Aqueduct Magazine
Volume 77 - Issue 1 - January 2006
Late 1800's – Delta islands reclaimed.

1951 – The federal government completes the Tracy Pumping Plant and the Delta Cross Channel, allowing for Central Valley Project deliveries to the San Joaquin Valley.

1957 – The Department of Water Resources completes the California Water Plan, which calls for a system of reservoirs, aqueducts, pumping and power plants that would transport water from areas of surplus to contractors located in Northern California, the San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California.

1960 – California voters approve the Burns-Porter Act to finance construction of the State Water Project with $1.75 billion in general obligation bonds.

Late 1960s-early 1970s– Banks Pumping Plant and related facilities completed, allowing exports through the State Water Project, with the first deliveries pumped over the Tehachapi Mountains to Southern California beginning in 1971.

1982 – Voters reject Proposition 9, an initiative to build a Peripheral Canal to protect fisheries and improve the quality and quantity of water to the State Water Project and Central Valley Project by routing Sacramento River water around the Delta.

1987-1993 – A major drought causes water supplies through the Delta to be interrupted; fish species decline; federal government threatens intervention over water-quality and environmental issues.

1994 – Bay-Delta Accord is signed. The SWP and CVP dedicate more than 1 million acre-feet of water to environmental purposes in exchange for assurances regarding remaining supply.
By E. Faber
Traveling down Interstate 5 on the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley, motorists continually drive alongside or cross over the flowing waters of the California Aqueduct. Yet for most, the source of that water remains as mysterious as the headwaters of the Nile were to 19th century explorers.

Passing through Stockton, drivers travel along the southeastern periphery of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, water source to two-thirds of Californians, home to endangered fish and stopover point for countless birds on the Pacific Flyway.

But ask them about the Bay-Delta, and most still draw a blank.

Now, think Florida Everglades. The imagination instantly conjures images of alligators half-submerged in swampy forests, skies darkened by exotic birds, and air foil boats effortlessly gliding across the fabled “rivers of grass.”

In Hollywood terms, the Everglades is a blockbuster.

“We’ve reaped benefits from everyone knowing the Everglades, whether they have been here or not,” notes Randy Smith, a spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District, partner with the Army Corps of Engineers in restoring the Everglades.

By contrast, the Delta is, at best, a cult classic that defies easy understanding and resists outright appreciation. So while Hollywood-style celebrity has kept the momentum going for the Everglades restoration program, a similar effort for California’s Delta has stalled in recent months after a promising start, and seems to have lost focus. Barring a new TV series called “Delta Vice” or “Delta CSI,” the general public’s lack of understanding–much less interest–in the Delta could prove as much an obstacle to its restoration as lack of money.

However, the two ecosystems share some striking similarities. Both were greatly altered as... Continued >>
1995 – Fifteen state and federal agencies launch CALFED restoration program. Metropolitan Water District provides $30 million for ecosystem restoration. To date, more than 400 environmental restoration projects have been implemented through the CALFED process.

1996 – Voters pass Proposition 204, providing nearly $1 billion in bonds. State officials unveil the South Delta Improvements Program, which includes flow control structures and operable gates to protect South Delta farmers and the fish.

2000 – CALFED Record of Decision marks the official launch of the state-federal program, and lays out the comprehensive parameters of a balanced, 30-year plan.

2003 – Bay-Delta Authority established by Legislature in effort to provide a more cohesive, accountable governing structure for CALFED.

June 2004 – Jones Tract levee fails, causing $90 million in damage and shutting down state water pumps for two weeks, flooding thousands of acres of farmland.

November 2004 – CALFED reauthorized by Congress after years of debate.

2005 –Draft documents on South Delta Improvements Program released. A major audit and review of CALFED suggests new approaches to improve program effectiveness. State agencies work with stakeholders to implement near-term actions and shape a long-term vision for the Delta.