power releases of Wise Power Plant for subsequent release for use on the foothill lands of the American River Unit north of Folsom Reservoir during the irrigation season. This would involve a tunnel between Auburn Reservoir and Auburn Ravine with connecting shaft to the afterbay of the Wise Power Plant. The tunnel would be gated at each end to control flow in either direction. Irrigation di- versions would be made downstream from Auburn Ravine, as required, with possible additional regula- tory storage provided in Whitney Ranch Reservoir on Pleasant Grove Creek. This small reservoir would also be used to conserve the local runoff of Pleasant Grove Creek. Plans for the Middle Fork contemplate that water supplies for the Georgetown Divide area between the Middle and South Forks would be conserved in a large Stumpy Meadows Reservoir on Pilot Creek, a tributary of the Rubicon River. The water would be conveyed to the service area through a renovated and i 114 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN enlarged Georgetown Ditch, comprising a portion of the present conveyance system from Loon Lake Res- ervoir. Upper portions of this conveyance system would likewise be enlarged and improved by tunnel- ing to convey surplus water from Gerle Creek and the South Fork of the Rubicon River to Stumpy Meadows Reservoir to augment natural inflow from Pilot Creek. A small feeder canal from Onion Creek, a tributary of Silver Creek, would be provided. In addition to its irrigation function, Stumpy Meadows Reservoir would afford opportunities for fishing and recreation, includ- ing stream flow releases to Pilot Creek for these pur- poses. The excellent power potential of the Middle Fork of the American River and its headwater tributaries would be developed by a separate system of works comprising : four headwater reservoirs with associated conduits and power plants above a regulating and diversion reservoir at Parsley Bar on the Rubicon River ; a main power conduit, consisting of a tunnel to Long Canyon and a canal along Ralston Ridge to a forebay at the end of the ridge ; a high head Ralston Power Plant, served by pressure tunnel from Ralston Forebay and discharging into the Rubicon River arm of an American Bar Reservoir on the Middle Fork; and a low head American Bar Power Plant, develop- ing the remaining head to the Middle Fork arm of Auburn Reservoir by tunnel. The headwater reser- voirs would consist of French Meadows on the Middle Fork with feeder tunnel from Duncan Creek; Lower Hellhole on the Rubicon River; enlarged Loon Lake on Gerle Creek with feeder conduits from the South Fork of the Rubicon River and from upper Rubicon River by way of Rockbound and Buck Island Lakes ; and Gerle below Loon Lake on Gerle Creek. Releases from all of the foregoing reservoirs would be made for stream flow and fishery maintenance purposes prior to diversion for power. The power head between these reservoirs would be developed by tunnel as follows: French Meadows to Lower Hellhole to Parsley Bar and Loon Lake to Gerle to Parsley Bar. Plans for development of Silver Creek in the wa- tershed of the South Fork of the American River contemplate that its headwater runoff would be con- served for power and for irrigation of the Placerville Divide area in a large Junction Reservoir, with dam located below the forks of Silver Creek and with a feeder canal diverting from the South Fork of the American River in lieu of far more costly on-stream storage. The regulated water from Junction Reservoir would he conveyed southward by tunnel to a power plant on ;i small tributary of the South Fork, and thence, after reregulation in an afterbay, by canal and tunnel to the existing Sly Park Reservoir in the Cosumnes River Basin, crossing the South Pork of the American River by inverted siphon. Sly Park Reser- voir, under the basic plan, would continue to regulate Cosumnes River water as at present, functioning primarily as a conduit for the water imported from Junction Reservoir. From Sly Park Reservoir the water would be conveyed to an enlarged Webber Reservoir on Webber Creek, a tributary of the South Fork of the American River, with power drops en- . route below Sly Park Dam and into Webber Reser- . voir. The latter reservoir would also receive addi- . tional inflow by feeder canal from the South Fork of Webber Creek. Stream flow maintenance releases for fish and recreation would be made from all of the above-mentioned reservoirs and diversions prior to any diversions for power or irrigation. From Webber Reservoir the water would be con- jj veyed to a small distributing reservoir on Hangtown ' Creek south of Placerville, with power drops enroute ' below the dam and into the distributing reservoir. From this reservoir a main irrigation conduit would ' extend westward along the ridge between the Ameri- ' can and Cosumnes Rivers, while another conduit ' would return unused water to the South Fork of the ' American River with a power drop at Gold Hill, discharging into Salmon Falls Reservoir, which is I subsequently described. A variation of the basic plan for Silver Creek would route the water from Junction Reservoir by tunnel through two successive power drops, namely Jaybird on Silver Creek, and Camino on the South ' Fork of the American River at a point opposite the : existing El Dorado Power Plant of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Releases from the Camino Power Plant would be reregulated in a Slab Creek' Reservoir on the South Fork of the American River. ' From Slab Creek Reservoir the water would be di- verted by tunnel to Webber Creek, whence it would! be further diverted for irrigation on the Placerville . Divide and returned to the South Fork for power as ' in the basic plan. Another variation would substitute three small reservoirs for the single large Junction , Reservoir of the basic plan. The substitute reservoirs il would consist of Lower Ice House on the South Fork of Silver Creek, with feeder canals from the South; Fork of the American River and the Jones Fork of Silver Creek; Union Valley Reservoir on the maim stem of Silver Creek, also receiving inflow from a I Lower Ice House Power Plant ; and a small Junction j Diversion Reservoir, regulating the discharge from a| Union Valley Power Plant. The works below the latter ! reservoir would follow either of the two foregoing suggested alignments. Under the basic plan, additional water supplies would be made available for the Placerville Divide area through development of Silver Fork, with the : surplus waters of that stream diverted by canal and? tunnel for oh'-stream storage and regulation in a large Alder deek Reservoir on Alder Creek. Water re-| leased from this reservoir in excess of stream flow THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 115 maintenance for recreation and fishing would flow [through a power plant on Alder Creek and would j then enter the El Dorado Ditch of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, whence it would flow to the El Dorado Forebay for further disposition. Part of i the developed water would then be conveyed through , an enlarged El Dorado Irrigation Ditch to serve lands ,in the eastern part of the Placerville Divide area, i while the remainder would flow through and improve ithe output of the existing El Dorado and American River Power Plants. The basic plan also contemplates that major con- servation of the waters of the South Fork would be accomplished in a large Salmon Falls Reservoir, a feature of the California Aqueduct System, with dam jand power plant located at the head of the South .Fork arm of Folsom Reservoir. In its local function, ^Salmon Falls Reservoir would afford excellent oppor- tunity for fishing and recreational development as jwell as increase the degree of flood protection made javailable to downstream areas. However, this impor- tant reservoir would, unfortunately, inundate the site \oi gold discovery in California ; and as a consequence thereof the Legislature has directed that " In no event shall a permit to appropriate water be issued by the State for the purpose of a project which would flood any portion of the Gold Discovery Site State Park at Coloma unless such issuance is specifically authorized by law." Studies indicate that there are no feasible alternative storage sites for a large reservoir on the v South Fork. The best alternative would be to divert i the flow of the South Fork into the Cosumnes River for storage in Nashville Reservoir. This would require I a diversion dam at Slab Creek on the South Fork and la tunnel to AVebber Creek and then to Nashville Reservoir. This plan, however, would be virtually in- i pffeetive in regulating the heavy flood runoff of the ■South Fork to any considerable degree. 2. Modified Plan. Under the modified plan of ■[omplete basin development, as proposed by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and adopted •y the State Water Resources Board as an acceptable ilternative to the basic plan, many features would ■emain the same or substantially the same as in the lasic plan. For this reason and in order to avoid epetition, discussion of the modified plan is pre- ented essentially on the basis of differences between t and the basic plan, wherever such differences exist. I Under the modified plan the water stored in Loon ■>ake Reservoir and the natural flow of Gerle Creek t kould be diverted to Union Valley Reservoir on -■Silver Creek for power development. The effect of this diversion would be to reduce the water supply vail able for power development on the Middle Fork nd for diversion to Stumpy Meadows Reservoir on be Georgetown Divide. As a consequence, the basic >lan for the Middle Fork power development would necessarily be revised to exclude the power drops from Loon Lake into Gerle Reservoir and from that reservoir into Parsley Bar Reservoir. Gerle Reservoir would be eliminated. Below Parsley Bar to Ralston the power head of the Middle Fork would be devel- oped in two drops instead of the single large Ralston drop. Below Ralston Power Plant to the head of Auburn Reservoir the power head would likewise be developed in two drops with reservoirs at American Bar and Volcano, instead of the single larger Ameri- can Bar power development described above in the basic plan. The modified plan also proposes the con- veyance of water in tunnels instead of open canals. Preliminary estimates indicate that, even with the reduced water supply and the increased cost occa- sioned by the substitution of tunnels for open canals, the altered Middle Fork power development would still be sufficiently attractive to warrant early de- velopment. Irrigation supplies for the Georgetown Divide would be developed in a smaller Stumpy Meadows Reservoir on Pilot Creek with feeder canal from Onion Creek, and in four other small reservoirs situated on streams draining from the divide area, namely, Tipton Hill on Rock Creek, and Traverse, Canyon, and Greenwood on streams of like name. Water developed in Canyon Creek Reservoir would be diverted by tunnel to Greenwood Reservoir for further disposition. This system of small reservoirs would afford about the same degree of development for the Georgetown Divide area as the single large Stumpy Meadows Reservoir described in the basic plan. An added advantage would be that additional increments of water could be obtained more readily by the construction of the small reservoirs than by successively raising Stumpy Meadows Reservoir as would be required in the basic plan. Except as dis- cussed above, the remaining features of the North and Middle Fork developments of the American River would remain substantially the same as in the basic plan. The diversion of Middle Fork water to Silver Creek under the modified plan contemplates the eventual full utilization for power of some 1,600 feet of head between Loon Lake Reservoir and Union Val- ley Reservoir. This would be accomplished by the con- struction of two small power plants enroute to the point of diversion at Sawmill on Gerle Creek, and by a small terminal power plant at the end of a Robbs Peak tunnel diverting into Union Valley Reservoir. Other works on Silver Creek, under the modified plan, would consist of Ice House Reservoir on the South Fork of Silver Creek at a site upstream from the one discussed in the basic plan; a tunnel diversion from lee House Reservoir with a power plant discharging into Union Valley Reservoir; and a small Junction Diversion Reservoir regulating the discharge Croin 116 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Union Valley Power Plant. There would be no feeder canal diverting from the South Fork of the American River as in the basic plan, since the Sacramento Mu- nicipal Utility District determined that diversion from the Middle Fork of the American River to Silver Creek for water development is more economical than diversion from the South Fork of the American River. From Junction Diversion Reservoir the water would flow by tunnel to Jaybird Power Plant on Silver Creek, and then again by tunnel to Camino Power Plant at the head of a Slab Creek diversion and regulating reservoir on the South Fork of the American River. From Slab Creek Reservoir the water would be diverted by tunnel and flow through a White Rock Power Plant with the remaining head to Folsom Reservoir, then developed in three drops comprising, successively, a small Kelsey Reservoir and Power Plant, a large Coloma Reservoir and Power Plant, and a very small Salmon Falls Reservoir and Power Plant. The waters of Silver Fork, under the modified plan, would be developed in the same manner as in the basic plan, except that releases from the Alder Creek Power Plant would flow down the stream channel of Alder Creek for subsequent diversion from the South Fork of the American River into an enlarged Sly Park Reservoir, whence the water would be conveyed to an enlarged Webber Reservoir with power drops en route as in the basic plan. From the enlarged Webber Reservoir the water would be conveyed with a ter- minal power drop into a small distributing reservoir on Hangtown Creek near Placerville, whence diver- sions would be made for irrigation as in the basic plan, but with no further power development by re- turn of water to the South Fork of the American River. Additional water supplies for the area would be obtained as required by pumping from Folsom Reservoir, combined with terminal storage for the pumped water in a small Malby Reservoir on Carson Creek near White Rock. In summary, two alternative plans have been de- scribed for development of the water resources of the American River Unit in accordance with the objec- tives of The California Water Plan. The first of these, designated as the basic plan, contemplates the even- tual construction of 17 new and enlarged reservoirs; a number of diversion works at various locations; necessary conveyance and service conduits; and 15 new power plants. The new reservoirs would add almost 2,300,000 acre-feet of capacity to the present storage system of the unit. None of this storage ca- pacity would be specifically reserved for flood control, hut incidental flood control benefits wonld result from the lar o>.> !•§■§ w-2.2 252 £ 5. < Q. 9 'I S:J°°g o o o o 888 8 8" 8" 8 $ 8 8 h = 8888 8 o o o o o 1 = 888 8 ass s 8 8 8 o o ■# O O K5 i o o Q I !g2 8 :s &&o HHHH HH«h HH»H &&&& 3 £ ^16^ | go | "HI "iSSS \££ S S3 .j -a I 53JJA i IJjJ SO « 6 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 121 it 7. i o o o o 3CCOOOOO 00000 000c 88888888 88 888 85 =5 O O O O r- 1- O -T 10 •N |C o" 10 o" o" o 00" -- - = / :£ U ^ S - ° \Z '2 ? - — = n 0000 1 II I 8 ^•3 CO of a;*'* o c o S 3 M O ' O S :g g 1 •£ 1 a 1 •s 2 1 S I ° | S I 5 OS 5 3a5Q copa , £ -a -o ! a (2 (2 s3 g * g-tg jjjjj 000000 i J; a a J! «| .5^8 8 8 o fe o i p qS-q rn_-x MM h- MM « «MH £ 2 §§§§8888 |888|8 |i ■# o" 00 to" oi 00" o" < ~i ~ 1- -r ■ n n '" 9, o 00 8 88 00000000 000000 00c o o o o — — o o 000000 00c o o o o o o oo ..■■: etionoo o -i> • o" to n" o" co «" m ~r -t o' m" -<" «5 co o" of i 88 3" 3 IOOOO OOOOOO OOC I O O O O OOOOOO o o < mono -#t- 01 — -f -r T. cc -1 .- O 10 o < O O ■* ! 5£ = 28S2S8S§{:8S§§: WWW « < ^ * s WW K W zz" £ 1 I 5 " - o ^ is o ^ 5- ^ ^ -< Z z" „- „- Z 2 *,- Z *r Z SB Z SB" Z „- ~ : r:=: //;SZnZ: ISB H~Z> co V - - -* oi - o . 0" ci* Tf «" rn . - id oT 13 X x x i X X X X X X X X X X X X X X sfssi S5 SB CO "..ft H H -&H CO tiSS 8 8 to CO CO a> g*\i> 1 i I 80 8 (SwHSBco. 5S 15 : 1? ~. -r. W W O Z ffl 0, E ( 8 £ 6* u g 8 | : 00 u ill SfO ; 1 : ami: 1 ^ (2 £ SaiescuSBSoaSic £ -3 M 33 w £ pq S O PP O iii :5^ « o o £ p- -^ id a: 122 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN ccrcooooo 88 8888888 O) O W h o S C". — co t- ?-i « ro ■— to s — -i 2S 8 K 8 *> "1| 3 * 6HfafcL,fc[ i ,bH>>> a a a a a a a a a a a - 5 fa -2 £ fa -SlflSeeSeE g^(S§ S;|£|S§|5 s S? Ill r* 1 3 O 3-=" 3>>- >h tx « « _, (« p3 „■ i-r tf pl, m i-r M p o -i Ch Ph" Pw a, _r 1 It LU O ^ a < Z U o < S. _ £ 1 LU I- LU 1 < -2 LU 2 s j ig 8 'S 2 888888888 8 8 ooooowooo co o o o o o o o o ~2S3 - - - - 8888 ~ m v. ~ 88 8 iOOOOOOOO o o :88888888 8 8 I ^" O" «o" ^h © O O" N ©" iH-tNH iQ 00 ^' 00 O O! » » N r, CO Oi -* ' ' 10" io" co" *o* co" «0 tf5 o" "^" co" oi" ( O ~-< 00 t^ to OS c m oi oo in « -. • Us ■J-S* s-S g 3§ o o os to o feg28 HHHHHOWHH W W OE W WH HH yygy j; to to to fr- E- to to to to to .- .- to to to t; to c .- EC to Hfc H it [ i I H8N rl H r ,H r . W fc fc HH M Saaa ss ^ 4 52 .~£§5~2 «(S PC 3 M PC B5^"« PC BSP5 -i Pi«oJps| qj z « zz Z 22, T27N 23, T26N 1, 2, T25 7, T25N, 32, T25N 35, T26N 33, T24N 1, T23N, 4, 5, 8, T 14E Z ^ ShS ^ zz &F- z'z'zz i Za h z ;• r cT cq h 82 8S?!^: 2f Hi- H : H i- H5°H t- HH Her HHhf<; " .a H SS «- to -co 1 " ?5c5 '-" 5 — X s co o 1 O. C CO CO GO CO CO CO CO CO CO 1 1 co co co J JJ Id A nn< a I 09 1 s (S 1 S I 4 A U 1 | 1 1 -o i s s 1 c \ 3 s - PC 1 1 C e ■€ c J L 1 I c t 1 i c c - a c — Ji 3 5 | [ 1 l C 1 co 1 JSC 1 c c | o 1 X a CO u wj u E c i jj s e Z p > 1 c Z PC ■s ■a >■ C=33 _ fe> 3 | " -5 " s i SKS Is E = „ > o 2 oij»3 Cox IJill "?ii THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 123 I? o o o o O O O O O O ! 1 8||8| || iO O O iO OS "# O ( '- l '■m „o CS "3 C3 " - .i - ■^ "° "3 "3 "3 os §>>> S c o o o glass i* s g g g os« psososos : -= ~ — s = S«a hfcfegg 222 2 ; j S C a. — — £ 111 § g g gg g o o o o o o ooooo oooooo ooo o ooooo oooooo ooo It §1 gg g ! i •# o r- o> i o o o o o o OS °3HW0S0S CSHO°3W- HHHHn ^.^-HHHH HpHg| co" ^ t~ o* o" cc* *£ - - oT co h o~ oo" - ~* TJ 'S >2 o PS OoOS OPS 2 £<* S » > C os gKBa 88 3|-§-§bo1 Qeo oD-C^Qpo gt ° o IS, ill o 1 'S |bs!* %**£%£ 5 *-|J S|s|i ^^l|"" i"|SS ZHP^OS O O PS S Ph i 51 ?! o PS e eS : _, ^ S » .2 a 11 1 "S'l'f ^ I ()(> 7,213,100,000 Feeders for Power conduits Main upland irrigation conduits Sacramento Valley waste conduit Totals Length, in miles 278 188 696 175 •8102,277,01 > 1 60,836,Ot 48.767,01 20,514,01 K332 394.01 yield of upstream works, if any. 1 At L95S price levels. ( 'ost of each plant includes associated works except reservoirs. 1 Tabulated data pertain to enlarged portion of existing plant, included with reservoirs. Cost included a L1 h pow ei plant Symbols of Type of Dam Ml, fill I! Rod 111! I one n : i ■ 1 1 1 ' 'A ( loncrete arch Symbols of Purpose I — Irrigation I ' Power FC— Flood control I I ohancemenl of R Recreation D — Diversion ■ im m my -*fc San Joaquin River Basin-Diversion Flume From Mokelumne River 126 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN adequacy of the available water supply to meet many present needs, to support continued expansion, and to sustain and protect the vast agricultural wealth of the basin during periods of drought which may occur at any time. The present annual water deficiency, estimated to be about 2,300,000 acre-feet in 1957, is so great that if a severe drought period, such as those experienced in the past, should now occur, the neces- sary water conservation and conveyance works could not be constructed fast enough to prevent widespread havoc and economic disaster. Major reservoirs have been constructed on virtually all streams on the east side of the San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin. In addition to this substantial develop- ment of surface water sources, many of the local public water districts supplement their water supplies by use of ground water. Many other areas are com- pletely dependent upon ground water supplies. Use of ground water is increasing, and this trend is cer- tain to continue. Operation of the surface reservoirs and use of the underground basins have resulted in a high degree of conservation and utilization of the natural runoff of the tributary streams of the basin, particularly those streams south of the Merced River. In addition, large quantities of water, amounting to 675,000 acre- feet during 1956, are imported from the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta in the Delta-Mendota Canal. De- spite such extensive development, there is an urgent need for additional supplemental water supplies. There is also a need for works which will make avail- able a portion of the local water supplies for moun- tain and foothill lands so that these lands may develop. In those stream basins where water supplies are fully utilized on valley floor lands, exchange or purchase agreements will be necessary. As of 1950, the seasonal requirement for water in the San Joaquin Valley was estimated to be 9,300,000 acre-feet. Ultimate realization of the full potential for agricultural and other types of development would increase this requirement to about 16,300,000 acre- feet annually, a virtual doubling of the water re- quirement. Runoff of tributary streams, which already has been almost fully developed, can support only about one-half of this requirement; the remainder, over 8,500,000 acre-feet annually, ultimately must be imported. At the present time there are large overdrafts in all valley hydrographic units in the Tulare Lake Basin and in several of the valley units of the San Joaquin River Basin. These deficiencies are particu- larly serious in the western and southern portions of the vallej and in certain areas of the eastern portion which, although located close to the Friant-Kern Canal, cannot he supplied therefrom because the limited supply available lias already been contracted for in other areas. For some years past the expansion of irrigatet areas devoted to permanent crops has occurred chiefh by the utilization of ground water supplies, and th recent and increasing development of the west ski area has been dependent entirely upon the develop ment and use of ground water. Many other area which have limited or no surface supplies, and whie! depend mainly upon ground water, are experiencin; serious water deficiencies. In many of these localities particularly in the southeastern part of the valle,, and, more recently, on the western side of the valley expansion of irrigated areas has continued in thj face of this deficiency. With the continued recession of the ground water levels, amounting to as much a: 30 feet per year in some instances, water supplies i. some areas have become almost exhausted, while i. others pumping lifts have become so excessive as ti be nearly economically prohibitive. Annual ovei drafts, accumulating for many years, have so d< pleted many portions of the ground water basins tltf excessive pumping lifts will reduce net agriculture profits for years to come, until costly imported wate supplied in quantities in excess of actual water r<| quirements, has refilled the basins. In certain of the west side areas the surface an; much of the ground water supplies are of poor qua. ity, and it is probable that in some cases their use i even now detrimental to the utility of the soil. Othe; serious problems of water quality are developing c; the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. In much «; this area the usable aquifer for pumping is four, between overlying unusable perched water and undej lying connate brines, and improperly constructe. wells permit a commingling of the waters in the thrtj zones to the detriment of the usable water. There j also a serious water quality problem along the low; reaches of the San Joaquin River during much of tlj irrigation season when the flow is composed entire of drainage and return waters. There are also many areas in the San Joaqui Tulare Lake Basin where serious drainage probler exist. In some instances increased use of ground wat; would alleviate such problems; in other areas surfa< drainage systems are needed. There is an urgent ne»! to intercept, collect, and drain from the basin il creasing quantities of agricultural, municipal, ai| industrial waste waters and other waters of degrad or impaired quality. As additional supplement water supplies become available, there will be an creased need for drainage, particularly in the clos Tulare Lake Basin. In past years of subnormal runoff and prior to construction of Shasta Dam on the Sacramento Rivl available inflow to the Delta from the Sacrai and San Joaquin River systems was insufficient &\ in" certain mouths to meet water demands in t THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 127 pelta. During such periods the invasion of saline fater from San Francisco Bay into the Delta chan- jels rendered the water unfit for irrigation and other (ses, not only in the Delta and adjacent uplands but |Lso in the adjacent upper portions of the San Fran- seo Bay. At the present time, when necessary, re- uses of water are made from Shasta Reservoir to ow out into the bay to prevent the recurrence of His situation. ' Damaging floods have occurred in past j r ears of rge runoff, and their possible repetition is a menace some of the improved valley lands in populated as. Although works for flood protection, including ajor flood control reservoirs such as Pine Flat and bella, have been provided for considerable portions f the area subject to flooding, there is still a need |r additional flood control works on many streams protect many of the valley lands of the basin. [I The San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin has been sub- sided into five separate geographical subdivisions, Id the development works to meet local requirements |e segregated according to these subdivisions for dis- ssion herein. Under the first two subdivisions, ' ' San ■ laquin-Sierra Group," and "Tulare-Sierra Group," mjor works of The California "Water Plan on east Be streams and tributaries of the San Joaquin- ilare Lake Basin are described. Such works would operated to accomplish the necessarily high de- [fee of conservation of runoff, and would furnish rge amounts of incidental hydroelectric energy and iovide a large measure of flood control. There are bo described additional works, generally of smaller He, which would be necessary adjuncts to the major jlrks, in order that local requirements would be met i all foothill and mountain watersheds above the lor of the San Joaquin Valley. The two groups in- nde all mountain and foothill lands of the basin, Hd their common boundary is the watershed divide ftween the San Joaquin and Kings Rivers. The third ipdivision, "West Side Group," encompasses the Bast Range slopes of the San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Hsin with its numerous minor peripheral streams, Rm Marsh Creek on the northwest side to Buena Msta Creek near Taft. The fourth subdivision, "North ■Hey Group," includes the northern portion of Wley floor lands of the basin. Works in the southern irtion are described in connection with the fifth jfcdivision, "South Valley Group." The locations of U various units are shown on Plate 3. Following the leussion of all works in the basin, there is a sum- pry statement, with tables, showing principal char- Ijeristics of the various works and their estimated i|ts. The works included in the California Aqueduct l^tem and lying within the San Joaquin-Tulare Lke Basin are described separately in a later part Cthis chapter. San Joaquin-Sierra Group. The San Joaquin- Sierra Group includes all mountain and foothill lands of the San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin lying north of the watershed divide between the San Joaquin and Kings Rivers. Consisting of mountainous and foothill areas, the region is favored by forest, mineral, and recreational resources and developments typical of such areas. There is a considerable amount of ir- rigable land, approximately 278,000 acres, of which only 11,700 acres were irrigated in 1950. Large timber resources are located in this group. Much of the flow of the streams draining the San Joaquin-Sierra Group has already been developed for use on the San Joaquin Valley floor and for export to the San Francisco Bay Area. Flood problems within the group are of minor importance ; however, foothill reservoirs are now and in the future will be operated to give flood protection to lands on the valley floor. Hydroelectric power is presently developed on the Mokelumne, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, and San Joaquin Rivers. Other streams of the group include the Cosumnes, Calaveras, Chowchilla, and Fresno Rivers, and minor east side streams which are directly tributary to the valley floor. As of 1950, the seasonal water requirements for lands in the San Joaquin-Sierra Group aggregated about 41,000 acre-feet and were met, for the most part, by direct stream diversion, with only little use of reservoir storage. It is estimated that ultimate water requirements will total about 520,000 acre-feet, which could be met by contemplated future reservoirs and diversion works of The California Water Plan subsequently described. As indicated previously, the streams of this group furnish water not only to foot- hill and mountain lands therein, but also to lands on the San Joaquin Valley floor and for export to the San Francisco Bay Area. Under full development it is estimated that the firm yield of all reservoirs on streams in the group would be about 4,070,000 acre- feet annually, of which about 520,000 acre-feet would be allocated to foothill and mountain lands. Development on the Cosumnes River for use in that watershed has been relatively minor. There are several small diversions in the foothills and lower mountain regions for irrigation and domestic purposes ; how- ever, the total quantity of water which is now diverted from the upper river for local use is small in compari- son with the total runoff of the watershed. The most substantial export from the watershed, about 17,000 acre-feet per season, is conveyed from the recently completed Sly Park Reservoir on Sly Park Creek, with a capacity of 41,000 acre-feet, to the American River watershed. The Mokelumne River is subject to heavy draft for irrigation, power, and municipal purposes. Salt Springs and Bear River Reservoirs in the headwater area supply the Pacific Gas and Electric Company .i 128 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN power development. Pardee Reservoir in the foothills, with a capacity of 239,000 acre-feet, develops muni- cipal water supply for the East Bay Municipal Utility District in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, with some attendant hydroelectric power generation. Existing developments on the Stanislaus River in- clude Melones Reservoir, with a capacity of 112,500 acre-feet, owned jointly by the Oakdale and South San Joaquin Irrigation Districts; and the Tri-Dam Project, consisting of Donnells, Beardsley, and Tul- loch Reservoirs and associated power plants, presently under construction by the same districts. The Tri- Dam Project will add substantially to the present ir- rigation supplies and hydroelectric energy developed by Melones Reservoir. Existing developments on the Tuolumne River in- clude works by the City and County of San Fran- cisco in the upper watersheds to provide water, hydro- electric power, and conveyance of the water to the San Francisco Peninsula for use in the San Francisco Bay Area. These works include three reservoirs, Hetch Hetchy, Lake Eleanor, and Cherry Valley, with a combined storage capacity of 656,000 acre-feet. In 1954-55, about 123,000 acre-feet of water were con- veyed in the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct to the Bay area. Additional works, including Don Pedro Reser- voir, with a capacity of 289,000 acre-feet, have been constructed on the main river by the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts to generate power and to provide water for use in their service areas in the San Joaquin Valley. Exchequer Dam on the Merced River forms Mc- Clure Reservoir, owned by the Merced Irrigation Dis- trict. The reservoir, with a capacity of 289,000 acre- feet, is operated to store water for irrigation use in the valley and for hydroelectric power production. There are no existing developments of any con- sequence on the Fresno or Chowchilla Rivers, which rise too far from the crest of the Sierra and at too low an elevation to be snow-fed in the summer months. Runoff from these streams varies from little or no flow to flashy floods. The San Joaquin River rises on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada and flows southwesterly, dis- charging from the foothills to the trough of the val- ley floor, where it turns northwesterly and traverses the Sail Joaquin Valley to its confluence with the Sacramento River at the head of Suisun Bay. The Southern California Edison Company has developed an extensive system of power plants and four major storage reservoirs on the upper watersheds, compris- ing Florence, Huntington, Shaver, and Vermillion Lakes Reservoirs, with a combined storage capacity of about 148,000 acre-feet. This system utilizes a. large pari of the (low of the river for hydroelectric power production. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company, with 46,000 acre-feel of regulatory storage in Crane Valley Reservoir, also develops power in the lower watershed. Releases from the two systems are © bined in the small Kerckhoff Reservoir and are charged through the Kerckhoff Power Plant. Fri Dam, forming Lake Millerton with a storage capa of 520,000 acre-feet, has been constructed at the ley floor line by the United States Bureau of Reel tion and is operated for irrigation and flood con purposes. Plans for development of the water resources of San Joaquin-Sierra Group contemplate the even construction of 57 dams and reservoirs to make w; available for use on mountain and foothill lands on the valley floor. The reservoirs would also proi the watershed lands, preserve and enhance fish, life, and recreation, and give flood protection to valley floor. A number of the reservoirs would be o ated either primarily or partly to produce hydro trie energy. The contemplated works in each of major river basins are described separately. Works in the Cosumnes River Basin would incl 12 dams and reservoirs on the North, Middle South Forks of the Cosumnes River and their t taries, on the main river, and on Deer, Sutter Dry Creeks. Additional water would be made : able to the basin from works on the South Fork of American River and by the Amador Canal which veys water from the Mokelumne River. Works on t! North Fork would include Capps Crossing and Midd End Reservoirs. Two reservoirs, Bakersford and Pi B would be located on the Middle Fork. Sopiago Rese 1 voir would be located on Sopiago Creek, a tributary the Middle Fork. Works on the South Fork would elude two reservoirs, Bridgeport and Case Vap Other reservoirs in the basin would include Volca} on Sutter Creek, Deer Creek on Deer Creek, and Irij Hill on Dry Creek. Water conserved in these reservoirs would suppi ment existing diversions to meet water requiremei' in the Cosumnes River Basin and on adjacent laDf above the valley floor. In addition, all of the reserve] would be operated to preserve and enhance the 8 wildlife, and recreation values of the watershed. T' major reservoirs, Nashville and Michigan Bar, wot be constructed on the main river. Water conserved Nashville Reservoir would be discharged through power plant for power generation, and then to natural channel of the Cosumnes River for doft stream irrigation and to augment low flows in I interests of fish and wildlife. A substantial portion these waters would be diverted immediately below power plant and conveyed in a southerly direction serve lands south of the river. The remaining would be impounded downstream in Michigan I Reservoir, together with the intervening tribui runoff, reregulated to meet irrigation demands, released to the natural channel for downstream dh sion and for use on the valley floor. Nashville i THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 129 ichigan Bar Reservoirs also would be operated to ptect downstream areas from floods and to provide istained flows for fish. ! Plans to provide water for a portion of the irrigable nds in the Mokelumne and Calaveras River Basins [elude five reservoirs, of which two would be in the [okelumne River Basin and three would be in the nlaveras River Basin. Certain lands in these basins so would receive water from developments on the brth Pork of the Stanislaus River. The plans con- mplate the enlargement of existing Middle Fork bservoir, which is located on the Middle Fork of the okelumne River, and construction of Forest Creek id Jesus Maria Reservoirs on Forest Creek and on -sus Maria Creek, respectively. Also included is the largement of the existing McCarty Dam. which is tated on the North Fork of the Calaveras River in daveras Valley, and construction of San Domingo itservoir on San Domingo Creek. Irrigable lands ■tween the North and South Forks of the Mokelumne tjver would be supplied with water from Middle Bprk and Forest Creek Reservoirs. Lands between the lluth Fork of the Mokelumne River and the Stan- }aus River watershed divide would be supplied with ■iter from Jesus Maria, McCarty, and San Domingo Itservoirs and direct diversions from the South Fork K the Mokelumne River and the North Fork of the ianislaus River. The foregoing reservoirs also would ■ operated to enhance the fish, wildlife, and recrea- pm potentials. There are, however, other tributaries ■ the rivers on which small reservoirs should be con- ducted in the headwaters to maintain flows for fish. ■[Developments on the Mokelumne River proposed by m East Bay Municipal Utility District include Rail- ed Flat Reservoir on the South Fork, and Middle ■r and Camanche Reservoirs on the main river, as ■11 as enlargement of the existing Pardee Reservoir, ■ese works would make additional water available ft* export to the East Bay area under water rights Ijnnits already granted. In operation studies of the ■ervoirs on the Mokelumne River, it was assumed Kit water in the firm annual amount of 364,000 acre- ftt would ultimately be exported to the East Bay lea. Storage in and operation of Camanche Reservoir m flood control is necessary if downstream areas are ■be protected. Studies of the operation of Camanche Eservoir indicate that under ultimate conditions the Bervoir releases in dry years probably will not sup- ft*t the anadromous fishery on the lower Mokelumne ■her. This problem should be given further study to Rtermine steps that can be taken to protect and ■serve the fishery. ■Prospective major developments on the Calaveras Rrer would be confined to the enlargement of existing B»gan Reservoir. Water released from the reservoir ■uld be diverted at the dam and would be served to ■ids north of the river. New Hogan Reservoir would also be operated to protect downstream lands from floods. Suggested works on the Stanislaus River would in- clude the construction of three new reservoirs and the enlargement of two existing reservoirs. These works would be on the North and South Forks of the Stanislaus River, and would provide water for irrigable lands in the Stanislaus River Basin and in portions of the Mokelumne and Calaveras River Basins. Operation of these works would enhance the fish, wildlife, and recreation resources of the Cala- veras and Stanislaus River Basins. Under the plan for the development of the North Fork of the Stanis- laus River, an enlarged reservoir would be con- structed at the existing Spicer Meadow reservoir site on Highland Creek, a tributary to the North Fork. Water released from the enlarged Spicer Meadow Reservoir would flow down the natural channel of Highland Creek and the North Fork to Ganns Reser- voir, which would be constructed on the North Fork of the Stanislaus River about 1 mile downstream from the junction with Highland Creek. Water conserved in Ganns Reservoir would be augmented by these re- leases from Spicer Meadow Reservoir and by releases from existing Utica, Silver Valley, and Union Valley Reservoirs, which are located on the North Fork of the Stanislaus River. Releases from Ganns Reser- voir would be discharged through a power plant and into Ramsey Reservoir, also on the North Fork. From Ramsey Reservoir, the water would be conveyed along the right bank of the North Fork of the Stanislaus River. A portion of the water would be discharged to a power house on Moran Creek and thence to exist- ing Hunter Reservoir and to the existing Murphys Power Plant, from where it would be conveyed to San Domingo Reservoir. The remaining water from the North Fork of the Stanislaus River would be dis- charged through a proposed power plant on Jesus Maria Creek. From this power plant, a portion of the water would be conveyed to the proposed en- larged McCarty Reservoir on the North Fork of the Calaveras River to supply water to irrigable lands between the North Fork of the Calaveras River and the South Fork of the Mokelumne River. The re- maining water would flow down the creek to Jesus Maria Reservoir. All of the foregoing reservoirs would be operated to enhance fish, wildlife, and rec- reation. Suggested works on the South Fork of the Stanis- laus River would include Big Dam Reservoir and en- larged Lyons Reservoir. Irrigable lands in the Stanis- laus River Basin north of the Stanislaus River and its North Fork would receive water conserved in the enlarged Spicer Meadow Reservoir, Ganns Reservoir. Ramsey Reservoir, and in works on Moran Creek and existing Hunter Reservoir, all previously mentioned. These works would also furnish Avater to lands in the 130 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Mokelumne River Basin which are south of the South Fork of the Mokelumne River. Irrigable lands be- tween the Stanislaus River, the South Fork of the Stanislaus River, and the Tuolumne River watershed divide would receive water conserved in Big Dam and Lyons Reservoirs on the South Fork of the Stanis- laus. Lyons Reservoir also would be used as a regula- tion reservoir for water developed by works on the Clavey River and the North Fork of the Tuolumne River. These waters, so regulated, would be conveyed from Lyons Reservoir in the existing Tuolumne Ditch to Phoenix Power Plant and thence to irrigable lands in Tuolumne County. In addition to providing water to irrigable lands, the foregoing works also would provide sustained flows to enhance fish, wildlife, and recreation. Other works in the upper watershed of the Stanis- laus River would be constructed primarily to pro- duce hydroelectric power and to enhance fish, wild- life, and recreation benefits. They would include Ken- nedy Meadows and Griswold Reservoirs, Sand Bar and Oriswold Power Plants, and the enlarged Stanis- laus Power Plant. In addition, it is proposed to en- large the existing Melones Reservoir to a capacity of 1,100,000 acre-feet to provide flood control and hydro- electric power, and to make additional water avail- able for use on valley floor lands. "Works contemplated in the upper watershed of the Tuolumne River would include reservoirs at sites on the North and South Forks of the main river, on Lily Creek, Clavey River, and Hull and Sullivan Creeks, tributaries to the main stream, and on Big Creek, tributary to the South Fork. These works would en- hance fish, wildlife, and recreation. In addition, after reregulation in Lyons Reservoir and discharge through the Phoenix Power Plant, the water woiald be available for use on irrigable lands in the Tuol- umne River Basin. Works on the South Fork of the Tuolumne River would consist of Hardin Flat and Burch Meadows Reservoirs. These reservoirs would serve water to irrigable lands in the basin which lie south of the main river, and would furnish a limited quantity of water for export to off-stream storage in Mariposa County. Much of the exported water, after reregula- tion in Coulterville Reservoir, would be returned to lower lands in the Tuolumne River Basin. Irrigable lands in the basin which lie north of the North Fork and north of the Tuolumne River would receive water from Lily Lake, Belle Meadows, Lords, Browns Mea- dow, and Phoenix Reservoirs, and from Lyons Reser- voir as mentioned previously. Lily Lake Reservoir would be constructed on Lily Creek, a tributary of the Tuolumne River; Belle Meadows Reservoir would be on Clavey River, a tributary of the Tuolumne River; Lords Reservoir would be located on Rush Creek, a tributary of Clavey River; and Browns Meadow Reservoir would be located on the Nort; Fork of the Tuolumne River. An enlargement of thi existing Phoenix Reservoir, located on Sullivan Creell is also contemplated. In addition to providing wata for upstream lands, the foregoing reservoirs would b operated to enhance fish, wildlife, and recreation. New power developments proposed by the City an County of San Francisco on the Tuolumne Rive would include the Hetch Hetchy Power Plant at EarL Intake and Cherry Creek Power Plant on Cherr. Creek. Existing power plants which logically could a enlarged include the Moccasin Creek, Phoenix, an| Don Pedro Power Plants. Operation of Don Pedi; Reservoir, enlarged to a capacity of about 1.950,0(1 acre-feet, would protect downstream lands from flooi and provide additional regulation of water for use valley floor lands. In operation studies of works on the Tuolu: River, it was assumed that water in the firm ann amount of 450,000 acre-feet ultimately would be ported to the San Francisco Bay Area through Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct by the City and County San Francisco. In the event that the export would increased above this amount, a similar increase wouj be required in the amount imported to the San Joi quin-Tulare Lake Basin through facilities of the Gs( ifornia Aqueduct System. The City and County San Francisco claims large rights of early priority waters of the Tuolumne River. Works contemplated to provide water for irrigabi lands in the Merced River Basin lying north of til Merced River, as well as to enhance fish, wildlife, aij recreation in this area, would include Coultervillj Butterfly, and Hayward Reservoirs. Lands in ti basin lying south of the river could receive water verted from the South Fork of the Merced River nei Wawona and outside Yosemite National Park, regulated in reservoirs on tributaries of the Wd Fork of the Chowchilla River, and on Mariposa ai Bear Creeks. These reservoirs would enhance wildlife, and recreation, and also would furnish watl to certain land in the Chowchilla River Basin. Coulterville Reservoir, in addition to conserving runoff of its own watershed, would regulate wat imported into the area from Hardin Flat Reservoir the South Fork of the Tuolumne River, as previous mentioned. The water would be released from Cou'ft) ville Reservoir to Butterfly and Hayward Reserve; for further regulation, and to serve irrigable 1: and enhance fish, wildlife, and recreation. Water verted from the South Fork of the Merced River the Wawona diversion would be conveyed we! in a tunnel into the upper watershed of the G. cli ilia River Basin. As the water would be con across the upper Chowchilla River watershed, releases would be made lor local application regulatory storage reservoirs in this basin, as is THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 131 k uently described. However, the major portion of water would be conveyed out of the watershed a. I discharged into Aqua Fria and Upper Bear Creek lservoirs, located on Mariposa Creek and Bear ( >ek. respectively, and served to lands in the vicinity othe two reservoirs. n addition to the foregoing works, which would i ve water to upper watershed lands and would en- fish, wildlife, and recreation, a major reservoir, Vginia Point, with a storage capacity of about 100,000 acre-feet, would be constructed on the main |tn of the Merced River immediately above the ex- feng McClure Reservoir. Releases from Virginia Mnt Reservoir would be made through a new power put into McClure Reservoir. From McClure Reser- ik, the water would be discharged through an en- tered Exchequer Power Plant, the Merced Falls Pjjver Plant, and then diverted for irrigation in the lrced Irrigation District and adjacent areas in the Si Joaquin Valley. Reservoir space in the amount of 1K000 acre-feet would be reserved in Virginia Point Rervoir to control floods on the Merced River. Re- lets would be made from the reservoirs to sustain fl.s fur the preservation of fish life. Vs mentioned previously, a portion of the water Iferted from the South Fork of the Merced River wild be released in the upper Chowchilla River B|in. This water, which would be released to four mil reservoirs, namely, Darrah, Magoon, Pegleg, U: Humbug, and to farm-size reservoirs, would meet ■tetantially all water requirements in the upper por- mks of the Chowchilla River Basin which have no al.rnative source of supply. Lower lands in the basin •lid receive water from Buchanan Reservoir on the •wchilla River, which would also furnish water to u provide flood protection for lands on the San Jkiquin Valley floor. Irrigable lands in the Fresno River Basin would -Wive water conserved in three small reservoirs, ■kely, Miami, Lewis, and Nelder Creek, located on ■iutaries of the Fresno River. Irrigable lands in Mower reaches of the Fresno River Basin would re- -■je water from Windy Gap Reservoir and from Mjden Reservoir. These latter reservoirs would also faiish water to lands in the San Joaquin Valley, and Kden Reservoir would provide flood protection to tii valley floor. -lrospective development of the San Joaquin River ■ild be confined to the undeveloped tributaries of fc* portion of the main river watershed which ex- I - north from the mouth of Big Creek, excluding BSouth Fork. The works would be constructed pri- nsily to produce hydroelectric energy and to pre- «ie and enhance the fish, wildlife, and recreation re- Hces of the watershed. Suggested works would in- I e .Miller Bridge Dam and Reservoir, Miller Bridge Wer Plant, Forks Dam and Reservoir, Forks Power Plant, Mammoth Pool Dam and Reservoir, Mammoth Pool Power Plant, Chiquito Creek Dam and Reservoir, and Chiquito Power Plant. The Southern California Edison