Publication May 20, 2014

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.

The guide also includes a useful chronology of California water history. An excellent basic reference tool to California water, the Layperson’s Guide to California Water complements the California Water Map. Order in bulk (50 or more copies of the same guide) for a reduced fee. Contact the Foundation, 916-444-6240, for details.

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Headwaters

Headwaters are the source of a stream or river. They are located at the furthest point from where the water body empties or merges with another. Two-thirds of California’s surface water supply originates in these mountainous and typically forested regions.

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Water Supply in California

California’s “Mediterranean” climate, characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters, is considered one of its great attractions, but it also can be unpredictable with flooding followed by drought and few years of “normal” precipitation. [See also Hydrologic Cycle].

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Pacific Flyway

The Pacific Flyway is one of four major North American migration routes for birds, especially waterfowl, and extends from Alaska and Canada, through California, to Mexico and South America. Each year, birds follow ancestral patterns as they travel the flyway on their annual north-south migration. Along the way, they need stopover sites such as wetlands with suitable habitat and food supplies. In California, 90 percent of historic wetlands have been lost.

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Grey Water

Grey water, also spelled as gray water, is water that already has been used domestically, commercially and industrially. This includes the leftover, untreated water generated from washing machines, bathtubs and bathroom sinks.

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California Water Overview

California will always be inextricably linked to its water resources. Water continues to shape the state’s development and no resource is as vital to California’s urban centers, farms, industry, recreation, scenic beauty and environmental preservation.

But California’s relationship to water is also one that continues to generate controversy.

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Layperson’s Guide to California Water Updated 2021

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Layperson’s Guide to California Water
Updated 2021