Shasta Dam creates the largest storage reservoir in the state,
Shasta Lake. In years of normal precipitation, the Shasta system
stores and distributes about 20 percent of the state’s developed
water — about 7 million acre-feet —through its massive system of
reservoirs and canals.
Located 12 miles north of Redding, Shasta traps the cold waters
of the Pit and McCloud rivers and the headwaters of the
Sacramento River behind its 602-foot curved, concrete face.
Water is transported 450 miles from Lake Shasta in Northern
California to the San Joaquin Valley. Along the way, the
Central Valley Project has long-term agreements with more than
250 contractors in 29 of California’s total 58 counties.
A magnitude 3.6 earthquake shook Shasta County early Friday
morning, waking residents shortly before 4 a.m. The quake’s
epicenter was not far from Shasta and Keswick Dams, prompting
dam operators to conduct precautionary inspections. Michael
Burke from the Bureau of Reclamation said … ”After the
earthquake, we actually went out to Spring Creek, Whiskeytown,
Lewiston and Shasta Dam and did a visual inspection, and there
was no findings.” The Shasta Dam, which recently celebrated its
80th anniversary, remains structurally sound despite showing
some wear. Experts said the dam’s concrete will not fully cure
for another 20 years. In related news, the Bureau of
Reclamation’s brand-new Shasta Dam Cam has gone live, offering
a 24/7 view from atop the visitors center. The camera provides
a continuous view of the three Shastas: Shasta Dam, the Shasta
Reservoir and Mount Shasta.
The United States Bureau of Reclamation celebrated the 80th
anniversary of the Shasta Dam and Powerplant’s completion, a
key element of California’s Central Valley Project. Acting
Regional Director Adam Nickels honored the 4,700 workers and
their families who contributed to this engineering milestone
from 1938 to 1945. … On June 20, 1945, the Bureau of
Reclamation officially took control of both the dam and power
plant from Pacific Constructors, Incorporated. Towering at 602
feet tall, Shasta Dam is the second-largest concrete dam in the
U.S., stretching 3,460 feet across the Sacramento River. It
required 6.5 million cubic yards of concrete, enough to circle
the Earth’s equator with a 3-foot-wide sidewalk.
… Shasta Reservoir, formed by the dam, is California’s
largest water storage facility, holding over 4.5 million
acre-feet of water.
Eighty years ago, in the heart of rural Shasta County,
thousands of workers came together to build something
extraordinary—Shasta Dam. Born out of the Great Depression,
this engineering marvel not only brought much-needed jobs to
the region but transformed the area’s future forever.
Construction on Shasta Dam began in 1937 and continued through
World War II, officially wrapping up in 1944—an impressive 26
months ahead of schedule. … Standing 602 feet tall,
Shasta Dam is the ninth tallest dam in the country and holds
back the largest reservoir in California. Today, it’s not just
a piece of history—it’s a beloved local destination offering
stunning views of Mt. Shasta, fishing spots, scenic walks, and
peaceful picnic areas. … So here’s to 80 years of Shasta
Dam—a symbol of strength, resilience, and NorCal pride.
President Donald Trump’s California-related water policy hasn’t
always been thoughtfully executed, as the fracas over his
ordered water releases early this year to help with the Los
Angeles wildfires made clear. The decision was hastily made,
didn’t help firefighting efforts and squandered water that
Central Valley farms will need as the dry season takes hold.
Nevertheless, the president’s instincts are correct. California
faces repeated droughts, with state water policy prioritizing
environmental concerns over the needs of farmers and consumers.
This approach hasn’t done much to improve the environment or
boost fish populations. So Trump is right to shift priorities
on federally managed projects. The latest news is heartening,
as it points toward building a project that has been discussed
for decades: raising Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet.
California’s snowpack is dwindling, and climate scientists
believe another record-breaking hot summer could be in the
cards, ramping up the possibility of an early fire season. The
state’s snowpack is at 14% of average peak snowpack, down from
96% on April 1 — the date snow scientists consider the height
of the snowpack, according to the state. The snowpack is
melting a little faster than usual, but state scientists said
the rate of snowmelt isn’t entirely abnormal. However, climate
scientists believe early snowmelt this year could be partly due
to human-caused climate change. Andy Reising, manager of the
California Department of Water Resources’ snow surveys and
water supply forecasting unit, said it’s important to
understand that snow is not melting uniformly across all
watersheds.