Company is proposing the construction of Mammoth Pool Reservoir. No works are specifically contemplated herein to provide for future water re- quirements in the mountain and foothill watersheds of the San Joaquin River Basin, since such requirements are small and are for lands in scattered valleys adja- cent to the main river and its tributaries, which lands could be served by direct diversions and from local farm-size reservoirs. From Miller Bridge Reservoir on the Middle Fork, a tunnel would convey water to the Miller Bridge Power Plant, located on the Middle Fork about 2 miles above the confluence of the South Fork and on the flow line of Forks Reservoir. From Forks Reser- voir a tunnel would convey the water to the Forks Power Plant, which would be located on the flow line of Mammoth Pool Reservoir. From Mammoth Pool Reservoir on the main San Joaquin River the water would be discharged through the Mammoth Pool Power Plant, located above the junction with Big Creek. The power plant would be connected with Mammoth Pool Reservoir by a tunnel. Releases from the power plant would be available for use in three existing downstream power plants before flowing into MiUerton Lake. Chiquito Reservoir on Chiquito Creek would con- serve the runoff of its own watershed, plus diversions from West Granite and Jackass Creeks. A tunnel would convey the flow of West Granite Creek to Jackass Creek, where a second diversion would di- vert the combined flows of both creeks for discharge into Chiquito Reservoir. Water released from Chi- quito Reservoir would be conveyed in a tunnel to Chiquito Power Plant, also on the flow line of Mam- moth Pool Reservoir. The new and existing works in the San Joaquin River Basin would produce large amounts of hydro- electric energy and would provide water to meet local water requirements, including that for enhancement of fish and wildlife resources and for development of the recreational potential. Water requirements in the service areas of the Madera and Friant-Kern Canals also would be met. A substantial amount of Hood control is provided in the basin by reservation of storage space for that purpose in Millerton Lake. The 57 prospective reservoirs which would accom- plish the local objectives of The California Water Plan in the San Joaquin-Sierra Group, would have a total reservoir storage capacity of about 6,560,000 acre-feet. Their construction and operation in con- junction with existing works in the group would pro- vide about 520,000 acre-feet of water each year to meet requirements in the foothill and mountain wa- tersheds. They also would provide about 3.550.000 San Joaquin River Basin— Headwaters and Delta f THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 133 re-feet of water for release to lands on the valley far, together with large quantities of usable spill Billable for regulation in the ground water reser- a r. The existing and new hydroelectric plants, with aotal installed capacity of about 1,880,000 kilowatts, vuld produce about 8.8 billion kilowatt-hours of I droelectric energy each year, of which 2.9 billion kowatt-hours would be new energy. Operation of I I units of The California Water Plan would pro- i^.e reservoir pools and sustained stream flows to j:serve and enhance the valuable fish, wildlife, and r reation resources in these Sierra watersheds. In alition. about 1.500,000 acre-feet of space would be I »vided in the major downstream reservoirs, which, I en operated in conjunction with existing and pro- I ed levee systems, would prevent flooding of valley lids. Tulare-Sierra Group. The Tulare-Sierra Group I hides all mountain and foothill lands on the east I I south sides of the San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin I lg south of the watershed divide between the San J quin and Kings Rivers. The group includes the p tions of the Tehachapi Mountains tributary to the b.in. The area is characterized by foothill and moun- ts topography, the peaks being some of the highest ■{the United States. Forest resources are extensive lithe region north of the Kern River. Mineral re- Hrces are less fully exploited than in the San Joa- Bi-Sierra Group to the north. Recreational and Hiic values are very high here, although they are H accessible than in other parts of the Sierra Ne- Ha. The major recreational attractions in the group H Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The Bonal forests are of lesser recreational importance ■p those farther north, but only because they are H well-developed by access roads. Hmall parcels of irrigable land are found scattered Hughout the lower portions of the Tulare-Sierra ■up. These total about 243,000 acres. In 1950, how- H, only about 12.500 acres were being irrigated. Htreams of the Tulare-Sierra Group include several Hor rivers, namely, the Kings, Kaweah, Tule, and ■d; several intervening minor streams draining ^£r slopes of the Sierra Nevada ; and a number of Hor streams draining the Tehachapi Mountains Ha Caliente Creek westward to Bitterwater Creek. ■ aggregate runoff of these streams constitutes Hit 30 per cent of the total runoff of streams of HSan Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin as a whole. Pres- Hwater requirements are met largely by pumping Hi ground water, inasmuch as the great majority Hie irrigated lands is in the area south of the Kern Hp where surface supplies are limited. The major Heuiis have been developed for hydroelectric power. Tp> major foothill reservoirs, Pine Flat and Isabella, ■k been built primarily for flood control on the •ey floor, but with some conservation storage. Pine Flat Reservoir is also used to reregulate releases from upstream power developments. Virtually all of the flow of the streams draining the Tulare-Sierra Group is utilized under prior vested rights on valley floor lands of the San Joaquin Valley. Such utilization is accomplished by surface diversions and widespread use of ground water. There is a need for initiating development of water for use on the irrigable watershed lands above the valley floor ; how- ever, such developments would require, in almost every case, the substitution of imported water in ap- proximately an equivalent amount to valley floor lands under negotiated exchange agreements, since there is little, if any, unappropriated water left avail- able for these upper lands. Flood problems in the Tulare-Sierra Group are of local importance. Foothill reservoirs are now and in the future will be operated to provide flood protec- tion for lands of the valley floor. In 1950, water requirements for lands in the Tulare- Sierra Group were about 62,000 acre-feet annually. It is estimated that ultimate water requirements would total about 915,000 acre-feet per year. A large portion of the ultimate requirement would be for irrigable land contiguous to the valley floor, which could be served by pumping from major conduits and sources of supply on the valley floor. Another portion of the ultimate requirement would be for lands in scattered valleys and mountain meadows, only some of which could be irrigated by developing limited local water supplies; however, works to accomplish this are not described herein. The remaining portion would be for lands adjacent to and which could be irrigated from the major streams of the group. Works which are subsequently described would make available about 130,000 acre-feet of water each year, which is sufficient to serve such lands. The remaining water from streams in the group would be available to serve valley floor lands. As previously stated, any addi- tional water to be supplied to the upper lands must be obtained through the medium of exchange con- tracts. Existing developments and projects under construc- tion on the Kings River include three reservoirs and three power plants. The three reservoirs are Helms and Wishon on the North Fork, presently under con- struction by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and Pine Flat on the main river, recently completed by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, for flood control and irrigation. Releases from Helms and Wishon Reservoirs will pass successively through Haas, Balch, and Kings River Power Plants, finally discharging into Pine Flat Reservoir. These works when completed will provide almost complete develop- ment of the water resources of the Kings River and its tributaries. The upstream reservoirs will provide for the generation of power, will protect watershed lands from floods, and will preserve and enhance the 134 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN fish, wildlife, and recreation resources. Pine Flat Reservoir provides irrigation water and flood protec- tion to valley floor lands. Existing developments on the Kaweah River con- sist of three run-of-river power plants located near the junction of the Middle and East Forks. Existing developments on the Tule River are rela- tively minor. Two small run-of-river power plants are on the Middle Fork. Diversions are made from all forks of the river for irrigation of approximately 1,400 acres above the valley floor. Existing developments on the Kern River, the most southerly of the large streams which rise in the Sierra Nevada, include the recently completed Isabella Dam, with a reservoir capacity of 570,000 acre-feet, and four hydroelectric plants. Prior to construction of Isabella Dam by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, all of the works were dependent upon unregulated runoff for operation. Works on the South Fork of the Kern River consist of small diversions and canals to irrigate scattered lands above Isabella Reservoir. Other diversion structures and canals are located on the main stream for service to the valley floor. Suggested plans for development of the water re- sources of the Tulare-Sierra Group contemplate the eventual construction of 11 reservoirs to make water available for use on mountain and foothill lands and to provide some additional regulation of water for valley floor lands. The reservoirs would also protect and enhance the watershed lands and the fish, wild- life, and recreation resources, and would provide flood protection to the valley floor. A number of the reser- voirs would be operated either primarily or partly to produce hydroelectric energy. Works in each of the major river basins are described separately. New developments contemplated on the Kings River as features of The California Water Plan would in- clude: Cedar Grove Diversion Dam and Cedar Grove Power Plant on the South Fork; Tehipite Diversion Dam and Tehipite Power Plant on the Middle Fork ; Junction Reservoir, located just below the confluence of the Middle and South Forks ; Junction Power Plant on the main stream; Dinkey Meadow Reservoir and Dinkey Meadow and Ross Power Plants On Dinkey Creek ; an enlarged Kings River Power Plant ; and Pine Flat Power Plant immediately below Pine Flat Dam. Water would be diverted at the Cedar Grove Diver- sion Darn into a tunnel leading to the Cedar Grove Tower Plant, located on the flow line of Junction Res- ervoir. In the same manner, water would be diverted ;it the Tehipite Diversion Dam into a tunnel to be conveyed to the Tehipite Power Plant, which would also be located on the flow line of Junction Reservoir and adjacent to the Cedar' drove Power Plant. Junc- tion Reservoir thus would regulate the flow of the Middle ;ind South Forks and the releases from Te- hipite and Cedar Grove Power Plants. From Junction Reservoir, a tunnel would convey the water to th t Junction Power Plant, located on the main streai. about 2 miles above the mouth of Mill Flat Creel This plant would discharge to the main river. To augment the inflow to Dinkey Meadow Rese voir, the runoff of Bear Creek, tributary to Dinke Creek, would be diverted into the reservoir by mean! of a short conduit. From Dinkey Meadow ReservoJ|- a tunnel would supply water to the Dinkey Meadoi Power Plant downstream from the dam. A small du version dam on Dinkey Creek immediately below tl power plant would divert water into a tunnel extern ing to the Ross Power Plant on Dinkey Creek aboi 2.5 miles above its mouth. From Ross Power Plai the water would be conveyed by tunnel to the exia ing Kings River Power Plant, thus permitting an i crease in the installed capacity of that plant. Watl in the seasonal amount of about 30,000 acre-fed which is required to irrigate scattered lands adjacei to the main tributaries in the basin, would be aval able by direct diversion or from small farm-size rese voirs. The remaining water developed by the foreg ing works would be released through Pine Flat Pow| Plant, which would be located at Pine Flat Dam. , Construction of works of The California Watj Plan in the Kings River Basin would provide so» additional regulation of the runoff to effect bett utilization in downstream areas. The works would all produce substantial amounts of hydroelectric energ Pine Flat Reservoir would be operated to protfi valley lands from floods, as at present, and the woi| would also provide sustained minimum flows in ma$ reaches of the Kings River and its tributaries for ti preservation and enhancement of fish, wildlife, ai recreation. The only project contemplated on the Kaweah RiX is the federally authorized Terminus Dam and Res: voir, located 20 miles east of Visalia. This proje, now in the planning stage, will provide flood prot tion and will permit additional regulation for beti service of irrigation water to lands on the valley floj As in the case of the Kings River, the runoff of f Kaweah River has been almost entirely, if not com- pletely, developed for use of the valley floor. Wa for use on the small and scattered parcels of irrigai lands above Terminus Reservoir, which have i aggregate ultimate seasonal requirement of ab 9,000 acre-feet, could be obtained by direct divers or from small farm-size reservoirs ; however, it woi be necessary to substitute imported water for use« valley lands in approximately an equivalent amoi under negotiated exchange agreements. Developments on the Tule River would consist Success Reservoir, presently under construction the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, and two upstream reservoirs, North Fork Reservoir and I die Fork Reservoir. Success Dam is located ab .>» THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 135 ■les east of Porterville and just below the junction the South Fork with the main stream. The reser- Hir will provide flood protection and will permit Idditional regulation for better service of irrigation rater to lands on the valley floor. North Fork and [Eddie Fork Reservoirs would supply water to irri- |>ble lands which are adjacent to the main river above Iccess Reservoir and which have an annual water iquirement of about 23,000 acre-feet. Other irrigable ■ids in the watershed, which are small in amount Id scattered, would receive water from direct stream Aversions and from local farm-size reservoirs. As in He case of the Kings and Kaweah Rivers, it would >1 necessary to substitute imported water in approx- imately an equivalent amount to valley floor lands ■der a negotiated exchange agreement, if these roper reservoirs were to be constructed. In the case U both the Kaweah and Tule Rivers, there is a need ■r small headwater reservoirs to sustain flows in the ■mmer months to protect and enhance the fish, wild- le, and recreation resources. ■Existing works in the Kern River-Tehachapi Moun- ■ns area and on the valley floor have fully devel- ped the water resources of the Kern River and its •butanes. The works are operated to protect water- led and valley floor lands from floods, to provide ligation water to valley floor lands, to provide hy- loelectric power, and to preserve and enhance the Ih, wildlife, and recreation resources of the water- Wed. New works contemplated as features of The Nklifornia Water Plan would provide additional ■droeleetrie power and would make water available I serve foothill and mountain lands, although it luld be necessary to substitute imported water in ■proximately an equivalent amount to valley floor lnds under negotiated agreements. ■Studies indicate that service of water to many of m irrigable lands in the Kern River-Tehachapi [fountains area would be difficult and expensive. ■ere are 36,000 acres of irrigable land above the ftrn Canyon Power House on the Kern River, with i but 2.400 acres lying above the existing Isabella ■servoir. These lands have an estimated ultimate Jsonal water requirement of about 74,000 acre-feet. Rater in the amount of about 50,000 acre-feet per ■son to meet a portion of these requirements could ■ furnished from reservoirs on the South Fork of the ■rn River and its tributaries, which are subsequently fceribed. The remaining higher lands could, in iso- 1 ed cases, be irrigated from farm-size reservoirs fcich would develop limited local water resources, but ■pensive conduits and pumping would be required to pigate most of these lands. Works to accomplish this R not described herein. I^Lands contiguous to the valley floor and north of lp Kern River could be served by local water re- Firces and by pumping from the Friant-Kern Canal, if water could be made available from that source. Lands south of the Kern River and contiguous to the valley floor could be served, in part, by developing limited local waters; in part by the proposed Arvin- Eclison Canal, which would divert from the Kern River at an elevation of 680 feet and which is de- scribed subsequently in connection with the South Valley Group ; and in part from an extension of the Feather River Project Aqueduct around the southern end of the valley. Service of water to the scattered irrigable valleys and meadows in the Tehachapi Mountains would be difficult and expensive, since most of the lands are above 2,500 feet in elevation. Some of these lands could be irrigated by development of the limited local water supplies, but irrigation of the remaining lands would require expensive pumping from water sources and conduits on the valley floor. Works to accomplish this are not discussed herein. Major new works contemplated for the Kern River would include Rockhouse Reservoir and Power Plant, and Onyx Reservoir and Power Plant on the South Fork. In addition, three small reservoirs, Kelso, Canebrake, and Lamont Meadows, would furnish irri- gation water to other lands above Isabella Reservoir. Rockhouse Dam would be located on the South Fork. Water conserved in Rockhouse Reservoir would be conveyed in a tunnel to Rockhouse Power Plant for power generation. From Rockhouse Power Plant Afterbay the water would be diverted and conveyed in a tunnel to Onyx Power Plant for power genera- tion. Releases from Onyx Power Plant would be stored in Onyx Reservoir and wotdd be diverted for irrigation of lands in the South Fork Valley below an elevation of about 2,800 feet. Lands in the South Fork Valley above this elevation would receive water from Kelso, Canebrake, and Lamont Meadows Reservoirs. Releases from Isabella Reservoir would be made to Borel Power Plant for power generation, as is done now. Likewise, the water would be diverted down- stream from Borel Power Plant to Kern No. 1 Power Plant and thence to Kern Canyon Power Plant. The capacities of Borel and Kern No. 1 Power Plants would be increased. Below the Kern Canyon Power Plant water would be diverted through existing canals and to the Arvin-Edison Canal to serve the valley floor lands. Construction of works of The California Water Plan in the Kern River Basin would provide water for watershed lands above and adjacent to Isabella Reservoir. The works would produce large amounts of hydroelectric energy. A flood control reservation would be maintained in Isabella Reservoir, as is pro- vided at the present time. The works would also pro- vide sustained minimum flows in many reaches of the Kern River and its tributaries for the preservation and enhancement of fish, wildlife, and recreation. . 136 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN In summary, the 11 reservoirs which would accom- plish the objectives of The California Water Plan in the Tulare-Sierra Group would have a total reservoir storage capacity of about 432,000 acre-feet. Their con- struction and operation in conjunction with existing works in the group would provide about 136,000 acre- feet of water each year to meet requirements in the foothill and mountain watersheds, and would provide some additional regulation to water entering down- stream reservoirs. These reservoirs would be operated, as the existing ones are at the present time, to serve valley floor lands. Operation of the reservoirs would make firm water supplies available in the amount of about 1,140,000 acre-feet, together with large quanti- ties of usable spill which would be available for re- regulation in the underground reservoir and for use on valley floor lands. As is described subsequently, the water made available at the eastern edge of the valley floor would be served at as high an elevation as possible in order to minimize pumping of imported water supplies. The existing and new hydroelectric plants, with a total installed capacity of about 725,000 kilowatts, would produce a total of about 3.4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric energy each year, of which about 2 billion kilowatt-hours would be new en- ergy. Operation of these works would provide reser- voir pools and sustained stream flows to preserve and enhance the valuable fish, wildlife, and recreation re- sources in these Sierra watersheds. In addition, about 750,000 acre-feet of space would be provided in the major downstream reservoirs, which, when operated in conjunction with existing and proposed levee sys- tems and terminal reservoirs, would prevent flooding of valley lands. West Side Group. The West Side Group includes a narrow strip of lands of the San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin which lie on the eastern slopes of the Coast Range and above the floor of the valley. The eastern boundary of the group ranges in elevation from less than 500 feet, southwest of the Delta, to about 1,500 feet at the southern end of the valley. The eastern crest of the Coast Range, which varies in elevation from about 2,000 to 4,000 feet, forms the western boundary of the group. Presenl (1950) development in the West Side Group is quite minor. There is some mining, but practically no forestry. There arc about 109,000 acres of irrigable land, of which only about 1,600 acres were irrigated in 1950. Mercury is mined in importanl quantities in San Benito County. Petroleum and natural gas are produced Erom the Coalinga West and Midway-Sun- sel fields in the southern portion of the group. Average seasonal precipitation on Lands of the West side Group varies with elevation Erom less than 10 inches at the base of the foothills to somewhat more than '_'() inches along the crest of the Coasl Range. This precipitation is largely concentrated in the win4 ter months, practically none of it falling as snow. { A large number of minor streams drain the West* Side Group, from Marsh Creek on the northerly west; side to Buena Vista Creek near Taft on the south.; From north to south they include : Marsh, Del PuertoJ Orestimba, San Luis, Los Banos, Ortigalita, Littlef Panoche, Panoche, and Cantua Creeks; Arroyo Pas] sajero; and Avenal, Buena Vista, and Bitterwaten Creeks, as well as other small streams. Due to thd sparse rainfall these streams carry little water. The total runoff of streams of this group is only slightlj more than 1 per cent of that for the entire Sar Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin. The 1,600 acres of lane in the group which were irrigated in 1950 have a sea< sonal water requirement of about 4,000 acre-feet. Ii is estimated that this requirement might increase t( about 366,000 acre-feet under full development. Water problems of the West Side Group include a need for supplemental water for irrigable lands whicl are presently not irrigated. Local surface water sup plies are very limited, and it is probable that grounc water supplies are almost nonexistent. In addition water of many streams of the group is characterized by relatively high amounts of dissolved minerals, in eluding significant concentrations of boron in somi cases. Floods on these streams are not a major probj lem because of the limited runoff and because most o{ the area is virtually undeveloped. However, futurj developments might, in some instances, warrant meas- ures to control the occasional flood waters. The total seasonal runoff of streams in the Wes Side Group is only about one-third of the probabl ultimate requirement, and even now is largely utilize< in replenishment of ground water supplies below th foothill line. Additional conservation is considered tl be impracticable. Consequently, it is assumed that th objectives of The California Water Plan for thil group would be met by deliveries through the Delta Mendota Canal, the Feather River Project Aqueduct) and the San Joaquin- West Side Conduit, all facilitie of the California Aqueduct System. The authorized San Luis Reservoir will be phyri cally located in the West Side Group, but it will hav no specific function with respect to water require ments of the group, except to reregulate importe water supplies, nor is it expected to result in an appreciable additional conservation of runoff of Sa Luis Creek, which is believed to be fully utilized a the present time. North Valley Group. The North Valley Grou includes all valley floor lands of the San Joaquiij Tulare hake Basin which lie north of that reach ( the San Joaquin River between Friant Dam and tl' Mendota Pool. The southwesterly boundary of tl group generally parallels the Delta-Mendota Can; west of Mendota Pool and includes within the grou L San Joaquin River Basin— Cotton and Irrigated Pasture 138 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN all lands adjacent to the canal which receive water pumped from Mendota Pool. The group is bounded on the south by San Luis Creek and the San Joaquin River. The North Valley Group is highly developed for agricultural pursuits. Of about 3,142,000 acres of irri- gable land in this area, 1,753,000 acres were irrigated in 1950. The principal urban centers are Stockton, Modesto, and Merced. The predominant manufactur- ing industry is food processing, although in Stockton there are several machinery manufacturing establish- ments whose principal products are farm implements. Natural gas from the Rio Vista field is the most im- portant mineral product of the region. Rainfall on lands in the North Valley Group is largely concentrated in the winter months, and varies from somewhat less than 10 inches per season in the southern portion to approximately 15 inches in the north. Major streams contributing to the water sup- plies of the group are, from north to south, the Co- sumnes, Mokelumne, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, Chowchilla, Fresno, and San Joaquin Rivers. Present and contemplated developments on these streams have been described in connection with devel- opments in the San Joaquin-Sierra Group. The Sacra- mento-San Joaquin Delta, which is included in this group, also receives water from the north from the Sacramento River. A number of smaller tributary streams, as well as rainfall on the valley floor, also contribute to the fulfillment of water requirements. The water requirements for lands in the North Val- ley Group Avere estimated to be about 5,790,000 acre- feet for 1950 conditions. Although local water supplies are highly developed, ground water overdrafts exist in several local areas and the supplemental requirement was estimated to be about 266,000 acre-feet for 1950 conditions. It is estimated that ultimate water require- ments will total 6,470,000 acre-feet. Although the streams tributary to this group provide large quanti- ties of water, nevertheless it will be necessary to im- port about 1,900,000 acre-feet of supplemental water each year to meet estimated ultimate requirements. The present requirements for water in the North Valley Group are being met in several ways. First, there are diversions from Delta channels and from the Sierra streams, supplemented on the larger rivers by mountain and foothill reservoir storage. Second, there is considerable but scattered pumping from ground water throughout the group. And third, water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers is im- ported in the Delta-Mendota and Madera Canals, re- spectively, units of the Central Valley Project. Water has been imported in the Madera Canal since L943, and in the Delta-Mendota Canal since 1951. Water is pumped into the Delta-Mendota Canal from Old River, a Delta channel, and is conveyed by the canal to Men- dota Pool on the San Joaquin River, a distance of 117 : miles. The Madera Canal conveys water from the San Joaquin River to serve lands of the North Valley Group. The canal, which is 37 miles in length, extends from Friant Dam northward through Madera County to Ash Slough, a channel of the Chowchilla River. In' 1956, 675,000 acre-feet of water were imported in the' Delta-Mendota Canal and 240,000 acre-feet were trans- ported in the Madera Canal. Several reclamation districts operate diversion works on channels of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, in addition to their levee maintenance fune-, tions. Four irrigation districts divert from Old River in the southwestern portion of the Delta, as does the 1 United States Bureau of Reclamation for the Contra Costa and Delta-Mendota Canals. About 20 publicf districts along the route of the Delta-Mendota Canal receive water by contract with the Federal Govern-': ment. The East Bay Municipal Utility District develops water from the Mokelumne River at Pardee Reservoir for export to cities in western Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. In addition to individual diversions, downstream from Pardee Dam, the Woodbridge Irri-';. gation District diverts for irrigation in the vicinity of Lodi. The water supply of the Calaveras River area isj developed primarily by the Stockton and East San. Joaquin Water Conservation District, which operates the conservation features of Hogan Reservoir in con- junction with diversion and ground water recharge works established, in part, by the Linden Irrigation District. The Stanislaus River is the source of irrigation water for the Oakdale and South San Joaquin Irriga-i tion Districts. Melones Reservoir provides conserva- tion storage for both districts. The South San Joaquin Irrigation District operates Woodward Reservoir on Simmons Creek for further regulation of its main supply. At present, the twa districts are cooperating in the Tri-Dam Project to augment their water supplies by constructing Don-i nells, Beardsley, and Tulloch Dams and associated power developments on the Stanislaus River and its tributaries. On the Tuolumne River the point of diversion % the Iletch Hetchy Aqueduct of the City and Counj^i of San Francisco is a considerable distance upstream from the foothill line. Don Pedro Reservoir, near the eastern edge of the valley floor, is operated jointly by the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts. The* Waterford Irrigation District also has a right to waters of the Tuolumne River. The Merced Irrigation District operates McClure Reservoir on the Merced River. The Stevinson Water Dist rict diverts from the Merced River near its mouth. Individual diverters also utilize water of this stream. The El Nido Irrigation District, which obtains sup pleniental water from the Merced Irrigation District THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 139 ad from ground water, is located along the lower eaehes of the Chowchilla River. Two irrigation districts and six water companies. 1 addition to a large number of individual diverters, ,ump from the San Joaquin River between Tracy and he mouth of the Merced River. The San Luis Canal •ompany diverts from the west bank of the San Joa- uin River near Dos Palos for irrigation of a large £reage between Los Banos and the river. Diversions fe made at Mendota Pool on the San Joaquin River r the Firebaugh Canal Company, the Central Cali- prnia Irrigation District, the Grasslands and Pa- pehe Water Districts, and other smaller districts. fhe Columbia Canal Company serves lands near Men- ota by gravity diversions from Lone Willow Slough, jad by pumping from the Mowry Canal and Mendota |ool. The major users of water from the Madera Canal re the Madera Irrigation District and the Chowchilla later District. The former district also has a diver- on on the Fresno River. Water problems of the North Valley Group include need for further development and distribution of cal water supplies to meet present and ultimate sup- lemental water requirements. Increased use of round water has resulted in local overdrafts. Con- nued increases in development will aggravate these pnditions unless additional water supplies are made mailable. There are also drainage problems in many ■eas which are receiving surface water supplies. In iany instances increased use of ground water would [leviate such problems, in other areas surface drain- >e systems are needed. ' Although water supplies of the North Valley roup are generally of excellent quality, certain lim- ed areas yield ground water of doubtful quality. In edition, surface water supplies obtained from the jwer reaches of the San Joaquin River contain ex- Issive concentrations of mineral constituents during le late irrigation season, due to drainage and return bw from upstream use of the water. Flooding along iajor and minor streams and in the lowlands of the an Joaquin Valley has been a recurring problem nee the first settlements. Existing levees and reser- iirs and those now under construction afford a high igree of protection; however, dedication of addi- nial flood control storage space in new and in cer- in existing reservoirs is necessary, and improved and ordinated levee systems are needed on some streams. Under The California Water Plan the water to eet requirements of lands in the North Valley roup would be obtained from streams of the San »aquin-Sierra Group, by imports through the Delta- endota, Madera, and proposed Folsom South Canals, id by further development of ground water. Runoff streams of the Coast Range, although small in Qount, would continue to contribute to the ground ater supplies at the foothill line, as at the present time. Runoff of streams of the San Joaquin-Sierra Group which would be available for use would consist of the combined yield of foothill reservoirs and under- ground reservoirs operated coordinately in such a manner as to make available for use a large propor- tion of the mean seasonal natural runoff. Foothill reservoirs on streams tributary to this group, which have been described in connection with developments in the San Joaquin-Sierra Group, would furnish water in the amount of about 3,550,000 acre-feet each year on a firm yield basis, together with large quan- tities of usable spill available for reregulation in the ground water reservoir and use on valley floor lands. Works contemplated in The California Water Plan in the North Valley Group would have five principal purposes: first, to convey and distribute water sup- plies from tributary streams for use on lands in the group; second, to distribute water supplies imported through facilities of the California Aqueduct System for use on lands in the group ; third, to protect Delta lands from floods and from the encroachment of saline tidal waters; fourth, to collect and convey to tidal water sufficient quantities of drainage and waste waters to prevent water-logging of irrigated lands and to maintain a favorable salt balance; and fifth, to control floods. To accomplish the first two purposes, it would be necessary to further develop and utilize the underground reservoir. Under The California Water Plan, water from tributary streams would be conveyed and distributed in existing and extended local canal and ditch sys- tems. Works which would convey and distribute im- ported water supplies to lands of the North Valley Group would include the existing Delta-Mendota Canal, which conveys water pumped from the Delta to Mendota Pool; the existing Madera Canal, which conveys water northerly from the San Joaquin River ; and the proposed Folsom South Canal and the pro- jected Placerville South Conduit, both of which would convey water southward from the American River. In addition, the San Joaquin Waste Conduit would convey undesirable waters from lands of the North Valley Group. The Delta-Mendota Canal would import about 1,780,000 acre-feet of water each year to the San Joaquin Valley, of which amount about 730,000 acre- feet would be diverted for use in the North Valley Group. The Madera Canal would import about 420,000 acre-feet each year to the group. The Folsom South Canal, described subsequently herein in connection with works of the Sacramento Division of the Cali- fornia Aqueduct System, would be operated to import about 640,000 acre-feet of water each year to the group. The Placerville South Conduit, already de- scribed in connection with works in the American River Unit of the Sacramento River Basin, would im- port about 76,000 acre-feet of water each year from that basin. The San Joaquin Waste Conduit would 140 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN intercept, collect, and convey agricultural, municipal, and industrial waste waters, and other waters of degraded or impaired quality, to tidal waters, thus maintaining the quality of fresh-water supplies at ac- ceptable levels for beneficial uses. The conduit would be a lined canal about 260 miles in length, and would extend from the vicinity of Buena Vista Lake on the south to its discharge into saline water channels of the Delta on the north. Plans for the North Valley Group also include works in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta which would transport fresh water from the Sacramento River across the Delta, without loss or impairment in quality, to pumping plants along the southern bound- ary of the Delta; provide flood protection for Delta lands ; and provide salinity repulsion. These objectives would be accomplished by the Biemond Plan, which is subsequently described under the Delta Division of the California Aqueduct System. The estimated ultimate water requirements of the North Valley Group, amounting to about 6,470,000 acre-feet per season, could be met by full conserva- tion of the runoff of the major tributary Sierra streams and by importing water in the Delta-Mendota, Madera, and Folsom South Canals, and in the Placer- ville South Conduit. The plans would provide for the full development of local water supplies for local use. Consideration was also given to a plan under which a portion of the waters of the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers would be diverted into a high-line canal along the east side of the valley for use in the South Valley Group, in exchange for water from Mendota Pool, which would be conveyed in a canal extending northward from Mendota Pool to the vi- cinity of Farmington. Such an exchange would result in substantial savings to the South Valley Group due to reduction in cost of pumping of imported water supplies, but would depend on the willingness of water users holding prior rights to the use of water from those streams, to enter into an exchange agree- ment. Under ultimate conditions, existing, enlarged, and new conduits would convey and distribute local water supplies, together with an average seasonal amount of about 1,900,000 acre-feet of imported water sup- plies, to lands within the North Valley Group. Utili- zation of such water supplies wonld require the conjunctive and coordinated operation of surface reservoirs, surface conveyance systems, and the large underground reservoir. Conjunctive operation is dis- cussed later in this chapter. Under such operation, surface reservoirs and conveyance systems would furnish water during the irrigation season to a portion of the irrigable lands in the group, and to stream channels and other percolating areas during the remainder of the year. The water not consumed wonld percolate to the under" round reservoir and would be available to he pumped to serve the remain- ing irrigable lands. Present estimates indicate that the gross storage capacity of the underground reservoir of the North Valley Group is about 36,000,000 acre- feet between the limits of 10 and 200 feet below the ground surface. Operation studies indicate that ade- quate water conservation could be obtained by the use of a maximum of about 11,000,000 acre-feet, or 30 percent of such capacity. The total installed ground water pumping capacity would be about 11,000 second-feet. Under ultimate conditions, the local and imported water supplies would be adequate, not only in quan- tity, but in quality, for all uses. Barriers and isolated channels in the Delta would operate to maintain the, quality of the water therein. The San Joaquin "Waste Conduit would intercept and convey to tidal water' the poor-quality surface water wasting from the; valley during the late irrigation season and during critical dry periods, thus preventing the mingling of such waters with irrigation supplies. The conduit 1 would also convey sewage and industrial wastes, de- graded surface waters of minor west side tributaries drainage waters discharged to maintain proper salt: balance, and poor-quality ground water pumped for! quality control. Flood waters of the major rivers would be im pounded in foothill reservoirs, as discussed in con ! nection with developments on those streams. During flood periods, all surface diversion and conveyani systems would operate to intercept and distribut waters released from the reservoirs for ground wate recharge. Levees would add to the protection of th valley lands. Such works would include exist in: levees, those now under construction by the State i California on and adjacent to the San Joaquin Riv above the mouth of the Merced River, and new ant improved levees on the lower San Joaquin Pi such as those proposed by the Corps of Engineers. South Valley Group. The South Valley Gron includes all valley floor lands of the San Joaquir Tulare Lake Basin which lie south of the San Joaqui River and south of the area receiving water Mendota Pool and the Delta-Mendota Canal major economic pursuits in the South Valley (1 are agriculture and the production of petroleum natural gas. Of about 4,360,000 acres of irri land in this group, 2,310,000 acres were irrigate 1950. Principal crops are cotton, potatoes, hay an grain, grapes, and alfalfa. Fresno and Bakersfield ai the major urban centers of the group. Food ing is the most important manufacturing activit; followed by the manufacture of transportation eqi ' ment. principally aircraft, and petroleum refining, Precipitation on lands of the South Valley C.roii averages from less than 5 inches to about 10 inch per season. Rainfall is concentrated almost entirely the winter months and contributes little to surfa THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 141 •unoft'. Major streams contributing to the water upply for this group are the Kings, Kaweah, Tule, i nd Kern Rivers. Present and proposed developments In these streams have been described in connection vith the Tulare-Sierra Group. Lesser streams, in- •luding Caliente Creek, Poso Creek, White River, Deer Creek, and others, also furnish water to this irea. In addition, substantial quantities of water are presently imported from the San Joaquin River in he Friant-Kern Canal. The water requirements for lands in the South /alley Group were estimated to be 4,850,000 acre-feet )er season under 1950 conditions. Substantial over- drafts exist in all units of the group. The consequent 'upplemental water requirement, which was deter- mined at about 1,400,000 acre-feet in 1950, is esti- mated to have increased to about 1,900,000 acre-feet n 1957. It is estimated that ultimate water require- ments might total about 9,840,000 acre-feet. To meet luch a requirement, it will be necessary to conserve fully the runoff of the tributary streams, and, in addi- Iion, to import about 7,200,000 acre-feet of water ach year. Present requirements in the South Valley Group lire being met by surface diversions from all principal treams, until recently without reservoir storage ; by mports, amounting to 1,365,000 acre-feet in 1956, ,'rom the San Joaquin River through the Friant-Kern banal, a unit of the Central Valley Project; and by •xtensive pumping from ground water, with conse- quent overdrafts. As mentioned previously, most lands of the South valley Group are tributary to Tulare and Buena Tista Lakes, which are closed basins in the trough of .he valley. Such conditions, together with a substan- tial development of use of ground water, have re- sulted in almost complete utilization of waters of ributary streams. The waters of the Kings River are utilized by a arge number of diverters, whose interests have been Ipportioned by court decrees and agreements. Most >f these diverters have associated themselves into the tings River Water Association, for the purpose of administering agreements called the Kings River Water Indentures. The parties at interest represent- ng the largest acreages are the Alta, Consolidated, nd Fresno Irrigation Districts, and the Tulare Lake lasin Water Storage District. The Kings River Con- ervation District has been organized by voters in the \iiius River service area, and is currently negotiating t contract with the Federal Government for repay- ment of the irrigation allocation for Pine Flat Reservoir. Westlands Water District in the western portion )f Fresno and Kings Counties has been formed to >btain desperately needed supplemental water sup- dies. Between the Kings and Kaweah Rivers, the Orange Cove, Stone Corral, and Ivanhoe Irrigation Districts supplement private pumping from ground water with deliveries from the Friant-Kern Canal. The major agencies utilizing waters of the Kaweah River are the Lindsay-Strathmore and Tulare Irriga- tion Districts; the Wutchuma, Visalia, and Kaweah Water Companies ; and the Consolidated Peoples, Farmers, and Lakeside Ditch Companies. The irriga- tion districts obtain supplemental water supplies from the Friant-Kern Canal. The Corcoran Irrigation District obtains water from the Kings River via Cross Creek, as well as occasional flows from the Kaweah River. The Exeter and Lindmore Irrigation Districts, located between the Kaweah and the Tule Rivers, distribute Friant-Kern Canal water to supplement ground water pumping. The major diverters along the Tule River are the Porterville and Lower Tule River Irrigation Districts. These districts, as well as the Terra Bella and Delano- Earlimart Irrigation Districts, also obtain water from wells and from the Friant-Kern Canal. The Saucelito Irrigation District obtains its water supplies from Deer Creek, from wells, and from the Friant-Kern Canal. The Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District distributes Friant-Kern Canal water to an area around Delano and McFar- land, supplementing private supplies from wells. Many of the canals diverting from the Kern River are operated by public districts. The North Kern Water Storage District operates the Lerdo and Callo- way Canals. The Shafter-Waseo Irrigation District has executed a contract for Friant-Kern Canal water to supplement private pumping from wells. The Buena Vista Water Storage District stores and uses water reaching Buena Vista Lake from the Kern River. The Arvin-Edison Water Storage District is negotiating with the Federal Government and with other Kern River interests for an exchange of water involving importation through the Friant-Kern Canal. Isabella Reservoir on the Kern River is operated pri- marily for flood control purposes, and secondarily for conservation of irrigation water and to produce power. Water problems of the South Valley Group include the urgent need for additional water supplies to meet present and ultimate supplemental water require- ments, a need for additional flood control, and a need for drainage and maintenance of water quality. Over- drafts exist at the present time in all units of the group. Such annual overdrafts, accumulating over many years, have so depleted many portions of the ground water basins that pumping lifts are nearly prohibitive economically. The excessive pumping lifts are reducing net profits and will continue to do so indefinitely, until costly imported water, supplied in quantities in excess of actual water requirements, has refilled the basins. In addition to works to provide 142 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN supplemental water supplies, other new physical works are needed to prevent flooding of valley lands. Both surface and ground water supplies of lands in the eastern portion of the South Valley Group are generally of excellent quality. Water from the west side streams, although the combined flow is small and generally percolates into the alluvial cones, contains relatively high amounts of dissolved minerals, includ- ing in some cases significant concentrations of boron. West side ground waters are characterized by a high percentage of sulphate and an abnormal amount of boron, often in toxic concentrations. The usable zone of pumping along the west side is generally found be- tween overlying unusable perched water and underly- ing brines. Improperly constructed and abandoned wells allow the intermingling of these waters, with consequent degradation of the usable aquifers. Under The California Water Plan the water to meet requirements of lands in the South Valley Group would be obtained from streams of the Tulare- Sierra Group, by imports in several existing and new major conduits, and from ground water. Runoff of streams of the Coast Range, which is small in amount, would continue to be available to contribute to ground water supplies at the foothill line, as at the present time. Runoff of streams of the Tulare-Sierra Group which would be available for use would consist of the combined yield of foothill reservoirs and underground reservoirs operated, as at the present time, in such a manner as to make virtually all of the mean seasonal natural runoff available for use. Foothill reservoirs on streams tributary to this group, which have been described in connection with developments in the Tulare-Sierra Group, would furnish water in the amount of about 1,140,000 acre-feet each year on a firm yield basis. Works of The California Water Plan in the South Valley Group would have four principal purposes: first, to convey and distribute water supplies from tributary streams for use on lands in the group ; sec- ond, to distribute water imported through facilities of the California Aqueduct System, for use on lands in the the group ; third, to collect and convey drainage and waste waters in sufficient quantities so as to im- prove water quality and to maintain favorable salt balance conditions; and fourth, to control floods. To accomplish the first two purposes it would be neces- sary to develop the underground reservoir further by increased utilization of ground water. As mentioned previously, water in very large amounts musl be imported to the San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin. A considerable portion of this water would have to be supplied to lands on the east side of the trough of the Tulare Lake Basin. In order to minimize the pumping of water from aqueducts along the west side of the valley to serve such lands, it was assumed thai water supplies of the Kings, Kaweab, Tule, and Kern Rivers, and minor east side streams, and those imported and conveyed in the Friant-Kern Canal, would be served at as high an elevation as pos- sible along the eastern edge of their respective service areas. Canals flowing north and south along the foot-' hill line from Terminus and Success Reservoirs would facilitate such distribution. Remaining lands of the South Valley Group could then be served other im- ported water supplies which would be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, conveyed along- the west side of the valley, and then diverted oi| pumped to service areas in the west, central, and east portions of the group as required. Under The California Water Plan, water from trib 1 utary streams would be conveyed and distributed ir existing and extended local canal and ditch systems': and in the proposed Arvin-Edison Canal, which would divert from the Kern River. Works which would convey and distribute imported water supplier, in the annual amount of about 7,200,000 acre-feet to lands of the South Valley Group include : the exist' ing Friant-Kern Canal, which will deliver aboui 1,200,000 acre-feet of water each year from the Sat Joaquin River; the authorized Feather River Projec: Aqueduct, which will convey about 2.200,000 acre) feet of water pumped from the Sacramento-Sar Joaquin Delta, and which is described subsequent! in connection with the San Joaquin Division of tit California Aqueduct System ; the San Joaquin-T lare Basin Canal System, which would convey aboi 3,800,000 acre-feet and which would divert from th San Luis Forebay and extend southerly to San Ridge Reservoir at about the Kings-Kern county lim with a main pump lateral extending easterly alon the north bank of the Kings River to the Fresn South Canal; the Fresno South Canal, which woul extend from the Kings River south to Elk Bayou i the vicinity of Tulare; and the North Kings Caaa which would divert from the San Joaquin-Tulai Basin Canal and would flow northward to the S, Joaquin River. Imported water could be diverted pumped from the foregoing conduits to serve 1 in all portions of the South Valley Group. In manner, water requirements in the group wou met by water from tributary streams and by pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delt In order to reduce the pumping of a portion o water supply imported to the South Valley (J further consideration should be given to a plan v would include a high-line canal extending south the Stanislaus River along the east side of the ley to Elk Bayou hear Tulare. A portion of the w from the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Ki would be diverted into the high-line canal for veyance to and use in the South Valley Group exchange for water from Mendota Pool, which wot be conveyed in a canal extending northward H THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 14:; Memlota Pool to the vicinity of Farmington. It would be necessary to negotiate an exchange agree- ment with the holders of vested rights to the use of waters of these rivers. 