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Topic List: Water Supply and Management

Overview May 13, 2014

Water Supply and Management

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Acre Foot

Overview April 24, 2014

Acre Foot

An acre foot of water equals about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land 1 foot deep.

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Aquifers

Overview April 24, 2014

Aquifers

An aquifer is a geologic formation that stores, transmits, and yields significant quantities of water to wells or springs.

Aquifers come in two types. Some are formed in the space between porous materials such as sand, gravel, silt or clay and are known as alluvial aquifers or unconfined aquifers. However, in many places in California, there are aquifers beneath a rock layer that does not allow water to permeate in measurable amounts. These are known as confined aquifers.

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California Water Plan

Overview April 24, 2014

California Water Plan

Every five years the California Department of Water Resources releases an updated version of the California Water Plan— a comprehensive compilation of water data that guides future water policy in the state. The plan is commonly referred to as Bulletin 160.

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Conjunctive Use

Overview April 24, 2014

Conjunctive Use

Conjunctive use is a catchphrase for coordinated use of surface water and groundwater— literally going with the flow to maximize sufficient yield.

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Desalination

Overview April 24, 2014

Desalination

Recurrent droughts and uncertainties about future water supplies have led several California communities to look to saltwater for supplemental supplies through a process known as desalination.

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Grey water

Overview April 24, 2014

Gray water

Gray water, also spelled as grey water, is water that already has been used domestically, commercially and industrially. This includes the leftover, untreated water generated from clothes washers, bathtubs and bathroom sinks.

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Groundwater

Overview April 24, 2014

Groundwater

Unlike California’s majestic rivers and massive dams and conveyance systems, groundwater is out of sight and underground, though no less plentiful. The state’s enormous cache of underground water is a great natural resource and has contributed to the state becoming the nation’s top agricultural producer and leader in high-tech industries.

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Integrated Regional Water Management

Overview April 24, 2014

Integrated Regional Water Management

Integrated Regional Water Management, commonly known as IRWM, aims to collectively manage all aspects of water resources in a region. This approach includes all constituencies, including those that traditionally have been outside of the water planning and policy process such as tribal representatives.

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Recreation

Overview April 24, 2014

Recreation

Since World War II and a booming state population that increasingly sought out the great outdoors to relax, the state’s water-based recreational activities have continued to grow more popular and diverse, occurring in a multitude of sources  – from swimming pools and spas to beaches, reservoirs, natural lakes and rivers.

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Surface Water

Overview April 24, 2014

Surface Water

The story of California’s surface water— water that remains on the earth’s surface, in rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs or oceans—is one that reflects the state’s  geographic complexity.

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Water Marketing and Banking

Overview April 24, 2014

Water Marketing and Banking

Water marketing is the transfer or sale of water or water rights from one user to another, typically from an agricultural to an urban water agency, often without investing in new infrastructure

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Water Rates

Overview April 24, 2014

Water Rates

Typically, water utilities’ budgets are funded by revenue collected through water and sewer rates. Revenue generated by rates covers the costs of operations, as well as ongoing upgrades and repairs to pipelines, treatment plants, sewers and other water infrastructure.

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Water Recycling

Overview April 24, 2014

Water Recycling

All water is recycled and reused as a part of natural water processes such as the hydrologic cycle.

Man-made water recycling, also known as water reclamation or water reuse, centers on using treated wastewater.

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Water Supply

Overview April 24, 2014

Water Supply

California’s climate, characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters, makes the state’s water supply unpredictable. For instance, runoff and precipitation in California can be quite variable. The northwestern part of the state can receive more than 140 inches per year while the inland deserts bordering Mexico can receive less than 4 inches.

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Water Transfers

Overview April 24, 2014

Water Transfers

Water marketing is the transfer or sale of water or water rights from one user to another, typically from an agricultural to an urban water agency, often without investing in new infrastructure.

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Water Academy

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