Explore the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
The continued wet weather in the Northstate has left quite an
impact at Shasta Lake. California’s largest reservoir rose a
foot from Thursday to Friday, and 5 feet from January 26 to
February 2. Currently, Shasta Lake sits at 1,035 feet, roughly
30 feet from capacity. That’s an increase of 47 feet from this
date last year. … Overall, the weather station at Shasta
Dam has reported 36.56 inches of rain since the water year
began on October 1.
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries
through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues
associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of
California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State
Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
This tour guided participants on a virtual exploration of the Sacramento River and its tributaries and learn about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
The deadliest and most destructive
wildfire in California history had a severe impact on the water
system in the town of Paradise. Participants on our Oct. 2-4
Northern California
Tour will hear from Kevin Phillips, general manager of
Paradise Irrigation District, on the scope of the damages, the
obstacles to recovery and the future of the water district.
The Camp Fire destroyed 90 percent of the structures in Paradise,
and 90 percent of the irrigation district’s ratepayer base. The
fire did not destroy the irrigation district’s water storage or
treatment facilities, but it did melt plastic pipes, releasing
contaminants into parts of the system and prompting do-not-drink
advisories to water customers.
One of California Gov. Gavin
Newsom’s first actions after taking office was to appoint Wade
Crowfoot as Natural Resources Agency secretary. Then, within
weeks, the governor laid out an ambitious water agenda that
Crowfoot, 45, is now charged with executing.
That agenda includes the governor’s desire for a “fresh approach”
on water, scaling back the conveyance plan in the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta and calling for more water recycling, expanded
floodplains in the Central Valley and more groundwater recharge.
Bruce Babbitt, the former Arizona
governor and secretary of the Interior, has been a thoughtful,
provocative and sometimes forceful voice in some of the most
high-profile water conflicts over the last 40 years, including
groundwater management in Arizona and the reduction of
California’s take of the Colorado River. In 2016, former
California Gov. Jerry Brown named Babbitt as a special adviser to
work on matters relating to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and
the Delta tunnels plan.
The growing leadership of women in water. The Colorado River’s persistent drought and efforts to sign off on a plan to avert worse shortfalls of water from the river. And in California’s Central Valley, promising solutions to vexing water resource challenges.
These were among the topics that Western Water news explored in 2018.
We’re already planning a full slate of stories for 2019. You can sign up here to be alerted when new stories are published. In the meantime, take a look at what we dove into in 2018:
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries
through a scenic landscape as participants learned about the
issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of
California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State
Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Tour
participants got an on-site update of Oroville Dam spillway
repairs.
The Colorado River Basin is more
than likely headed to unprecedented shortage in 2020 that could
force supply cuts to some states, but work is “furiously”
underway to reduce the risk and avert a crisis, Bureau of
Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman told an audience of
California water industry people.
During a keynote address at the Water Education Foundation’s
Sept. 20 Water Summit in Sacramento, Burman said there is
opportunity for Colorado River Basin states to control their
destiny, but acknowledged that in water, there are no guarantees
that agreement can be reached.
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries
through a scenic landscape as participants learned about the
issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of
California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State
Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Tour
participants got an on-site update of repair efforts on the
Oroville Dam spillway.
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.
This printed copy of Western Water examines California’s drought
– its impact on water users in the urban and agricultural sector
and the steps being taken to prepare for another dry year should
it arrive.
This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership
with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an
excellent overview of climate change and how it is already
affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists
anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and
precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are
underway to plan and adapt to climate.
Water as a renewable resource is depicted in this 18×24 inch
poster. Water is renewed again and again by the natural
hydrologic cycle where water evaporates, transpires from plants,
rises to form clouds, and returns to the earth as precipitation.
Excellent for elementary school classroom use.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Central Valley Project
explores the history and development of the federal Central
Valley Project (CVP), California’s largest surface water delivery
system. In addition to the project’s history, the guide describes
the various facilities, operations and benefits the water
project brings to the state along with the CVP
Improvement Act (CVPIA).
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Delta explores the competing
uses and demands on California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Included in the guide are sections on the history of the Delta,
its role in the state’s water system, and its many complex issues
with sections on water quality, levees, salinity and agricultural
drainage, fish and wildlife, and water distribution.
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.
Shasta Dam forms California’s
largest storage reservoir, Shasta Lake, which can hold about 4.5
million acre-feet.
As the keystone of the federal Central Valley Project,
Shasta stands among the world’s largest dams. Construction on the dam began in 1938
and was completed in 1945, with flood control as the highest
priority.