1 Agricultural, municipal, and industrial waste fcvaters, other waters of degraded or impaired quality, and drainage waters w-ould be collected, often in lined r closed conduits, and discharged into the previously escribed San Joaquin Waste Conduit, a main drain- age canal, which would extend along the trough of the valley from the vicinity of Buena Vista Lake to saline water channels in the Delta, and which was described in connection with works in the North Valley Group. The foregoing major conduits would convey and istribute local water supplies, together with large uantities of imported water supplies, to lands within he South Valley Group. Full utilization of such water applies would require the conjunctive and coordi- lated operation of surface reservoirs, surface convey- mee systems, and underground storage. Under such bperation, surface reservoirs and conveyance systems jvould furnish water during the irrigation season to •i portion of the irrigable lands in the group, and to itream channels and other percolating areas during ;he remainder of the year. The water not consumed vould percolate to the underground reservoir and vould be available to be pumped to serve the remain- og irrigable lands. Present estimates indicate that the gross storage apacity of the underground reservoir of the South 'alley Group is about 65,000,000 acre-feet between he limits of 10 and 200 feet below the ground surface. peration studies indicate that adequate water con- ervation could be obtained by use of a maximum of bout 1."). 000,000 acre-feet, or 23 percent of such ea- acity. The total installed ground water pumping city necessary for such operation is estimated at 7.001) second-feet. ] Flood waters of the Kings, Kaweah, Tule, and £ern Rivers would be impounded in Pine Flat, Ter- pinus, Success, and Isabella Reservoirs, respectively, s discussed in connection with developments on those treams. During flood periods, all surface diversion ad conveyance systems would operate to intercept ad distribute waters released from the reservoirs tar ground water recharge. The portion of rare flood ows, particularly snowmelt floods, which could not e thus controlled would, in the case of the Kings liver, be discharged through Fresno Slough. No such utlet channel exists, however, for the discharge of nusual floods of the Kaweah, Tule, and Kern Rivers, 'herefore, excess flood waters of these streams would I e discharged into Sand Ridge Reservoir and would e impounded south of the natural sand ridge between libit" and Buena Vista Lakes. The capacity of that reservoir would be about 1,400,000 acre-feet. It is considered that the works discussed herein would pro- vide adequate flood control on these streams. An al- ternative method of disposing of such flood waters would involve the installation of pumping plants which could pump the flood waters into conduits of the California Aqueduct System. Other streams of the South Valley Group which produce floods are Deer Creek, White River, and Pozo Creek north of the Kern River, and Caliente Creek, Tejon Creek, and other minor streams south of the Kern River. Under The California Water Plan, the plan for flood control on Deer Creek, White River, and Pozo Creek would include construction of a rela- tively small reservoir on each stream, minor channel improvements along the upper reaches of the streams, and leveed flood channels along the lower reaches which would convey the flood waters to Sand Ridge Reservoir. During floods, water would be released from the reservoirs at rates at which the water would percolate in the stream channels. Releases and spills in excess of these amounts would be conveyed to Sand Ridge Reservoir. In somewhat the same manner, small reservoirs on Caliente and Tejon Creeks and other minor streams of this group would be operated to re- lease water at rates within the percolation capacity of the natural and artificial channels, for ground water recharge. Summary of San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin. The San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin is California's principal area of present and ultimate water defici- ency. Under The California Water Plan the ultimate requirements for water in the basin would be met by full development of local water resources, supple- mented by substantial quantities of imported w y ater. The California Water Plan contemplates the eventual import of 8,550,000 acre-feet of water per season, on the average, to the basin. Water in this amount would be conveyed and regulated by works of the San Joaquin Division of the California Aqueduct System. including San Luis Reservoir. The California Water Plan also contemplates the eventual addition of about 8,400,000 acre-feet of stor- age capacity to the present basin reservoir system. This capacity would be contained in 76 strategieally disposed storage, diversion, and regulatory reservoirs which would provide additional regulation and some additional conservation of local water supplies. Local water supplies already are substantially developed. but almost exclusively for use on the valley floor lands. The new reservoirs and related works would make available a portion of the local supplies for use in the foothill and mountain watersheds. They would also produce large amounts of hydroelectric energy, preserve and enhance fish, wuldlife. and rec- reation resources, and, together with existing reser- voirs, would provide a total of about 3.700.000 acre- trm Diversion Dam and Irrigation Canal Headgates on Kings River THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 14.-, ■t of storage spare specifically reserved to protect •Hey lauds from floods. In addition to construction of the local reservoirs ; d import conduits of the California Aqueduct Sys- tn, The California Water Plan also contemplates an i:reased and coordinated use of the underlying ■ ound water basin. It would not be possible by use ( surface reservoirs alone to regulate adequately the ] al and imported water supplies so that water needs did be met as they occur over long-time climatic i des. However, there is every indication, based upon (iservative assumptions, that the necessary regula- [n of local and imported water supplies could be jained by conjunctive operation of surface and { Dund water reservoirs. Collectively, the present and future local reservoirs, t 1 import conduits of the California Aqueduct Sys- i n, and the ground water basin would provide water i the amount of 16,305,000 acre-feet each season to t; San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin. In addition, 812,- CD acre-feet would be exported each season to the in Francisco Bay Area. The new local reservoirs ■\ uld have a combined yield of about 4,600,000 acre- ffet per year. Their cost would be in the order of 1)0,000,000. There would' be about 32 new and enlarged hydro- ctric power plants associated with the new reser- rs. These plants would have a combined installed l|wer capacity of about 1,100,000 kilowatts and uld generate an average of about 4.7 billion kilo- tt-hours per vear. Their cost would be in the order $120,000,000' Dther local works in the San Joaquin-Tulare Lake sin would consist of new and enlarged main con- * -ance and service canals for irrigation ; wells for igation and urban purposes in some areas ; addi- \, rial levees, floodway channels, and retention reser- rs ; distribution and drainage systems ; and a main linage conduit extending northward from Buena ;ta Lake to discharge into the lower Sacramento- Joaquin Delta. The cost of this conduit and the n in water supply conduits and pumping plants on valley floor and in the foothill and mountain areas the basin would be in the order of $300,000,000. estimates of cost were made for the various drain- and distribution systems and other local works tit would be required for complete service and de- opment of the land and water resources of the in. Che total cost of all the described local development ks of The California Water Plan in the San Joa- Mn-Tulare Lake Basin would be about $920,000,000. The general features and costs of the local develop- nt works of The California Plan in the San Joa- n-Tulare Lake Basin are presented in Table 14. £ ailar information for the import facilities pertinent t the basin are presented later in this chapter in Tbles 23 through 26, under the Delta and San Joaquin Divisions of the California Aqueduct Sys- tem. The locations and layouts of all of the facilities described in the foregoing sections are delineated on Sheets 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 21 of Plate 5. Lahontan Area The Lahontan Area comprises the easterly slope of the Sierra Nevada, and reaches from the Oregon bor- der on the north to and including the Mojave River drainage basin and Antelope Valley on the south. The area extends over approximately 33,000 square miles, of which about 10,000 square miles are classi- fied as valley and mesa lands, most of which are con- sidered irrigable. The area, as a whole, is one of gross water deficiency insofar as potential development is concerned, although a few of the included stream basins have ample water supplies for their ultimate needs. The majority of the water resources of the Lahon- tan Area have been extensively developed in the past. The Truckee, Carson, and Walker Rivers have, for many years, been developed for utilization in both California and Nevada. There are about 80 reservoirs presently located in the area, with an aggregate stor- age capacity of approximately 1,400,000 acre-feet. More than half of this storage is provided by Lake Tahoe. Reservoirs in the Truckee River Basin, and Topaz and Bridgeport Reservoirs on the Walker River, are used principally to conserve and regulate irrigation water supplies for lands in Nevada. About 11,000 acre-feet of water per season is im- ported into the Lahontan Area from the Pit River Basin. For many years, about 7,000 acre-feet of water from the Little Truckee River and 2,000 acre-feet of water from the Echo Lake Basin have been exported to the Central Valley Area. The major export of water from the Lahontan Area is made by the City of Los Angeles, which diverts about 320,000 acre-feet per season from Mono Lake Basin and Owens Valley for municipal use in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Because of the inland position of the Lahontan Area, and the high elevation of much of the valley and mesa lands, precipitation generally occurs in the form of snow, which delays the bulk of the resultant runoff to the late spring- and early summer months. However, in spite of this natural regulation, deficien- cies in water supply for the support of the local economy are felt in many areas during the late sum mer period. In the desert areas comprising- the south- ern portion of the Lahontan Area, precipitation is generally light, although localized areas have often suffered damaging floods from cloudbursts of extreme intensity. The estimated mean seasonal natural runoff of streams in the Lahontan Area is about 3,180,000 acre- feet, and, even if fully developed, would constitute 146 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 8 S - - - ~ ~ - 3 = 00 o oo o o o o o .§888 8 8 88.8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 O 00* CO rH CO 00 CO CO o" © o o" o V. " L3 %S O O 35 1 00 C) W |s- »0 co 00 O CO -tf CO 8 8! 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"3 os ft ;i rJ £ - ft - ft- ft - gj £ ft- ft 1 £ 2 Z z"o" z" ZZ 03' "22 Z k_* - -r -f -T* Z Z Z a o CO ~ ^-" HC4 cm Z -* Z co ~- -co CM 03 C g g H ft ftft ft ft ft ft gH^ft ft "ft ft £ ft ft ftftft M" to" ■* . •*" CO" >o" O N ;5zg is s* ! 03 03 : £ i 1 ^IsSf ft JOftZ O CS g= & ° i. 8=1 ± = « C S o ja m O C3 S I - Hi .2 _ t 5 1 ■8 ! 6 * ! 1 .9 2 "; 2 §■ •£ P O o 1 I v-p * *g g- 9 £ ^'Iss . 3S &S O 3 « .f = = cS ^T 148 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Zo a If 2 3 8 S 8 § §§ 88888 88 888 8 88 8 8888888 8 o,- o o o oo ooooo oo ooo o o o o ooooooo o gj to" to" to" oo oo' a g> ■*" p" p" g" o o" o g" o to" eg" o" ■*" to" o" oo" g" -<" o — " _■ 00 t^ 00 fJ 00 o i O CO 00 lO 00 r-i to i6 O iO N C !f c? b 8 8 8 f I S i'l - g 33 o ! «J 8 « a " | ■ .§ * a (3 > > > S3h, ffl ffl M M 3 300 ( a ^ 2/ 2* 2 1 2" ■» « » 2 » « fe 5 5 3 5 *^ ^ - c - 1S«W. a 2« 2i5^k 2* - t» o o o u &o mi o" § > > .> „ > > > > o«.2.2 g J S § § 5 S # ■- ^ rt * w j3 jj "3. 3. a o, J ^ *-> ^^ ?^5SS £ HH0003 w m w HHlS^^^^ £ fa fa fa fa fa fa fafafa p{ pj pj pf p{ p; pjpjpj p"fap" if p" p" p" p;p;e; ^. 5. _T M kh" M M M hhm'CDQ Q pifc fafafafa fafafa fa fa"0P50PJP5p; pjpjpj pj fa b fa p^p'^pp'p; fap'p" p" o d d o o o o o 000 §8888 888 2 »" -' *-" g S8S" 8 8 88 000 o 838 8 :88 8 1 o o o 1 to lO t/> * E2 5 CO oi - - (3 >>> & c M — PS PS PSPS fa" fa" fa" fa cC cC pS_ fC cC E E = !S3 Kg H H WHPS Ol CI O N ' co co x x x 32" J £"3s f|££ gj«sga sfrsf till s ■So- fa 5 - c c = c 88888 O O N 01 c" sf-isr; s t- -v -r cc — ea < EEEEEE8E cc = = = = c = p = = p £ C O p ^^:^-~--~ faKlxHoKHfa §ssgaj|| 111; J« U ■a i J J I ■11 •s I |faOS THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN IT)!) pified by short, mild winters and exceptionally hot, ry summers. In the higher mountain regions, par- cularly in the coastal ranges, precipitation frequently curs in the form of snow. A large portion of the unfall in the valley areas originates from localized kunderstorms, resulting in extreme variability and aldistribution in precipitation. The rainfall on illey and mesa lands is generally so minor in amount lat it has little practical significance with respect to te water resources of the area. The economy of the Colorado Desert Area is based rincipally upon agricultural development in the Im- prial, Coachella, and Palo Verde Valleys, and in the unia Project, all of which have developed a stable rricultural economy dependent upon Colorado River iter. The mild winter climate and long growing asons have produced a great variety and abundance crops, and have permitted the expansion of spe- felty produce, such as off-season truck crops, citrus, ites, cotton, and table grapes. Much of the irrigable tid in this area is included within the service area • agencies holding rights in and to the waters of the llorado River. The remaining lands, two-thirds of nrich are located in the northerly portion of the area, ruld be supplied with their ultimate water require- pnts through major export projects from areas of ifrplus in northern California. [The Colorado Desert Area has taken its place in fcent years as one of the nation's outstanding resort feas. Recreational resorts are located principally in lid adjacent to Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Ml Twentynine Palms. The development of dude Imch resorts and other desert types of recreational fcilities has attracted thousands of seasonal visitors. Be principal resort season covers the winter months, ■hough there is an appreciable year-round influx of tirists and visitors to the area. ■(Population in the Colorado Desert Area, with the kpeption of urban and recreational areas in the Ijachella Valley, as of 1950, had not kept pace with M large over-all growth which occurred in other Has of the State. With exception of the resort com- llnities, urban developments are, for the most part, Ijunets to the agricultural activity, which did not Ifcnge greatly in the decade from 1940 to 1950. Pop- Ution in the several resort areas, however, more than Bibled in the decade preceding 1950, and has con- Rued its rapid growth to the present time. It should ■ noted that population in Palm Springs and other pilar areas is subject to wide seasonal variation. ■jThe estimated mean seasonal natural runoff in the Korado Desert Area is about 221,000 acre-feet. This imager runoff, even if fully eonseiwed, would supply my a small fraction of the total seasonal water re- ■jrements. The principal streams are the White- *ter River and San Felipe Creek, both of which din into the Salton Sea. The stream flow in this area is not ordinarily available for surface diversion, due to the extreme variability in time and amount of its occurrence. Continued utilization of irrigable lands within the areas presently served from the Colorado River, and which are traversed by or accessible to main canals already constructed, must depend upon the continued availability of Colorado River water to the full extent of California's established rights. California is limited by the Boulder Canyon Project Act and the Califor- nia Limitation Act to the annual consumptive use of 4,400,000 acre-feet of the waters apportioned to the Lower Colorado River Basin by Article HI (a) of the Colorado River Compact, plus not more than one-half of any excess or surplus waters unapportioned by the compact, California considers its entitlement under these statutes to aggregate not less than 5,362,000 acre-feet per annum of beneficial consumptive rise, as covered by contracts of California agencies with the Federal Government for the storage and delivery of water, confirming prior appropriations under the laws of California. Of this, districts in the Colorado Desert Area hold contracts aggregating 4,150,000 acre-feet per annum. This figure derives from a "Seven-Party Agreement" among the California users of Colorado River water, made in 1931. The continued use of ground water is vital to the existing urban and agricultural development in por- tions of the Colorado Desert Area, although quantities of ground water available are small in comparison to the large surface diversions from the Colorado River. The primary sources of ground water in the area are seepage from the Colorado River into basins bordering the river, precipitation, and percolation of runoff from tributary drainage areas. Ground water use for agricultural piirposes is centered principally in the Coachella, Borrego, and Lucerne Valleys. The safe annual yield of these developed ground water basins, however, is only about 78,000 acre-feet, indicating that development may not safely continue without an imported supplemental water supply. Ground water quality varies greatly both in com- position and concentration throughout the Colorado Desert Area, and often within the individual ground water basin. In general, ground water quality is suitable for all uses except in the Imperial Valley, Chuckawalla Valley, and the ground water basins bordering the Salton Sea on the east and west. How- ever, localized areas of poor-quality water are en- countered throughout the area. If the Colorado River represented an unlimited source of supply, the entire Colorado Desert Area, because of geographical proximity, would look to that river for the satisfaction of its needs. The Colorado River is not an inexhaustible river, however, and California's entitlement to the use of its waters has been limited, since 1929, as has been previously stated. Colorado Desert Area— Power From the Colorado River THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 161 'iese factors, together with the obvious difficulties id cost of importing water from other sources, will jobably retard further agricultural development in ^e Colorado Desert Area. The total potential water service area in the Colo- Jdo Desert Area, as shown in Table 16, aggregates jout 1,856,000 acres of lands considered suitable for ijricultural and urban development, with an esti- Hited total ultimate seasonal water requirement of 3out 6,300,000 acre-feet. These totals include three siarate components, as follows: h. The districts served from the Colorado River, iich consider that acreage aggregating about 1,065,- 00 acres within their service areas may ultimately be lj\-eloped, and for which full development is de- Hndent upon the sufficiency of the 4,150,000 acre-feet annum to which these areas are entitled from the orado River ; . An additional 566,000 acres, as shown on Sheets through 26 of Plate 5, classified as water service is by the Department of Water Resources under ■teria adopted during the State-wide Water Re- Birces Investigation, with a seasonal water require- but of 1,467,000 acre-feet; and IfS. A further additional 224,000 acres, considered by p Colorado River Board of California as susceptible ■ development, based on planning reports and other llterial utilizing varying criteria with regard to land m, with an estimated seasonal water requirement of B,000 acre-feet if Colorado River water were avail- He, as explained later. Ifcn addition to the water supply available from the Borado River under California's entitlement, the ■ectives of The California Water Plan in the Colo- Bo Desert Area ultimately could be met by utiliza- ■a of ground water resources and by imports ■•ough facilities of the California Aqueduct System. Iwever, the latter sources would be insufficient to fcvide fully for the needs of all lands considered Hceptible of water service. Further development in m area will be conditioned principally upon the Inomic feasibility of these contemplated import ■The ground water storage capacity of the Colorado Isert Area is vital to life and culture. Continued B expanded development of ground water re- Hrees is anticipated. There are large areas of ir- lable land which, if developed, must depend at 1st in part on ground water. Ground water is i)wn to occur in each of the 46 hydrologic units Inch have so far been identified. With the exception la few basins along the Colorado River, supplied b underflow from that source, the primary source Iground water in all units is precipitation and per- Bfation of runoff from tributary drainage areas. Fecipitation throughout the desert area is scanty and irregular and ground water supplies are there- fore generally limited. The California Water Plan envisions the utilization of existing ground water storage capacity for the regulation of imported sup- plemental water supplies. For planning purposes, the Colorado Desert Area has been subdivided into four groups, designated as the "Whitewater Group," "San Felipe Group," "Colorado River Group," and "Desert Valley Group." The locations of these groups are shown on Plate 3. Physical features and costs of the works which could make water available to the Colorado Desert Area are presented later in Tables 27 and 28, which describe facilities of the Southern California Division of the California Aqueduct System. Whitewater Group. The Whitewater Group con- sists of the Coachella Valley and the watersheds tribu- tary thereto. It is located to the northwest of the Salton Sea, principally in Riverside County, and is bounded by the Santa Rosa, San Jacinto, and Little San Bernardino Mountains. The principal stream in the Whitewater Group is the Whitewater River, with an estimated mean na- tural seasonal runoff of about 62,000 acre-feet. Sea- sonal runoff from Snow Creek and Palm Canyon Creek also contributes appreciable amounts to the water supply available in the group. The Coachella Valley constitutes a major ground water unit, and surface runoff from the mountains disappears rapidly after reaching the valley floor. It is estimated that the present safe yield of the ground water basin under- lying the Coachella Valley is about 60,000 acre-feet per season. The total area within the Whitewater Group is about 1,223,000 acres. About 32,000 acres of land were irrigated in 1950, principally by diversions from the Coachella Main Canal, which derives its supply from the Colorado River. The ultimate mean seasonal water requirement, exclusive of requirements of land served from the Colorado River, is estimated to be about 485,000 acre-feet. Available information indicates that some surface soils in the lower Coachella Valley possess infiltration rates too low to maintain acceptable salt balance re- lationships in the soil profile. However, most of the saline soils can be, and are being, reclaimed through use of an imported water supply of low sodium per- centage. This requires that the water table be kept some distance below the root zone. Drainage, either by means of deliberate pumping from wells- in order to lower the ground water table, or by the use of inter- cepting drains, is a necessary part of any irrigation development program for this area. Additional pump- ing from wells located in the upper Coachella Valley may assist in lowering piezometric levels in the lower areas. It can be expected, however, that localized tern- 162 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN >o z — UJ 1 s g o si "3 Si 3 .2 ^ "Sb a. -as- ° r >2§ §8 = » 8 88 8 8 111 S*' S s 3 Q Hi ■< go. c c 8-3 «.§ eg Q-S >>Q 1| £ J) ll .Botes !§, Is S 6 o S-- OS C3 2 Ph ,0 J 65 ^f ' ^Jlsifci i: '^ ' * i ■■■' 1 , X| ■ V Klamath-Trinity Division— Head of Tower House Tunnel of the Trinity Diversion Project 170 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN >- to ^ 1- "o U z> (1 LU 3 Q. Q c E >- a t- Z > gi ct: TJ h- X 3 1- < **■ £ s < s^ S« 2 5 c3 .id S 31 | || s .si >< Pi. 11 a I It fa fa" fa fa C .* [ pi cipi'tf .2 «-3( d odd £ -s S( fa fafafa » § §i t> j3 £[£).£ Of* | o o o o o o § 8888 8 O O © O 00 o 8» § 888! o o o o < S" 8 88! 88 8 88 88 o o o o o o o o m~ o" o" o o so 88 :a 8; | : : £ lu u g Pi PiPi _ 5 ■SSkk a a s^-S II S a^ f' g a 8 8 CD O S HHHH w W§ £ £ Pi Pi PiPiPi (5 Z'ZZZ Pi Pi H 2 5" "-* *5 Pi S3* 2 fc 2 JSS as H^Hhhh H gjH H-arH «Eh E-i=a H^ •« H - cn"2 nQ«!- to" >- § 1 Q 2 LLI Q. § I < 2 Q. < - z = oe. v O s E Z «3 O > ~ I 2 i- = a' i o Oifoio II gill II I::;: ! ! ! i ! ! i II ») I i ! : q :"S : Id J ;!^J loo 5 §g g gg gg o c o o o o o 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 St * « o-; § 8 - o 3» o is & £-3 as x .2 K 5 H II § 2 3 | :!,§•§! i I tf H &, O I I I g, ss £11 1 1 Swrtoo 172 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Summary of Klamath-Trinity Division. The Klamath-Trinity Division would involve the construc- tion of 15 major dams and reservoirs with aggregate active storage capacity of about 15,000,000 acre-feet ; 7 hydroelectric power plants with installed power ca- pacity of about 1,700,000 kilowatts ; 3 pumping plants with total installed capacity of approximately 1,100,- 000 kilowatts; and 6 tunnels having a total length of about 76 miles. The works would make available some 9,055,000 acre-feet of water annually for export, in- eluding the exportable yield estimated at 872,000 acre- feet from the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project. The hydroelectric facilities of the Klamath-Trinity Division would generate about 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electrical energy each year. Of this amount, 3.8 billion kilowatt-hours of energy would be required to pump water to Burnt Ranch Reservoir, from which it would flow through Big Flat Tunnel beneath the Trinity Divide into the Sacra- mento Valley. Construction of the facilities of the Klamath-Trin- ity Division would be susceptible of logical, progres- sive staging as the need for water and power in Cali- fornia develops. The major reservoirs would accom- plish substantial local benefits in the North Coastal Area in providing control of the very large rain floods characteristic of the area. The surface elevations of most of the major reser- voirs would fluctuate through a relatively limited range and, consequently, would constitute an out- standing recreational attraction. Under ultimate conditions of development, nearly the entire course of the Klamath River and the greater part of the course of the Trinity River wovdd be in- undated, thus necessitating the development of a new environment for the anadromous fish now using those streams. It is planned that conditions will be improved on other smaller coastal streams of the area through construction of stream flow maintenance dams and other measures. It is expected that this will result in an increased anadromous fish population in these streams, thereby compensating, to some extent, for the loss of the famed Klamath system runs. Addition- ally, the various reservoirs would support fish popu- lations that, while of a different type, would provide a probably greater fishing opportunity than is now available. It should be pointed out that during the earlier stages of development large reaches of stream channel could he improved by releases from initial upstream reservoirs. Xneli releases, in conjunction with the operation of tish hatcheries, could possibly improve tic present anadromous fishery for a substantial pe- riod of time, and it wonld not be until later stages of development that the Klamath and Trinity Rivers wonld be inaccessible to the migratory (ish. The general features of the facilities of the Klamath- Trinity Division are presented in Table 17. and their capital costs are shown in Table 18. The component features of the division are delineated on Sheets 1 and; 3 of Plate 5. TABLE 18 SUMMARY OF CAPITAL COSTS, KLAMATH-TRINITY , DIVISION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM Klamath Development Hamburg Dam and Reservoir Hamburg Power Plant Happy Camp Dam and Reservoir.. Happy Camp Power Plant Slate Creek Dam and Reservoir Canthook Dam and Reservoir Black Hawk Dam and Reservoir.. Black Hawk Pumping Plant Cantpeak Tunnel Humboldt Dam and Reservoir Relocation of state highway Deerhorn Tunnel Beaver Pumping Plant Subtotal Trinity Development Beaver Dam and Reservoir Burnt Ranch Dam and Reservoir. . Burnt Ranch Pumping Plant Helena Dam and Reservoir Helena Power Plant Eaton Dam and Reservoir Mad Tunnel Ranger Station Dam and Reservoir Sulphur Glade Tunnel Sulphur Glade Power Plant Eltapom Dam and Reservoir Eltapom Power Plant Eltapom Afterbay War Cry Tunnel Big Flat Tunnel Relocation of state highways Subtotal Clear Creek Development Kanaka Dam and Reservoir Kanaka Power Plant Saeltzer Dam and Reservoir Saeltzer Power Plant Subtotal Total 4 80,00(1 030.000 oiio.ooo -'KM 230.000< I '.10,00(1 000,000 [11)11,11(111 .K30.00I) .O'.'O.OOO 05.310 15,550 73.150 86,200 6,510 15,500 650 16.210 41,210 7,280 ,000 ,000 ,000 ,000 ,000 ,000 ,000 s SI, 407,250,00c 100,000,0(11 2,000, 43.070,001 $172,570,0CK * At 1955 price levels. Eel River Division The Eel River Division comprises those features c the California Aqueduct System which would develo the waters of the Eel River system. This divisio would convey the conserved surplus waters to the S'&cj ramento Valley for further transport to areas deficiency, and would furnish water for local particularly in Round Valley in Mendocino Coui The Eel River Division would include a series c major conservation reservoirs and associated pumpin plants on the Eel River; a reservoir and power plan on the Middle Fork of the Eel River; a 12-mile turn* to convey water to Clear Lake in the Sacrainenl River Basin; a short diversion tunnel from Cam Creek to I'ntah Creek; and a series of reservoirs an. THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 1 73 )wer plants along Putah Creek. Also included as atures of the Eel River Division are a diversion into e Russian River Basin for delivery of water to the orth Bay area, and a diversion into Napa Valley. The works of the Eel River Division would be oper- \ed primarily for water conservation, but would be .odified to the extent necessary to permit stabiliza- on of the water surface levels of Clear Lake, the welopment of hydroelectric energy, and the control ' floods in the Eel River Basin. The facilities of this [vision would be susceptible of staged construction | the need for additional water arises. Initial units puld consist of structures on the upper reaches of |e Eel River and a diversion to convey the conserved aters to Clear Lake. The power potential of the di- eted waters could, at that time, be developed in the [■op to the floor of the Sacramento Valley. Finally, the need for surplus waters would increase, the re- aming storage units and pumping plants would be instructed farther downstream on the Eel River. As described earlier in this chapter, the South Fork the Eel River, as well as other nearby streams, [puld be developed either solely or primarily in the terests of enhancement of the fishery and of wildlife id recreational opportunities. This would compen- jte to some extent for the loss to the anadromous hery due to the major developments on the Eel jver. For descriptive purposes, proposed features of the el River Division are discussed herein under three oupings of works. These consist of the Eel River evelopment, the Putah Creek Development, and the assian River Diversion. Eel River Development. Facilities of the Eel jver Development would consist of Willis Ridge, 41 Springs, and Sequoia Dams and Reservoirs on the hi River, Etsel Dam and Reservoir on the Middle >rk of the Eel River, and Clear Lake on the head- liters of Cache Creek. The associated features of this jvelopment would comprise Bell Springs and Willis dge Pumping Plants, Etsel Power Plant, Garrett hum'] from Willis Ridge Reservoir to a tributary of ear Lake, and Soda Creek Tunnel from Clear Lake the I'utah Creek Basin. Sequoia Dam and Reservoir would be the lowermost eility of the Eel River, being located about 10 miles love The confluence with the South Fork of the Eel ver. The reservoir would have a gross storage capae- • of about 5,610,000 acre-feet. Water developed by :quoia Dam and Reservoir would be pumped into 11 Springs Reservoir located immediately upstream. Bell Springs Dam, located about 5 miles south of e Mendocino-Trinity county line, would develop a •rage capacity of about 2,860,000 acre-feet in Bell • rings Reservoir. Water would be pumped from quoia Reservoir into Bell Springs Reservoir by Bell Springs Pumping Plant, located at the base of Bell Springs Dam. Etsel Reservoir would be located on the Middle Fork of the Eel River immediately upstream from the easterly arm of Bell Springs Reservoir. The reservoir would have a capacity of about 1,180,000 acre-feet. Franciscan Dam would be required on Short Creek to prevent flooding of lands in Round Valley. This aux- iliary dam, which was discussed earlier in this chapter as the initial development on the Middle Fork, would furnish a water supply for Round Valley. Water re- leased from Etsel Reservoir would pass through Etsel Power Plant, located at the base of the dam. and discharge into Bell Springs Reservoir for regu- lation. Willis Ridge Reservoir, located on the main stem of the Eel River directly upstream from Bell Springs Reservoir, would impound water pumped from Bell Springs Reservoir, and would develop natural tribu- tary runoff. The reservoir would have a capacity of 2,230,000 acre-feet and would be formed by Willis Ridge Dam. Willis Ridge Pumping Plant, located at the base of Willis Ridge Dam, would lift the water developed in downstream reservoirs from Bell Springs Reservoir into Willis Ridge Reservoir. Waters developed on the Eel River and collected in Willis Ridge Reservoir would be conveyed in Garrett Tunnel from Willis Ridge Reservoir to Middle Creek, a tributary of Clear Lake. Garrett Tunnel would be about 12 miles in length and have a capacity of about 2,900 second-feet. About 2,140,000 acre-feet annually could be exported from the Eel River to Clear Lake through this tunnel. Clear Lake would be utilized to convey water re- leased from Garrett Tunnel to the portal of Soda Creek Tunnel at Clear Lake Dam. Actually, Clear Lake would serve as a forebay to Soda Creek Tunnel. The present outlet of Clear Lake would be improved to permit reduced fluctuations of the water surface of the lake, thus effecting flood control around the rim of the lake, if existing court decrees can be mod- ified. Soda Creek Tunnel would convey the Eel River water from Clear Lake to Stienhart Reservoir, located on Soda Creek, a tributary to Putah Creek. Soda Creek Tunnel would be about 2.6 miles in length and would be initially constructed to its ultimate capac- ity of about 2,900 second-feet. As stated, a total of about 2,140,000 acre-feet per season would be de- livered from the Eel River to the Putah Creek Basin in the Sacramento Valley Area by facilities of the Eel River Development, which facilities are shown on Sheets 3, 5, and 7 of Plate 5. Putah Creek Development. The primary purpose of the Putah Creek Development would be for pro- duction of hydroelectric energy by development of the available head in the drop to the floor of the 174 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Sacramento Valley. The features of this development would include Stienhart, Jerusalem, Noyes, Snell, and Monticello Dams and Reservoirs, and power plants below each of the dams. An afterbay to reregulate releases from Monticello Reservoir, the lowermost of the chain of reservoirs along Putah Creek, would also be provided below Monticello Dam. "Water conveyed from Clear Lake through Soda Creek Tunnel would be reregulated in Stienhart Res- ervoir, located on Soda Creek about 7 miles southeast of the town of Lower Lake. Stienhart Reservoir would serve primarily as a forebay to Stienhart Power Plant, located at the base of the dam. Releases from Stien- hart Power Plant would be discharged into Jerusalem Reservoir, located immediately downstream. Jerusalem Dam would be constructed on Soda Creek about 1 mile upstream from its confluence with Putah Creek. Additional hydroelectric energy would be developed by Jerusalem Power Plant, located at the base of Jerusalem Dam. Water released from Jerusalem Power Plant would be further regulated in Noyes Reservoir, located on Putah Creek about 2 miles west of the Napa-Lake county line. Noyes Reservoir would similarly serve as a forebay to the Noyes Power Plant located at the base of the dam. Water discharged from Noyes Power Plant would flow a short distance down Putah Creek to Snell Reservoir, formed by Snell Dam about 3 miles above Berry essa Valley. Additional hydroelectric energy would be developed by releasing the water through the Snell Power Plant at the base of Snell Dam. From Snell Power Plant, the water from the Eel River would be released into Monticello Reservoir. Monticello Dam and a downstream diversion struc- ture, presently under construction by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, would be integrated with the Eel River Division as a feature of the Cali- fornia Aqueduct System. The operation for conserva- tion contemplated by the Bureau of Reclamation would not be interfered with under The California Water Plan. However, a power plant would be con- structed at a future time at the base of the dam, to develop the energy potential of the water transported from the Eel River. The final development on Putah Creek would con- sist of Monticello Afterbay, formed by a dam about 5 miles below Monticello Dam. This afterbay would provide reregulation of power releases from Monti- cello Power Plant, and would develop the last incre- ment of energy from the Eel River water by releasing it through a power plant located at the base of the dam. The water from this point would flow down Putah Creek to bo diverted into the Sacramento West •Side ( 'an;d, a feat lire of the Sacramento Division next described. Napa Valley would be supplied with 224,000 acre- feel of water a mi na I \y by a diversion from Monticello Reservoir and conveyance westerly by a tunnel through Cedar Roughs Ridge to Conn Creek in Napa Valley. The Cedar Roughs Tunnel would be about 7 miles long and have a capacity of 290 second-feet. It would deliver water from the west shore of Monticelk Reservoir to Lake Hennesey, formed by Conn Creek Dam on Conn Creek. The operation of Lake Hen nesey, owned and operated by the City of Napa would be coordinated with that of the Cedar Roughs Diversion. Conveyance of Eel River water from Clear Lake tc| the floor of the Sacramento Valley by way of Cache Creek has been considered as a possible alternative t< the Putah Creek Development. However, the planning relative to this conveyance is quite preliminary, anc would require considerable geologic exploratory worl- as well as further engineering studies before its feasi bility could be established. The alternative develop ment would consist of a series of dams and powei; plants down the course of Cache Creek in stairstej fashion, very similar to the Putah Creek system Briefly, the alternative proposal would consist o five dams on Cache Creek consisting, in descendin< order down the creek, of Dead Man, Wilson Vallej Glascock, Rumsey, and Guinda Dams and Reservoirs A power plant would be constructed at the base o each dam, and a canal and flume would convey th water from the Guinda Power Plant along the eas side of Cache Creek to a power plant just east o Brooks, thence to a diversion structure and cans leading through the Hungry Hollow area north a Cache Creek to a final power plant on Oat Creek Facilities of the Putah Creek Development and o the alternative possibilities on Cache Creek are cU lineated on Sheets 5, 7, and 8 of Plate 5. Russian River Diversion. Supplemental require ments for water in Marin and Sonoma Counties in th seasonal amount of 422,000 acre-feet would be sup plied by a diversion from Willis Ridge Reservoir o the Eel River through an enlarged Potter Valle Tunnel to the East Fork of the Russian River, and rediversion from the Russian River near Geyservill and conveyance via the Sonoma Aqueduct to th North San Francisco Bay area. In addition to pr« viding supplemental water, hydroelectric energ could be generated by utilizing the drop from Will Ridge Reservoir to the East Fork of the Russia River in the operation of an enlarged Potter Valle Power Plant. The new Potter Valley Tunnel would be about mile in length and would convey a continuous flow< about 740 second-feet from Willis Ridge Reservoir the new Potter Valley Power Plant, located in PotU Valley at the site of the existing power plant, which owned and operated by the Pacific Gas and Electr Company. The releases from the new Potter Vj Power Plant would be reregulated in an afterbay | conveyed by canal along the east side of if THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 175 UJ o § 5 < ? < £ js >- I OS * < Si 1 I 3 £ a* 5 = ^5 = ■g 8 X K X X 6 odd xxxxx o o o o o § 8S§ o o o o o ooo c=c== 8 §88 888B S O O O O CI OE O r-H OS tf tf P3W W CJ HPiS <£ « K tj „ ,* -5 -5 -5 W W H « m x £ £ £ -I w I 2 . i- o a . ^ a N m r-." * o~ . o o 176 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 8 5 < i < £ Z ° o i 3.s il* Q o I o . "1 c S-9 EE=E=8 8S oooooo oo o o o~ o o o o" o = = = c o o oo o_ o_ o_ o_ o_ o_ o_ o_ '^ £ o o o -h mm :fc*fc" <5|"f S ■a-s s "° S oa £ Z ! 