User:Fariel17/Water in California

California's Water System Previous Version:

California's interconnected water system serves almost 40 million people and irrigates over 5,680,000 acres (2,300,000 ha) of farmland.[1] As the world's largest, most productive, and potentially most controversial water system,[2][page needed] it manages over 40 million acre-feet (49 km3) of water per year.[3] Use of available water averages 50% environmental, 40% agricultural, and 10% urban, though this varies considerably by region and between wet and dry years.[4] In wet years, "environmental" water averages 61%, while in dry years it averages 41%, and can be even lower in critically dry years.[4]

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California’s intricate water system serves nearly 40 million people and irrigates more than 5.6 million acres of farmland. This vast system, one of the world's largest and most complex, manages over 40 million acre-feet of water per year. Water usage divides roughly into 50% for environmental purposes, 40% for agriculture, and 10% for urban needs, although these allocations vary significantly in dry versus wet years. In dry years, environmental water drops to around 41%, further decreasing during critically dry periods.

Groundwater

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Groundwater provides about 30% of California's total water supply in average years, and up to 60% or more during drought years. Overdrafting of groundwater is a serious issue, particularly in the Central Valley.

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Groundwater provides approximately 30% of California's water supply in typical years and can account for 60% or more in drought years. Overdrafting of groundwater—pumping more than can naturally replenish—is a pressing concern, particularly in the Central Valley, where unsustainable extraction rates lead to both a severe decline in aquifer levels and land subsidence. Studies reveal that depletion rates in the Central Valley significantly exceed natural recharge, which endangers long-term water availability. Efforts to counteract this include groundwater banking, recharge initiatives, and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which aims to stabilize groundwater levels by mandating sustainability plans through local agencies, especially in overdrawn agricultural regions. Nonetheless, challenges remain in balancing water needs and recharge rates.

Sources:

• Swain, D. L., & Lund, J. R. Current and Potential Groundwater Management Strategies in California's Central Valley. Groundwater, 2014.
• Lund, J. R., et al. Assessing the Status of Groundwater in the Central Valley, California: An Update. Journal of Hydrology, 2016.

The State Water Project

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An aerial view of the California Aqueduct at the Interstate 205 crossing west of Tracy

The California State Water Project is the largest multipurpose, state-built water project in the United States.[49] The SWP transports water from the Feather River watershed to agriculture, and some of the water goes to industrial and urban users. More than two-thirds of Californians receive some water from the SWP. The system was designed and contracted to deliver 4.2 million acre-feet (5.2 km3), but in an average year delivers only 2.3 million acre-feet (2.8 km3) because many of the original planned features were never built.[18] Twenty-nine agencies hold contracts for SWP water. The contractors pay for SWP's major operating costs and have gradually reduced the $1.75 billion bond debt that supplied funds for initial construction. In the years since 1960, SWP has built 29 dams, 18 pumping plants, five hydroelectric power plants, and around 600 miles (970 km) of canals and pipelines.[50]

Edited Version:

The California State Water Project (SWP), the largest state-built water system in the U.S., transports water from the Feather River watershed to support agricultural, industrial, and urban needs. Supplying over two-thirds of California’s population, the SWP was originally designed to deliver 4.2 million acre-feet annually but averages only around 2.3 million acre-feet due to incomplete infrastructure. SWP's 29 contractors fund operational costs and have significantly reduced the original $1.75 billion debt from its construction. The SWP has built 29 dams, 18 pumping plants, five hydroelectric power plants, and 600 miles of canals and pipelines, underscoring its crucial role in California’s water infrastructure.

Sources:

• California Department of Water Resources. The State Water Project Overview.
• Hundley, Norris. The Great Thirst: Californians and Water—A History.
• Reisner, Marc. Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water.