WATER DELIVERY TO SAN DIEGO COUNTYIn a normal year, San Diego County imports 90 percent of its water from Northern California (via the State Water Project) and the Colorado River. This means the San Diego region is inextricably tied to Northern California's rivers and the Colorado River. This water is imported by the San Diego County Water Authority via the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. State Water Project water released from Lake Oroville flows down the Sacramento River and into the Delta. From there, it is pumped into the California Aqueduct, which extends south through the state to urban Southern California. However, planned Delta transfer and storage facilities and drainage facilities have not been finished. Today, the State Water Project delivers only about half of the water it originally contracted to provide. More than 20 million Californians, including San Diego County residents, rely on water pumped from the Delta. But concerns about the Delta's health have led to state and federal regulations limiting Delta pumping. Such restrictions in turn limit the amount of water that San Diego County can rely on from the Delta. For more than 50 years, Colorado River water has been pumped into a Metropolitan Water District aqueduct for the trip west to urban Southern California. But a 1964 Supreme Court decision increasing Arizona's water rights reduced the region's firm supply from the Colorado River by more than 50 percent. So far, thanks to surpluses in the river system, MWD has been able to continue filling the aqueduct to its maximum capacity. But this is bound to change as Arizona takes more of its entitlement. Solutions to San Diego County's water needs include:
For more information on regional projects, see Regionwide Capital Improvements Projects. |
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