0. II -ail ;■■ i O o 2 2 £ facilitate industrial growth and development. Reservoir releases would also be made to maintain summer and fall stream flow to enhance fish, wildlife, and recreational values. The foregoing objectives do not include the operation of Monticello and Coyote Valley Reservoirs which are under construction by federal agencies. Pertinent features of the Eel River Division are presented in Table 19, and the capital costs of its com- ponent facilities are shown in Table 20. The facilities of the Eel River Division are delineated on Sheets 5, 7. and 8 of Plate 5. SUMMARY OF CAPITAL COSTS, EEL RIVER DIVISION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM Item Capital cost* Eel River Development Sequoia Dam and Reservoir Bell Springs Pumping Plant $96,820,000 23,270,000 102,7.50,000 47,530,000 Willis Ridge Pumping Plant 61,510,000 112,200,000 107,000,000 Putah Creek Development $67,670,000 500,000 10,120,000 10,060,000 16,240,000 11,850,000 7,630,000 16,180,000 28,470,000 12,310,000 11,070,000 4,120,000 2,900,000 6,600,000 $220,830,000 Russian River Diversion Potter Valley Tunnel and Power Development $9,590,000 22,370,000 4,090,000 $36,050,000 $812,250,000 * At 1955 price levels. Sacramento Division The Sacramento Division of the California Aque- duct System comprises the works in the Sacramento River Basin necessary to develop and regulate the surplus waters of the basin for export, and the nat- ural and artificial channels required to convey these waters, together with imports from the North Coastal Area, to Montezuma Reservoir and to the Delta for further transport to areas of deficiency. Part of the export supply developed on the American River by features of the Sacramento Division would be di- 178 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN verted directly from that stream before reaching the Delta. Similarly, a small quantity of export water developed in Monticello Reservoir of the Eel River Division would be diverted directly from Putah Creek before entering the Delta. The power plants associated with the export reservoirs of the Sacramento Division and certain conduits associated with delivery of export water to nearby deficient areas are also in- cluded as features of the division. The provision of a trunk line waste conduit along the trough of the valley to prevent pollution of the local and export water supply is considered earlier in this chapter under the discussion of local works. In the following discussion, consideration is given first to the works above and along a main west side conduit route that would develop surplus waters of the Sacramento River Basin above Red Bluff, and convey these and imported supplies southward along the west side of the Sacramento Valley into Monte- zuma Reservoir for further disposition. Other fea- tures of the Sacramento Division, not directly on the main west side conduit route, are discussed under a separate heading. Except for the direct diversions from the American River and Putah Creek, water developed for export by these latter features would flow through the natural drainage system of the Sacramento Valley to the Delta for further disposi- tion, with the Sacramento River serving as the main conduit. The discussion concludes with a resume of the works of the division and their costs and accom- plishments. Main West Side Conduit Route. The Main West Side Conduit Route of the Sacramento Division would originate below Keswick Dam at a diversion point on the Sacramento River near the mouth of Salt Creek west of Redding. Here, the Redding Diversion Dam would be constructed and operated to divert the stream flow southward 7 miles through the Redding Conduit to Girvan Reservoir on Clear Creek, where a junction would be made with the imported waters of the Klamath-Trinity Division. From Girvan Reservoir the combined flow Avould be further conveyed about 11 miles southeasterly through the Anderson Conduit, skirting the foothills south of Redding and west of 1'. S. Highway 99, to the headworks of the Cotton- wood Power Plant, located about 2 miles northeast of tin' town of Cottonwood. Releases from the Cotton- wood Power Plant would enter the Cottonwood arm of Iron Canyon Reservoir through an excavated tailraee channel aboul a mile in length. The water would then flow through the reservoir' about IS miles to Iron Canyon Dam and through Iron Canyon Power Plant, near the base of the dam, into the proposed Redbank Diversion Reservoir of the United States Bureau of Reclamation, all on the Sacramento River near Red Bluff. After releases of mandatory requirements to the Sacramento River below the Redbank Diversion Dam and to the Tehama-Colusa and Corning Canals of the Bureau of Reclamation, the remaining water w^ould be diverted into the Sacramento West Side Canal and conveyed southward along the west side of the Sacra- mento Valley about 146 miles to a junction with the imported waters of the Eel River Division of the Cali- fornia Aqueduct System at Putah Creek near Davis. Power drops would be taken along the route of the canal at Willows and Dunnigan. From the Putah Creek junction, the combined waters of the upper Sacramento River Basin and the North Coastal Area would be further conveyed by canal about 21 miles southerly to Montezuma Reservoir in southern Solano County. There they would be available for export westward through the North Bay Aqueduct of the Sacramento Division and southward through an ele- ment of the Delta Division of the California Aque- duct System. In the reach between the Redbank diversion point and the junction with the Eel River Division near Davis the Sacramento West Side Canal would, at times, receive inflow of surplus water from streams draining the easterly slope of the Coast; Range. With the exception of Iron Canyon Dam and the 950,000 acre-foot reservoir it would create under The California Water Plan, none of the foregoing works would present unusually difficult construction or con- sequent problems. Because of especially adverse foundation conditions at the Iron Canyon site, earth- fill dam construction would probably be employed. with the reservoir area blanketed near the dam to reduce seepage to safe limits. In the design of the dam and appurtenant works, the first and paramount consideration would be that of safety. Inundation of upstream lands would be limited, insofar as possible by construction of dikes, with new lands brought under irrigation by the construction of associated local reservoirs on Cottonwood Creek and other streams draining into Iron Canyon Reservoir. The 1 anadromous fishery would be preserved to the highest possible degree by construction of a large hatchery downstream and a fish ladder around the dam, to- gether with development of spawning gravels at the hatchery site and along regulated streams entering the reservoir. All of these measures are considered to he warranted because of the strategic location of the reservoir and its importance in any truly comprehen- sive water development and flood control plan. Al- though no satisfactory alternative to the use of the Iron Canyon site has as yet been found, continued study in this direction should he undertaken in any future, more detailed investigation of Iron Canyon Reservoir. The Redding Conduit, consisting of 2 miles of tun- nel followed by 5 miles of open channel, would have a capacity of about 13,000 second-feet, and would con- Putah Diversion Dam, Putah Creek Sacramento Division— Constructed Features of the California Aqueduct System 180 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN vey an average of about 5,600,000 acre-feet of water per year to Girvau Reservoir. The Anderson Conduit would be an open channel with a capacity of about 40,000 second-feet, corresponding to the peaking re- quirements of the Cottonwood Power Plant. It would convey an average of about 13,800,000 acre-feet of wa- ter per year to this 400,000-kilowatt power plant and. by intercepting local drainage, would also afford flood protection for the Anderson-Cottonwood area. The Cottonwood Power Plant would generate an aver- age of about 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours per year. Operating through a range of only 50 feet, Iron Canyon Reservoir would be utilized for power, con- servation, and flood control. Because of this narrow operating range it would also afford unusual oppor- tunities for fishing and recreational development. After accounting for ultimate local water use in up- stream areas and the regulatory effects of existing and prospective upstream storage works, as well as unreg- ulated local inflow and imports, releases from Iron Canyon Reservoir would average about 16,850,000 acre-feet per year. Of this, about 13,300,000 acre-feet would be a firm supply, 2,700,000 acre-feet would be secondary yield obtained through the beneficial use of regulated flood releases, and 850,000 acre-feet would be classified as spill. All of this water, except spill, would be released through the Iron Canyon Power Plant. This would be a base load plant with an in- stalled capacity of about 200,000 kilowatts and an an- nual generation of about 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours. At the Redbank diversion point on the Sacramento River about 9,850,000 acre-feet per season of the firm water supply would be diverted into the Sacramento West Side Canal, for further conveyance southward along the west side of the Sacramento Valley. This canal would have a capacity of about 15,000 second- feet to its junction with the Eel River Division at Pntah Creek, and about 18,000 second-feet between that point and Montezuma Reservoir. The' Willows and Dunnigan Power Plants along the canal would have capacities of about 90,000 and 76,000 kilowatts respectively and would generate an average of some 0.7 and 0.6 billion kilowatt-hours per year, respec- tively. With the Eel River import, and with accretions en- route assumed to balance losses, the Sacramento West Side Canal would deliver about 11,770,000 acre-feet of water per year to Montezuma Reservoir. Of this, about 11,250,000 acre-feet would be released to the Delta Division of the California Aqueduct System for fur- ther conveyance southward; 208,000 acre-feet wonld be diverted for local use; and 308,000 acre-feet would be released to the North Bay Aqueduct for delivery to the North Bay area, comprising lands in Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. The North Bay Aqueduct, consisting of alternating sections of canal and pipe Line, with a few miles of tunnel, would ex- tend westward about 59 miles past Fairfield and Cor-, delia to a small terminal reservoir about 2 miles north-! east of Novate Its capacity would progressively de- crease from about 900 second-feet at the point of di- version to about 100 second-feet at the terminal near' Novato. The reservoirs along the main conduit route,! namely, Redding Diversion, Girvan, Iron Canyon,! Redbank Diversion, and Montezuma, would have a combined gross storage capacity of 1,336,000 acre-feet,^ of which about 355,000 acre-feet would be inactive.; and 250,000 acre-feet would be reserved in Iron (an yon Reservoir for flood control. Additional flood con- trol storage space, in the amount of about 300,000 acre-feet, would be available in Kanaka Reservoir Clear Creek and in the local reservoirs of the Redding Stream Group, all draining into Iron Canyon Reser- voir. The reservation of a total of 550,000 acre-feet* of storage space for flood control in the reservoirs be-* tween Red Bluff and Shasta Dam may make it sible in the future to reduce the amount of such space now reserved in Shasta Reservoir, with consequent increased power and conservation benefits. The fouri power plants along the Main West Side Conduit Route, would have a combined installed capacity of about 766,000 kilowatts and would generate an average of, about 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours per year. The con-, tinuance of mandatory releases to the Sacramento River below Redbank Diversion Dam, together with the conveyance of sewage and industrial wastes from the Redding area by separate channel, would preserve, the quality of water in the river and maintain its highly important fishery and recreational status. Other Features of Sacramento Division. works considered under this heading comprise existing and prospective surface and ground water storage reservoirs in the Sacramento River Basin that would develop and regulate water for export from the Delta and from the American River; the power plan associated with these reservoirs; the Sacramento River and streams tributary thereto, through which the re ulated water would flow to the Delta ; and the Fols South Canal, diverting from Lake Natoma on American River into the lower east side of the Joaquin Valley. Water supplies for export are pi ently or will in the near future be developed Shasta, Folsom, and Monticello Reservoirs. These ervoirs and the new reservoirs considered here would also perform important local as well as exj functions. They have been described, together their associated power plants, earlier in this chai under the heading of "Development to Meet Lo Requirements." Prospective new reservoirs would consist of Gui on Cache Creek, or alternative thereto, Wilson ley or Bine Ridge, both on Cache Creek; Black But on Stony Creek; Brush Creek Basin comprising ofl THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 181 Stream storage principally for Mill and Deer Creeks; Jastle Rock on Butte Creek, with connecting diver- sion tunnel from Big Chico Creek ; Oroville on the Feather River, including afterbay power and regula- ory facilities; Parks Bar on the Yuba River; Waldo >n Dry Creek, a tributary of the Bear River, provid- ng off-stream storage for Yuba River water ; Camp Par West on the Bear River ; Auburn on the North Pork of the American River; and Salmon Falls on he South Fork of the American River or, alternative fhereto, Nashville on the Cosumnes River which would )rovide off-stream storage for Avater from the South Fork of the American River. All of these reservoirs Would be located at or near the foothill line. On lie major streams they would be large multipurpose •eservoirs; and on less important streams their prin- cipal local function would be irrigation and/or flood ••ontrol. Together with Folsom and Shasta, these reser- voirs would have a combined capacity of nearly 2,000.000 acre-feet, of which about 1,250,000 acre- eet would be inactive and 2,700,000 acre-feet would >e reserved for flood control. Additional flood control torage space in the amount of about 1,000.000 acre- r 'eet would be reserved in all other reservoirs of the Sacramento River Basin, including the 550,000 acre- 'eet previously accounted for in Iron Canyon and as- sociated reservoirs. After taking into account the requirements for local ise in upstream areas and on the Sacramento Valley loor, the existing and prospective reservoirs cou- riered under this heading would make available for ise in the Delta and for export from the Delta and rom the American River, an average of about 9,300,- 100 acre-feet of water per year. Depending upon the nanner in which the reservoirs may eventually be iperated in conjunction with ground water storage in lie alluvium of the Sacramento Valley, 60 to 80 per enl of the water would be made available for export hi a firm basis each year, while the remainder would te a variable supply available only in years of heavy •imofV. Further firming of the variable supply would >e accomplished by operation of ground water storage D the San Joaquin Valley. The subject of conjunctive rperation has been briefly considered earlier in this hapter in connection with developments to meet local equirements in the Sacramento River Basin. The sub- ect is also discussed more fully later in this chapter inder the heading "Utilization of Ground Water Storage." New power plants associated with the prospective eservoirs would be located at the bases of Oroville, 'arks Bar, Auburn, and Salmon Falls or Nashville )ams. The Parks Bar Power Plant, however, would Ltilize water diverted by tunnel from Englebright teservoir, instead of a direct connection to Parks 5a r Reservoir. The power head available below Oro- ide Dam would be developed by one or more power plants located on the Thermal ito Power Canal, be- tween a diversion clam on the river below the main Oroville Power Plant and an off-stream afterbay res- ervoir. The new power plants would have a combined installed capacity of about 710,000 kilowatts and would generate an average of about 2.9 billion kilo- watt-hours per year. Of this amount about 0.6 billion kilowatt-hours would be required for operation of ground water pumping facilities. New power devel- oped by releases from Shasta Reservoir at the Cotton- wood and Iron Canyon Power Plants is credited to works along the Main West Side Conduit Route. About 640,000 acre-feet per season of the export supply would be diverted from Lake Natoma, after- bay for Folsom Reservoir, into the lower east side of the San Joaquin Valley through the Folsom South Canal, currently proposed for construction by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. This canal would divert with a capacity of about 3,550 second- feet and terminate at Lone Tree Creek, 63 miles to the south, with a capacity of 330 second-feet. An addi- tional quantity of water amounting to about 76,000 acre-feet per season would be diverted from the South Fork of the American River into the upper Cosumnes River Basin. If off-stream storage for water from the South Fork of the American River is obtained in Nashville Res- ervoir on the Cosumnes River instead of in Salmon Falls Reservoir, a far larger quantity of water would be diverted from the South Fork into the upper Cosumnes River Basin. Similarly, subsequent studies may indicate the desirability of doubling the diversion southward from Lake Natoma; but it is assumed for purposes of this report that the bulk of the export supply from the American River would flow to the Delta for further conveyance to other areas of the State. All of the remaining export supply of the Sacramento River Basin, not previously accounted for, would flow to the Delta through the Sacramento River and tributary channels. Releases from Shasta Reser- voir, for example, after further regulation in Iron Canyon Reservoir, would flow down the Sacramento River to the Delta with diversions enroute for local use, as at present. In this connection, it is pertinent to note that the present deleterious effects of seepage from the river may be alleviated to a considerable de- gree by lowering of ground water levels along the river as a consequence of the planned utilization of ground water storage. Summary of Sacramento Division. The Sacra- mento Division comprises the storage, power, and con- veyance facilities in the Sacramento River Basin that would conserve and regulate the surplus waters of the basin and convey these and imported supplies to ter- minal diversion points for export. There would be 15 major reservoirs, including Shasta and Folsom which presently serve these purposes; 4 diversion dams and Sacramento Division— Constructed Features of the California Aqueduct System, Folsom and Nimbus Dams (top and bottom) on the American River THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 183 z> 2 Q °- "-< T, Z> o o's < D. <0 _ c Z 2 3j O § > 1 Z -n N-^I a si b; « b; ooooo fc, fc, fc, fc. fc. pu" pj a." b." cu" o o o o o o ii§ ■Hi — t^ t~ o o ; i :-? .== r' V a o° < ft- < 1 Z £ o * Z 5 O i > 1 1 1 < J >- 0) 3 :g§§gg! ooooooooo •2,1 ii: §§§ §§§§ « e Q o ' 03 CO ffl 03 03 t £ o J -a SiJ- 11 S *S | a o pq-a ^ III ill i ?'il .2 * II 3 O M-^3 » S: "i s g i ° > * 8-2 1 A J. Jul in I | 2 2 8, S o t THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 185 terbays; fl or 10 hydroelectric power plants; 185 Ilcs of large-capacity conduit that would convey rt of the surplus waters of the basin and imports mi the North Coastal Area to Montezuma Reser- ir; 117 miles of delivery conduit; and the Sana ;nto River and other natural channels of the basin ed for conveyance of water to the Delta. The reservoirs of the Sacramento Division would [ve a combined storage capacity of about 13,300,000 Ire-feet, of which about 1,600,000 acre-feet would inactive and 11.700,000 acre-feet would be used for nservation and flood control. These reservoirs would \ operated in conjunction with local storage works id eventually with part of the available ground wa- r storage in the Sacramento Valley. After allowing i- ultimate requirements in upstream areas and on ie Sacramento Valley floor, and taking into account >■ availability of return flow, these reservoirs would I instrumental in developing an average of about ,280,000 acre-feet of water per season for export. Of is amount, about 790,000 acre-feet would be diverted mi the Sacramento River near Red Bluff and con- lyed, together with imported supplies from the North lastal Area, to Montezuma Reservoir for further dis- ' bution. About 720,000 acre-feet of the remaining ipor1 supply would be diverted from the American 'ver. and about 8. 700, 000 acre-feet would serve pres- ■t and future local and export requirements at the ;lta. Another 55,000 acre-feet per season, not pre- ' uislv accounted for in this discussion, would be di- jrted from Put ah Creek below Monticello Reservoir < the Eel River Division. Local and imported water applies made available for export from Montezuma Qeservoir would aggregate about 11,770,000 acre-feet Ur year. In their local function the reservoirs of the neramento Division would provide opportunities for rereational development, regulate water supplies for *al use, enhance and improve stream flow for fish, 'ldlife. and recreation, and maintain navigable Wpths on the Sacramento River, as required by law. •The new power plants of the Sacramento Division jbuld have a combined installed capacity of about T7(i.()00 kilowatts. They would generate an average « about 7.4 billion kilowatt-hours per year, of which »out 0.6 billion killowatt-hours would be required i operate the ground water pumping facilities in the kkcramento Valley associated with development of e export supply. IjFeatures of the Sacramento Division could be con- ducted singly or in combination, on a logical and Ijderly basis, as demands for water, power, and flood Hntrol develop. The works of the Main West Side mduit Route, for example, between the Redding and 'd Bank diversions, could be undertaken to conserve e local water supply, develop the present power po- jntial between these points, provide flood protection r the Sacramento Valley, and afford opportunities for recreational development. These facilities would then be available to accommodate the future imports from the Klamath-Trinity Division if and when these works become necessary. The general features of the Sacramento Division are presented in Table 21, and the capital costs are summarized in Table 22. The facilities comprising the Sacramento Division are shown on Sheets 3 through 8 of Plate 5. SUMMARY OF CAPITAL COSTS, SACRAMENTO DIVI- SION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM Features Along Main West Side Conduit Route Redding Diversion Dam Redding Conduit Girvan Dam and Reservoir Anderson Conduit (including measures to prevent seepage) Cottonwood Power Plant Iron Canyon Dam and Reservoir Fish facilities at and below Iron Canyon Dam Iron Canyon Power Plant ._. Redbank Diversion Dam Sacramento West Side Canal- Willows Power Plant Dunnigan Power Plant Montezuma Dam and Reservoir North Bay Aqueduct . . Local diversions from Montezuma Reservoir Other Features Guinda Dam and Reservoir, or alternative at Wilson Valley or Blue Ridge Black Butte Dam and Reservoir Brush Basin Dam and Reservoir, including Hoodway channels from Mill, Deer, and Rock Creeks Castle Rock Dam and Reservoir, including diversion tunnel from Big Chico Creek Oroville Dam and Reservoir Oroville Power Plant Oroville Diversion Dam Oroville Afterbay Dam and Reservoir Thermalito Power Plant Thermalito Power Canal Parks Bar Dam and Reservoir Parks Bar Power Plant Waldo Dam and Reservoir, including diversion conduit from Yuba River and Deer Creek Diversion Camp Far West Dam and Reservoir Auburn Dam and Reservoir Auburn Power Plant Salmon Falls Dam and Reservoir- . . Salmon Falls Power Plant . . Folsom South Canal Ground water pumping facilities Total Capital cost* SI. 000.000 18,750.000 4,650,000 14,700.000 55,000.000 61,000,000 12,500,000 32,000,000 5,600,000 293,030,000 24,200,000 23.100.000 14 600 000 26,700,000 1,900.000 12,200,000 8,7C0,030 374,003,000 37,000,000 5,000,000 5,500,000 13,000,000 9.000,000 16.900,000 3,000,000 14,450,000 15,550,000 36,000.000 11,000,000 22.500,000 5,100.000 40,000.000 36,400,000 $1,285,000,000 Delta Division The Delta Division of the California Aqueduct Sys- tem would accomplish the transfer of water across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta on its journey from northern areas of water surplus to central and south- ern areas of deficiency. It would be the "hub" of the California Aqueduct System, bringing together the surplus waters developed by the Klamath-Trinity. Eel River, and Sacramento Divisions, and lifting these waters from the southerly side of the Delta into major 186 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN conduits for conveyance southward and westward. It would also provide urgently needed flood protection and salinity control for the Delta lands. The major works of the Delta Division would con- sist of two features: first, the Cross-Delta Canal of the Biemond Plan, utilizing natural and modified channels hydraulically isolated from the remainder of the Delta, and a siphon under the San Joaquin River to transfer the greater portion of the water developed in the Sacramento River Basin ; and second, a conduit leading from Montezuma Reservoir to the southerly edge of the Delta, and including a siphon beneath the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers near Antioch to transfer the water developed in the North Coastal Area and the upper Sacramento River Basin and de- livered to the Delta by the Sacramento West Side Canal. Hydraulic separation is necessary to prevent undue loss in transit and impairment in quality. Asso- ciated facilities of the Biemond Plan would include control structures on the Sacramento River and Steamboat Slough, a system of master levees along flood channels, floodways and control structures at several locations, barge locks, and fishways to pass anadromous fish. These facilities are described herein under the heading "Trans-Delta System." Other features of the Delta Division are the South Bay Aqueduct and the Kirker Pass Aqueduct, which would serve the southern portions of the San Fran- cisco Bay Area and the northern portions of the Central Coastal Area. Both of these aqueducts are distribution features of the Delta Division, as con- trasted with other features designed as primary trans- mission facilities. They are subsequently discussed in this section under their respective headings. The general location of the Delta Division is shown on Plate 6, and its component facilities are delineated on Sheets 8, 10, and 13 of Plate 5. Trans-Delta System. Facilities of the Trans- Delta System would ultimately transfer some 18,- 330,000 acre-feet of water per season, on the average, across the Delta for conveyance to areas of deficiency in central and southern California and in the San Francisco Bay Area. The ultimate transfer across the Delta of water developed in the Sacramento River Basin would be accomplished by construction of an isolated canal and control structures, as hereinafter explained. As unregulated flows of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers are reduced in the future by increased upstream storage developments for local use and for export of water, it will become necessary to segregate and prevent commingling, during transit, nl' the imported and locally developed waters of high quality with the drainage and flushing waters of poor quality which occur in and drain to the Delta. Segre- gation of these waters would be accomplished by facilities of the Biemond Plan. Controlled releases of „ water to Suisun Bay for salinity repulsion would lik< wise be reduced. 1. Biemond Plan. Alternative barrier plans f< salinity control in the Delta and for transfer of wat( : across the Delta were studied under authorization ( the Abshire-Kelly Salinity Control Barrier Act c 1953. Ir. Cornelus Biemond, Consulting Engineer froi The Netherlands, who was retained during that h vestigation, recommended a plan with facilities fc fresh-water transfer in an isolated system of channe and a master levee system along principal floo; channels for flood protection to the Delta islands. Tb details of that investigation are presented in th report of the Water Project Authority of Calif onw entitled ' ' Feasibilty of Construction by the State d Barriers in the San Francisco Bay System," datei March 1955. In 1955, the Legislature enacted tlj Abshire-Kelly Salinity Control Barrier Act of 195i which directed further study of barrier plans, an' the Biemond Plan, as presently proposed, was devej oped during this investigation, currently (1957) ij progress. Details of this investigation are presents in a report of the Department of Water Resource] Bulletin No. 60, entitled "Salinity Control Barri Investigation." The Biemond Plan was designed to transfer wa across the Delta, to provide flood protection to tl Delta, and to conserve salinity control flows. So flood flows would be conveyed through the C: Delta Canal, thereby reducing the lengths of masto levees and the costs of construction and maintenam The Biemond Plan would have control struetun 1 on the Sacramento River and Steamboat Slough i divert water through the existing Delta Cross Chaim! into the proposed Cross-Delta Canal, and to provi sufficient hydraulic gradient in the canal to conv water to the major pumping plants on the southe fringe of the Delta. A barge lock and fishway wou be located at the Sacramento River control struct!^ The Cross-Delta Canal would follow improved exia ing channels, and water would pass under the Stoo ton Deep Water Channel in large, inverted sipho located near Little Venice Island in the center of I Delta. Flood flows of the Mokelumne and Cosu: River would be conveyed in the Cross-Delta Canal Little Venice Island where the flood waters would discharged through a floodway structure into the^ Joaquin River. All or a portion of these flows con be conveyed to the major pumping plants. A fishw; would also be provided at Little Venice Island. A pc tion of the flood flows of the San Joaquin River wou be diverted via Paradise Cut and Grant Line Can to the major pumping plants. The portion of the not required for diversion by the major pumpil plants would be discharged from the Cross-Delta C nal through a floodway structure into Franks Tit and then into the San Joaquin River. A barge h THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 187 oiiM also be located at this structure. The structure the head of Paradise Cut would be designed to I vert San Joaquin River water whenever the quality satisfactory. The portion of the flood flows not verted into Paradise Cut would be carried in the an Joaquin River channel. A system of master levees would be constructed on ^e Cross-Delta Canal, on Paradise Cut, on Grant }ne Canal, and on the San Joaquin River. Bear •eek would be diverted to the Calaveras River which scharges into the San Joaquin River near Stockton. aster levees would also be constructed on the Cala- »ras River. During flood periods on the Sacramento iver, the control structure on the river and on teamboat Slough would be opened to permit unim- >ded passage of flood waters. A system of master vees would restrict the flood water of the Sacra- 'iento River system to the river, to Steamboat Slough, nd to the Yolo By-Pass. 1 The system of master levees throughout the Delta ould reduce the length of levees now requiring aintenance against flood and tidal forces from about (000 miles to 450 miles. The interior channels, which ould be severed during construction of the master tvee system and would not be subject to tidal or >o(l waters, would continue to serve as irrigation id drainage channels. Water would be released into lese channels from the Cross-Delta Canal, and fa- lities would be provided for pumping drainage ntcv out of the channels. Operation of the Biemond Ian would provide adequate circulation and high- tality water in the interior channels. i. Salinity intrusion into the Delta from sea water jjould be controlled under operation of the Biemond Ian by regulated outflows into Suisun Bay. Under >eration of the Biemond Plan, salinity could be con- oiled at the western end of the Delta with an aver- se outflow of about 1,200 second-feet as compared to i average outflow of about 3,800 second-feet for com- (irable control under present conditions. This major duction in outflow would result from the reduction \ the tidal prism, or the volume of water which flows Ito and out of the Delta during a tidal cycle, by vering many Delta channels from tidal action. The Eduction in required outflow under operation of the iemond Plan would be a measure of the con- ization by that plan. This conserved water would ■ available for distribution to water-deficient areas. The Biemond Plan would ultimately transport some 080,000 acre-feet of water per season, on the aver- se, across the Delta. Facilities also would be provided distribute some 756,000 acre-feet per season to meet fnsumptive use requirements of agricultural lands the Delta. Finally, it would provide releases of atcr averaging 876,000 acre-feet per season, for re- llsion of sea water from the Delta, which would be substantially less than the presently required releases, as previously explained. 2. Antioch Crossing. The Antioch Crossing, com- prising the second major feature of the Trans-Delta System, would provide the means by which waters developed in the North Coastal Area and the upper Sacramento River Basin, and conveyed through the Sacramento Valley in the Sacramento West Side Canal, would be transported across the Delta. It would convey the water in a canal from Montezuma Reservoir, the terminus of the Sacramento West Side Canal, southeasterly to the Sacramento River about 4 miles east of Collinsville. It would then pass beneath the Sacramento River in a 3,000-foot siphon consisting of four 25-foot diameter concrete pipes. After crossing the western portion of Sherman Island it would pass beneath the San Joaquin River in a similar siphon, discharging into two parallel, con- crete-lined canals near the town of Antioch. The Antioch Crossing would then skirt the south- westerly edge of the Delta, finally terminating in the intake channel of the Mountain House Pumping Plant at approximately sea level elevation. The total length of the crossing would be 33 miles. It would have a capacity of 17,000 second-feet, and would transport about 11,250,000 acre-feet per season. In- stallation of identical parallel conduits would lend itself to staged construction of the Antioch Crossing. 3. Delta Pumping Plants. Virtually all water con- veyed across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by the Trans-Delta System would be lifted from the Delta by three pumping plants: the existing Tracy Pumping Plant which is a part of the Central Valley Project; the proposed Delta Pumping Plant of the Feather River Project; and the Mountain House Pumping Plant. All three would be located in close proximity to each other in an area about 10 miles northwest of the town of Tracy. Water transported through the Biemond Plan facilities would be lifted into the Delta-Mendota Canal and the Feather River Aqueduct by the Tracy and Delta Pumping Plants, respectively. The Mountain House Pumping Plant would lift water from the Antioch Crossing into the San Joaquin West Side Conduit. The Feather River Project Aqueduct and the San Joaquin West Side Conduit are described as part of the San Joaquin Division of the California Aqueduct System. In summary, the Trans-Delta System would be comprised of three major facilities. These are: (1) the Biemond Plan, which would transfer water across the heart of the Delta in an isolated channel, and pro- vide flood protection and salinity control for the Delta, (2) the Antioch Crossing, which would convey water beneath the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers by siphon, and (3) the Delta Pumping Plants, which would lift some 18,020,000 acre-feet per season, into facilities of the San Joaquin Division. . w w n r jr r rrj' Delta Division— Constructed Features of the California Aqueduct System. Delta Cross-Channel Headworks on the Sacramento River and the Tracy Pumping Plant on Old River THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 189 Kirker Pass Aqueduct. The Kirker Pass Aque- m ct would consist of those facilities necessary to I've areas in Contra Costa County not considered esceptible to service by the East Bay Municipal 1 ility District or the Contra Costa Canal. This iiieduet would convey about 164,000 acre-feet of Iter per season from the Antioch Crossing of the llta Division in a general southwesterly direction I out 21 miles to a terminal storage reservoir located l out 2 miles west of the community of Clayton. In pipe line and canal, water would be pumped i>m the Antioch Crossing siphon on the south shore I the San Joaquin River, about 4 miles east of Anti- li, through a series of three pumping plants to an ■vation of 500 feet to the portal of a tunnel through Irker Pass, generally south of Camp Stoneman. • [The water would flow by gravity through the 2 I les of Kirker Pass Tunnel, and then would be con- wed by canal to Lime Ridge Reservoir. Lime Ridge Iservoir would be a terminal reservoir, with water I rface elevations varying from a maximum of about I ) feet to a minimum of 370 feet, which would be ■Bcient to serve most of the water service areas by South Bay Aqueduct. The South Bay Aqueduct lithe Delta Division would pump and deliver 755,000 hre-feet of water per season from the Feather River ■oject Aqueduct to the service areas in the South- lit Bay Group of the San Francisco Bay Area and lithe San Benito and Santa Cruz-Pajaro Groups of m Central Coastal Area. The necessity of avoiding Inflict or duplication between the service area of the liy of San Francisco for municipal and industrial Alter and the proposed service area of the South Bay flueduct is recognized. Any deviation from the fore- ting should be made only after a showing of con- Ipienee and necessity. The aqueduct would be Wit in two stages. The initial stage would comprise D Alameda-Contra Costa-Santa Clara-San Benito Binties Branch of the authorized Feather River ipject Aqueduct, Deliveries of water would be in- C ased to the ultimate stage by subsequent construc- fli of additional diversion and conveyance works ■eh would parallel the facilities of that branch. Iphe initial stage of the South Bay Aqueduct would «ert water from the Feather River Project Aque- ftt about 2 miles south of the aqueduct headworks, But 8 miles west of Tracy. A re-lift pumping plant What location would lift the water from the Feather Fj-er Project Aqueduct to a tunnel through Brushy ftk in the Coast Range at an elevation of about ■ feet. From Brushy Peak Tunnel water would be liveyecl by canal, tunnel, and pipe line around the ejt and south sides of Livermore Valley, through Mis- s i Pass. The conduit, in pipe line, would then con- fine southerly, passing to the east of Mission San J;e and Warm Springs to the proposed Airpoint Res- ervoir on Arroyo de las Codies, 2 miles cast of Mil- pitas, and to Evergreen Reservoir on Silver Creek, about 6 miles southeast of San Jose. These reservoirs, with storage capacities of 23,000 and 32,500 acre-feet respectively, would be constructed for regulation of the continuous diversion to the variable monthly de- mands in the Santa Clara Valley and San Benito County. Recent subsurface exploration at Airpoint dam site indicates that considerable leakage might develop through the fractured rocks that comprise its abutments. Further investigation of this site may in- dicate the desirability of selecting an alternative res- ervoir. A conduit, principally canal section, would extend southeasterly along the base of the hills on the east side of Santa Clara Valley to a terminus near Pa- checo Creek north of Hoi lister. Water would be re- leased into Pacheco Creek from the terminus of the South Bay Aqueduct for use in the San Benito and Santa Cruz-Pajaro Groups in the Central Coastal Area. The initial stage of the South Bay Aqueduct would deliver 195,000 acre-feet per season to units of the Southeast Bay Group and 50,000 acre-feet to the San Benito and Santa Cruz-Pajaro Groups in the Central Coastal Area. The remaining ultimate supplemental requirements in those units, amounting to an esti- mated 510,000 acre-feet per season, would be pro- vided by construction of additional diversion and con- veyance facilities which would parallel and supple- ment deliveries bj r the initial stage. The additional works would comprise a diversion from the Feather River Project Aqueduct and conveyance facilities of the same types, lengths, and locations previously de- scribed for the initial stage between the point of diver- sion and Evergreen Reservoir. Water for the San Benito and Santa Cruz-Pajaro Groups would be conveyed at a uniform rate in the canal of the initial stage of the South Bay Aqueduct southward to the Harper Canyon regulatory storage reservoir on Pacheco Creek. At a future time the canal of the initial stage of the South Bay Aqueduct would be extended 7 miles to Harper Canyon Reservoir. Additional regulatory storage would also be con- structed on Arroyo del Valle in Livermore Valley. Under ultimate operation of the South Bay Aque- duct, the major portion of storage in Sanatorium Res- ervoir on Arroyo del Valle would be utilized to reg- ulate the continuous flow to the variable monthly demand schedule in Livermore Valley and southern Alameda County. Deliveries to the San Benito and Santa Cruz-Pajaro Groups in the Central Coastal Area would be increased from the initial quantity of 50,000 acre-feet per season, to an ultimate quantity of 128,000 acre-feet per season, and would be regulated in Harper Canyon Reservoir on Pacheco Creek about 12 miles east of Gilroy. Harper Canyon Reservoir 190 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 3 .« Q o a g < • -° 5 I i O r-i •* I! 2 S. ? CO a S I' 1 1 1 a a - a S ca spa !S5 go _ - "3^ 9. J odd 3 7 I i THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 191 juld permit the conveyance of water to the Central •astal Area on a continuous-flow basis, rather than 4 a variable monthly demand schedule. Should the need be indicated, water could be de- ,-eml to the northern portion of Livermore Valley id the southern portion of Contra Costa County by i alternative route of the South Bay Aqueduct. This ternative would convey water from Brushy Peak innel along the northern edge of Livermore Valley a regulatory reservoir in Doolan Canyon, and iuld then proceed southwesterly across the valley to e main alignment west of La Costa, as shown on ;ieet 10 of Plate 5. Summary of Delta Division. The Delta Division iuld transfer some 18,330,000 acre-feet of water veloped in the North Coastal Area and Sacramento Iver Basin, across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Mr further conveyance to areas of deficiency. The tossing of the Delta would be accomplished by facil- les of the Trans-Delta System, utilizing two major Hutes. One route, the Biemond Plan, would consist of k isolated fresh-water channel and flood channels, ~th master levees, and control structures at several ■fcations to facilitate the transfer of water and the ■patrol of flood flows. Salinity intrusion into the Idta would be controlled by regulated outflow into Jiisun Bay. About 7,080,000 acre-feet of water per .'ason would be conveyed across the Delta by this iftite. The other route, the Antioch Crossing, would insist of a canal from Montezuma Reservoir to the Ibinity of Collinsville, a number of siphons under the t.cramento and San Joaquin Rivers to the vicinity of Iptioch, and a canal skirting the edge of the Delta to ■terminus at Mountain House Pumping Plant. About 11250,000 acre-feet of water per season would be Insferred across the Delta by this route. "Water delivered to the southern edge of the Delta 1 facilities of the Trans-Delta System would be lifted ita conduits of the San Joaquin Division by three itjor pumping plants, namely (1) the Tracy Pump- i? Plant of the Central Valley Project, (2) the Mta Pumping Plant of the authorized Feather River loject, and (3) the Mountain House Pumping Plant, ftese pumping plants would lift 1,780,000 acre-feet, 055.000 acre-feet, and 10,185,000 acre-feet, respec- t ely, from the Delta to facilities of the San Joaquin Ilvision. An additional 164,000 acre-feet per season would 1 diverted from the Antioch Crossing and conveyed t the Kirker Pass Aqueduct to service areas in Kntra Costa County not considered susceptible of ■•vice by the East Bay Municipal Utility District or h Contra Costa Canal. Finally, the South Bay Aque- fcct would pump and deliver about 755,000 acre- Pet of water per season to the Southeast Bay Group $ the San Francisco Bay Area and to the San Benito and Santa Cruz-Pajaro Groups of the Central Coastal Area. The general features of the Delta Division are pre- sented in Table 23 and the capital costs of its com- ponent facilities are shown in Table 24. The facilities comprising the Delta Division are shown on Sheets 8, 10, and 13 of Plate 5. SUMMARY OF CAPITAL COSTS, DELTA DIVISION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM Item Capital cost* Trans-Delta System Biemond Plan 1,170,000 212,840,000 Pumping Plants Delta Pumping Plant (Feather River Project) 37.260,000 57,300,000 $377, 240,000 Kirker Pass Aqueduct 4,340,000 South Bay Aqueduct Initial stage (Alameda-Contra Benito Counties Branch of Aqueduct) Costa-Santa Clara-San Feather River Project $3,510,000 37,440,000 8,820,000 7,090,000 Additional works under ultimate stage 5,780,000 27,980,000 7,560,000 $98,180,000 $488,400,000 At 1955 price lev 1956 levels. nth exception of Biemond Plan which is based on San Joaquin Division The San Joaquin Division of the California Aque- duct System would accomplish two objectives in the disposition of regulated surplus waters from the northern part of the State, delivered to the southerly end of the Delta by the previously described Delta Division. First, it would convey and deliver supple- mental water to deficient areas in the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coastal Area; and second, it would transport water to the Buena Vista Forebay of the Southern California Division for delivery to areas south of the Tehachapi Mountains. In the de- livery of water to the San Joaquin Valley, substantial use would be made of the extensive ground water stor- age capacity beneath the valley floor, particularly for providing final regulation of the variable seasonal 192 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN secondary waters imported from the Sacramento River Basin during wet years. The San Joaquin Division would consist of the existing- Delta-Menclota Canal of the Central Valley Project and the authorized Feather River Project Aqueduct as its initial features, and an additional conduit under ultimate operation. These facilities will be described herein under the heading' "Main Aque- duct Route. ' ' Also included as features of the division are the Central Coastal Aqueduct, which would divert water from the Main Aqueduct Route in Kings County near Devils Den to serve San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, and the Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct, which would divert water from the Cali- fornia Aqueduct about 5 miles south of Buena Vista Lake to serve lands in southeastern San Luis Obispo County and the eastern portion of Santa Barbara County. It should be pointed out that the Carrizo- Cuyama Aqueduct would actually divert water from facilities of the Southern California Division ; but since the aqueduct would serve the Central Coastal Area, it has been included as a feature of the San Joaquin Division. These additional features of the San Joaquin Division will be described herein under their respective titles. Further and more detailed investigations of the Feather River Project Aqueduct System are cur- rently (May, 1957) in progress as part of the final engineering studies looking toward construction of the project. These studies may result in substantial modification of the system as it relates to service of water to lands south of Devils Den in the San Joaquin Valley and to southern California, from that described herein. Water may be supplied to central coastal areas from the Feather River Project if justi- fied by the demand there. These studies have not yet been sufficiently completed to enable the inclusion of any results herein. The general location of the San Joaquin Division is shown on Plate 6, and its component facilities are delineated on Sheets 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 20 of Plate 5. Main Aqueduct Route. In addition to the exist- ing Delta-Mendota Canal, features of the Main Aque- duct Route would ultimately include three parallel concrete-lined canals extending some 250 miles south- ward from the Delta Pumping Plants to the Buena Vista Forebay near Taft in the upper end of the San Joaquin Valley. These arc the Feather River Project Aqueduct, comprising the initial stage, and two additional parallel canals, designated the "San Joaquin West, Side Conduit," winch would complete the Main Aqueduct Route to its ultimate stage. San Luis Reservoir would be operated to provide required regulation in conjunction with all these facilities. The location of the Feather River Project Aque- duct, and of the two canals of the San Joaquin West Side Conduit between San Luis Reservoir and Buena Vista Forebay, as shown on Sheets 11, 13, 16, aud 17J of Plate 5, is tentative only, and is possibly subjeel to considerable future modification. Subsidence of the land surface on west side lands has been observed ir several areas and could markedly affect the fina. selection of the route and detailed location of these canals. Further geological, topographic, engineering and cost investigations and studies will be necessarj to resolve the problem and to provide the basic in formation for selecting the most economic locatior for construction. The Delta-Mendota Canal presently conveys wateij from the Tracy Pumping Plant south along the wesj side of the San Joaquin Valley to Mendota Pool on thi San Joaquin River near the community of Mendota The design capacity of the canal at its head is abou 4,600 second-feet. It is contemplated that the cana would convey about 1,780,000 acre-feet per season foi use in the San Joaquin Valley under ultimat operation. The authorized Feather River Project Aquedue will begin at the Delta Pumping Plant, located abou 11 miles northwest of Tracy. The aqueduct will be concrete-lined canal with a capacity of 11,000 second feet, and will generally parallel the Delta-Mendot Canal southerly to San Luis Creek. Water will b delivered by gravity to the San Luis Forebay on Sai Luis Creek at an elevation of about 225 feet, Th forebay will extend upstream along San Luis Cree to a pumping plant located near San Luis Dam, wher pumping units will lift the water into San Luis Res ervoir or directly into the extension of the Feathe River Project Aqueduct at an elevation of about 36 feet, for further conveyance southward. San Luis Dam and Reservoir will be located abou 12 miles west of the City of Los Banos, and have a ultimate storage capacity of about 2,100,000 acre-fee with a water surface elevation of 550 feet, This resei voir will regulate the variable flows pumped from th Delta to the irrigation demand schedule in the Sa Joaquin Valley and to a continuous flow in the duct to southern California. In the operation of Feather River Project Aqueduct, the bulk of water delivered to the San Luis Forebay will pumped directly into the southerly continuation the aqueduct which will originate at San Luis voir. The remainder of the water delivered to forebay, or that quantity exceeding the demand] the particular time, will be pumped into San Reservoir where it will be held in storage until time as diversion from the Delta is insufficient meet the demand. Releases of water from San Reservoir will be made directly into the eontiuuati of the aqueduct, The operation of the San Luis Forebay in conjun tion with San Luis Reservoir will enable the utilia tion of off-peak power for pumping into the reservoi' San Joaquin Division— The Delta-Mendota Canal and the Irrigated San Joaquin Valley 194 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN with resultant reduction in pumping costs. The San Luis Afterbay, located near San Luis Reservoir at an elevation of about 352 feet, will similarly enable the utilization of off-peak power for pumping water di- rectly into the continuation of the Feather River Project Aqueduct. From San Luis Reservoir the Feather River Project Aqueduct will continue southward along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, passing west of Westhaven, Kettleman City, Lost Hills, and Tupman to the Buena Vista Hills. At this point it will discharge into the Buena Vista Forebay at an elevation of about 310 feet. As previously noted, further studies of the Feather River Project Aqueduct system are now (1957) in progress, which may lead to some modifi- cations as to locations and areas served. Lands in the San Joaquin Valley along the aqueduct route, and those above the aqueduct, will be served directly from the aqueduct, while lands lying at lower elevations will be served by easterly extending laterals. The San Joaquin West Side Conduit would com- plete the Main Aqueduct Route to its ultimate stage. This conduit would comprise two parallel concrete- lined canals, each with a capacity of 7,200 second-feet, which would originate at the Mountain House Pump- ing Plant at an elevation of about 167 feet. The con- duit would convey about 10,185,000 acre-feet of water per season, on a continuous-flow basis, for use in the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coastal Area and for further delivery to southern California. It would follow, on grade, the general route of the Feather River Project Aqueduct, but at a slightly lower ele- vation. A pumping plant located near the San Luis Forebay at an elevation of about 150 feet would lift the water from the San Joaquin West Side Conduit into the forebay. An additional plant located on the fore- bay would lift the water further to an elevation of 350 feet into the continuation of the conduit, which, in parallel canals, would convey the water by gravity to the base of the Buena Vista Forebay at an elevation of about 300 feet. At this point a pumping plant would lift the water into the Buena Vista Forebay for further conveyance over the Tehachapi Mountains. Initial operation of the Main Aqueduct Route would be as proposed for the Feather River Project Aque- duct. About 3,700,000 acre-feet would be taken from the Delta on a constant seasonal basis, but on a "when available" monthly basis. Storage space in San Luis Reservoir would be utilized to regulate the variable monthly deliveries to the monthly demand schedule satisfactory to the needs of the San Joaquin Valley, and for delivery at a uniform rate to the Buena Vista Forebay for further conveyance to southern Cali- fornia. Under ultimate operation, conveyance of water in the Feather River Projecl Aquedud would be in- creased from the initial operation of 3,700,000 to 5,300,000 acre-feet per season. The Delta-Mendota Canal would be coordinated with the Feather Rivei Project Aqueduct, and would deliver 1,780,000 acre feet per season into the San Joaquin Valley, a portior of which would be lifted into San Luis Forebay bY means of a pumping plant and conduit. Thus, the twi interconnected systems would ultimately convey ar average of about 7,080,000 acre-feet per season froir the Delta to the San Luis Forebay. Delivery of a por tion of this water would occur on a variable yearlj schedule, because of the irregularity of occurrence of surplus secondary waters in the Sacramento Valley While temporary regulation of these waters would b< provided in San Luis Reservoir, final regulation wouli be accomplished by the vast natural underground stor age of the San Joaquin Valley. Detailed studies of the growth of irrigation de mands, the economic staging of construction, and th< routing of seasonally variable water imported fron the Sacramento River Basin are necessary to a fina 1 determination of the amount of regulatory surfaci storage required in the San Joaquin Basin. Thes< studies were beyond the scope of the current investi gation. Should the requirement for regulatory surfaci storage exceed that which can be furnished at Sai Luis Reservoir, it may be necessary to utilize a reser voir site at Avenal Gap, capable of maximum storagi of 500,000 acre-feet. The operation of Avenal Gap Be* ervoir for regulation would be similar to that de scribed for San Luis Reservoir. Avenal Gap Forebay presently included as a feature of the Central Coasta- Aqueduct, would, in such an eventuality, serve aij a forebay for off-peak pumping to Avenal Gap Reser-; voir. Necessary diversions through the Central Coasta^ Aqueduct would then be made directly from Avena J Gap Reservoir. As future water demands in the San Joaquin Valley and southern California increase to their ultimate poj tential, the Antioch Crossing and Mountain Ilousii Pumping Plant of the Delta Division would deliver ai; additional 10,185,000 acre-feet per season which wouk be transported southward along the west side of th: San Joaquin Valley by the San Joaquin West Sidt-i Conduit. This water would be conveyed on a confirm ous-flow basis, both monthly and from year to year! and would require no regulatory storage. Folsom South Canal, previously described as ; feature of the Sacramento Division, would deliver ai' additional 640,000 acre-feet per season, on the average 1 to the eastern portion of the lower San Joaquin VahV on a variable yearly schedule. Ground water storagi in the valley would be utilized to accomplish the finaj regulation of the water delivered by that conduit. Central Coastal Aqueduct. The Central Coasta, A(|ueduct of the San Joaquin Division would diver, from the Main Aqueduct Route in the San Joaquh THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN I!).") " illey near Devils Den, and would deliver a seasonal j lount of 760,000 aere-f eet of water to deficient areas San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. This |i livery would meet the ultimate supplemental water iquirements in those counties, with the exception of ie (/mama Valley and Carrizo Plain. Possible serv- to the Central Coastal Area under the Feather ver Project is now (1957) being studied. The Central Coastal Aqueduct would beg-in at a di- •l'siuii from the San Joaquin West Side Conduit near .renal Gap. Water would be pumped from the con- Bit and conveyed westerly to Avenal Gap Forebay, ibm which it would be lifted through a series of , imping plants and short canals up the easterly slope . the Cholame Hills to a 5.5-mile tunnel passing west- Uy through the hills into the Salinas Basin at an el- llation of about 1,180 feet. From the westerly portal ( i the tunnel the aqueduct, in canal, would pass south H the communities of Shandon and Cholame and rjrald discharge into Shedd Canyon Reservoir on Li- lian Creek. An irrigation supply of 60,000 acre-feet ip season would be released for use on lands near the ■Immunity of Cholame. The capacity of this initial j^ach of the aqueduct would be 2,200 second-feet, or '•fice the average flow rate, in order to utilize off- .