How does Norcal water get to the Central Valley and SoCal

[hydro]

Water entering the canals headed south takes 75 days for the whole trip and must be pumped uphill many times at pumping stations stationed along the way to complete the trip . The biggest lift is 2000 feet over the Tehachapi mountains .
These big electrical pumps pumping all of this water consume lots of electrical power subsidized at Taxpayer expense .

California Governor Edmund G. Pat Brown quote " Its better to have water with problems than to have problems with no water ". ( Looks like he sure succeeded here)

Link below is for an awesome slideshow I found by mistake showing from A-Z how the water gets there from the north

https://www.watereducation.org/sites/ma ... dation.pdf

[monte300]

My understanding is it gets there via the California Aqueduct and the Delta Mendota Canal. Am I wrong?

[JVGondal]

Monte. It’s very interesting to know that the delta Mendota canal sends water south to the upper part of the San Joaquin river due to the creation of fraint dam (milerton lake). When milerton was created it stole so much water from the San Joaquin it left sections dry.

Friant Dam, completed in 1942, created Millerton Lake and diverts San Joaquin River water into two major canals
Friant-Kern Canal (sends water south).
Madera Canal (sends water north).

This diversion drastically reduced river flow downstream of the dam, causing long stretches of the San Joaquin River to dry up, especially in dry years.

Delta-Mendota Canal Replacing Lost Water
It was built as part of the Central Valley Project to compensate for the lost river flow.
It carries water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta southward and delivers it to the Mendota Pool

The water from the delta Mendota replaces the San Joaquin River’s lost flow, allowing continued irrigation and water supply for farms in the western San Joaquin Valley.

Here is part one of a good documentary about it if you are interested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOvQe2K ... luIHJpdmVy

[monte300]

Thanks for the explanation JV

[JVGondal]

I believe the Mendota begins near Tracy. So it sends water south to the upper San Joaquin which sends it back north ???
Sounds like insanity

The Mendota canal parallels the San Joaquin river sending water from Clifton court Tracy to the Mendota pool reservoir feeding the San Joaquin
It’s sending water back in a circle pretty much

The water in the Mendota just makes a U turn when it reaches its destination at the Mendota pool and come back down the San Joaquin into the delta again

[monte300]

So the only water shipped down south is aqueduct?

[jiggin4bass]

Why do you think they fill San Luis Reservoir that water is pumped south through the aqueduct has been for years it's nothing new. Millerton lake Friant Kern canal go south. Madera canal go north. Pine flat splits water going north and south.

[JVGondal]

Yes I do believe all the water going south is by the aqueduct
the water flows off the mountains down the rivers into the deltas various sloughs and to the aqueducts in Tracy
The aqueducts begin in Tracy

If they build the tunnel the fear is the water will be captured where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers meet and go around the delta.
Just a big bypass to deliver water faster

Their side has said we need this because of the old weakened levy’s in the delta are going to fail
A tunnel or canal means the levy’s won’t need as much repair
If they do get the tunnel / canal whatever you want to call it the delta will likely suffer in my opinion
How much ? Beats me. Maybe not at all
But if water is not allowed to flow through it will become stagnant I would think.
It might allow salt water deeper into the delta

I don’t believe anything until I see it
My roots take back to the show me state of Missouri

[JVGondal]

Water in Ca is not the real problem. Ca is along side the Pacific Ocean. We should be removing the salt for the water we are short and allow our rivers and streams to flow more naturally

But then we won’t need as many dams. No dams less bass waters
Just go fishing while we still can is all I can say

[Whoopbass]

Water in Ca is not the real problem. Ca is along side the Pacific Ocean. We should be removing the salt for the water we are short and allow our rivers and streams to flow more naturally

But then we won’t need as many dams. No dams less bass waters
Just go fishing while we still can is all I can say

Great idea. Farmers should use desalinized water to irrigate their fields. Just 10% would make a huge difference.

[Dave Brabec]

Toxic waste from desalination plants and no safe place to dump it. Maybe the desert.

[JVGondal]

Salty brine? That’s BS. Concentrated Brine / salt waste can be managed easily compared to the droughts and fire man is creating

Always an excuse to sell water south with a tunnel

They have said the plants would use too much electricity but charging cars does not use any electricity

[Dave Brabec]

They also pull water from Folsom into the canal system.