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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014 California Water Map Layperson's Guide to California Water

Acre-Foot

Shasta Lake

An acre-foot is a common way in the U.S. to measure water volume and use. It is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre of land one foot deep. An acre is about the size of a football field.

An acre-foot of water equals 325,851 gallons, and historically that was enough to serve the needs of two families for a year in California.

In 2018, with many people using less water, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s service area reported an acre-foot was enough to supply about three homes a year.

An acre-foot of water continues to go considerably further than it used to in meeting California’s urban water needs, depending on the region, because per-capita water use has been steadily falling.

Other common acre-foot measurements:

  • The federal Central Valley Project delivers about 7 million acre-feet of water annually for agricultural, urban and wildlife uses in years of normal precipitation.
  • The State Water Project delivered an average of 1.8 million acre-feet annually to municipal, industrial and agricultural users between 2011 and 2020.
  • Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir, has a storage capacity of 4.55 million acre-feet. This amount would cover the entire state in about a half inch of water.

Diagram of acre-foot

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Aquapedia background January 30, 2014 California Water Map Layperson's Guide to California Water
Maps & Posters April 17, 2014 California Water Bundle

California Water Map
Updated December 2016

A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect gift for the water wonk in your life.

Our 24×36-inch California Water Map is widely known for being the definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts – including federally, state and locally funded projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects, wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado River.

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Publication May 20, 2014 California Water Map

Layperson’s Guide to California Water
Updated 2021

The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to California Water provides an excellent overview of the history of water development and use in California. It includes sections on flood management; the state, federal and Colorado River delivery systems; Delta issues; water rights; environmental issues; water quality; and options for stretching the water supply such as water marketing and conjunctive use. New in this 10th edition of the guide is a section on the human need for water. 

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