}ak power, with resultant reduction in costs of elec- tee energy. iShedd Canyon Reservoir would provide regulation Ir delivery of 160,000 acre-feet per season for irriga- ftn of lands along the easterly slope of upper Salinas Hdley. The aqueduct would continue westerly from Bedd Canyon Reservoir to a crossing of Huerhuero •reek where a release of 115,000 acre-feet would be cpde to Huerhuero Reservoir, which would regulate Ie supply to a suitable demand schedule for delivery ■ lands along the upper Salinas River. 'The Central Coastal Aqueduct would then continue Wbm Huerhuero Creek westerly and southerly, pass- fib east of Templeton, Atascadero, and Santa Mar- ■jrita. An extended series of tunnels, totaling about III miles in length, would convey the water from the Rinity of Santa Margarita through the Santa Lucia ■nge to Tar Springs Reservoir, located on a tributary ■ Arroyo Grande Creek, about 8 miles east of Arroyo ffande. Tar Springs Reservoir would provide regula- «m for delivery of 30,000 acre-feet per season to the llrroyo Grande Valley and Nipomo Mesa on a monthly Bmancl schedule. The aqueduct would then continue fatherly, releasing 35,000 acre-feet per season for ■livery to lands in the Nipomo Valley. After cross- jg the Cuyama River about 8 miles southeast of ■porno, the aqueduct would convey water southeast- Ky along the edge of Sisquoc Valley to the Sisquoc fiver. Here 105.000 acre-feet per season would be ■leased into Round Corral Reservoir for regulation j'd deliverv to the Santa Maria Valley. From the Sisquoc River the Central Coastal Aque- duct would pass southward through the Solomon Hills to San Antonio Creek, where a seasonal amount of 50,000 acre-feet would be released into the creek for delivery to lands in San Antonio Valley, thence south- ward an additional 12 miles to the vicinity of Los Olivos, where 100,000 acre-feet per season would be released in the Santa Rita Valley and in the Santa Ynez upland. The aqueduct would finally terminate at the existing Cachuma Reservoir, into which it would deliver a seasonal amount of 105,000 acre-feet. Cachuma Reservoir would reregulate this water and deliver it through the existing Tecolote Tunnel to the south slope of the Santa Ynez Mountains on a monthly demand schedule. Passage of peak flows through the tunnel would require installation of pumping facili- ties which would subject the tunnel to a 95-foot head, corresponding to the present operating head on the tunnel when water levels in Cachuma Reservoir are at maximum stage. In providing the foregoing seasonal deliveries of 760,000 acre-feet of water to the Central Coastal Area, the Central Coastal Aqueduct would successively de- crease from an initial capacity of 2,200 second-feet, representing an average flow of 1,100 second-feet, to a capacity of 300 second-feet at its terminus at Cachuma Reservoir. The total length of the aqueduct from the diversion point on the Main Aqueduct Route in the San Joaquin Valley to the terminus at Cachuma Reservoir would be about 207 miles. Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct. The Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct would divert from the California Aqueduct route in the San Joaquin Valley about 5 miles south of the Buena Vista Forebay, and would deliver a seasonal amount of 325,000 acre-feet to water-deficient areas in the Cuyama Valley and Carrizo Plain, which delivery would meet the ultimate supplemental water requirements in those areas. The Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct would begin at a canalside pumping plant located about 2 miles north- east of Maricopa. Water would be lifted up the east- erly slope of the Temblor Range to an elevation of 2,500 feet by a series of four pumping plants so de- signed that they would operate only during periods of off-peak power demand. The final pumping plant would discharge water into two separate pipe lines. One line, the Carrizo Lateral, would continue west- ward and would discharge into a channel leading through the Elkhorn Plain to Elkhorn Reservoir about 8 miles southwest of Taft. The other line, the Cuyama Lateral, would turn southward to Bitterwater After- bay on Bitterwater Creek, about 5 miles southwest of Maricopa. From this afterbay a 4-mile tunnel would pass southwesterly through the ridge to the Cuyama Valley. Water would be diverted into the Cuyama Lateral only when needed and only in the amounts needed. Daily and weekly flow variations due to off-peak ] 196 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN operation would be regulated in Bitterwater After- hay. A total of 80,000 acre-feet of water per season would be delivered to Cuyama Valley, comprising 53,- 000 acre-feet for consumptive use, 4 000 acre-feet for evaporative losses, and 23,000 acre-feet for over- applications of irrigation water. These over-applica- tions would return to the Cuyama River, thereby maintaining a favorable salt balance in the Cuyama Basin, and would become available for use down- stream in the Santa Maria Valley. The remaining 245,000 acre-feet of water per season delivered by the Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct would be conveyed in the Carrizo Lateral to Elkhorn Reser- voir which would regulate the supply to a monthly demand schedule for the Carrizo Plain. In order to provide for off-peak operation, the con- veyance capacity of the Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduc would be 900 second-feet, or twice the average diver- sion rate of 450 second-feet. Summary of San Joaquin Division. The San Joa 1 quin Division would deliver some 8,165,000 acre-fee. per season of regulated waters from northern areas o: : surplus to the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coastal Area, and would transport an additional 9,100,000 acre-feet of water to the Buena Vista Fore ( bay for delivery to areas south of the Tehachapi Mountains. Facilities of the division would consist o* the Main Aqueduct Route, the Central Coastal Aque 3 duct, and the Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct. The Mai;' TABLE 25 SUMMARY OF SAN JOAQUIN DIVISION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM (These works show future development possibilities. They are not project proposals.) Conveyance facilities Main Conduit Route Delta-Mendota Canal Feather River Project Aqueduct. San Joaquin West Side Conduit, Central Coastal Aqueduct Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct Cuyama Lateral Carrizo Lateral ( 'onduits Maximun: capacity, 4,600 11,000 14,400 103 264 245 206.7 7.2 4.8 1.2 Pumping plants Total installed capacity, in kilowatts 16,000 450,000 409,000 224,000 177,000 Total seasonal energy required, 920,000,001 ,100,000,00' 985,000,00| 776,000,00,1 :.,«.-» 1.(100,1 Main Conduit Route San Luis Forebay b . San Luis Reservoir- San Luis Afterbay b . Central Coastal Aqueduct Avcnal Cap Forebay 1 * Shedd Canyon Reservoir, Iluerhuero Reservoir Tar Springs Reservoir Round Corral Reservoir, Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct Elkhorn Reservoir Hitterwater Afterbay Location, MDB&M, and sheet of Plate 5 on which shown Sec. 1, 12, T10S, R8E Sec. 15, T10S, R8F Sec. 15, T10S, RsE Sec. 16, T24S, R19E See. 26, T26S, R14E Sec. 9, T27S, R13E Sec. 15, T32S, R14E Sec. 4, 5, T32S, R22E 17 Sec. 6, T10N, R24W, 20 SBB&M SI, (II III 40,000 10,01)0 134,000 1,000 Normal pool elevation, in feet 2,500 2,500 Height of dam, in feet Place of watei use an Joaquin Valley southern California Upper Salinas Valley Upper Salinas Valley Arroyo Grande Valle; Nipomo Mesa Santa Maria Valley Carrizo Plain Cuyama Valley Provide regulation of imported water to monthly schedule in area served. San Luis Reservoir would also proviii rate, and for ground nratei replenishment in San Joaquin Valley. Provide regulation for use of olf-peak power. regulation for conveyance : THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 197 Aueduet Route would comprise the existing- Delta- Jindota Canal and the proposed Feather River Proj- e Aqueduct as its initial features, and the San Joa- ,,n West Side Conduit which would complete the Jiin Aqueduct Route to its ultimate stage. I Combined seasonal conveyances to service areas in m San Joaquin Valley by the Delta-Mendota Canal H the Feather River Project Aqueduct would Bount to some 7,080,000 acre-feet. An additional ■,000 r acre-feet per season would be transferred ijm the Sacramento Valley to the easterly side of the Irfer San Joaquin Valley by the Folsom South Canal. Fially, the San Joaquin West Side Conduit would Ikvey 10,185,000 acre-feet per season, of which 1,085,- m aere-feet would be delivered to the Central Coastal ilea by the Central Coastal and Carrizo-Cuyama ijueducts, and the foregoing 9,100,000 acre-feet Bild be transported to the Buena Vista Forebay of ■ Southern California Division. Thus, the total sea- Hal transfer of waters south of the Delta, with the meption of deliveries to the San Francisco Bay A?a, would aggregate 17,905,000 aere-feet, ■"he total diversion capacity of the Main Aqueduct lite from the Delta would be 30,000 second-feet, i'tributed as follows: Delta-Mendota Canal, 4,600 Bmd-feet; Feather River Project Aqueduct, 11,000 ibnd-feet; and San Joaquin West Side Conduit, H00 second-feet, divided equally between its two liiponent canals. The Delta-Mendota Canal is 103 ■es in length, and terminates at Mendota Pool. The ■pher River Project Aqueduct and the San Joaquin Hst Side Conduit, consisting of three generally •fallel concrete-lined canals, would extend south- ird along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley ■ut 70 miles to the San Luis Forebay, at which Hit the water would be lifted about 200 feet and the ffduits would continue southerly an additional 180 ■es to the Buena Vista Forebay. flan Luis Reservoir, a feature of the Main Aque- «t Route, would serve a three-fold purpose in pro- tiling temporary regulation of the water delivered ■the foregoing facilities; namely (1) regulation to m variable monthly demand in the San Joaquin ■ley, (2) regulation to a continuous flow to Buena ■ta Forebay, and (3) regulation to rates within ■ absorptive capacity of soils overlying the ground *.er basin in San Joaquin Valley. Final regulation •the variable deliveries of water developed in the ■rramento Valley would be accomplished by the ex- wive ground water storage in the San Joaquin jf'he Central Coastal Aqueduct, diverting from the En Aqueduct Route near Avenal Gap, would de- «:r 760,000 acre-feet per season over and through tt Cholame Hills to the upper Salinas Basin and ■jstal area of San Luis Obispo County and the ftterly portion of Santa Barbara County. The aque- duct would be 207 miles in length from the diversion point to its terminus at Caclmma Reservoir. The Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct, diverting from the California Aqueduct route 5 miles south of the Buena Vista Forebay, would deliver 325,000 acre-feet of water through the Temblor Range at an elevation of 2,500 feet to the Cuyama Valley and to Carrizo Plain. The general features of the San Joaquin Division are presented in Table 25 and the capital costs of its component facilities are shown in Table 26. The facil- ities comprising the division are shown on Sheets 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 20 of Plate 5. SUMMARY OF CAPITAL COSTS, SAN JOAQUIN DIVI- SION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM Item Capital cost* Main Conduit Route Feather River Project Aqueduct San Luis Reservoir 94,350,000 30,930,000 San Joaquin West Side Conduit 25,560,000 Central Coastal Aqueduct (to Cachuma Reservoir) 9,620,000 2,770,000 Round Corral Reservoir 6,660,000 8,880,000 8,280,000 $177,210,000 Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct 1,160,000 5,240,000 5,240,000 5,240,000 8,700,000 * At 1955 price levels. Southern California Division The Southern California Division of the California Aqueduct System would extend southward from Buena Vista Forebay through the Tehachapi Moun- tains to the Mexican border, and would serve supple- mental water to the South Coastal Area, the southern portion of the Lahontan Area, and the Colorado Desert Area, excepting that portion having rights in 198 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN and to the waters of the Colorado River. A supply of water in the amount of about 9,100,000 acre-feet per season would be conveyed through facilities of this division. Of this amount, about 2,880,000 acre-feet would be supplied to the South Coastal Area and the remainder would be delivered to the Lahontan and Colorado Desert Areas. The Department of Water Resources is currently (May, 1957), conducting further engineering, geo- logic, and economic investigations of the Feather River Project Aqueduct system to determine the most feasible aqueduct routes to serve San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Kern Counties, Antelope Valley, and the South Coastal Area, preparatory to construc- tion. Results of these studies are not yet sufficiently complete for inclusion herein, except with respect to the Second San Diego Aqueduct, subsequently de- scribed. Substantial modification of some of the aque- ducts described herein, which are based on prior en- gineering studies, may be necessary, at least insofar as the Feather River Project is concerned. Should these studies demonstrate an advantage in utilizing the coastal route as the principal aqueduct location as compared to the so-called "high-line" route, the facilities leading to the South Coastal Area could be constructed on the alternative coastal alignment, as shown on Sheets 16, 20, and 21 of Plate 5, or along some modification of that alignment. However, the basic concepts and the areas to be served will remain the same, irrespective of the final locations of the aqueducts, when constructed. The Tehachapi Mountains at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley constitute a formidable bar- rier to transfer of water from the valley to the South Coastal Area. Prior studies for the Feather River Project demonstrated the engineering feasibility of an aqueduct route passing through the Tehachapi Mountains at an elevation of about 3,350 feet, cross- ing Antelope Valley, passing along the north edge of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, and leading into the South Coastal Area at Cajon Pass near San Bernardino. The Southern California Division, as presently con- ceived, would include pumping facilities and tunnels through the Tehachapi Mountains. Off-peak power would he utilized to lift the water to the tunnels, and t lie more valuable on-peak power would be generated by that portion of the water supply delivered to lands at lower elevations in the South Coastal Area. In order to make it possible to pump only during periods of off-peak power demand, thereby minimizing de- mand charges for pumping power, forebay and after- bay storage reservoirs would be provided along the aqueduct route. Deliveries of supplemental water to Ihe service areas of the Southern California Division would he effected ;it various strategic Locations by sev- eral aqueducl routes. These routes and points of de- ratio. livery were selected mainly on the basis of integrat: with and utilization of existing water supply distribution facilities, in order to avoid unnecessar overlap and duplication of such works. The effect of the physical characteristics of the service area with respect to regulation and distribution of th supplemental supply were also considered. For purposes of presentation herein, the Souther; California Division has been divided into seven units, which are discussed in the following order : Buen Vista-Ceclar Springs Aqueduct, which, in addition t carrying water to aqueducts farther south, wouli serve the extreme southern portion of San Joaqui, Valley, the Antelope Valley, and the desert areas t the east; San Fernando-Ventura Aqueduct whic, would serve the San Fernando Valley, the coasts plains of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, thj Malibu area, and upper Santa Clara River Valley, Devil Canyon Power Development, which would d desert side of the San Bernardino Mountains, anAl|; )!]v system of lateral aqueducts serving the Lahontan ai -. Colorado Desert areas. One of these conduits, den^,. nated the "Upper Aqueduct," would comprise fl% facilities under consideration for the high-line roi>|«»j„, of the Feather River Project Aqueduct as fi Quail Lake Reservoir, and would be the initial stj of the Buena Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct. A ond conduit would be required in the future f or ^p mate delivery of water to Cedar Springs Fore This conduit is designated the "Lower Aquedl THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 199 m would generally parallel the alignment of the I per Aqueduct, but at a lower elevation, ■"he Upper Aqueduct would convey water from ■jena Vista Forebay at a minimum elevation of 327 Ift, through a series of 4 pumping plants and some ■miles of canal, tunnel, and pipe line, to the inlet Irtal of a tunnel through the Tehachapi Mountains Ian elevation of 3,357 feet, about 6 miles east of ftipevine. The aqueduct would pass about 3 miles ■theast of Maricopa and 2 miles west of Wheeler Age on its course up the northerly slope of the Bpachapis. Two consecutive tunnels, totaling 10.5 ■es in length, would deliver the water southeasterly lough the Tehachapis to Quail Lake Reservoir, ■ich would be formed by enlarging the existing lail Lake. About 1,000,000 acre-feet of water per ■son would be diverted from Quail Lake Reservoir Id the San Fernando-Ventura Aqueduct, as herein- ■er described. A.s stated, the section of the Upper Aqueduct from lena Vista Forebay to Quail Lake Afterbay would laprise the facilities of the high-line route for the mther River Project Aqueduct. It would have a con- lance capacity of 6,000 second-feet, and would de- l?r a seasonal supply of about 1,800,000 acre-feet to lail Lake Reservoir, at an elevation of about 3,300 It. The aqueduct and pumping plants would be ■igned to operate to the greatest extent feasible fting periods of off-peak power demand, in order ■utilize less costly electric energy available during ■h periods. In addition to the large forebay and lerbay capacities required for off-peak pumping, nil reservoirs at each pumping plant would pro- le for the necessary flexibility of operation, fcrom Quail Lake Reservoir the Upper Aqueduct lild extend southeasterly along the south edge of Itelope Valley, and would terminate in Cedar l*ings Forebay, about 9 miles south of Hesperia in I southern portion of the Mojave Desert, at an ■ration of 3,252 feet. The Upper Aqueduct between lail Lake and Cedar Springs Forebay would be Istructed on grade, and would consist of cut- ■l-cover conduit, tunnels, and canal sections. The lacity of the aqueduct in this reach would be 1,300 fond-feet, and it would deliver about 800,000 acre- It per season to Cedar Springs Forebay. Bonstruetion of the Lower Aqueduct would eom- ■te the Buena Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct to its ■mate stage. The Lower Aqueduct would have a later capacity than the Upper Aqueduct, diverting easonal supply of 7,301,000 acre-feet. The Lower eduet would generally parallel the route of the per Aqueduct, at a higher elevation north of eeler Ridge and at a lower elevation south of that ft. As presently conceived, the Lower Aqueduct dd be constructed in stages and would probably sisl of two aqueduct units. The Lower Aqueduct would convey water from Buena Vista Forebay to Antelope Afterbay, located about 3 miles northeast of Quail Lake Reservoir, in twin parallel conduits. Between Buena Vista Fore- bay and the tunnels through the Tehachapi Moun- tains, the aqueduct would consist of about 45 miles of canal, pipe line, and short tunnels through the Buena Vista Hills and Wheeler Ridge. Three pumping plants would lift the water from an elevation of 327 feet in the Buena Vista Forebay to 3,140 feet at the inlet portal of the Tehachapi tunnels. These tunnels would be approximately 9 miles in length, and would ter- minate at the Antelope Afterbay, with a maximum water surface elevation of 3,095 feet. The reach of the Lower Aqueduct just described would have a de- sign capacity of 24,600 second-feet, equally divided between component twin conduits. The aqueduct and pumping plants would also be operated to utilize off- peak energy, and the necessary forebay and afterbay capacity would be provided. From Antelope Afterbay, the Lower Aqueduct would extend southeasterly nearly 100 miles along the southerly edge of the Antelope Valley, terminat- ing in Cedar Springs Forebay. This section of the aqueduct would consist of a single canal with an initial capacity of 9,000 second-feet at the Antelope Afterbay, and would be progressively reduced to 2,500 second-feet at the point of discharge in Cedar Springs Forebay. Diversions totaling 5,710,000 acre-feet per season would be made along the route to laterals comprising the Antelope-Majove Aqueduct system. The remaining 1,535,000 acre-feet per season would be lifted into Cedar Springs Reservoir at an elevation of 3,253 feet, by a pumping plant near Hesperia. San Fernando-Ventura Aqueduct. The San Fer- nando-Ventura Aqueduct would extend southerly from Quail Lake Reservoir and then westerly to de- liver about 1,000,000 acre-feet of water per season from the Buena Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct to San Fernando Valley and the coastal plain of Los Angeles County, Ventura County, the Malibu area, and the upper Santa Clara River Valley. Beginning at Quail Lake Reservoir at an elevation of 3,300 feet, the San Fernando-Ventura Aqueduct would pass southerly about 22 miles to Castaic Creek Reservoir in a short canal section and a series of tunnels through the divide between Antelope Valley and the Santa Clara River drainage area. Castaic Creek Reservoir would be located on Castaic Creek, a tributary of the Santa Clara River, about 3 miles north of Castaic Junction. Power would be developed enroute along the aqueduct by a power drop of about 700 feet into Liebre Gulch, where regulatory storage capacity would be provided by construction of the Liebre Gulch Afterbay. Power would also be de- veloped by construction of a power plant at Castaic 200 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN Creek Reservoir, utilizing available head of about 1,100 feet. The San Fernando-Ventvtra Aqueduct between Quail Lake and Castaic Creek Reservoirs would have a capacity of 3,100 second-feet, and would be operated only during periods of on-peak power demand. Castaic Creek Reservoir would provide regulation of the fluctuating discharge of the aqueduct to the monthly demand schedules in the aqueduct service area. The upper Santa Clara River Valley would be served 68,000 acre-feet of water per season directly from this reservoir. From Castaic Creek Reservoir the San Fernando- Ventura Aqueduct, with an initial elevation of 1,250 feet, would continue southerly to a 5-mile tunnel, in the vicinity of Newhall, passing through the divide between the upper Santa Clara River and San Fer- nando Valleys. The tunnel outlet portal would be about 1 mile to the west of the existing Upper San Fernando Reservoir of the City of Los Angeles De- partment of Water and Power. Here a seasonal supply of water of 717,000 acre-feet would be delivered, at an elevation of 1,160 feet, on a monthly demand schedule, for use in the San Fernando Valley and coastal plain of Los Angeles County. From the tunnel portal, the San Fernando-Ventura Aqueduct, with a capacity of 300 second-feet, would continue westerly, delivering 215,000 acre-feet per season into Ventura County on a uniform flow basis. Enroute. the aqueduct would pass through the Simi Hills, near the town of Chatsworth, and into the Simi Valley. It would extend along the southerly side of Simi Valley to terminate in Conejo Reservoir, imme- diately above Santa Rosa Valley about 6 miles east of Camarillo. Conejo Reservoir, with a maximum wa- ter surface elevation of 398 feet, would provide ter- minal storage for aqueduct supplies delivered to the Ventura County service area. Deliveries to lands be- tween the Simi Hills tunnel and the reservoir would be made directly from the aqueduct. Water service would be provided from Conejo Reservoir to the Ox- nard Plain area, the Calleguas Creek drainage area, and the Ventura River Basin. If desired, water de- liveries could also be made to the vicinity of Santa Barbara by extending the aqueduct and increasing its capacity. Devil Canyon Power Development. Facilities of tlic Devi] Canyon Power Development would generate power by a 1,340-foot drop through the San Bernar- dino Power Plant at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains, and would deliver about 1,510,000 acre- I'eet per season for further conveyance by the Chino- S;in Gabriel and Barona Aqueducts, subsequently described. The power development aqueduct would Lead southerly from Cedar Springs Reservoir, at an elevation of about 3,222 feet, through the San Ber- nardino Mountains in a 5-mile tunnel parallel to that of the previously mentioned San Diego High-Lh Aqueduct. From the tunnel outlet near the junetio of Devil Canyon with its east fork, the aquedui would continue southward, crossing the east forj~ siphon and entering penstocks to the San Bernardir Power Plant immediately north of the City of Sa Bernardino. The aqueduct would extend eastwar from the power plant tailrace by pipe line to tt Arrowhead Springs Afterbay on East Twin Creel The Twin and Waterman spreading grounds in tl upper Santa Ana Valley would be sttpplied aboii 64,000 acre-feet per season directly from the rese* voir. The San Bernardino Power Plant would be ope ated only during periods of peak power demand, an would have an installed capacity of 400,000 kilowatt Arrowhead Springs Afterbay would provide rerfl lation of the power releases to a uniform delivery f( further conveyance to service areas. Chino-San Gabriel Aqueduct. The Chino-Sa Gabriel Aqueduct would divert at a hydraulic grac line elevation of about 1,760 feet from a low point if the pipe line connecting the tailrace of the San Bej nardino Power Plant and Arrowhead Springs Afte bay, and would proceed, in pipe line, westerly alon the base of the San Bernardino Mountains a distan of 35 miles, to a terminus in the existing Morris Ee ervoir on the San Gabriel River at an elevation about 1,150 feet. The aqueduct would deliver a si' sonal supply of 429,000 acre-feet to the upper San' Ana and San Gabriel Valleys. Arrowhead Springs Afterbay would provide re<* lation of the tailwater from the San Bernardii Power Plant to a continuous flow in the Chino- Gabriel Aqueduct by releases thereto during perioi when the power plant would not be in operation, ttti reversing the direction of flow. Water would be r leased from the aqueduct to spreading grounds ove lying the Chino and other smaller ground water baa for regulation and distribution by underground age. Direct water service could also be provided frsl the aqueduct to lands in the vicinity. By terminal^ the aqueduct in Morris Reservoir, a physical conBS tion would be provided with the artificial recharj facilities of the Los Angeles County Flood Contv District in the San Gabriel Valley and MonteH Forebay area of the coastal plain of Los Angdi County and to the facilities of The Metropolis Water District of Southern California. Second San Diego Aqueduct. Pursuant to pr sions of the Budget Act of 1956 of the Califor Legislature, the Department of Water Resources cently completed a detailed investigation of alte tive routes for the next aqueduct to San Diego Cou and the most economical capacity thereof. The fa ties of the Second San Diego Aqueduct describe 44 N^ Southern California Division— The Proposed Terminal for the Chino-San Gabriel Aqueduct— Morris Reservoir Near Pasadena 204 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN two conduits, the Upper Aqueduct and the Lower Aqueduct. The Upper Aqueduct would consist of the facilities of the high-line route of the Feather River Project Aqueduct as far as Quail Lake Reservoir, and would deliver 1,800,000 acre-feet of water per season to that reservoir. The Lower Aqueduct would com- plete the Buena Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct to its ultimate stage, conveying a seasonal supply of 7,300,- 000 acre-feet through the Tehachapi Mountains, for service to the Antelope Valley and desert areas to the east in the amount of 5,710,000 acre-feet, and de- livering 1,560,000 acre-feet to Cedar Springs Res- ervoir. The San Fernando- Ventura Aqueduct would de- liver about 1,000,000 acre-feet of water per season from Quail Lake Reservoir to the San Fernando Valley and coastal plain of Los Angeles County, Ventura County, the Malibu area, and the upper Santa Clara River Valley. The Devil Canyon Power Development would gen- crate power by dropping 1,510,000 acre-feet per season of water from the Cedar Springs Forebay through the San Bernardino Power Plant at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains. The water would then be conveyed easterly to the Arrowhead Springs Afterbay on East Twin Creek. The Chino-San Gabriel Aqueduct would divert from the aqueduct of the Devil Canyon Power De- velopment, and would deliver a seasonal supply of about 429,000 acre-feet to the upper Santa Ana and San Gabriel Valleys, terminating in Morris Reservoir. The Second San Diego Aqueduct would extend generally southerly about 90 miles from the west portal of the San Jacinto Tunnel of the Colorado River Aqueduct to a terminus in Minnewawa Reser- voir on Jamul Creek near the City of San Diego. The aqueduct would generally parallel the route of the existing San Diego Aqueduct, and its coordinated operation with facilities of the existing San Diego Aqueduct, the Barona Aqueduct, and the San Diego High-Line Aqueduct would make available 1,300,000 acre-feet of water per season to lands in San Diego and southwestern Riverside Counties. The Barona Aqueduct would deliver about 1,020,-' 000 acre-feet of water per season to the lower-lying^ lands south of the San Bernardino Mountains. TheJ aqueduct would originate at the Arrowhead Springs Afterbay of the Devil Canyon Power Development..' and would extend southerly to a connection with the Colorado River Aqueduct at the westerly portal of: the San Jacinto Tunnel. From this point the aqueduct, would continue southerly some 50 miles, generally paralleling, but to the east of, the existing San Diegoi Aqueduct, and would terminate in Barona Reservoir near Ramona. The Barona Aqueduct would make seasonal deliveries of 200,000 acre-feet to the water spreading grounds in the Bunker Hill Basin of Sar. Bernardino County, and 820,000 acre-feet to the Sai Jacinto Valley and to areas to the south in San Dieg< County. The Barona, existing San Diego, and Seconc San Diego Aqueducts would be operated on an int& grated system. The San Diego High-Line Aqueduct would extent southerly from Cedar Springs Forebay, through th< San Bernardino Mountains, generally following th. alignment of the high-line route of the Feather Rive" Project Aqueduct, to a terminus at Horsethief Can yon in San Diego County, near the Mexican bordeii TABLE 27 SUMMARY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM (These works show future development possibilities. They are not project proposals.) Conveyance facilities uena Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct Feather River Project Aqueduct Lower Aqueduct Antelopc-Mojave Aqueduct system San Fernando-Ventura Aqueduct Devil Tuny. .n Power Development i hirio-San ( labriel Aqueduct .. Second San Diego Aqueduct Barona Aqueduct San Diego High-Line Aqueduct (Feather Ri Project; u hitewater Aqueduct Ban Felipe Aqueduct liaroll.'i- II it'll I. in. Inl. i.. .mi. ill. ,n I ota! < '.in. lints Maximum capacity, 0,000 24,600 7,420 Length, in miles 160.9 ,081.2 33.2 24.2 53 . 4 3.9 44.8 168.7 132.7 10.6 35.4 90.6 100.6 Pumping plant Total number Total installed capacity, in kilowatts 837,000 ,114,000 537,000 Total seasonal consumpt in kilowatt-h 6,874,00 23,635,000,( 2,064,00(1 8, 195,000 32,593,1 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 205 TABLE 27-Continued SUMMARY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM (These works show future development possibilities. They ore not project proposals.) 1 Power plant Location, SBB&M, and sheet Plate 5 on which shown of Average head, in feet Installed capacity, in kilowatts Average annual energy generation, in kilowatt-hours Bna Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct Sec. 4, T6N, R17W Sec. 2, T5N, R17W Sec. 81, T2N, R4YV Sec. 5, T3S, R1E Sec. 35, T2S, R1E Sec. 9. T3S, R2E See. 9, T3S, R3E Sec. 33, T12S, R5E Sec. 12, T12S. R6E Sec. 34, T12S, R8E b 21 21 22 24 24 24 24 25 25 25 737 1.077 1,337 500 144 691 339 407 494 572 222,000 168,000 244,000 400,000 8,200 2,200 9,400 2,100 12,900 17,400 4,600 1 ,090,000,000 S, Fernando-Ventura Aqueduct iebre Gulch ■astaic Creek E il Canyon Power Development kn Bernardino S Diego High-Line Aqueduct anning athaway 651,600,000 951,900,000 1.570,500,000 67,800,000 14.500,000 54,500,000 j'hitewater . • In Felipe (arrows . ,ane Springs 14,600,000 54.000.000 68.300,000 40,000,000 1,090,800 4,577,700,000 iter distribution in the high desert areas when the need develops. Individual works are not shown. TABLE 27-Continued SUMMARY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM (These works show future development possibilities. They are not project proposals.) Location, SBB&M, and sheet of Plate 5 on which shown Type of dam Height of dam, in feet Normal pool eleva- tion, in feet Storage capacity, in acre- feet Place of water use l Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct Route Lail Lake Reservoir Sec. 13, T8N, R18W Vista Forebay Sec. 26. T31S. R24E. MDB&M ie Afterbay-.-. Sec. 3, T8N, R17W 32, T3N, R4W ir Springs Forebay rnando- Ventura Aqueduct re Gulch Af terbay aic Creek Reservoir Canyon Power Development rowhead Springs Afterbay C 10-San Gabriel Aqueduct ("transmission San Diego Aqueduct Canyon Reservoir rged Lower Otay Reservoir. I Diego High-Line Aqueduct in Felipe Reservoir ■nta Ysabel Reservoir Sec. 25, T2N, R20W Sec. 11, TIN. R4W Sec. 18. T10S, R2W Sec. 18, T18S, R1E Sec. 22. T12S, R5E Sec. 19. T12S. R3E 3,095 3.252 2,500 1,377 42.000 14,200 9.400 motion Upper Santa Clara Valley- Los Angeles County Ventura County Los Angeles ( 'ounty San Diego County San Diego County in Diego Countj Salton Sea area San Diego County S bols of Type of Dam -EarthfiU p — Concrete gravity Symbols of Purpose OP — Regulation for use of off-peak power P — Power generation S — Reregulation of waters to local demand schedule 206 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN This aqueduct would convey about 825,000 acre-feet per season, of which 368,000 acre-feet would be de- livered to the South Coastal Area and 457,000 acre- feet would be conveyed to the Colorado Desert Area. SUMMARY OF CAPITAL COSTS, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION, CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM Item Capital cost* Buena Vista-Cedar Springs Aqueduct 31,560,000 593,820,000 San Fernando-Ventura Aqueduct Devil Canyon Power Development $144,981,000 Chino-San Gabriel Aqueduct Second San Diego Aqueduct Barona Aqueduct San Diego High-Line Aqueduct (Feather River Project) 7,230,000 Whitewater Aqueduct elipe Aqueduct 21,800,000 970,000 $2,933,390,000 \i 105G price levels. Deliveries to high lands in the upper Santa Ana am San Jacinto Valleys, to the San Gorgonio Pass are; and desert lands to the east, and to high lands it Riverside and San Diego Counties, would be mad directly from the aqueduct. Near Lake Henshaw. diversion by tunnel on a continuous flow basis woiriV be made to the Borrego Valley area. About 85,00* acre-feet of water per season would also be provider from the San Diego High-Line Aqueduct to Baron Reservoir by the Barona High-Line Interconnectioi for use on lower-lying lands. The general features and capital costs of the Cal: fornia Aqueduct System in the Southern Californi Division are presented in Tables 27 and 28. The locpi tion of these facilities are delineated on Sheets 16, llj 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, and 26 of Plate 5. UTILIZATION OF GROUND WATER STORAGE Inherent in the concept of development, and vitall necessary to the successful implementation and ope ation of The California Water Plan, is the availr bility of adequate facilities for storage, regulation and transportation of the developed water supplie Transportation facilities would consist of the man local and transbasin conduits, and the Californ Aqueduct System. Because of the many possible alte native means of accomplishing the transfer of wa from areas of surplus to areas of deficiency, both a local and on a state-wide scale, the problem water transportation, from an engineering point view, is not likely to present insurmountable di culties in the implementation of The California W ter Plan. There are, on the other hand, no alternative mea) of developing the physical storage space required provide the necessary control and regulation of tl large volumes of water over long climatic cyjg Early in the studies concerning The California Wat Plan it became apparent that such control and lation cannot be accomplished by surface stora alone, within foreseen economic limits. It was thei fore necessary to examine in detail the feasibility utilizing the natural storage capacity available underground basins in order to supplement available surface storage. Based on such examin; there is every indication that storage capacity, quate by a relatively safe margin, exists in C nia's major underground basins to enable necessary regulation, and that such regulati physically possible under conservative assump' Under The California Water Plan, sufficient voir storage capacity would be necessary in n of water surplus to so regulate water supplies tl they may be exported at a nearly uniform rate, tl reducing the sizes of transport conduits. Similar THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 20'i i addition to further conservation of local water re- ►urces, reservoir storage space would be necessary in [le areas of water deficiency to provide reregulation IE imported water, since such a rate of water delivery pes not correspond to the demand rates. Adequate irface reservoir storage capacity was found to be IJrailable in the North Coastal Area to accomplish the Inquired regulation. However, in the Sacramento and Ian Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basins and in the Lahontan, tjolorado Desert, and South Coastal Areas, the large Iblumes of required storage could not be provided itirely in surface reservoirs. H In the case of the Sacramento River, San Joaquin iver. and Tulare Lake Basins, studies of the rela- on which would exist between historical inflow and iltimated ultimate water requirements indicate that maximum of approximately 53,000,000 acre-feet of relic storage capacity would be required to regulate le water supply so that water demands could be Ret as they occur, without shortages. It is further jdieated that foothill storage reservoirs could be eco- Dmically constructed in the basins to an aggregate gulatory capacity of about 22,000,000 acre-feet, ^nsequently, the additional 31,000,000 acre-feet of ►■quired storage space necessarily would be provided [rough utilization of ground water basins. Estimates I the storage capacity existing in the alluvium of le Central Valley, made by the United States Geo- Igical Survey and the Department of Water Re- lurces. indicate that some 133,000,000 acre-feet of loss storage capacity is available within 200 feet of |e land surface. Taking into consideration areas of lestionable water quality and areas where rates of [charge and extraction might present problems, it 1 indicated that the usable storage capacity might nount to about 98,000,000 acre-feet. se of Ground Wafer Storage I For the most part, the total storage capacity which 9 available in the alluvial valley fills is the sum of le volumes of the innumerable small pore spaces, I voids, that exist around the particles comprising le alluvial fill. Not all of this volume, however, is lable ; in clays and fine silts, the interparticle spaces ^e too minute to permit sufficient rates of water pvement. Moreover, not all of the water stored in e interstices of the alluvium will drain out as the hter table drops. Primarily, the larger pore spaces Bund in sand and gravel strata and deposits pro- 'le the usable underground storage space. Even in larger interstices, the movement of ground iter is so slow that rates of placing surface water t| storage, flow within the ground water basin itself. *d rates of extracting water from storage by means wells are prime problems in the utilization of the :orapre capacity of a ground water basin. In addition to the physical problems, economic and iter quality criteria must be considered fully in estimating usable ground water storage capacity and in selecting water supply sources. For each water use and for each source of supply there is an eco- nomic limit to the price which could be paid for the supply. Thus, there is a limiting depth from which ground water could be obtained economically. This economic depth, of course, varies with the use of the water. Profitable agricultural endeavors in certain areas of the State are now obtaining water from depths in excess of 600 feet. However, under The California Water Plan pumping depths of such mag- nitude are not envisaged. If parts of the alluvium contain water of unsuable quality, or if soluble minerals exist within the sub- surface basin which would degrade water placed in storage, these volumes of the alluvium cannot be con- sidered as usable for water storage. In time, such zones or areas might be flushed of their degradants and become usable. However, since sufficient information is not now available concerning these processes, such areas are presently classed as unusable. In those areas where the upper fresh ground waters are underlain by connate saline water or where the possibility of sea-water intrusion exists, the draft on the usable ground water must be controlled, as to both rate and total annual amount, to the extent necessary to main- tain the quality of those waters at acceptable levels. Operators of a ground water basin must exercise con- stant care to assure that usable storage space is not rendered unusable by an accumulation of damaging concentrations of undesirable minerals. This can be accomplished by controlling the quality of water placed in storage; by adjusting the relative use of surface and ground water throughout the basin ; by controlling the rate, amount, and areal pattern of extractions; and by providing requisite drainage or outflow from the basin to maintain salt balance. The California Water Plan envisions the maintenance of the utility of ground water basins in perpetuity. Surface reservoirs and subsurface basins are simi- lar in that they each have replenishment and discharge characteristics. Surface reservoirs will store water as fast as the inlet channels permit, and may be de- signed to discharge at any rate. In the case of ground water basins, however, the recharge or replenishment capacities are not so completely subject to artificial control. At the same time, they constitute primary factors in determining the utility of the basin. Under natural conditions water enters the ground by infil- tration from direct precipitation and by percolation from streams and ponds. Under artificial development, additional important means of recharge, namely, canal seepage, deep percolation of unconsumed applied irri- gation water, return flow from cesspools and the like, become effective, as well as does artificial recharge by spreading and other means. In addition, an area lying at higher elevations that receives an abundance of surface water may serve as a source of replenishment 208 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN to a lower-lying area by providing subsurface flow to the lower area. The significance of the problem of ground water recharge rates is apparent when a comparison is made between the short duration and large volume of flood flows, or even the usual peaks of seasonal runoff, and the low rates at which stream percolation occurs. Fur- thermore, this problem is exaggerated where surface reservoirs capture all but the larger flows, thus re- ducing the ground water recharge period to a rela- tively few days of peak discharge. In addition, there are many instances where the natural recharge oppor- tunity is so limited that additional capacity must be developed artificially. Artificial recharge may take the form of stream channel modification to increase the wetted stream bed area ; construction of spread- ing ponds or ditches, recharge wells, and shafts; and operation of the irrigation canal system during the nonirrigation season to effect recharge during the pe- riod when canals and ditches normally would not be full. Such operation would provide additional oppor- tunity for seepage from the surface distribution system. Artificial recharge operations should be so located with respect to the geologic structure of the ground water basin as to achieve the most efficient utilization of the storage capacity and of the transmissibility of the aquifers. In selecting a location, consideration must likewise be given to the surface soil texture and subsurface structure in order to obtain the best per- colation rates. Artificial recharge works may involve considerable areas of land, with consequent cost and possible interference with other potential land uses. There are other problems involved which necessitate careful consideration, including : construction and maintenance of diversion works from streams ; control of silting ; maintenance of percolation rates ; and pre- vention of nuisance and protection of the public health through adequate mosquito control and other measures. Storage of water underground through artificial recharge has been widely practiced