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.
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.
The long-standing debate over raising the height of Shasta Dam
has resurfaced as Republican lawmakers continue to advocate for
the project, arguing it would provide essential water resources
for California farmers. However, opponents contend that the
environmental and cultural repercussions would outweigh the
benefits. The House Committee on Natural Resources’ budget
reconciliation bill could potentially allocate $2 billion to
expand capacity at the Bureau of Reclamation’s
water facilities. Although Shasta Dam is not specifically
mentioned in the bill, experts suggest the legislation could
support a project to raise the dam by 18 feet. Proponents claim
this would supply an additional 51,000 acre-feet of water
annually to farmers, a less than 1% increase over current
allocations. … The initiative is supported by Northstate
Congressman Doug LaMalfa but faces opposition from
environmental groups and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.
An accident of history has left California with two massive,
overlapping water projects: the federally operated Central
Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP) operated
by the California Department of Water Resources. Maintaining
and operating two projects that serve the same purpose is
inefficient. Moreover, the projects are often beset by
controversy and conflict when state and federal administrations
change. … To cope with a changing climate and declining
reliability of water supply, California and the federal
government need to consider fully integrating the two projects.
This would allow for more efficient water storage and
distribution, improved water markets, increased groundwater
banking and recharge, and better and more consistent
environmental protection.
… Contemplated for decades and gaining traction among
Republican lawmakers, the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation’s proposed Shasta Dam and Reservoir
Enlargement Project would boost the capacity of California’s
largest reservoir. Since President Donald Trump took office for
his second term, the federal government has not mounted any
public effort to raise the dam. But Trump has taken several
steps in that direction, including signing executive orders
instructing federal officials to waive environmental rules and
deliver more water to California growers. Last week, the dam
project appeared to get a push in the House Natural Resources
Committee’s budget reconciliation bill, with a designation of
$2 billion “for construction and associated activities that
increase the capacity of existing Bureau of Reclamation surface
water storage facilities.” Though the budget language does not
name Shasta Dam, experts say it’s precisely crafted to
facilitate the project.
Friday and Saturday are shaping up to be the hottest days so
far this year across much of Northern California. Just two days
later, valley and coastal rain and Sierra
Nevadasnow could be back in the
forecast. It’s part of an unsettled spring weather
pattern that continues across the West
Coast. … Rainfall totals will depend on the
trajectory of the storm. If it moves inland quickly, little to
no precipitation will fall in the Bay Area. If the storm
remains over the ocean, it will pick up more moisture and could
deposit a tenth to a half-inch of rain in parts of the Bay
Area. This wet scenario may also yield a half-foot of snow in
the northern Sierra.
California’s largest reservoir, Lake Shasta, reached
capacity this week, marking the third straight year it has
filled or nearly filled with water. The run of big water years
at the reservoir reflects the unusual string of wet winters the
state has experienced, and it bodes well for water supplies
this year across California. The lake, which stretches
across an extraordinary 35 miles in the southern Cascades north
of Redding near Mount Shasta, is the cornerstone of the
federally run Central Valley Project. Its supplies are sent to
cities and farms hundreds of miles away, including the Bay
Area. The San Joaquin Valley’s booming agricultural industry is
the primary beneficiary.
Water agencies up and down California will be getting larger
allocations from the state and federal delivery systems this
year, water managers announced this week. On Tuesday, the
California Department of Water Resources announced it would be
increasing deliveries to 50 percent of requested supplies from
the State Water Project — that’s up from 40 percent in March.
Also, officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced
that deliveries to irrigation systems and other water
contractors south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta are
being increased from 40 percent of requested supplies to 50
percent. Meanwhile, farms north of the Delta, and within the
Delta itself, will receive 100 percent of their requested
supplies from the federal Central Valley Project.
A barrage of atmospheric river events that swept across
California during the winter and spring has left the state
well-positioned when it comes to water storage. As the
peak of the snowmelt season begins to slow down, the majority
of California’s major reservoirs are at least 90% full – a
promising sign for a state that frequently battles drought and
associated wildfires. Shasta Lake, California’s largest
reservoir, was last reported to be at around 95% capacity,
surpassing its historical average by 117%. The reservoir
affects 35 California counties and plays a crucial role in
managing water for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River
watersheds. … Just as notable is Diamond Valley Lake,
located about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles in Southern
California. According to data from the California
Department of Water Resources, the water basin was at 97% of
capacity and 128% above its historical average.
Other water supply and snowmelt news around the West:
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.