in California since 1895. Much information and data are available both from actual operating experience and from controlled research, but further study and evaluation are needed. It is emphasized that thorough knowledge of the physical characteristics and geologic structure of a ground water basin is a prerequisite to successful artificial recharging operations therein. Deep percolation of unconsumed applied irrigation water is an important means of ground water re- charge. Drainage problems frequently develop in areas receiving abundant supplies of surface water, and the possibility that such problems may arise must be considered in planning the utilization of ground water luisins. Such problems, however, can be pre- vented by controlled pumping of water from the ground water basin so as to maintain a lowered water table. The water thus pumped could be discharged from the area as drainage water, or could be utilized to irrigate adjacent or overlying lands, thus reducing, the amount of the required surface supply. For ex- ample, if only the water requirement necessary to satisfy consumptive uses were imported to an area,, and surface and ground water service areas were, properly balanced, the amount of water entering ground water storage would be equal to the amount, leaving ground water storage and water levels would not fluctuate appreciably from season to season, thereby preventing serious drainage problems. How- ever, with such constant recharge and constant dis- charge, no cyclic regulation would be provided, and' the underground basin would be ineffective in pro-, viding beneficial regulation of water supplies over 1 long-time climatic cycles. Problems of salt accumula-j tion in the ground water would undoubtedly arise.ij On the other hand, if the entire service area were^ supplied with surface water to the maximum extent', possible during wet periods and the ground water! drawn upon to a much greater degree during dry' periods, the ground water basin operated in conjunct tion with surface reservoirs could serve to regulate 1 the available water supply over long-time climatic' cycles. Under the concept of planned utilization, the 1 ground water in storage would be deliberately drawn' down for beneficial use either on overlying lands or by export during dr,y periods, thus creating greater' storage space to be refilled with excess runoff during ensuing wet periods under a carefully planned and' managed program. The operation of available surface' and ground water storage reservoirs would be so co-'. ordinated as to achieve the maximum feasible degree of conservation. This method of operation has been' used in the studies for the Central Valley which described subsequently. In some regions, such as the South Coastal Area, where the runoff is extremely erratic both in season and from year to year, with dry periods of several years' duration, and where surface storage is verj limited, the ground water basins must be relied upor for long-time cyclic storage. Under such circum stances, surface reservoirs are often used primarilj to regulate the runoff to the extent necessary to enabk the storage of the water underground through arti ficial recharge operations. It is anticipated that this ' practice will become increasingly prevalent in th<; more arid portions of the State in order to obtaii the maximum practicable conservation of local watei resources. Under conditions of full development and plannec utilization of ground water resources, the rate, th' ; amount, and the areal pattern of extractions must b< carefully planned and controlled if most efficient W' is to be made of a basin. These withdrawal factor i must be properly related to: the geologic structure: ::: THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN '209 ilh areally and vertically, of the basin; the areas ■ greatest potential usable storage capacity; the ■rces and areas of recharge; the transmissibility tl permeability of the aquifers; the areas of water i| ; the possibility of water-logging in the lower por- fiis of the basin ; and the necessity of controlling Hsurface outflow and effluent seepage from the ■in. Here again it is obvious that full knowledge • the characteristics of the ground water basin is lirerequisite. ftertain legal and financial problems involved in tl planned utilization of ground water basins are ■cussed in Chapter V. Cnjunctive Operation in the Central Valley ■the coordinated operation of surface reservoirs Kh underground storage basins in the manner de- Bbed, to produce the desired yield at minimum cost, is erincd "conjunctive operation." Several trial op- tttion studies were made for assumed conditions of ■mate development in the Central Valley. In these •dies, the costs of operation with various combina- 1s of surface reservoir release schedules and sur- 4e water transport capacities were compared with ■ costs of required ground water pumping, in order Bfletermine the most economical, or optimum, hal- ve between the two. The method of operation thus Iketed, and described in part herein, is presented m as the only method which would serve the pur- He, but rather to illustrate in a general manner that ■ required conservation results could be attained. ■The conjunctive operation of the entire Central ■ley would not involve completely untried and un- ■ved principles, but, before being put into prac- m, would require much additional study and in- wigation. particularly as to geologic conditions and momics. The only new aspects would be the valley- l|e application of the operation and, to a certain ■pnt. the flexibility in serving irrigated areas from Hi surface and ground water sources. However, in ■j operation herein described, provision was made m service to portions of the valley entirely from Ser surface sources or from ground water, where nographie, geologic, and ground water quality con- jurations dictate. Recharge to the ground water fcns would occur mainly from deep percolation of 4 unconsumed surface application of water for ir- mtion and from seepage from unlined canals and Sribution systems. In localized areas where normal ■und water recharge is limited, artificial methods wild be employed. |'or studies of conjunctive operation, the Central Fley was separated into four parts : the Sacramento Jley, the Delta-Mendota Area, the San Joaquin V ley-West Side Area, and the San Joaquin Valley - Est Side Area. The location of the four areas, and tl major foothill storage reservoirs that were utilized in the studies, are depicted schematically on Plate 7, entitled "Conjunctively Operated Storage in the Central Valley." The period chosen for detailed study of conjunctive operation of foothill and ground water reservoirs in the Central Valley was the 10-year period 1926-27 through 1935-36. This period includes the 6-year critical drought period, 1928-29 through 1933-34. In addition, water supply conditions prior to the 10- year period were such that the ground water reservoir could be considered to be full at the beginning of the period if conjunctive operation had been practiced on a long-term basis. Assuming an available water supply equivalent to the 10-year operation period, and as- suming conditions of ultimate water demand, the operation study demonstrated that it would be pos- sible to provide not only the ultimate water require- ments for the entire Central Valley but also to provide a seasonal export to other areas of the State in excess of 1,700,000 acre-feet of water from the Sacramento Valley. Moreover, studies indicated that the ground water basins would again fill to the levels existing at the beginning of the 10-year period. A summary of results of the operation study is given in Table 29. Several of the values given in Table 29 merit com- ment. For instance, the studies indicate that under the method of operation discussed herein, only 32 per cent of the usable ground water storage capacity within 200 feet of the ground surface would be re- quired to accomplish the necessary cyclic regulation. Furthermore, since the selected 10-year period in- cludes the most critical years during the 50-year mean period 1897-98 through 1946-47, from a water supply standpoint, it follows that the indicated maximum depths to ground water may occur about once in 50 years. Under conjunctive operation, ground water pump- ing units would be distributed more uniformly over the underground basins, in comparison to the present over-concentration of wells in regions that derive their entire supply from underground sources. Fur- thermore, through use of an integrated surface dis- tribution system, wells could be operated on a more continuous basis, thus reducing the number of instal- lations required, and also reducing the unit costs of pumping by savings in stand-by charges. In summary, utilization of the ground water stor- age capacity of the Central Valley is essential to the full ultimate development of the water resources of the State. There is economically available about 98,- 000,000 acre-feet of usable ground water storage capacitjr in the Central Valley, of -which only 31,000,- 000 acre-feet would be required in the operation of The California Water Plan. In order to utilize effec- tively this subsurface reservoir, its conjunctive opera- tion with the foothill surface reservoirs of the Central Valley would be required. A possible means of ob- 3*g«^ 'Storage of water underground through artificial recharge has been widely practiced in California since 1895." Hansen Spreading Grounds Near Burbank THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN TABLE 29 211 I'AMARY OF RESULTS OF CONJUNCTIVE OPERATION OF SURFACE RESERVOIRS AND GROUND WATER BASIN OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY UNDER CONDITIONS OF ULTIMATE WATER REQUIREMENTS DURING THE CRITICAL OPERATION PERIOD 1926-27 THROUGH 1935-36 Main subdivisions Sacramento Valley Delta- Mendota Area West Side East Side Area Area Total Central Valley liable foothill reservoir storage capacity , in millions of acre-feet Wired ground water storage capacity, in millions of acre-feet mted usable ground water storage capacity within 200 feet of land surface, in n ,cre-feet on of usable ground water storage required, in per cent of gross local water demand satified by ground water, in per cent, in: )ry -cason Tet season verage season mum gross seasonal recharge of ground water basin, in millions of acre-feet seasonal depletion of ground water in storage, in millions of acre-feet installed ground water pumping capacity, in millions of gallons per minute ximate number of pumping plants required depth to ground water, in feet from ground surface mum mean depth to ground water, in feet 27.7 14 7.2 3.1 6.2 1.000 25 15.3 42 38 2.8 1.1 2.5 2,500 40 43.8 31 7.5 7,500 30 16.3 8.6 18.5 19.250 ing much of the recharge capacity necessary to ate the ground water basins of the Central Val- would be to have sufficient distribution capacity nable. on occasion, the service of about 75 per of the area from surface supplies. Thus, the age from canals and deep percolation of uncon- ed applied irrigation water, plus certain artificial arge works, would recharge the underground ns so that they would be filled and be available heavy draft during drought periods, tudies of conjunctive operation indicate that in t areas where considerable present development ts, the average depth to ground water would be than at present and, in areas where little ground r development has occurred, the depths to ground r wotdd be reasonable. s pointed out. there are actually no new principles lved in the operations just described. Further- ;, there is every indication that the required md water storage capacity is available and that required recharge rates could be obtained. A ewhat similar method of operation is being prac- l at the present time in parts of the Tulare Lake n, notably in the service areas of the Kaweah, ■, and Kern Rivers. The Raymond Basin area in hern California has been operated since 1945 on a planned basis, ased upon present knowledge and the assumptions ; have been made regarding available water sup- and ultimate water requirements, it is indicated it will be necessary to operate the underground ns in coordination with foothill reservoirs in ewhat the manner which has been described, thermore, there is every reason to believe that such operation could develop by local initiative and under local control to a considerable degree, although region-wide guidance in planning and control in operation would be necessary for most effective results. The legal problems involved in conjunctive op- eration are discussed in Chapter V. SUMMARY OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN There has been described in this chapter a vast system of integrated works, both local and inter- basin, which serves to demonstrate that the objectives of The California Water Plan are physically possible of accomplishment within the limits of available wa- ter resources. While it is acknowledged that ultimate development of the land and other resources of the Slate may be achieved by works differing in many respects from those described herein, certain basic factors will remain essentially the same, regardless of the actual works ultimately selected for construc- tion. Among these factors are : the probable ultimate water deficiency in the central and southern parts of the State; the ultimate surplus in the North Coastal Area and the Sacramento River Basin ; the total storage requirement for the necessary regulation and control of water; and the approximate lengths and sizes of major aqueducts required to equalize geo- graphically the water resources and the ultimate water requirements in California. In view of these factors, and of the inherent limitations of any plan for the indefinite future, it is considered that the works summarized in this section are as realistic as can now be foreseen. 212 TUP: CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN < y ~ CO -* O •; co ■-= O I ? S S^oo 3| o S » o o o o o < S3 1 0000000 0000000 £ £§S 000000 tJ > .2 3 f -JJ = £ il X m Cj to to /. ~ ; C Oj£ £-- = » f gagj-M •| B w $ Q £ & > ° ? 588 s £ i THE CALIFORNIA WATEE PLAN 213 The general features of the local development iorks and facilities of the California Aqueduct Sys- |m, their requirements for pumping and accomplish- lents in terms of power generation, and their capital ists are presented in Table 30. Of a total of 376 Iservoirs shown in Table 30, 282 would be con- rvation reservoirs. 30 would be operated primarily Jr power generation, 60 would serve as regulatory or Iversion reservoirs, and 4 would be operated solely \r flood control. IWater transferred through conduits of the Califor- la Aqueduct System would be captured, controlled, id regulated by 26 major reservoirs, of which 15 ipuld be in the North Coastal Area and 11 in the Icramento River Basin. The reservoirs in the Sac- ^mento River Basin would be operated in conjunc- ln with ground water storage capacity in the Cen- tal Valley for the regulation of additional variable lisonal surplus flows. Of the remaining reservoirs i the California Aqueduct System, 11 would be op- iated primarily for generation of power, 4 would rve as diversion reservoirs, and 29 would be op- luated for regulation of imported water to the de- nnd schedule prevailing in the particular area Ived. ■Of the total of 49 billion kilowatt-hours of energy §r season required to deliver water to all potential rviee areas in the State, about 30 billion kilowatt- Burs would be required to serve the high desert areas ii southern California. However, the total seasonal Bergy production of about 34 billion kilowatt-hours, ■tuning all facilities of The California Water Plan Hbe in operation, would be reduced by nearly 11 ■lion kilowatt-hours, should the facilities which puld develop and distribute waters to the high desert areas not be constructed. Thus, the ne1 seasonal energy requirement associated with the service of the high desert areas would be 19 billion kilowatt-hours. Based on present price levels, the total cost of all the features of The California Water Plan would be about $11,900,000,000, of which the facilities of the California Aqueduct System would cost an estimated $9,000,000,000. The cost of the Plan, as its component features become successively implemented over an in- definite number of years, would be borne by the Fed- eral Government, the State Government, and local agencies, in a coordinated and cooperative common effort to solve California's water problems. Data on the accomplishments of The California Water Plan in terms of development and transfer of water are presented in Table 31. As shown in that table, about 7,000,000 acre-feet of new yield would be developed by local works, and nearly 22,000,000 acre- feet per season would be developed and transferred from areas of surplus to areas of deficiency by facili- ties of the California Aqueduct System, for a total of some 29,000,000 acre-feet per season of water, which would be made available by The California Water Plan. The development of this quantity of water cannot be accomplished by surface storage alone. It is estimated that some 31,000,000 acre-feet of ground water storage capacity would ultimately be utilized in the Central Valley to achieve the required degree of control and regulation of the water resources of the Sacramento River and San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basins. Furthermore, operation of substantial ground water storage capacity in other parts of the State would be required in conjunction with the delivery of imported water supplies. 214 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN O S 51 ■3-1 fe J Hi b = as- o s Q s y»5 s 11 II -2 I | 1 a II gooooooogo q_ eration of ground water storage would result in llmporary lowering of ground water levels during Ify periods, possibly lower than the levels that other- ise would have occurred, until replenishment could ft effected during later periods of surplus water pply. Present statutory law (Water Code § 1242) cognizes the storing of water underground as a ■nefieial use if such water is later applied to a bene- »ial purpose. Each owner of land which overlies a ground water [sin has a right correlative with the similar right each other such owner, to the reasonable beneficial ;e of water upon his land from the common ground ater supply. This right is closely analogous to the parian right pertaining to surface streams, and is a sted property interest which cannot lawfully be ken or damaged without observing the requirements due process of law. Although some cases look in that direction, it is tain a right to place water imported from another urce into a ground water basin for purposes of >rage, and to subsequently withdraw an equivalent iiantity of the resultant commingled water, even if ere were no material impairment of vested rights the use of the natural supply. Legal problems jpuld also be encountered if an attempt were made create storage space in a ground water basin by •liberately lowering the water level, even though e withdrawn water were put to beneficial use. Pres- it law realistically recognizes that minor inconven- nce to existing rights caused by subsequent uses ay he unavoidable and is not actionable so long as II is not unreasonable. Any substantial diminution of e available water supply or unreasonable interfer- ice with means of diversion, however, entitles vncrs of prior rights to appropriate relief either by junction or, where a public use has attached, to unpensation. Substantial lowering of ground water vels, with consequent material increase in pumping Fts, would fall within one or the other of these rules, ■pending on the degree. From the foregoing it is clear that major changes in the regimen of ground water basins must be ac- companied or preceded by a determination of the rights of the water users. Such determination by the courts is the only method of control over the opera- tion and management of a ground water basin which is possible under existing statutes. An efficient method of determining rights to the use of ground water should be available. There are two procedures provided by present stat- utes whereby the State Water Rights Board may as- sist the courts in the adjudication of water rights. Only one of these procedures, notably the ' ' court ref- erence" procedure, can be applied to percolating ground water. Under the court reference procedure, any action for the determination of water rights may be referred by the court to the board. Another proce- dure, commonly referred to as a "statutory adjudica- tion," is restricted to surface bodies of water and to subterranean streams flowing through known and defi- nite channels. Under this procedure, all claimants to water from a stream system can be brought before the State Water Rights Board upon petition filed with the board and signed by one or more claimants to the waters involved ; and upon the filing of the board 's findings with the Superior Court, a judgment that is conclusive on all parties can be entered. A large num- ber of the smaller stream systems, particularly in northern California, have been adjudicated under the statutory procedure. A number of ground water ad- judications have been completed and others are in process under the court reference procedure. Conclu- sions relative to ground water adjudications which appear to be warranted by the considerable experience of the State Water Rights Board and the Department of Water Resources in this field are : (a) The boundaries of ground water basins can be determined only after competent and thorough geologic and hydrologic investigations. (b) The safe yield of a ground water basin is not a fixed quantity but varies with (among other factors) the state of development in the basin and in the watersheds tributary thereto. Accordingly, periodic redeterminations must be made of the al- lowable extractions of water from the basin if ef- fective utilization of the ground water is to be achieved. (e) It will invariably take a considerable period of time and substantial expense to obtain the data necessary to determine the safe yield of a ground water basin with reasonable accuracy, but without these data the basin cannot be operated properly. (d) Because of the obscurities inherent in the occurrence of ground water and the multiplicity and variable nature of the factors affecting the safe yield of a ground water basin, measurement and collection of the basic data required for adjudica- 220 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN tion should be initiated long prior to the actual adjudication and carried on continuously, so that, when the need therefor arises, the information will be available for use. (e) In many instances it would be difficult to establish that excessive extractions of water have resulted in irreparable damage to a basin. Some basins could be pumped substantially dry without irreparable damage resulting to such basins, for upon cessation of pumping, the basin would gradu- ally refill with water of satisfactory quality by natural processes. On the other hand, where com- paction and subsidence occurs, or in coastal ground water basins where sea-water intrusion occurs due to overdraft, or in other special cases, a, finding of irreparable damage might be made. A program should be adopted for continuing in- vestigation of the ground water areas of the State, particularly those determined to be required for effec- tive operation of The California Water Plan, sup- ported by adequate appropriations. By this means, as and when it becomes necessary to adjudicate rights to the use of these ground water basins, to the extent the necessary data are available, the expense and de- lay of adjudication thereof would be minimized. In 1955, Part 5 was added to Division 2 of the Water Code, providing a procedure for filing notices with the State Water Rights Board by every person who extracts ground water in excess of a certain minimum amount in the Counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Bar- bara. Any person may request the board to investi- gate and determine the facts stated in a notice. The determination of the board is prima facie evidence of such facts in any action or proceeding in which they are material. By operation of this procedure, there will in time be accumulated much relevant in- formation concerning rights to the use of ground water, which will be available if and when it becomes necessary to adjudicate such rights, and which will serve to minimize expense and delay in such adjudi- cations. In proceeding with The California Water Plan, consideration should be given to the adequacy of ex- isting law and administrative procedures to accom- plish its purposes. Over the course of time, it is believed that it will become necessary to adjudicate the rights to ground water in most of the underground basins in the State. Among other things, considera- tion should now be given to existing procedures for the collection of data concerning ground water, ex- isting procedures to determine rights to its use, exist- ing procedures for handling overdraft situations, and to the adequacy of present law to allow full utiliza- tion of ground water basins. The following modifica- tions to the court reference and statutory adjudication procedures have been proposed in order to simplify, improve, and minimize the expense involved, 1 and careful consideration should be given to legislation. to accomplish them. (a) A practical lis pendens procedure should b< supplied. This should apply to both the court refer-; ence and statutory procedures. (b) The trial court should be authorized to refer any case involving the determination of water rights surface or underground, at any time after filing oi, the complaint, to the State Water Rights Board, with direction to follow either the statutory adjudicatior procedure or the court reference procedure. This would supply a most desirable flexibility. (c) The trial court should be authorized to impose from time to time, trial distribution schedules. Thin also should apply to both procedures. (d) The State Water Rights Board should be aui thorized to investigate and report upon all rights t<> the use of water, including ground water rights. Thi:- modification is necessary only in the statutory adjudi 1 cation procedure. (e) Provision should be added to the statutory adjudication procedure to the effect that initiation of a proceeding tolls the statute of limitations, and that, on motion of the Water Rights Board, an actioi : to adjudicate the rights, in whole or in part, involves in any such proceeding, filed during the pendencjj thereof, shall be abated. (f) The trial court should be authorized to impo a physical solution, either as recommended by referee or as suggested by the parties, and to ent any other order as the interests of justice may rej quire. This should apply to both procedures. (g) In entering its judgment the trial court shouli' retain broad jurisdiction, in accordance with th! principles approved by the Supreme Court of Ca fornia. This also should apply to both procedures. In 1955 the Legislature enacted the Water Efj plenishment District Act as Division 18 of the Wate, Code. Although various other types of districts arj authorized to replenish ground water, water reple ishment districts organized under the provisions this act would have the advantage of being autli ized to levy assessments in proportion to wate; pumped from the underground. This is particular!' important in making equitable assessments of trios : holding appropriative and prescriptive rights to usj water on non-overlying land. These water users migh not be adequately assessed on an ad valorem ba The organization of water replenishment distrie is limited to the Counties of Santa Barbara, VentuSr Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardim and Orange. As yet, no water replenishment distrie has been organized, so it cannot be said definit th Mi , Re: ate, , ar pie] is o thoi rate Based on statement of Henry Holsinger, then Principal Atto ney, Division of Water Resources (now Chairman, Sta'' Water Rights Board), before the Joint legislative Inter! Committee nn Water Problems, December 14, 1954. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 221 njether this will be an effective type of organization fi utilizing a ground water basin. If it should prove Mbe so, consideration should be given to extending y coverage of the Water Replenishment District it to other areas of the State. 11 1953. The Orange County Water District Act (tats. 1933. Ch. 924) was amended to give the dis- ti-t similar assessment powers. The validity of these ■hers was sustained in Orange County Water Dis- ttt v. Farnsivorth, 138 Cal. App. 2d. 518, 292 P. 2d. if (1956). IVhile it is not an immediate problem, it is evident ■It effective administration of the development and ■lization of ground water resources, either by the Ate or by local agencies, or by both, will become nndatory as the stage of full water development is aoroached. When it becomes necessary to operate I major ground water basins for import-export pur- ines, as envisioned under The California Water Plan, m requisite authority to do so must exist. Studies fluid be initiated now as to the adequacy of existing ■lutes to accomplish these ends, so that the necessary ■endments and additions thereto may be made at if appropriate time. The following items are sug- gited for consideration in this connection: ML A constitutional amendment to authorize and Ilccompanying statutes to set up procedures for la) the planned utilization of ground water basins i|or carry-over storage, and (b) adjustment of con- flicts with existing rights either by delivery of j Irater or by cash compensation. 2. The requirement of permits and licenses for he appropriation of ground water. I 3. Control and supervision of recharge of de- •lleted ground water basins. tfo protect and maintain the quality of the State's f^und water resources, it is believed that minimum ifidards of water well construction and adequate llcedures for the maintenance and abandonment of W)ls should be enforced as necessary throughout the ■jte. This cannot be done under existing state law; Bsideration should be given to the enactment of legislation at an early date. Relationships With Other Agencies. 1. Integra- tit Willi Projects of Other Agencies. Features of mi California Water Plan constructed and operated ■J the Department of Water Resources would of Kessity be integrated with features already con- victed and to be constructed by other agencies. This •particularly important in connection with projects •grated by the Federal Government. fhe Sacramento River and Delta channels will be W as a common water conveyance system by both 'I Central Valley Project and the Feather River *»ject. The San Luis Reservoir would also be uti- li!d by both projects under current proposals. It is apparent that detailed operational agreements will be necessary for the integrated operation of these fea- tures, so as to avoid conflict and to obtain the highest degree of beneficial use of water in an efficient man- ner. Both the Central Valley Project and the Feather River Project rely in part on water right applications filed by the State on the same day. In general, use of natural stream flow by the two projects will be inex- tricably interrelated. Both projects require an agree- ment or determination as to the water available for their use — as between each other, and in relation to water users in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Stream System holding senior rights. There is no reason to believe that all of these problems cannot be solved by agreement if all of the parties approach them in good faith. 2. The Federal Power Act. The Federal Power Act authorizes the Federal Power Commission to issue preliminary permits and licenses for the purpose of investigating, constructing, operating, and maintain- ing project works "necessary or convenient for the development and improvement of navigation and for the development, transmission and utilization of power" in navigable waters of the United States or upon public lands and reservations of the United States (except national parks and monuments), or to utilize surplus water or water power from any govern- ment dam [41 Stat. 1063, 1065 (1920) as amended, 16 U.S.C. s. 797 (e) (1952 ed.)]. Construction, opera- tion, or maintenance of any such project works by any person, state, or municipality without first securing a license from the Commission is unlawful. The act also contains provisions designed to accommodate state and federal law. Since the Federal Power Commis- sion has authority over the planning and construction of certain hydroelectric projects within the states, conflicts may occur if the projects licensed by the commission differ from those approved by the state by the granting of necessary water rights. If conflicts should occur between federal power projects and The California Water Plan, they would have to be settled by the courts or by the Congress. Water Development for Fish and Wildlife and for Recreational Use. In order to provide sufficient flowing water in a stream for fish and wildlife and for the enhancement of recreational aspects of a stream, it may be necessary to store water in headwater reser- voirs to permit planned releases during low-water periods. The combined releases and natural flows would be planned for a desirable all-year regimen of flow in the interests of protection and enhancement of fish, wildlife, and recreation. In order to accomplish the foregoing objectives, the planned stream flows should be protected against ap- propriations of water for other purposes. However. present law does not provide positive and reliable pro- tection for such natural or unregulated flows in a 222 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN watercourse where such flows are not otherwise taken under control. As is elsewhere pointed out, there is no method for broadly reserving unappropriated wa- ter from appropriation under the general law pertain- ing to that subject. Furthermore, continuance of the unobstructed natural flow of a stream probably cannot be assured by making an appropriation of water for that purpose, because an essential element of an ap- propriation is generally considered to be the exercise of physical control and dominion over an identifiable quantity of water by either diverting it from the stream channel or by artificial regulation of the flow within the channel. Section 525 of the Fish and Game Code requires the owner of a dam to allow sufficient water to pass the dam to keep fish in good condition below the dam. Other sections of the code permit the planting of fish or construction of a hatchery in lieu of a fishway over or around a dam in certain instances. Section 526.5 of the code prohibits issuance of a permit or license to appropriate water in Fish and Game District 4| (Inyo and Mono Counties), unless conditioned upon full compliance with Section 525. These sections have not been construed by California courts, but the At- torney General has concluded that Section 525 "is not a reservation of water for the preservation of fish life but is rather a rule for the operation of dams where there will be enough water below the dam to support fish life, i.e., it is a standard for the release of water in excess of what is needed for do- mestic and irrigation purposes so that what is avail- able for fish life shall not be wastefully withheld" [18 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 31, 37 (1951) ]. Statutory Restrictions Upon Projects. 1. Klam- ath River. A restriction upon the construction and maintenance of dams and other obstructions on the Klamath River is contained in an initiative measure approved by the electorate on November 4, 1924, which provides in part : "Section 2. Every person, firm, corporation or company who constructs or maintains any dam or other artificial obstruction in any of the water of said Klamath river fish and game dis- trict [The Klamath River below its confluence with the Shasta] is guilty of a misdemeanor . . . and any artificial obstruction constructed, placed or maintained in said district is hereby declared to be a public nuisance." [Cal. Stat. (1925), p. XCIII, Deering's Gen. Laws, Ann., Act 2941.] Whether the prohibition of the statute applies to I lie Slate or its agencies is an undetermined question. It assumes importance since The California Water Plan contemplates dams on the Klamath River at some future date, as yet undetermined. It is well es- tablished that a sovereign is not bound by general words limiting the rights and interests of its citizen; unless such sovereign is included within the limitation expressly or by necessary implication. Assuming tb the State and its agencies are bound by the statut. its amendment or repeal would be a prerequisite t construction of dams within the specified reach of th river. Such action would require favorable the electorate. On the other hand, assuming th statute does not have that effect, legislation might b ( enacted authorizing an agency of the State to cor struct one or more dams and diversion works at desic; nated points on the river, and such constnictio; could proceed without further authorization. 2. American River. By California Statutes ( i 1955, Chapter 1583, Section 10001.5 was added tj the Water Code excluding the Coloma Dam an] Reservoir Project from the State Water Plan, providing that no permit to appropriate water be issued by the State for the purposes of a proje which will flood any portion of the Gold Discove Site State Park at Coloma "unless such issuance specifically authorized by law." Under The Calif orn: Water Plan a dam at this site, or a more expensh' alternative means of storage by a diversion from tl South Fork of the American River to Nashvil Reservoir on the Cosumnes River, is considered to \ necessary in the future for full conservation of ft, waters of the American River. It is believed that th situation should be reviewed again by the Legislate at the appropriate time when a choice between the two alternatives must be made. tut - fie Summary. The accomplishment of a plan whic would make possible the maximum utilization 4 California's water resources presents a large mumV of legal problems, many of which can, at pre only be posed. Those of most immediate interest of two types: (1) questions as to the adequacy H present law for the accomplishment of integrate; water resource development, and (2) situations $ which the law has not yet been definitely determine by the Legislature or the courts. Some of the questions in the first class are as fo lows: Are administrative procedures for the apprc tion of unappropriated water, including the au ity of the Department of Water Resources to file assign applications, adequate to bring about orderly development and maximum beneficial use California's water resources? Is present law adequ to make possible the highest development of Cal nia's recreational resources under The Califd Water Plan, and, in particular, is it adequate to alio maintenance of stream flow for the purpose of prjj serving and enhancing fishing and recreational of California streams? IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALIFORNIA AVATER PLAN 223 Still more numerous are the important questions as which the controlling law has not been clearly •mulated. Foremost among these is that pertaining rights of counties and areas of water origin. A solu- n to this problem which will provide guarantees to areas in which water originates that they will have ough water for their development, but at the same e will allow acquisition of firm contract rights to ported water, is for consideration by the Legislature d the electorate. Also unresolved is the question as whether an owner of water rights could be required accept a substitute water supply of comparable ality and quantity to that to which his rights attach. e California Water Plan has been developed so as minimize interference with existing water rights, d where these rights are adversely affected, adequate justments must be made or the rights must be ac- ired either by purchase or condemnation. Other unresolved questions concern relationships th other agencies. They involve settlements of water hts in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Stream System i operational agreements with other agencies, in- lding the Federal Government. Close coordination ist be maintained with the Federal Power Commis- n because of its jurisdiction over hydroelectric wer developments on many of the State's streams. me Economic Considerations If the sources of capital funds needed by any entity construct features of The California Water Plan re unlimited, the attendant problems of imple- »ntation would be obviously simplified. However, in 3 allocation of scarce resources, such as capital and ior. among the various projects of the Plan, there raid be simultaneous consideration of criteria for lority, justification, and scale of projects. While isonable theoretical criteria may be used to accom- sh orderly development of the State's water ources, it must be recognized that political, opera- nal. and other considerations may alter the theoret- 1 optimum. Basically, the over-all objective of The California iter Plan is to enhance the general welfare of the iple of the State ; that is, to satisfy their needs and ires. These needs and desires are being continually reased by nearly half a million new people each Jar. This results, among other things, in the neces- y of making available more than 500,000 acre-feet new water each and every year if the growth trend to continue. Consequently, the work that should be dertaken in the field of water resource development Rof too large a magnitude to be pre-empted by any •tfigle agency, be it local, federal, or state. The efforts Hd capabilities of all agencies must supplement Jjther than supplant each other. Some Considerations in Implementation of The Ulifornia Water Plan. Implementation of The California Water Plan poses a number of major ques- tions, such as: (1) why implement the Plan; (2) who should control the Plan and construct its component projects; (3) how should need and priority of con- struction be determined; and (4) how might projects of the Plan be financed. 1. Why Implement the Plan. Regarding the first question, Chapter II and III of this bulletin have stressed California's water problems and the result- ing need for The California Water Plan. Hence, only two further comments are required. First, it is be- lieved that coordinated, comprehensive, and progres- sive development as envisioned in the Plan would greatly increase the efficiency of use of the required capital, labor, land, and water. Secondly, it should also be stated that as a result of California's water problems being so varied both in their nature and occurrence, and of such large mag- nitude, there is a strong state-wide interest in their solution, an interest long recognized by the Legisla- ture. The state-wide interest implicit in implementing the Plan includes: effecting a balanced use of water resources for all purposes ; obtaining maximum bene- fit from the use of storage capacity; resolving con- flicts between groups representing particular purposes and/or particular areas; protecting the interests of future generations of Californians ; accepting respon- sibility for those effects of a project which extend be- yond the boundaries and/or jurisdiction of the proj- ect-sponsoring agency; and, for those projects which receive state financial aid, effecting the equitable dis- tribution of benefits and costs, and avoiding the con- centration of gains at public expense, insofar as pos- sible. 2. Control and Construction. In order to receive the greatest value from The California Water Plan, basic responsibility for and control thereof should be vested in an agency which is state-wide in scope. The State of California is the logical, in fact the only, agency in a position to assume the leadership in the required coordination and control. The State is in- terested in the solution of all the water problems in all parts of California. The several agencies of the Federal Government which by law are engaged in water resource development are each interested only in certain phases of that development, within the lim- itations of federal policy and appropriations. Local groups, of course, are primarily concerned with the problems which face them locally. However, it is acknowledged that financial and other recognized lim- itations preclude any single agency from being able to carry out the financing, construction, and operation of all of the yet-to-be completed features of the Plan. Instead, leadership and participation by the State Government and continued participation by local wa- ter-using organizations and the Federal Government 224 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN will be needed to implement the Plan if the primary objectives thereof are to be substantially obtained. 3. Determination of Need and Priority of Con- struction. This refers to economic evaluation of water resources projects. In this regard, recom- mended criteria to be used by both the State and federal agencies in their evaluation of such projects were submitted to the United States Senate in a report entitled "Views of the California State Department of Water Resources on United States Senate Resolu- tion 281, 84th Congress, 2d Session," dated Novem- ber, 1956. Comments which follow on this subject are substantially contained in the foregoing report. Construction of component projects of The Cali- fornia Water Plan should take place when a need for the products and services thereof is demonstrated. Once this is determined, then choice of the particular project to be constructed should be established by con- sidering alternative sites and methods of providing the equivalent products or services. That is, each project chosen should accomplish the purpose or purposes in- tended more economically than by any other means. A proper evaluation of any project requires bal- anced consideration of (1) an economic appraisal of those benefits and costs which are reasonably meas- urable in monetary terms, and (2) adequate consid- eration of all values and aspects not measurable in monetary terms. Policy determinations of what con- stitutes "benefits" and "costs" will have a great influence upon estimating both economic justification and financial feasibility. The question of "what proj- ect should be built" involves one of the most im- portant matters of all, that of project selection. In order to facilitate the ensuing discussion of some aspects of economic evaluation of projects, several of the terms used are defined as follows : "Project" — any integral physical unit or several component and closely related units or features re- quired for the control or development of water and/or related land resources within a specific area, and which can be considered as a separate entity on the basis of physical characteristics, functional accom- plishments, or economic evaluation. "Benefits" — all the net (gross gain less associated costs) identifiable gains or values which are meas- urable in monetary (tangible) or nonmonetary (in- tangible) terms which accrue to a project. Obviously, a benefit-cost ratio can include monetary values only. "Primary Benefits" — all identifiable net gains or values which are realized directly by project bene- ficiaries through use of products or facilities of the project, but which may or may not be measurable in monetary terms. "Secondarj Benefits"— all net gains or net values which may or may not be measurable in monetary terms, which are properly creditable to the project, and which are realized over and above those include* in primary benefits. "Intangible Benefits" — all net gains or value; attributable to a project which are not measurable h monetary terms, but which are nevertheless entitle* to qualitative consideration on the basis of significan contributions to the economic strength, social strue, ture, and welfare of the State or Nation. "Economic Costs" — all of the monetary costs asso, ciated with construction, operation, and maintenanc', of a project, as well as all other identifiable expenses* losses, and liabilities, whether measurable in monetan or nonmonetary terms, that are associated therewith An economic approach to the development of watej resources is essential, for such a study not only will substantially show .whether benefits exceed costs, bu comparison of such studies made of different project] will show the order of their economic desirability. Determination of the relative merits of projects! and selection from alternative projects, are usualhj best accomplished by comparing the benefits with tin' costs of each project, A benefit-cost ratio greater thai' 1 to 1 is generally desirable in selecting a project foj further consideration, but it never should be the soh determinant. Such a ratio cannot reflect intangibl values which may be of substantial significance, no^ can it reflect completely the public interest. However if projects are proposed which do not show an exces; of benefits, expressed in monetary terms, over costs ■ the reasons for such should be clearly stated. Main re' liance for project selection should be placed on a com] parison of primary benefits with primary project costs, although secondary benefits and costs, whet properly evaluated, may be separately considered. Project costs are relatively simple to ascertain, ini sofar as the application of principles and concepts an concerned. Most of the project costs would usually b' incurred over a short period of time and in the near J term future. On the other hand, project benefits car be of great variety and character, as can the projee' detriments which also must be considered ; they cai; be both measurable and immeasurable ; and thei! usually occur in increasing quantity over time an< continue to occur over the useful life of the project; Consequently, sound analysis of benefits becomes o! the utmost importance, because the findings of sucl! an analysis provide the most substantial answer as t ■' whether the project should be built either now o later, or not built at all. Benefits stemming from a project of The Californii Water Plan could include some or all of the following an increase in net income to the farmer using irriga tion water; a reduction in flood damages and improve; ment in possible land use; augmentation of municipal water supplies so that new factories and shops an<-| homes may be built; increase in the availability of hy droelectrical energy for peak-load purposes; prever IMPLEMENTATION OP THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 225 ion of encroachment of saline waters into a ground water basin ; maintenance of more favorable stream Sows than under natural conditions, for enhancement pf fish and wildlife values ; increases in water recrea- tional opportunities other than those derived from fish end wildlife ; creation of more economically stable ir- rigated agricultural areas and adjacent urban com- munities; enhancement of the navigability of certain waterways; improvement in water quality brought pbout by project releases of water downstream during >therwise low-flow periods ; and the increase in sup- plies of food and fiber which tends to reduce price in- sreases that would occur otherwise during periods of :ull or near-full employment. After appraisal has been made of the costs and )enefits of a project, the need for cost allocation then arises when a project serves two or more pur- poses. The object of cost allocation is to provide for equitable distribution of the total multipurpose cost imong the purposes served. The use of one structure to serve several purposes generally involves less total :-ost than if separate structures were provided for each purpose. An equitable distribution of multipurpose project costs should rest on the values created by the >roject. Benefits are the measure of these values, but they may be limited by the alternative cost of pro- ducing them. No one method of cost allocation is suita- ble for all conditions. However, on the basis of com- parative advantages and disadvantages, the separable (ist-remaining benefit method is generally recom- mended for use in the cost allocation of large projects ; >ut in certain cases other methods of cost allocation nay prove of value. Only after project costs have been dlocated can repayment policies be selected within ihe framework of the laws and policies of the project- pponsoring agency. 'J The project should not be built until financial feasi- lility. that is, the sources of required capital funds find repayment of the reimbursable costs, is indicated. Such a feasibility study should indicate : the costs to oe repaid ; the contemplated repayment period ; the probability of repayment ; the rates to be charged for .vater and power to pay off their allocated share of the osts: and the extent to which each project purpose would have to be subsidized, if any, and, if so, the iource of the subsidizing funds. Reimbursable project hsts should be repaid by the beneficiaries of the iroject goods and services. 4. How Projects of the Plan Could Be Financed. \a has been stated heretofore, it is contemplated that peal water service agencies, the Federal Government, md the State would participate in financing and con- struction of The California Water Plan. Each of these froups lias its own methods of raising capital funds md disbursing them. Districts and cities customarily finance their proj- ects by means of the issuance and sale of general obli- gation bonds and revenue bonds. Whereas revenue bonds are redeemed from project revenues only, gen- eral obligation bonds may be redeemed both from project revenues and from taxation of property in the district or city. In the recent past the Federal Government has been assisting in the development of the State's water re- sources to the extent of about $70,000,000 a year, through appropriation by the Congress for reclama- tion and flood control projects. The Federal Govern- ment finances, constructs, and in some cases operates, its own works. It also appropriates certain nonreim- bursable funds for its own water projects and for cer- tain of those sponsored by non-federal entities, such as for flood control. Loans and grants are also made to non-federal public entities through such means as Public Law 566, 83rd Congress, the Watershed Pro- tection and Flood Prevention Act, the Small Reclama- tion Projects Act of 1956, and Public Law 130, 84th Congress, which latter law provides for loans for the construction of distribution systems on authorized federal reclamation projects. With respect to state financing and construction of some of the contemplated projects of The California Water Plan, methods to be used in raising funds and repaying them will depend upon policies yet to be established by the Legislature. However, a course of action should be followed which will expedite the ob- jectives of the Plan. There are several possibilities by which the State could raise funds to be used in financ- ing water development projects. These include provi- sion of funds derived from current revenue, including oil royalty revenues, from the sale of general obliga- tion and/or revenue bonds, and from the use of state trust funds backed by state guarantee. It is proposed that the State immediately embark upon a long-range water resources development pro- gram which perforce would require a long-range financing program. A Water Development Fund is needed to finance and operate state-constructed water developments, to aid political subdivisions of the State in the construction of such developments, and to assist joint-use projects between the State and the Federal Government, or between the State and political sub- divisions thereof. Governor Goodwin J. Knight has recommended the creation of a water development fund, and on April 9, 1957, he further recommended to both houses of the Legislature that this fund should include the following moneys : (1) Uncommitted tidelands oil revenues and income from this source through July 1, 1958. These will amount to approximately $101,000,000 after deduct- ing the $38,000,000 appropriation now (May. 1957) 226 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN pending for continuation of the preparatory work at the Oroville Dam and Reservoir site. (2) Future revenues from tidelands oil revenues in excess of $10,000,000 per year. (3) The $75,000,000 now in the Revenue Deficiency Reserve Fund ("rainy day" fund), in the State Treasury. (4) Moneys from the General Fund in amounts to be determined by the Legislature. (5) Such moneys in other funds as may be deter- mined by the Legislature to be available for this purpose. (6) Net revenues derived from water projects op- erated by the State. In this regard, project revenues would be used first to pay for operation, maintenance, replacement costs and secondly for debt service charges before being transferred to the Water Devel- opment Fund. (7) Proceeds from any bond issues that may be voted and sold in the future for construction of the Feather River Project and of other elements of The California Water Plan as they are authorized, and for financial participation in projects of the Federal Government and local agencies. (8) Interest derived from the investment of moneys held in the Water Development Fund. It is believed the most desirable method of obtain- in- the moneys for the Water Development Fund would be from current funds and revenue and by sale of bonds as and when needed to make up the balance of the total capital required. It would result in a com- bination of pay-as-you-go and pay-as-you-use. The use of current funds and revenues provides equity capital and reduces the over-all project costs to the State through large savings in interest payments that would otherwise have to be paid by the State. By holding down the total amount of bonds that must be sold by the State, it also mitigates any possible ad- verse effect on the current state program of selling genera] obligation bonds for school building and vet- erans ' loan purposes. Related to the State's proposed financing and con- struction activity are a number of most important policy matters, most of which are not as yet defined by statute. These include the question of whether certain of the project capital costs should be non- reimbursable or reimbursable. Should the State de- clare as public policy that project costs allocated to flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife, and water quality protection be nonreimbursable, due partly to the state-wide and also the federal interest inherent in SUCb matters, and due partly to the difficulty in collecting the costs thereof from the beneficiaries:' In this regard, it is believed that the State should consider the following as nonreimbursable : costs of Hood control features of a project in those instances in which federal Hood control contributions are mm available ; costs of lands, easements, rights of way, i and utility relocations required for flood control projects, as have been assumed in the past pursuant to Part 6 of Division 6 of the Water Code ; costs of lands, easements, rights of way, and utility relocations required for major projects having a high degree of j state-wide interest ; costs associated with the protee- ■ tion and enhancement of fish and wildlife ; and at least a large proportion of the recreational costs asso- t ciated directly with water development projects, pro- vided there is a large state-wide interest, and further provided that the operation and maintenance costs: thereof be not assumed by the foregoing Water De- velopment Fund. It is also believed that the reimbursable costs alio-* cated to irrigation and municipal and industrial uses; of water, as well as for hydroelectric power genera- j tion, should be repaid by the users thereof with, interest. Another policy matter is that of pricing or rate fix-, ing with respect to the sale of power and marketing of water. It is considered that rates for sale of hydro- 1 electric power should properly be based upon the cost of competitive thermal power for the same type of J service, including taxes, as if it were under a privately, owned utility. Full advantage should be taken of the increased values of hydroelectric energy as peaking: power in establishing rates. First priority for vendible- power, that is, power not required for project pur-i poses, and in accordance with Part 3 of Division 6 of the Water Code, should be given to public agencies atj established rates. Rates for irrigation and other vendi-i ble uses of water should be sufficient to cover all ap- propriate capital and annual operating, maintenance, and replacement costs required to make the water, available ; provided, that irrigation water rates should not be in excess of the water user's ability to pay after allowance for a reasonable margin of profit; and further provided, that net surplus revenues de-^ rived from the sale of power and other sources should be applied toward repayment of the capital costs: associated with water deliveries for beneficial use,: with preference being given to irrigation use. All of the foregoing, as well as other policy matters,! require much more thorough study than has been possible in the preparation of this bulletin. They are discussed briefly herein to outline the problems and to indicate the trend of current thinking bv the De- partment of Water Resources. There is within the State property estimated to have current market value of about $100,000,000,000 From the income-generating portion of this value, the people who work with it produce an annual currenl disposable income of about $30,000,000,000. Undei conditions of the State's population increasing ulti mately to about 40,000,000 and the irrigated expected to increase to about 20,000,000 acres, market value of property in the State is expecta IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER FLAX •I'll .mount to at least $300,000,000,000 and the annual lisposable income to increase to at least $90,000,000,- j)00, assuming current purchasing power values. For his as well as for other reasons, it is believed that lidding a $12,000,000,000 system of major water works ver a period of many decades by state, federal, and oeal agencies would not require appreciable financial acrifices on the part of the people of California, ndeed, the incurring of such costs could be regarded Its income-generating or opportunity investment. Zooperation • It has been estimated that the over-all value in erms of present costs of all of California's water resource development works up to the present time fe in the order of $6,000,000,000. These works have )een achieved by individuals, private enterprise, pub- ic utilities, public districts, cities, and counties, with etive participation by the State. Much has also been lone by the several agencies of the Federal Govern- ment, including the Departments of Agriculture. Vrmy. and Interior, under administrative control by lie State through the mechanism of water rights. All f these enterprises required and received a high de- ree of cooperation among the participating groups o bring them into being and to keep them in opera- ion. This cooperation usually began at grass roots evel among the people affected, and in one way or not her extended through all the participating agen- ies. Development began with simple, near-by, single- mrpose water projects. As these opportunities pro- ressively became scarcer, development inevitably toved into the larger, more difficult, and more ex- pensive works, involving greater numbers of people nd agencies. This in turn called for the addition of jpore purposes and water uses. Thus, the multipurpose projects of great size and relative economy, compared p a series of single-purpose works, have evolved. The |[eed for cooperation between the large number of froups and agencies involved in the multipurpose ii-ojed of today is neadily apparent. ) Cooperation between the Federal Government and Ibcal agencies has been manifested in the construc- 'fion of flood control projects, and of multipurpose llrojects incorporating flood control features. Coop- ration between local, State, and Federal Govern- tents is exemplified in the Sacramento River Flood Control Project, in which all have participated in aancing the construction, and in operation and maintenance of project facilities. The State has made ubstantial contributions to certain local districts in outhern California for the repair of damaged flood ontrol works, and, under provisions of the State Vatcr Resources Act of 1945, has participated in he costs of lands, easements, and rights of way re- oired of local agencies in connection with authorized ederal flood control projects throughout the State. There has also been cooperation between the Fed- eral, State, and local governments in the planning and construction of major water conservation proj- ects, of which the Central Valley Project is the most outstanding example. Mutual cooperation in the plan- ning efforts of the Federal and State Governments is evidenced by federal statutes requiring the submission of certain federal reports to the states affected, for review and comment prior to their final release, and by the attendance by state representatives at perti- nent congressional hearings in connection with water resources development planning. This mutual coop- eration between all levels of government is not only highly desirable, but vitally necessary, and must continue. Important as cooperation has been in the past and is at present, it will undoubtedly play an even more prominent role in the future development of Califor- nia's water resources. The full development and proper use of the remaining uncontrolled waters of the State will require the construction of many proj- ects which will be state-wide in scope. Close coordina- tion in the planning, financing, construction, and op- eration by all agencies in the water development field will be necessary, in order to avoid overlapping of activities and duplication of effort, with resultant unnecessary cost increases, and to ensure optimum stream basin development. The State should logically assume the responsibility as coordinator of all activi- ties, to the end that optimum water resource develop- ment is achieved by proper implementation of local, state, and federal policies. The basis for state respon- sibility for development of the water resources of California is set forth in Sections 100, 102, 104, and 105 of the State Water Code, which are discussed in Chapter I. The California Water Plan would serve as the framework for guidance and coordination of the activities of all agencies. Notwithstanding the trend toward the need for state-wide water development projects, construction by local agencies will continue to play an important part in California's future. However, construction of major features of the California Aqueduct System woidd probably be beyond the capacity of local agen- cies, and would require the efforts of the State and Federal Governments. Moreover, the State should im- plement a program for furnishing assistance to local development, in the interest of the general welfare, to assure optimum development when such is beyond the capacity of local interests. An example of this might be the granting of state assistance to provide for the construction of a multipurpose project at a site where a local agency might have need or the means for con- struction only of a single-purpose project. The role of the State should fit into the existing framework of local-federal relationships. Finally, in order that a construction program may- be implemented so that the objectives of The Cali- 22S THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN fornia Water Plan can be accomplished, harmony and mutual good faith must be achieved between the various interests in different areas of the State to ensure passage of enabling legislation for authoriz- ing, financing, and operating state-wide water devel- opment projects. Thus, with The California Water Plan to set the goal and to serve as a guide, the people of California can move forward with confidence and assurance that the water requirements of all areas in all parts of the State will be adequately pro- vided for. OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING ACCOMPLISH- MENTS OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN As previously stated, the water development works described in Chapter IV demonstrate one way believed practicable of accomplishing the objectives of The California Water Plan. It is acknowledged, however, that additional knowledge gained in the future, coupled with advancements in technology, may dis- close more suitable alternatives to the works described herein. Moreover, continuing study of water re- quirements throughout the State as the future un- folds, may reveal that the requirements in certain areas may never eventuate in the amounts forecast herein. On the other hand, ultimate water require- ments in other areas may possibly exceed the forecast amounts. In either of these eventualities, the water development works and conveyance facilities would have to be modified accordingly if and when the need arises. In further investigation and planning for projects under The California AVater Plan, every reasonable effort must be made to minimize the taking of irri- gable and habitable land out of productive use, either present or future. To do otherwise might well penal- ize future Californians. Advances in technology which would have a sub- stantial influence upon The California Water Plan might be, among others, improvement in watershed management practices, which might increase the avail- able water resources and decrease the destructive sedi- mentation in reservoirs. Also, the development of lower-cost energy in abundance might exert a vast influence over the selection of major aqueduct routes and the balance between pumping lifts and tunnel lengths, as well as the capacities of reservoirs for maintenance of elevation 1o reduce pumping lifts. Furthermore, discovery of an economically feasible method of saline water conversion and the provision of adequate supplies of energy therefor, mighl well decrease tin' total am< t of water that would other- wise have to he imported ultimately to coastal metro- politan areas. The United States Department of The interior and the University of California and other agencies are actively engaged in research in the field of conversion of saline to fresh water. At the present time, it does not appear that there is much prospeel of providing significant amounts of additional water by this means, at economically competitive costs. within the next 25 years, at least. In another field of technology, effective methods of weather modification on a large scale may be found which would increase the total amount of water available for use. Several of these significant factors are further discussed here- after. Watershed Management The impact of watershed management upon The California Water Plan would be manifested in several possible ways : first, by the influence on the regimen and characteristics of runoff following storms, with the consequent effect on erosion and resultant silt deposition in storage reservoirs; and second, by the influence on the quantity of water available for cap- ture and regulation. The objectives of watershed man- j agement in relation to The California Water Plan would be (1) to reduce the silt deposition, or sedi- i mentation, which impairs or destroys the effective- \ ness of expensive and frequently irreplaceable reser- voirs, and clogs stream channels, and (2) to increase watershed yield by improving the regimen and char- | acteristics of runoff and, perhaps, by increasing the total water production as well. Fortunately, these two objectives are generally com- patible, in that the measures taken to reduce destruc- tive soil erosion, which not only reduces reservoir I storage capacity but results in an economic loss from j reduced productive capacity of watershed lands, would also improve the regimen of runoff. Although the over-all effects of various soil conservation meas- ' ures have not been conclusively evaluated from the ] standpoint of their effects on water yield, there is universal agreement regarding the need for reduc- | tion in soil erosion which is detrimental from all aspects. The effects of erosion, with resulting sedimentation I of streams and, more particularly, of the reservoirs | built on those streams, can be illustrated by two typ- ical examples. Sweasey Reservoir on the Mad River was constructed in 1938 at a cost of a million dollars, to provide water for the City of Eureka. Today this reservoir is virtually filled with stream debris and has no effective storage capacity. Its regulatory effect has I been rendered useless, and the dam serves only to divert into a pipe line whatever water is available in the stream. Another such example is evidenced by Gibraltar Reservoir on the Santa Ynez River, which serves water to the community in and adjacent to the | City of Santa Barbara. Gibraltar Dam was con- structed in 1920 with an initial storage capacity of 15,000 acre-reel. By I960, the accumulation of silt Mi •«&f w*. "*4 kCfefc The objectives of watershed management . . . to reduce sedimentation of sfream flow . . ." Sierra Nevada Snowfield fo improve the regimen 230 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN and debris had reduced available capacity to 7,000 acre-feet, and it was necessary to raise the dam 15 feet to restore the original capacity. These are only two of many similar occurrences in the State. Inas- much as good dam and reservoir sites are becoming increasingly difficult to find, and are becoming ex- ceedingly costly, it is apparent that an effective means of reducing reservoir sedimentation is an important consideration in present and future water resource development. In addition, sediment transport and deposition in stream channels adds significantly to flood control problems. From yet another important viewpoint, erosion and subsequent silt deposition in streams is of serious con- cern in the northern part of the State. Silt deposits are harmful to the spawning activities of anadrom- ous fish such as steelhead and salmon, and detract from the recreational value of the streams. Much of the future economy of the northern areas has been forecast to be recreational, and the streams and water- sheds are key assets to recreation. Preservation of the recreational value of California's streams is impor- tant to the present and future welfare of the people. It is generally known that proper watershed man- agement, in terms of its effects on downstream reser- voirs, are those which will tend to minimize erosion. It is also generally agreed by the operators of water- shed lands — the ranchers, stockmen, and foresters — that the most desirable watershed management prac- tices are those which preserve the valuable soil mantle. To this extent, the objectives of both the operator of the watershed and the operator of the downstream reservoir are in harmony. However, a very real need exists for long-range research, and for objective in- vestigation and study of the many factors involved in soil erosion on watershed lands and silt deposition in streams and reservoirs. In addition to the purely soil conservation practices, other aspects of watershed management are of impor- tance in relation to California's future water supply. Forest and range management and snowpack manage- ment offer possibilities for improvement in water yields by a more favorable seasonal distribution in most eases, and by an increase in quantity of runoff under some conditions. However, sufficient knowledge I as not been gained in these fields to permit evalua- tion of their effects. Forest and range management consists of the adop- tion of good logging and lumbering practices, pre- vention and control of fire, and the control of recreation, mining, road building, and other types of miscellaneous human activity. Major fires can be ex- tremely damaging to watersheds, as lias been recently demonstrated again in southern California. The over- all effects of controlled lighl burning under certain conditions are noi known exactly. Lumbering and Log- ging activities, if not managed carefully, can con- tribute seriously to erosion, particularly from tractor operations, skid trails, and logging roads. More effi- cient range management, in terms of replacement of uneconomic brush lands by annual and perenninh grasses, offers a possibility for increasing the water, yield. However, there is considerable lack of agree-, ment on the effects of such practices on the yield of. water and on erosion. A new concept in the field of watershed manage- ment involves the manipulation of snowpack in such a way that it can be made to contribute more effec- tively to downstream water supplies. The objectives of snowpack management would be to direct logging op-| erations in the snowpack areas in such a manner as to (1) maximize the accumulation of snow on the ground! by minimizing losses of water from evaporation ane transpiration, and (2) extend the snowmelt period.. With respect to the first objective, conifers, particu-: larly spruces and firs, intercept a significant portiom of the snowfall, which is then lost through direct evaporation. Provision of adequate amounts of opei space would increase the amount of snowpack b\ decreasing this direct evaporation. With respect t(| the second objective, studies indicate that snow aceuj mulates to greater depths in more open areas, biv, that melting is more rapid. Recent studies have als< indicated that melting occurs less rapidly when tht. snow has accumulated in drifts than when it is ii an even blanket. There is a possibility of increasing the water supply and prolonging the snowmelt perio< by narrow strip clearings, taking advantage of pre, vailing winds to form drifts which would be pro tected by the shade from the bordering forests. Research with respect to snowpack managemen has recently been undertaken by the California Fores' and Range Experiment Station of the United States Forest Service in cooperation with the State Depart ment of Water Resources, and by the United State; Forest Service in the Fraser Experimental Forest ii Colorado. Future Development of Electric Power The concept of electric power as an essential part ner in water resource development is not new in Cali fornia. The early and extensive use of electric powei for pumping water at reasonable cost has contributec much to the development of irrigation and municipa water supplies, and the inclusion of hydroelectrii generation in multiple-purpose developments has re suited in moderate charges for water. The California Water Plan contemplates a larg< total output of Irydroelectric power, and an evei greater power requirement for pumping associatei with the transfer of water from areas of surplus t< areas of deficiency. Because of these consideration and the large capital costs of the water developmen works involved, it is imperative that The Californi; IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 231 Water Plan make maximum use of revenue from hydroelectric generation and of low-cost off-peak power for pumping. It therefore is evident that the future development of electric power, as it relates to Ithe market for and value of hydroelectric output, and ito the availability and cost of off-peak power for pumping, is a vital consideration affecting the Plan. The magnitude of new power generation and power required for pumping under operation of The Cali- fornia Water Plan will be more readily grasped by icomparison with the total California power load in the year 1955, which was 7,800,000 kilowatts and ■44 billion kilowatt-hours. The estimated new installed hydroelectric capacity under operation of the Plan would eoincidentally be 7,800,000 kilowatts and the energy output would be 34 billion kilowatt-hours, while the estimated ultimate pumping capacity would be 12.3 million kilowatts and the energy requirement ; would be 49 billion kilowatt-hours. ' One of the factors to be considered in estimating the market for hydroelectric power output and the availability of off-peak pumping power is the power load growth, which is closely related to California's 'industrial expansion, rapidly increasing population, and the marked trend toward greater per capita con- sumption of power. It is estimated that by the year '2000 the State's power load will have increased to more than 10 times the present load. In such terms the power output and the pumping requirement of The California Water Plan would be relatively mod- ierate portions of the total. Inherent Advantages of Hydroelectric Power Plants. Hydroelectric power plants based upon i stored water have several inherent advantages over Steam-electric plants which, for all practical purposes, I are now the only other source of electric power pro- duction. Among the more important advantages are : (a) outstanding operating flexibility; (b) signifi- cantly greater reliability; (c) lower cost of incre- mental capacity; (d) higher adaptability to auto- ' matie operation and production of peaking power ; ' e greater resistance to inflationary trends, due to longer life and lesser proportion of nonfixed charges; and (f) less vulnerability to wartime exigencies of scarcity of fuel, fuel transportation bottlenecks, and bombing. Hydroelectric Power Plants for Peaking Opera- ' tion. The magnitude of the system electric power ; load varies continuously throughout the day. These varying demands, plotted against hours of the day, comprise the daily load curve. The continuous, or base I load, portion of the daily load curve is equal in magni- tude to the minimum demand, which occurs during 1 the early morning hours. This period of the day is frequently referred to as the period of "off-peak power." The period of maximum demand is also re- ferred to as the period of ' ' peak load and power. ' ' No two daily load curves are identical, and there is con- siderable variation throughout the week and from month to month. The usual measure of the value of hydroelectric power output is the cost of alternative steam-electric production. This cost, or value, has two parts : first, a capacity component, equal to the total annual fixed cost associated with each kilowatt of dependable steam capacity ; and, second, an energy component, which is the variable cost, largely fuel, of a kilowatt- hour of energy. It follows that those hydroelectric power plants having low incremental capacity costs are most economic when developed to the maximum capacity which is dependable in supplying a definite part of the varying load requirements. Such plants may be operated at full capacity for only a few hours each day in supplying the extreme peak of the daily load. Other hydroelectric power plants and steam- electric plants must be operated for longer periods in supplying the base load and the remainder of the peak of the load. The degree of peaking is designated by the term "plant load factor," which is defined as the ratio of the average load on the plant (for a specific time period) to the dependable capacity of the plant. Low plant load factor signifies a high degree of peaking. The effect of the degree of peaking upon hydro- electric power revenues can be illustrated with the aid of the two-part cost of producing alternative steam- electric power, as was used for estimating the value of hydroelectric power output under The California Wa- ter Plan, which was, as follows : Capacity component $22.00 per kilowatt-year Energy component 2.8 mills per kilowatt-hour The composite values of revenue corresponding to a wide range of plant load factors are : Plant load factor, in per cent Approximate total unit value, i mills per kilowatt-hour 60 40 20 15 10 7 9 15 20 28 It is apparent that the incremental capacity costs of many existing and proposed hydroelectric power plants would be such that plant load factors of 20 per cent or less could be justified for total unit values in the range of 15 to 30 mills per kilowatt-hour. Hydroelectric power plants have great advantages for peaking, in addition to their low incremental ca- pacity costs. They have marked operating advantage since they can pick up or drop load almost instantane- ously, whereas large modern steam boilers and turbine- generators are relatively inflexible. The latter, more- over, must be operated as nearly continuously as pos- sible in order to capitalize on the high efficiency which is built into them at considerable cost, whereas the intermittent operation of hydroelectric power plants involves no sacrifice in efficiency. In addition, the simple, low-speed, rugged construction of hydroelec- 232 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN trie plants provides outstanding reliability in compar- ison with the high-speed, increasingly complicated steam-electric plants. Hydro-Steam Ratio and Prospects for Hydro- electric Peaking. The ratio of dependable hydro- electric capacity to steam-electric capacity is of great importance in relation to the degree of hydroelectric peaking with its favorable effect on revenue, and also with respect to the availability of low-cost off-peak power for pumping. The role of hydroelectric power has changed markedly in recent years. Prior to World War II the hydro-steam ratio in California was about 2 to 1, and hydroelectric power plants commonly were used to supply the base load. Following the war, with rapid construction of steam-electric power plants to keep pace with the increasing load, the ratio declined sharply, until by 1953 it was less than 1 to 1, and hydroelectric capacity normally was used for peaking operation. The hydro-steam ratio in northern Califor- nia as of the end of 1956 was 1 to 1.4 ; that in southern California was 1 to 2.0. The southern California ratio is expected to continue its rapid decline. The hydro- steam ratio in northern California probably will re- main fairly constant until about 1965 ; thereafter, the ratio should resume its downward course. With the decline in the hydro-steam ratio, steam- electric capacity has supplied more and more of the base load, and now also supplies a portion of the peak- ing requirement. This permits hydroelectric power plants to operate higher in the peak of the load, at lower plant load factor. In this Avay, water which at one time would have been utilized for base-load gen- eration now is stored during off-peak hours and used to generate more of the high-value on-peak power than formerly. By projecting present power load, resource, and operating characteristics into the future, and also by allowing for further decline in the hydro-steam ratio, it can be seen that there will be continuing need for much additional hydroelectric power capacity for peaking at low plant load factors Because of this need, and the fact that water supplies and economic sites for conventional types of hydroelectric power plants are relatively limited, the future role of pumped storage hydroelectric power plants is of interest. Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plants. Pumped storage hydroelectric power plants are peak- ing plants which pump all or a portion of their own water supply, requiring only afterbay and forebay reservoirs. Low-cost, off-peak, steam-generated energy, oi- seasonal hydroelectric energy, is used to pump wa- ter from the afterbay to the forebay. The pumped water then is used to generate higher-value on-peak energy by reversing the pumping units and operating them as generating units as the water is released to the afterbay. In the extreme case of pure pumped storage, the drainage area or other source of water must be sufficient merely to make up water losses. A corollary to pumped storage hydroelectric power would be found in the Californa Aqueduct System. One instance would occur in crossing the Tehaehapi Mountains. In this case, using off-peak energy, water would be pumped to an elevation where the topogra- phy and geology is favorable for an economical cross- ing, and then would be released to generate on-peak energy as it descends to lower elevations on the other side of the mountain range. Of course, forebay and afterbay storage and larger pumping and generating capacities would be required for the off-peak opera- tion. Pumped storage plants generally would have an , over-all efficiency of about 67 percent. This means that, currently, the economic balance of pumped stor- age in northern California is not as favorable as would be the ease when a higher degree of peaking be- comes possible due to a further decline in the hydro- steam ratio. It is possible that for southern California, with its rapidly declining hydro-steam ratio and lim- ited supply of water, it may be possible to justify a considerable amount of pure pumped storage in the near future. An increase in the difference between the value of on-peak energy and the cost of off-peak energy also would encourage installation of pumped storage plants. Cost of Fossil Fuels and the Hydro-Steam Ratio. Fossil fuels comprise coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Although California does not have commercial deposits of coal, many persons have assumed that this State was blessed with ample oil and natural gas re- serves for decades to come. The fact is that these re- serves have always been limited in comparison to todaj' 's rate of use. Currently California imports some oil and the major part of the natural gas to meet its requirements. Having in mind the continuing rapid increase in total energy requirement, it is clear that increases in fossil fuel cost may be expected, limited by the avail- ability of Utah coal, the oil shale deposits of north- western Colorado and vicinity, and the importation of foreign oil. It appears inevitable that the fuel compo- nent of fossil steam-electric power cost will increase in spite of continued increase in efficiency of steam plants. One effect of disproportionate increases in fossil fuel costs would be to encourage construction of con- ventional hydroelectric power plants. However, such fuel cost increases would tend to increase the cost of off-peak energy for pumping, and would thereby tend to discourage development of pumped storage hydro- electric power plants. In view of the fact that most of the State's undeveloped hydroelectric power resources are in northern California and that southern Cali- fornia, because of limited opportunities for further IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 233 ?velopment of hydroelectric power resources, should cperience au earlier development of pumped storage wlroelectric power, it appears that the net effect of issil fuel cost increases would be to moderate the jcline of the hydro-steam ratio in northern Calif or- ia. but accelerate the decline in southern California. Market for Hydroelectric Power Output. With a pwer load that has been doubling each 10 years and hich is estimated to reach 85,000,000 kilowatts by the jar 2000, there is no question about there being a tarket ultimately for all of the hydroelectric power jatput of The California Water Plan. While the ulti- mate market for power is significant, the market dur- lg the next two or three decades presently is also nportant. Currently the dependable hydroelectric generating ipacity in northern California is about 2,000,000 ilowatts. Is is estimated that by 1980 the total hydro- [ectric power capacity may be 6,500,000 kilowatts, r approximately one-third of the total capacity re- Wed to supply a forecast load of 17,000,000 kilo- atts. By using load, resources, and operating ehar- eteristics similar to those estimated by the Pacific ias and Electric Company for its power system in 'Mil. and by assuming the peak of the load to be sup- lied by hydroelectric power, the plants supplying the >p 27.3 per cent of the load, or about 4,600,000 kilo- aTts. would, on the average, operate at the low-plant ■ad factor of about 15 per cent. Of course, portions f both the new and existing hydroelectric power apacity would not be used for high-degree peaking. for the assumed condition the hydro-steam ratio in lorthern California would be 1 to 2 in 1980, eom- iaml to the current ratio of 1 to 1.4. The foregoing illustration clearly points up the fact hat in northern as well as southern California a feady market for the power output of hydroelectric >lants of multiple-purpose developments may be ex- pected at considerably higher degrees of peaking and ^alue than were assumed in the estimates for The California Water Plan. The minimum plant load fac- Jor assumed in the Plan was 40 per cent under ad- verse hydroelectric power conditions. Value of Hydroelectric Power Output. The usual measure of the value of hydroelectric power output, as 'tated earlier, is the cost of alternative steam-electric production ; and, as stated, the two-part rate used for Ivaluating the hydroelectric power output under The i.'alifornia Water Plan was : rapacity component- Energy component __ SUl'.oO per kilowatt-year 2.8 mills per Uilowatt-hour fhis value was applied at the high-voltage side of ■he transformers at the hydroelectric power plant, and Included allowance for a transmission distance of 100 o 150 miles. For convenience, the rate was applied miformly to all projects. Looking to the future, it appears probable that the capital costs (in constant value dollars; of steam- electric power plants will be relatively constant. The cost of fuel per kilowatt-hour, however, is expected to increase, in spite of continuing improvement in effi- ciency, due to probable increases in the cost of fossil fuels. Inasmuch as no credit was taken for the com- parative advantages of hydroelectric power in deriv- ing the capacity component of value, it appears that the two-part rate for value of hydroelectric power out- put used in studies for The California Water Plan is conservative. On this account and in view of the probable utilization of higher degrees of peaking than were assumed, it appears that the estimated hydro- electric power revenues under the Plan also are con- servative. Availability and Cost of Off -Peak Steam-Electric Energy for Pumping. The annual pumping energy requirement, largely off-peak, of the initial unit of The California Water Plan — the Feather River Proj- ect — is estimated to be about 5 billion kilowatt-hours by 1980 and nearly 10 billion by 1991. It is possible, also, that by 1980 the total requirement for off-peak pumping energy for pumped storage hydroelectric power plants may be appreciable. In order that off-peak steam-electric energy may be available for pumping, the total system steam-elec- tric capacity, including steam reserve, must exceed the system base, or continuous, load. This condition now exists in California. As yet the margin in some months of a dry year is not great in northern Cali- fornia. However, it is estimated that by the end of 1957 southern California will have an energy margin of 4.2 billion kilowatt-hours under adverse hydroelec- tric power conditions. Assuming no change in the hydro-steam ratio, the increase in the supply of sur- plus energy would be roughly proportional to the increase in power load. It is further estimated that in southern California alone some 20 billion kilowatt- hours of surplus energy should be available annually by 1980. A considerable portion of this surplus en- ergy would be usable as off-peak energy for pumping. It is expected that higher-voltage transmission lines, interconnecting major loads and generating sources, will be available to a much greater degree than at present (1957) for transmitting both on-peak and off- peak energy throughout the State. It therefore ap- pears that ample off-peak energy will be available for all pumping requirements as they develop. Impact of Atomic-Electric Power. The discussion to this point has assumed no appreciable expansion of the atomic-electric industry. This approach was followed not because of any doubt that safe, competi- tive atomic power plants ultimately will be built ; rather, it stemmed from uncertainty as to when this 234 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN goal will be attained and as to the rate of expansion of this industry. With respect to timing, the future supply of fossil fuel in relation to the rapidly expanding total energy requirement is of great significance. Development of atomic-electric energy is desirable to avoid rising fuel costs, and to conserve the relatively limited supply of nonrenewable fossil fuels for special, higher-value applications. Presently a few small pilot-type atomic power plants are planned or are under construction in the United States, including two in California. Numerous difficult problems must be solved before safe, com- petitive atomic plants can become a reality. Because of the many uncertainties involved, forecasts as to when such plants would be in common use are still of doubtful value. In view of expected population and power load growth, it appears reasonable to assume that California would ultimately experience an atomic power industry expansion comparable, percentage- wise, to that of the United States as a whole. Initially, the fixed or capacity costs of atomic-elec- tric power plants probably would be higher than for fossil-electric plants, but it is claimed in some quarters that ultimately such costs may decrease to the level of fossil-electric capacity costs. It may be assumed that the operation of atomic-electric power plants would be similar to fossil-electric plants, in that they would be less adapted to noncontinuous operation, that is, on peak load. Therefore, hydroelectric power peaking plants would complement atomic-electric plants in the same manner that they now complement fossil-steam electric plants. Summary. Generally speaking, with the rapidly expanding power load, there will be a market for the hydroelectric power output contemplated under operation of The California Water Plan, when and as that output becomes available. The great advantages of hydroelectric power, particularly for peaking oper- ation, coupled with a declining hydro-steam ratio, will enable it to complement rather than compete with atomic-electric power plants, just as it now does with fossil-steam electric power plants. This is especially true of multiple-purpose projects having low incre- mental capacity costs and adequate water control. Single-purpose power projects which are not suited to high-degree peaking operation may feel the impact of competition provided by pumped storage hydro- eled lie power plants utilizing low-cost off-peak energy for pumping. It is concluded that ample off-peak energy will be available for pumping as required under The California Water Plan. As conceived and formulated, The California Water Plan is a flexible pattern of water develop- ment which can be modified to fit changing condi- tions. It now appears that the declining hydro-steam ratio and future expansion of the atomic-electric power industry may lead to the modification of somei contemplated hydroelectric power projects. The prin- cipal change would be in the direction of a higher degree of peaking, with lower plant load factors, in- cluding wide application of the pumped storage prin- ciple. Needed Basic Investigation and Research In spite of the years of experience and the store of knowledge that have been accumulated, there still are many factors or facets of the occurrence and use ! of water about which comparatively little is known. For instance, most of the water falling on the land as precipitation is disposed of by consumptive use Yet the fundamental data upon which estimates oi consumptive use of water must be based are quite meager and limited in duration. An extensive program: to obtain more reliable basic data on consumptive use for a wide variety of vegetative cover and crops underi different conditions and over a considerable period oil time is urgently needed. In the water quality field, more information is re ! quired concerning the effects of differing eoncentra tions of various dissolved minerals on the yields oi different agricultural crops under varying condition; of soil, drainage, climate, irrigation practices, and the like. More study is needed of the tolerances of various 1 kinds of fish life to the many materials which may b( added to streams by the disposal of sewage and in dustrial wastes, even though treated. With the inJ creasing complexity of industrial wastes, this is i pressing problem if fishery resources are to be pre served. Much remains to be learned about drainage, the characteristics of water-bearing materials in grounc 1 water basins, artificial recharge of ground water ba sins, methods to achieve more efficient use of water' sewage reclamation, saline water conversion, possibili- ties of utilization of atomic energy, decreasing evapo- 1 ration from reservoirs, and a host of other factors 1 all of which are important to the implementation o: The California Water Plan. Carefully controlled ex. perimental work and evaluation of weather modifica tion procedures over a period of several years am involving several large watersheds should be underi taken. Study is being devoted to these now to soim 1 extent, but it should be expanded and expedited. The foregoing by no means encompass all the fac tors involved in the supply, distribution, utilization and disposal of water, concerning which current basii- data are quite inadequate. They do serve to illustrate the scope of needed investigations and research anc the urgency thereof. Research programs, adequately financed, must be prosecuted diligently to supply th< needed information; the need for more data concern >' ing consumptive use of water is particularly urgent. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 235 'ternative of Lower Dams in In conclusion, the facilities herein described as fea- orth Coastal Area tures of the California Aqueduct System in the North ■ ., ,, ,. , , . n ,. Coastal Area serve only to demonstrate the physical iConsiderable question has been raised regarding .,.,-, „ , , . , ,. -,-, ».•,.,. ? x1 , • , , -,. -, , 6 . possibility of developing and exporting some 11,- e feasibility of the high dams discussed herein as 000 ^ acre , feet of water mile it ig nQt atures of the California Aqueduct System m the known with cert ainty at the present time by just arth Coastal Area. The opmion has been expressed wMch means ^ water ^ be devel d h is rea . at the objectives of The California Water Plan, sonably certain that essentiall the same aggreg ate trticularly in terms of water conservation, could be amount of active reservoir st capacit would be :jore satisfactorily achieved by a greater number of requir ed, regardless of the final plan selected. mis of conventional heights and types, instead of | fewer structures of unprecedented size. Alternative Future Development of I Although it has been reiterated several times here- Hiah Desert Areas before, it is again emphasized that the works de- jribed in Chapter IV represent only one possible A s has been stated, The California Water Plan is Jeans of achieving the required degree of develop- an ultimate plan under which water supplies adequate lent of California's water resources. These works for th e development of the land and other resources Ave been selected as a result of preliminary studies of the State to their full potential could be provided, fi constituting the most feasible over-all development lt is realized that the works required to conserve and ■feme. The choice between the "super" and the con- convey water long distances to irrigate certain lands fintional dams remains for future determination, of limited crop adaptability, or lands lying at high Msed upon intensive geologic, engineering, and eco- elevations, or both, are not now, and may possibly ilmic studies, to be made as the need for exported ne ver be, within limits of economic justification and |bter supplies from the North Coastal Area develops. financial feasibility. However, the economics of the However, some of the more pertinent factors bearing distant future cannot now be foreseen, and the plan- It the selection of heights of dams in studies basic to ning effort is deemed necessary in order that pro- lie preparation of this bulletin are worthy of discus- vision may be made for serving such lands, if and on. when the need arises. r Features of the Klamath-Trinity and Eel River As the future unfolds, The California Water Plan, Krisions of the California Aqueduct System were by its inherent flexibility, would enable the staging Mected on the basis of net unit cost of water delivered of construction of those works which would most U the Sacramento Valley. The major items considered economically meet the increasing water requirements K the evaluation of various alternative schemes were : of all areas of the State, wherever and at whatever ■ ) capital costs of dams and associated facilities, (2) rates su ch increases may occur. In this respect, the ikt of electric energy for pumping, and (3) revenue probability of future development of the high desert ■torn power developed. The plans selected and pre- areas of central and southern California is of inter- ■ jnted in this bulletin were those which would develop est - Tne effect u P on estimated capital costs of The Be required amounts of water at the lowest over-all California Water Plan of inclusion of works to pro- ■st, considering these factors. As a result of these vide for the forecast ultimate development of those reliminary studies, certain of the reservoirs contem- areas is significant. lated on the Klamath River would have large The forecast ultimate full development of high-ele- Itiounts of inactive storage for maintenance of mini- vation desert areas of central and southern California l|um heads for power generation. Likewise, certain might require an aggregate seasonal water import of • I the prospective reservoirs on the Trinity and Eel about 6,000,000 acre-feet, distributed as follows : ■tivers would have high percentages of inactive stor- ae in order to minimize pumping lifts to the tunnels j^ rea per season •fading to the Sacramento Valley. Inyo-Kern area 1,600,000 r , , . . „ ,. .. , . . .. t. t ,, _ , Antelope and Mojave Valleys 2,250,000 ■ Geologic information available m the North Coastal Southeastern Lahontan area 1,850,000 ilrea is meager, and knowledge to be gained from de- Carrizo-Cuyama Valleys 300,000 ■Juled geologic exploration may definitely preclude Total 6000000 igh dams at certain locations, thus forcing the selec- on of alternative sites or the choice of lower dams. With exception of an anticipated import need for tether presently indeterminate factors, such as the municipal-industrial purposes of about 200,000 acre- ossibility of low-cost electric energy, might so affect feet of water per season in the Antelope and Mojave •'ie present economic balance between pumping lifts Valleys the foregoing import requirements are based nd capital costs of dams and tunnels as to change upon essentially a possible agricultural water de- pbstantially the most feasible heights of dams. mand. Present economics appear unfavorable for fur- 236 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN ther extensive development of irrigated agriculture in these areas, due primarily to the limited local water supplies, the high cost of imported water, and climatic limitations. These economic factors, however, are not expected to control the already mushrooming urban, industrial, and military development in the Antelope and Mojave Valleys; in fact, such development may well continue to expand, and water to meet its re- quirements could be made available at costs well within the repayment capacity. Should the projected agricultural development of the high-elevation desert areas fail to materialize, ex- pansion of the California Aqueduct System would stop some 5,800,000 acre-feet per season short of its contemplated ultimate capacity of about 22,000,000 acre-feet per season. It is estimated that in this event the capital cost of the California Aqueduct System, constructed to a capacity of about 16,000,000 acre- feet per season, would aggregate about $5,100,000,000, or approximately $3,860,000,000 less than the capital cost of the system to meet all the forecast require- ments, as summarized in Table 30. The foregoing estimate is based upon the premise that construction of the California Aqueduct System would be orderly, in planned stages, with the timing of each stage dictated by needs for water and by economics. For purposes of illustration of this prem- ise, assume that a point of time is reached when all water-deficient areas of the State would be receiving the forecast ultimate water service, except the high desert areas wherein demand for agricultural water would not have developed. In such a case, all pros- pective facilities of The California Water Plan would have been constructed, except those necessary to con- serve and transport agricultural water for the high desert areas. The amount of this water, as has been stated, is estimated to be about 5,800,000 acre-feet a season. Let it be further assumed that, under such conditions, the relatively inexpensive export yields of tin' Sacramento Division of the California Aqueduct System would have been developed. This would leave certain of the most costly projects of the North Coastal Area undeveloped because of their physical location. These distant works would probably be the last in the chain of developments of the Klamath-Trinity and Eel River Divisions. In addition, the affected transport features of the California Aqueduct System would have been constructed to appropriately smaller capacities. Features which could either be deleted from The California Water Plan or reduced in capacity, through elimination of service of irrigation water to the high desert areas of central and southern Califor- nia, if such should prove unnecessary, and the mag- nitude of the resulting reduction in capital costs of the California Aqueduct System, are, listed in Table 32. REDUCTION IN ESTIMATED CAPITAL COST OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN, ASSUMING PROJECTED AGRICULTURAL DEMAND OF HIGH-ELEVATION DESERT LANDS FAILS TO DEVELOP Eliminated feature of Reduction in California Aqueduct System capita! cost Klamath-Trinity Division Uneonstructed features: Smith River (Canthook Dam and Reservoir; Black $190,000,000 Hawk Dam, Reservoir, and Pumping Plant; Cantpeak Tunnel) Klamath River (Hamburg Dam, Reservoir, and 300,000,000 Power Plant; Happy Camp Dam, Reservoir, and Power Plant; Humboldt Dam, Reservoir; Beaver Pumping Plant) 1 Mad, Van Duzen, and Trinity Rivers (Eaton Dam 170,000,000 and Reservoir; Mad Tunnel; Ranger Station Dam and Reservoir; Sulphur Glade Tunnel and Power House; Eltapom Dam, Reservoir, Power House, and Afterbay; War Cry Tunnel) Transport features constructed to partial capacity 620,000,000 Subtotal $1,280,000,000 Eel River Division Uneonstructed features: Eel River (Sequoia Dam and Reservoir; Bell Springs $120.0011,(1(1(1 Pumping Plant) Transport features constructed to partial capacity 80,000.000 Subtotal $200,000,000 Sacramento Division Uneonstructed features: (Sacramento West Side Canal) $360,000,000 Transport features constructed to partial capacity 40,000,000 Subtotal $400,000,000 Delta Division Uneonstructed features: (Antioch Crossing) $210,000,00(1 Transport features constructed to partial capacity. _ 30.000,000 Subtotal $240,000,000 San Joaquin Division Uneonstructed features: Carrizo-Cuyama Aqueduct $50,000,001 Transport features constructed to partial capacity 350,000,000 Subtotal $400,000,00^ Southern California Division Uneonstructed features: Antelope-Mojavc Aqueduct System $410,000.00(1' Transport features constructed to partial capacity 900,000,001 Subtotal $i,3io,ooo,oor Total Reduction in Capital Cost $3,830,000,001 The reduction in capital costs shown in Table 32 i based upon the premise that the Sacramento Wes Side Canal and the Antioch Crossing would tiol b constructed, should the agricultural demands of th high desert lands fail to develop. Without these fea tures, conveyance of export water from Iron Canyoi Reservoir on the Sacramento River the Mountaii House Pumping Plant near Tracy would be accom plished through natural channels of the Sacrament River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Ho"R ever, even with the deletion of 5,800,000 acre- feet water per season from contemplated deliveries fror' IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN 237 le North Coastal Area, there would still remain some 1 1,000,000 acre-feet of largely urban water supplies to [je transported to and conveyed across the Delta. Pro- motion of the quality of this water might, at some ature time, require the construction of an isolated mditit along the west side of the Sacramento Valley Ibd across the Delta. In addition to the cited delivery of agricultural rater to the high desert areas, a substantial portion f the contemplated deliveries by the San Diego ugh-Line Aqueduct of the Southern California Divi- (|on would be for the service of agricultural lands in le Whitewater and San Felipe Groups of the Colo- ado Desert Area. Should these lands fail to develop, 11 necessity of constructing the San Diego High-Line Lqueduct might never materialize, as the greater ortion of water delivery by that aqueduct would be n- that agricultural purpose. However, water service 'fhieh would have been provided to urban and indus- irial areas by the San Diego High -Line Aqueduct •ould have to be met from an alternative source, amely, by pumping from the Barona Aqueduct, for Inch purpose additional aqueduct capacity would be ijequired. I Based upon studies of a preliminary nature, it is adicated that the further reduction in capital costs of The California Water Plan by eliminating the con- templated delivery, through the San Diego High-Line Aqueduct, of some 500,000 acre-feet of water per season to agricultural lands in the Whitewater and San Felipe Groups, would be on the order of $600,- 000,000. In summary, the deletion of those facilities of The California Water Plan which would develop and convey some 5,800,000 acre-feet of water per season to the high desert areas in southern California would reduce the total capital cost of the Plan by about $3,900,000,000. In the event that the San Diego High- Line Aqueduct is not constructed, due to the failure of agricultural lands in the Whitewater and San Felipe Groups of the Colorado Desert Area to de- velop, water deliveries under The California Water Plan would be further reduced by some 500,000 acre-feet per season, and the capital cost of the Plan would be correspondingly reduced by an additional $600,000,000. Thus, by eliminating water service to all agricultural lands requiring high pump lifts in southern California, the total amount of water devel- oped and transferred by facilities of The California Water Plan would be reduced by 6,300,000 acre-feet per season, and the total capital cost of the Plan would be reduced by some $4,400,000,000. CHAPTER VI SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS In 1947. the California Legislature authorized the initiation of the State- Wide Water Resources Investi- gation to formulate a comprehensive master plan for the full control, conservation, protection, distribution, and utilization of all the State 's water resources, both surface and underground, to meet the present and future needs for water for all beneficial purposes and uses in all areas of the State to the maximum practi- cable extent. As a result of intensive study, analysis of engineering and geologic data, and information made available during the planning phase of that in- vestigation, and on the basis of estimates and assump- tion'- discussed hereinbefore, the following summary, conclusions, and recommendations are presented. SUMMARY Problems 1. California's rapid and continuing population, agricultural, and industrial growth of recent years has given rise to unprecedented expansion in the needs for water for consumptive demands, comprising those for agricultural, industrial, and municipal pur- poses, and nonconsumptive uses, including those for flood control, hydroelectric power, recreation, and fish and wildlife. Corollary problems have developed, such as overdraft on ground water basins, intrusion of saline and other degraded waters into ground water basins, problems of control of mineral and organic quality of surface and underground waters, drainage, and related problems. 2. California's water problems result primarily from the unbalanced distribution of its water re- sources and water requirements. The major sources of water are in northern California where the waters of many streams now waste into the ocean virtually un- used. The major urban areas and productive agricul- tural lands of California are in that portion of the State to the south in which occurs only 30 per cent of the total natural runoff. Great distances and rugged mountains separate source areas from areas of demand. About 70 per cent of the total stream flow occurs north of the latitude of Sacramento, but 77 per cent of the present use of water, and 80 per cent of the forecast ultimate use lie south of that line. 3. Water problems of California are further intensi- fied by the large variations of runoff within the season and from year to year. Most of the runoff occurs dur- ing the winter and spring when the demand for water is least. Runoff is also subject to marked annual varia- tions, with droughts of several years' duration charac- teristically being followed by one or more years of above-normal runoff. The periodic droughts impose the need for very large reservoir storage capacity for cyclic regulation, in addition to lesser storage require- ments for seasonal regulation. 4. The largest problems of water deficiency occur in the San Joaquin Valley and southern areas of the State, the areas of greatest water demand. However, water deficiencies do occur in all areas throughout the State, especially in connection with seasonal unbalance of available water. In many instances, increasing water requirements have been provided for by draw- ing on the large but presently diminishing supplies available in ground water reservoirs. Withdrawals from ground water storage presently (1957) exceed mean annual replenishment by an estimated 4,000,000 acre-feet for the State as a whole, with resultant perennial lowering of ground water levels. 5. Periodic floods from rivers and streams through- out the State, in the valleys and flood plains where most of the 14,000,000 population live, have resulted in major damage and loss of life. Some of the flood problems have been solved. However, with the intensi- fication and expansion of urban and industrial areas, many flood problems will become more severe until remedial action is taken. As land becomes more of a limiting factor in the ultimate development of the State, it will be increasingly important to prevent creation of blighted areas subject to recurring uncon- trolled floods. 6. Deleterious effects on the quality of natural water supplies have resulted from deficiencies in sur- face and ground water development, from lack of drainage, and from improper disposal of wastes. Quality problems are common to nearly all other water problems. In several locations in the coastal plain, excessive draft has resulted in the intrusion of sea water into underground aquifers, thus impairing valuable sources of water supply. In many parts of the Central Valley, continuing ground water over- draft threatens quality degradation of fresh-water aquifers by upward movement of deep connate brines which were entrapped in underground basins in past geologic ages. In other areas, unfavorable salt balance is a practical certainty as the result of persistent overdraft conditions, unless additional water is im- ported and used. When more salt is brought into a basin than is carried out of it by the outgoing water, the salt balance is termed unfavorable. Another phase ( 239 ) 240 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN of the water quality problem has resulted from inade- quate treatment of sewage and industrial wastes and their disposal to streams and ground water basins, al- though this problem is rapidly being brought under control. Unless the quality of the State's water re- sources is maintained at proper levels, full satisfac- tion of California's ultimate water requirements will not be possible. Standards for the quality of water in relation to the beneficial uses thereof must be the subject of continuing study and should be changed when necessary in the light of further knowledge. 7. A serious problem associated with irrigated agri- culture and stemming from it is the necessity for ade- quate drainage. Extensive drainage systems and proper disposal of drain waters of high mineral con- tent are important factors in maintaining soil fertility and ground water quality. 8. Further extensive development of hydroelectric power is a necessary part of future water resource development. Full future satisfaction of water de- mands in all parts of the State will require mass movement of water over great distances and high mountains. This will ultimately require far more power than the presently undeveloped potential for hydroelectric power. Hydroelectric power now finds its greatest value in providing "peaking" energy (i.e., that portion of the daily load when, for a few hours, demands exceed the base demand) in combina- tion with steam-generated power from fossil fuels, and would combine equally well with future atomic power generation. It is expected that the power mar- ket will absorb hydroelectric power output as rapidly as it can be made available. It is likewise believed that ample cheap "off-peak" energy will be available for pumping requirements. 9. Increasing demands have developed for enhance- ment of the fish and wildlife resources of the State, and for increasing the outdoor recreational opportuni- ties associated with reservoir areas and live streams in valleys, hills, and mountains. These demands have in- creased at an accelerated rate, concurrently with the expanding population and urban and industrial de- velopment : their satisfaction is A'ital to the future welfare of California's citizens. 10. An additional problem in the further develop- ment of the water resources of California involves the optimum use of available ground water basins and potential surface storage reservoirs. Remaining com- binations of satisfactory dam sites with reservoir stor- age sites of adequate capacity are relatively few, and must be utilized to the maximum practicable extent. Concepts of The California Water Plan 1. The California Water Plan is a master plan to guide and coordinate the activities of all agencies in tic pi; ing, const ruction, and operation of works re- quired lor the control, development, protection, con servation, distribution, and utilization of California's water resources for the benefit of all areas of the State and for all beneficial purposes. 2. As such a master plan, The California Water Plan : a. Evaluates the water supply available to Cali- fornia, and describes the places and characteristics of its occurrence; b. Estimates the water requirements, both pres- ent and future, for all beneficial purposes for each area of the State, as those requirements can be fore- seen; c. Points out the watersheds where present esti- mates indicate surplus waters exist over and above future needs for local development, gives estimates of such surpluses, indicates the areas of deficiency, and gives the estimated deficiency for each such area ; d. Describes existing and prospective water prob- lems in each area of the State ; e. Describes the uses to which the remaining un- appropriated waters of the State should be put for maximum benefit to the people of all areas of the State ; f. Suggests the means by which the waters of the State could be distributed for the benefit and use of all the people in all areas; g. Proposes objectives toward which future de- velopment of the water resources should be directed in all areas of the State, and suggests broad pat- terns for guidance toward these objectives; h. Defines these objectives in terms of potential physical accomplishments which may be used to ^ measure the merits of projects proposed for con- | struction by any agency; and i. Demonstrates that the waters available to Cali- fornia, including the State's rights in and to the waters of the Colorado River, are not only adequate for full future development of the land and other resources, but also that physical accomplishment of these objectives is possible. 3. The California AVater Plan is conceived as : a. A comprehensive plan which will meet the re- quirements for water at some unspecified but dis- tant time in the future when the land and other resources of California have essentially reached a state of complete development; and b. A flexible pattern, susceptible of orderly de- velopment by logical progressive stages as the grow- ing demands of the State may dictate, into which future definite projects may be integrated in an orderly fashion, and which may be substantially altered and improved in accordance with advances in technology and changes in conditions which can- not be fully foreseen today. 4. The California Water Plan is designed to in- clude or supplement, rather than to supersede, exist- 'The California Water Plan . . . for the control, development, protection, conservation, distribution, and utilization of California's water resources . . ." 242 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN ing water resource development works. It also incor- porates certain of the planned works now proposed or authorized by public and private agencies and in- dividuals. Of special significance in this respect is the authorized Feather River Project, which is the initial unit for construction under the Plan, and on which construction will start in May, 1957. 5. Although The California Water Plan is capable of accomplishment from an engineering standpoint, its component features have widely variant relation- ships to present concepts of economic and financial feasibility. It is realized that certain of the works would be extremely costly under present value cri- teria. Such works are for the indefinite future, and their need may never materialize. However, the eco- nomics of the distant future cannot be foreseen, and the planning effort is deemed necessary at this time in order that provision may be made for such de- velopments, if and when they become needed and justified. 6. The California Water Plan gives full considera- tion to the use of water for agricultural, domestic, and industrial purposes; to hydroelectric power de- velopment; to flood control and protection; to drain- age ; to salinity control ; to protection of the quality of water; and to the interests of fish, wildlife, and recreation. 7. Under The California Water Plan, water would not be taken from those who will need it; rather, it would provide for the needs of areas of inherent de- ficiency by transfer only of excess or surplus water from areas of abundance. Legislative acceptance of the Plan, and firm provisions for its progressive im- plementation as -successive component projects become feasible, would tend toward elimination of sectional concern as to future availability of necessary water supplies. 8. The California Water Plan is neither an inflex- ible regulation nor a construction proposal as it is presented herein. It does not purport to include all possible water development projects in the State. Rather, it serves to demonstrate that the full satis- faction of ultimate water requirements in all parts of the State is physically possible of accomplishment. Therefore, the omission of any project from descrip- tion in this bulletin does not preclude its future in- tegration into the Plan. The California Water Plan 1. The full natural seasonal runoff of streams in California, amounting to about 71,000,000 acre-feet on the average, is sufficient to provide for the full sal is Taction of ultimate water requirements for all areas of the State, considering California's rights in and to the waters of the Colorado River in the amount of 5,362,000 acre-feet per season. 2. Existing and potential areas of intensive water service in California total about 2.'?, 600,000 acres, of which approximately 20,000,000 acres are classified as suitable for irrigated agriculture, and 3,600,000 acres for urban, suburban and industrial types of de- ' velopment. It is expected that under ultimate develop- ment, the majority of the remaining 77,300,000 acres of land will be only sparsely settled and will have only very minor requirements for water service. The remaining areas of California for the most part in- clude only scattered water service areas, largely in, mountainous and desert regions and in national for-, ests and monuments, public beaches and parks, pri- vate recreational areas, wildlife refuges, and military, reservations. 3. Water requirements in California will aggregate some 51,100,000 acre-feet per season under ultimate conditions of development. Of this amount, irrigated lands will require about 41,100,000 acre-feet ; urban, suburban, and industrial areas will use 8,300,000 acre-, feet ; and 1,700,000 acre-feet will be utilized for other j miscellaneous purposes. 4. The extreme seasonal and cyclic variation, andj the geographic maldistribution in the occurrence of California's water resources, will necessitate: a. The development and use of vast regulatory and carry-over storage capacity, both surface and underground, in order to attain the degree of con-, servation required to meet water needs under ulti- mate conditions of development; and b. The construction and operation of a major system of works to convey the regulated excess waters from areas of inherent surplus to areas oi inherent deficiency. These major conservation and conveyance facilities collectively designated the ' ' California Aqueduct Sys tern," would constitute a coordinated comprehensivt system of works, reaching from Oregon to Mexico. 5. The ground water storage capacity underlying the floor of the Central Valley, the key ground wate) basin in the State under operation of The California Water Plan, is estimated to exceed 130,000,000 acre feet within 200 feet of the ground surface. Regulatio of water supplies in the Central Valley would b< accomplished by conjunctive operation of sorn^ 31,000,000 acre-feet of available ground water storage capacity with 22,000,000 acre-feet of storage capacit; in major surface reservoirs. In addition to the Centra' Valley, there are more than 200 significant valley fil areas capable of conserving and regulating substaiv, tial amounts of water in other parts of California. 6. The California Water Plan would provide for: a. Development of the water resources of th North Coastal Area to meet all future local needs i); that area, and to furnish about 11,600,000 acre-feej of surplus water per season for export to othe! areas of the State; SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 243 b. Development of the water resources of the j Sacramento River Basin to meet all future local needs within that basin, and to furnish about 10,- , 300,000 acre-feet of surplus water per season for export to other areas of the State ; and c. Full practicable development of local water j resources in all remaining areas of the State, to ; assist in meeting future needs in those areas. I 7. Local developments to meet local water require- ments under The California "Water Plan would make mailable some 7,000,000 acre-feet of new yield per tason. In addition, the surplus waters from the North oastal Area and Sacramento River Basin, amounting j» some 21,900,000 acre-feet per season, would be de- ?loped by the California Aqueduct System and dis- puted to areas of deficiency as follows: San Fran- Bco Bay Area, 2,200,000 acre-feet; Central Coastal rea. 1,200,000 acre-feet; South Coastal Area, 2,900,- )0 acre-feet; San Joaquin-Tulare Lake Basin, 600.000 acre-feet; Lahontan Area, 4,800,000 acre- let; Colorado Desert Area, 1,400,000 acre-feet. An Iditional 900,000 acre-feet of water per season would •3 required for operation of a salinity control barrier t the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. 1 8. The California "Water Plan would involve the -entual construction of : a. Some 376 new reservoirs throughout the State, i with a total gross storage capacity of about 77,000.- ( 000 acre-feet to be added to the 20,000,000 acre-feet *\ of storage capacity in existing reservoirs ; b. New hydroelectric power generating facilities Li in connection with the water development works, Ltwith a total installed power capacity of about ti 7.800,000 kilowatts and a seasonal energy produc- ts tion of about 34 billion kilowatt-hours; c. Pumping installations with an aggregate in- I stalled capacity of about 12,300,000 kilowatts, and ♦ 'a seasonal energy requirement of about 49 billion ml kilowatt-hours. Of the total energy requirement for puinp- .||ing. about 30 billion kilowatt-hours per season ■would be needed for conveyance of water to the Bhigh desert areas of southern California, the de- lft velopment of which cannot be foreseen at the pres- Bent time. However, some 11 billion kilowatt-hours Bof this energy would be recovered by power genera - ktion from the water involved in the drops to the nl Sacramento Valley floor and on the southern side i J of the Tehachapi Mountains, thus reducing the net I I seasonal energy requirement to 19 billion kilowatt- B hours for service to those high desert areas. | *|9. The Feather River Project will conserve Feather uver water and convey flows of water across the elta, thence along the west side of the San Joaquin plley and over the Tehachapi Mountains into south- ern California. It will furnish supplemental water supplies to the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, and southern California. This project was authorized by the Legislature in 1951 for con- struction by the State as the initial unit of The Cali- fornia Water Plan. Urgent need will exist for the supplemental water supplies this project will trans- port to water-deficient areas by the time it can be constructed. It is estimated that supplemental water supplies can be provided in the San Joaquin Valley in 1963 and in southern California by 1970. 10. Construction of all features of The Cali- fornia Water Plan, which would be accomplished over a long period of time, would involve a total capital expenditure of some $11,800,000,000, based upon present (1955) price levels and economic con- ditions. Of this total amount, the cost of developments to meet local water requirements would aggregate some $2,800,000,000, and the California Aqueduct Sys- tem would cost about $9,000,000,000. Of this latter amount, about $4,400,000,000 would be required to develop and convey agricultural water to the high desert areas of southern California. Development of the demand for this water service cannot be foreseen at the present time. 11. The prospective market for hydroelectric energy generated under The California Water Plan would be favorable because of: a. The advantages of hydroelectric power as an ideal working partner with fossil or atomic ther- mal power, wherein the inherent capability of hy- droelectric plants for generation of on-peak energy would be employed; and b. The advantages of hydroelectric power in con- nection with pumped storage projects. Implementation of The California Water Plan 1. There exists immediate and urgent need for con- struction and operation of major water development works in California, particularly in the interests of water conservation and utilization, and in the inter- ests of flood control and protection. The agricultural and urban economy of the State is threatened with the dangerous consequences of continuing and rapidly increasing overdrafts on the developed water sup- plies. These overdrafts, resulting largely from exces- sive use of ground waters, are now (1957) estimated to aggregate some 4,000,000 acre-feet per season, an amount equivalent to the anticipated new seasonal yield of the Feather River Project. The needs of the people and the economy for protection from the ravages of uncontrolled flood waters was tragically demonstrated by the Hood of December, 1955. 2. The present and future protection of the high quality of the waters of the State must be assured. Without this safeguard, full implementation of The California Water Plan will not be possible. Required 244 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN objectives for maintenance of the quality of water should not apply only to current water uses but also should provide protection under future projects and developments. 3. Sound implementation of The California Water Plan will require the intensive and continuing pro- gram of investigation and planning by the Depart- ment of Water Resources, known as the ' ' California Water Development Program." This program, using The California Water Plan as a guide, would: ascer- tain the specific local and state-wide water projects next needed for development ; analyze and determine their engineering practicability, economic justifica- tion, and financial feasibility ; and determine the logical priority of their construction. This program would enable the planning endeavor to keep in step with the rapidly expanding water needs of the State. 4. State-wide coordinated development of Cali- fornia's water resources under The California Water Plan will require the solution of a number of legis- lative and legal problems, including the following : a. The adoption of a proper constitutional amendment and implementing legislative enact- ments which must provide: (1) positive assurance to the areas of origin that adequate water will be reserved for their future development; (2) posi- tive assurance to the areas of deficiency that when they contract with the State for water they can depend upon the right to that supply; (3) removal of the uncertainty inherent in existing statutes; and (4) an adequately financed, continuing pro- gram of water development to meet the needs for water in all areas of the State, as those needs arise and as projects to satisfy them are found to be feasible. b. The definition and determination of the na- ture and extent of vested rights to the use of sur- face and ground water, and the establishment of methods and procedures by which such rights as are affected may be compensated or otherwise ad- justed in order to permit full operation of the Plan, including conjunctive operation of surface and ground water basins; c. The authorization of eminent domain for water development projects not included in the Central Valley Project, as authorized by the State ; (1. The definition of federal, state, local public, and private responsibilities in connection with water development projects, and establishment of procedures governing the several relationships; and e. The re-evaluation of statutory restrictions upon certain water development projects. •"). The adoption of sound economic criteria, and the wise and just application of those criteria to projects of The California Water Plan are essential to success of the Plan. 6. The adoption of policies and methods that will provide for the repayment of reimbursable costs oi The California Water Plan is required for implemen- tation of the Plan. 7. It is essential that a course of action for state financing of projects of The California Water Plan be adopted in order to achieve the objectives of the Plan. Reference is made to the recommendation Governor Goodwin J. Knight to the State Legislature for financing The California Water Plan through establishment of the Water Development Fund set forth in Chapter V. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that : 1. The future growth of California will depend in . large measure upon the early acceptance and imple- mentation of a coordinated, state-wide, multipurpose program of water control, conservation, protection, and utilization. 2. The California Water Plan constitutes such a program, and should be accepted and implemented now as the master plan to guide and coordinate the planning, construction, and operation by all agencies of works required for the control, protection, conser- I vation, and distribution of the water resources of Cali- '■■■'■ fornia for all people and beneficial uses in all areas the State. 3. Critical and increasing needs for supplemental to water supplies, , for flood control, and for preservation and protection of water resources now exist in many areas of California. 4. The waters originating in California, togethei with the rights of California in and to the waters oi the Colorado River, are adequate in quantity am quality to satisfy all water requirements of the Stat after it has reached full development, if the waters are properly controlled, conserved, protected, amf distributed. 5. The control of floods to provide protection to tin . growing population and expanding economy of tin • . State must be attained and at all times maintained al a degree commensurate with the need therefor. 6. The quality of waters which are available t< meet the full ultimate requirements of all parts oJ California must be protected and maintained at requi " ' site high levels to make this achievement possibles 7. Minimum ' standards of well construction am proper procedures for the abandonment of well should be enforced in order to protect adequately tin quality of the State 's ground waters. 8. Water development works to satisfy present am future needs of local areas are an essential part of an: comprehensive plan for solution of the water problem of the State. 9. Solution i)i' California's water problems mus assure adequate provision for municipal, industrial SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS mid agricultural water supplies, quality of water con- trol and protection, flood control and protection, Irainage, navigation, hydroelectric power generation, d protection and enhancement of recreation and and wildlife resources, and other related water activities. 0. The authorized Feather River Project, the first t of The California Water Plan, should be financed I constructed at so vigorous a rate as will assure ivery of water to the San Joaquin Valley not later 1963 and to southern California not later than 0. 11. The California Water Development Program uld be financed and prosecuted on a continuing adequate to provide plans for meeting the growth demand for water resource development in Cali- nia. 12. Immediate action should be taken by the Legis- ire and the people of the State of California to vide the constitutional amendment, and by the gislature to provide the enabling legislation neces- try for early and orderly implementation of The alifornia Water Plan. 13. The Legislature should provide for the financ- on an adequate and continuing basis, of the 's share of costs of construction, operation, and intenance of projects under The California Water as such projects are authorized by the Legis- ure. RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that : 1. The California Water Plan be accepted by the islature as the general and coordinated master for the progressive and comprehensive future de- opment of the water resources of California by all ncies, subject to: (a) more detailed investigation study of component features of the Plan to de- ine their need, engineering feasibility, economic tifieation, financial feasibilty, and recommended ority of construction; and (b) continuing review, odification, and improvement of the Plan in the ht of changing conditions, advances in technology, ditional data, and future experience. 2. Projects to achieve the objectives of The Cali- rnia Water Plan be constructed as their need, igineering feasibility, economic justification, and lancial feasibility are demonstrated by further in- stigation. 3. Adequate funds be provided by the Legislature, i an assured and continuing basis, for support of the ialifornia Water Development Program, comprising : ) continuation of the compilation and publication basic water resource data necessary for implementa- 3n of The California Water Plan; (b) more detailed vestigation and study of component features of 245 the Plan, to determine their need, engineering fea- sibility, economic justification, financial feasibility, and recommended priority of construction; and (c) continuing review, modification, and improvement of The California Water Plan in the light of changing conditions, advances in technology, additional data, and future experience. 4. Research programs to supply needed basic and experimental data concerning hydrology, hydraulics, water quality, and other pertinent matters be given authorization and adequate financial support. 5. The efforts of all agencies and entities engaged in the planning, financing, construction, and opera- tion of water development projects be coordinated within the framework of The California Water Plan to the end that maximum ultimate objectives may be achieved. 6. The quality of the water resources of the State be protected against unreasonable deterioration from all sources of impairment. In the administration of the statutes governing the disposal of sewage and in- dustrial wastes to waters of the State, consideration should be given not only to the present uses of the waters concerned but also to the future developments and uses envisioned in The California Water Plan. In planning for future urban and industrial develop- ments, consideration should be given to the necessity of adequate waste disposal without endangering the future utility of the State's waters. 7. Proper watershed management practices and methods be formulated and followed to protect and enhance the State's water resources. 8. Positive assurances, to the maximum practicable extent, be provided, by constitutional amendment and legislative enactments, that water required to meet all future beneficial uses in all areas of the State will be available in adequate quantity and quality, when and where needed, and on a dependable basis. 9. A long-range water development fund and enab- ling policies to assure the financing and construction of needed water development works in California on a continuing, progressive basis be established by the Legislature at the earliest practicable date. 10. The financing and construction of the author- ized Feather River Project, the initial unit of The California Water Plan, be expedited in order that urgently needed flood protection will be provided at an early date, and in order that supplemental water supplies will be available to areas of serious water deficiency in the San Francisco Bay Area and in the San Joaquin Valley not later than 1963. and in south- ern California not later than 1970. The financing and construction of other presently needed water develop- ment works should likewise be undertaken immedi- ately. 11. Study be initiated now of the additional legis- lation that will be necessary for progressive imple- 246 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN mentation of The California Water Plan, and that such legislation be enacted when and as required. This includes policy recognition of the interests of recrea- tion, fish, and wildlife as important and necessary factors in water development, and the maintenance of live stream flow in the interests of fish, wildlife, and recreation as a beneficial use of water. It further in- cludes : provisions authorizing and implementing ad- ministration of ground water development and utiliza- tion; the planned operation of ground water basins as storage reservoirs, when necessary in the public interest; the enforcement of minimum standards of well construction and of adequate procedures for abandonment of wells ; and legislation to simplify and strengthen the current procedures for the determina- tion of water rights. STATE PRINTING OF1PICE 53479 5-57 7500 STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DIVISION OF RESOURCES PLANNING PRESENT WATER PROBLEMS 246 THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN mentation of The California Water Plan, and that such legislation be enacted when and as required. This includes policy recognition of the interests of recrea- tion, fish, and wildlife as important and necessary factors in water development, and the maintenance of live stream flow in the interests of fish, wildlife, and recreation as a beneficial use of water. It further in- cludes: provisions authorizing and implementing ad- ministration of ground water development and utiliza tion ; the planned operation of ground water basins as storage reservoirs, when necessary in the public interest ; the enforcement of minimum standards of well construction and of adequate procedures for abandonment of wells ; and legislation to simplify and strengthen the current procedures for the determina tion of water rights. printed in California state printing office 53479 5-57 7500 DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES PRESENT WATER PROBLEMS \ L MAJOR HYDROGRAPHIC AREAS PLANNING GROUPS [— I p„ ese * cm — v\ •i^y / >%^ trfEJ&Zfikr v*V*M&n £ : ■■!■■■- V 1' : \ : V ? i _ rsj^. ™™« EXISTING WORKS PROSPECT, E WORKS SHE €f „u™£l5J,E.U.T eoc/^cs c °3 l 3Hm "ST 1 ,1 .ESE.VC. -•■ *• h\ I 13 i I- | ^n LEGEND EXISTING WORKS PROSPECTIVE WORKS FEATURE CONSERVATION. FLOOD CALIFORN^AOUEDUCT DEVELOPMENT FLOOD Tow er". EC e T tc' C ONLY "sr," LOCAL NEEDS ONL, ""°.«T„. ON.,, <^^ {ll '< , 1 ' V.6 | I'-'l l8 |' 9 \ UoUM^Jj^V t3E=^ LEGEND EX. STING WORKS PROSPECT, E WORKS E.TURE CONSERVATION FLOOD CALIFORNIA «OUE0UCT DEVELOPMENT FLOOD HV P0W°ER L . EC ETC' C ONLY ."SH" .„,,..« LOCAL NEEDS ONLY REM. ^» .*» .^M .^fc .^^ *&a E <^< <0 >| ls |' 5 \ LEGEND F EaTU » E E X!STING WORKS PROSPECTIVE WORKS ^EHE £££ C«LIFORN^« t «QUEOUCT "T" c rI 0L "»E€n ~:l s <5^S =2SSS3 *a& ~T::~ "iiT "■;;" »LL UUCI.KCT .OO.ES SOOTH OF »EV,t 5 0E» >. E O.O.ISIOIUl ».E.S OF „.«. SIRVICE 0»OF. THt C.LIFO.HI. «..£. «.»„ a I Wr| . INDEX TO SHEETS Am ♦. T ■ /' >fe <* H IU- 8 jl9\ iM-l-s p E »T UB E EXISTING WORKS PROSPECTIVE WORKS CONSERVATION, €f " ufor £V; eouct LOCAL NEEOS CO L N °T°ROL st „„,,.... ~— «d^3 «^^ ~"iz — ~~~~ «" «•»«"" "•«" »"'" 0' K»IL« M« »« P»0»,S,0».L it ! , ! « » W tK d^T^TTT- "^^g^ LEGEND EXISTING WORKS PROSPECTIVE WORKS CONSERVATION. FLOOD CAUFOR^WoUCT DEVELOPMENT FLOOD H, P0W E E B. EC E T TC C ONLY LOCAL NEEDS ONLY «se»voi» .,„ ■»« ■ -» °" °" °" • UL UUEWCT «O0T ES SOOT* OF OEV.LS 0£» .»E P.o.isi.n.i ..E.S Or ..TE, SE.V.CE UKDE. ,« C.L.FO..I. „»,E» PL** DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES m SEX FEATURE CONSERVATION, FLOOD CA LIFOR N^A ^AOU EDUCT DEVELOPMENT FLOOD LTE.NAI1VC M«.«l» <^=> <^j .fi^. DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES THE CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT SYSTEM GROUND WATER RESERVOIRS DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES CONJUNCTIVELY OPERATED STORAGE CENTRAL VALLEY OF WATER RESOURCES THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW BOOKS REQUESTED BY ANOTHER BORROWER ARE SUBJECT TO RECALL AFTER ONE WEEK. RENEWED BOOKS ARE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE RECALL B 18 1976 1976 8 REC'Q DEC 9 1984 LOAN UC 5AVI8-INTERLIBRARY SENT f ^ ^^ OCT 84 - I DUE 21 DAYS AFTER gfcfelg OEC 18 1984 «EC0 e circulation desk of any of California Library or to the IONAL LIBRARY FACILITY jsity of California ield Station, Bldg. 400 |et, Richmond, CA 94804-4698 IE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS e your library materials, you may LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS )rior to due date at (510) 642-6233 Book Slip-Series 458 JTAMPED BELOW NOV 05 2010 OCT 26 2011 DD20 5M 6-09 173223. Call Number: TD201 ■ Calif . State water re- 1 sources board. 1 Bulletin. no .3 I\f r>o,3 '*.- PHYSICAL SCIENCiS LIBRARY 173223 3 1175 00457 4300