California Department of Water Resources facts for kids

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California Department of Water Resources
Agency overview
Seal of the California Department of Water Resources
Formed	1956
Preceding agencies	Water Project Authority Department of Public Works
Headquarters	715 P St, Sacramento, California
Agency executive	Karla Nemeth, Director
Parent agency	California Natural Resources Agency
Website	http://www.water.ca.gov/

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) helps manage and protect California's water. It is part of the California Natural Resources Agency. DWR makes sure there is enough water for people, farms, and nature.

The department started in 1956. This happened after big floods hit Northern California in 1955. Governor Goodwin Knight created DWR by combining several water-related offices. Its main office is in Sacramento.

How California Manages Water
DWR's Role and Laws
The State Water Project
- What the Project Does
- State Water Project Facts
DWR Projects
Leaders of DWR
Water Regions
More to Explore

How California Manages Water

Early Water Rules (1850-1875)

California has different ways of owning water rights. Before 1848, California was part of Mexico. Back then, riparian rights were common. This meant a landowner could use water flowing by their property. When California joined the United States, these existing rules were kept.

When gold was found in 1848, many people came to California. Gold miners used a lot of water for hydraulic mining. They often took water and used it for their mining. This was called an appropriative water right. Miners would often put up a sign to show they were using water.

California became a U.S. state in 1850. The state quickly made laws about water. They adopted the English common law system, which included riparian rights. But soon, California courts also recognized appropriative water rights.

Having two different water systems caused arguments. The state courts helped solve these problems. In 1872, a new law allowed people to record their appropriative water claims. In 1928, the California Constitution was changed. It now says that all water use in California must be fair and helpful.

Planning for Water (1875-1925)

In 1878, William Hammond Hall studied California's Central Valley. He suggested building public projects to bring water for farming. Even without a state project, landowners and cities like San Francisco got water rights from the Sierra Nevada mountains.

In 1913, the Water Commission Act was passed. This law created the Water Commission. It helped manage permits for using surface water. People who used water before 1914 often had stronger water rights.

In 1919, Robert B. Marshall of the U.S. Geological Survey suggested a big plan. He wanted the U.S. federal government to build dams and canals. This would bring water to the Central Valley. California became very interested in this idea.

Big Water Projects Begin (1925-1950)

In 1927, California passed a law to save unused surface water for future use. The state got permits for some of these water rights.

In 1933, California approved building the Central Valley Project. This project aimed to build a large dam at Kennett (now Shasta Dam). This would help control water flow and reduce salt in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The state could not pay for the dam alone. So, the U.S. federal government took over the project in 1935.

DWR is Born (1950-1975)

California grew a lot in the 1950s. People needed more water for homes and farms. In 1954 and 1955, Caspar Weinberger led meetings to plan a State Water Project. This project would supply water to meet the state's growing needs.

On July 5, 1956, Governor Goodwin Knight signed a bill. This bill created the Department of Water Resources (DWR). It combined several water agencies into one. Harvey Oren Banks became DWR's first director. His job was to plan the new State Water Project.

In 1959, the Burns-Porter Act was passed. This law approved $1.75 billion for the State Water Project. California voters approved it in 1960. That same year, Whale Rock Dam was finished. It was DWR's first major water project.

In 1961, William Warne became the DWR director. He oversaw the building of Oroville Dam. This dam is a key part of the State Water Project. DWR also worked with the United States Bureau of Reclamation to build a joint reservoir at San Luis. Water from Oroville and Shasta dams would flow into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. From there, it would be stored in the Central Valley. Construction of the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant also began in 1963.

DWR Timeline

Year	Event(s)
1850	California becomes the 31st state in the United States of America
1878	Office of State Engineer established with appointment of civil engineer William Hammond Hall
1887	California Legislature approves the Wright Act which enables citizens to create local irrigation districts
1919	US Geological Survey Lt. Colonel Robert Marshall publishes a plan to transfer water from the Sacramento River to the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California
1929	First California Snow Survey conducted In response to the St. Francis Dam disaster, California Legislature creates a dam safety program
1933	Bond act approved for Central Valley Project (CVP), but due to dwindling state coffers from the Great Depression, funding was not enough for the state government to build the project, thus the CVP was turned over to the U.S. federal government
1951	Bulletin 1, an inventory of Californian water resources, is published by the State Water Resources Board State Engineer A.D. Edmonston proposed the Feather River Project (which later becomes the State Water Project)
1955	Bulletin 2, which updates the information from Bulletin 1 and forecasts future water needs, is published by the State Water Resources Board
1956	Governor Goodwin Knight calls a special session of the Legislature to create a Department of Water Resources Harvey O. Banks is appointed as the first director
1957	Work begins in the city of Oroville for construction of a dam on the Feather River Bulletin 3, now named the California Water Plan Update, is published by the DWR
1959	Burns-Porter Act passes the Legislature, authoring construction of a State Water Project
1960	Voters approve bond to finance the State Water Project Metropolitan Water District of Southern California signs up as first contractor for SWP water US Congress authorizes construction of the San Luis Unit of the CVP
1961	Frenchman Dam is completed Davis-Dolwig Act passes the Legislature, allowing for recreation, fish, and wildlife enhancement William Warne appointed as second DWR director
1962	Work begins on Oroville Dam Patterson Dam completed State and federal governments agree to construct San Luis Joint-Use Complex
1963	California Supreme Court rules that the DWR can sell additional revenue bonds to finance SWP construction
1964	Antelope Dam is completed Oroville Fish Barrier Dam is completed
1965	Santa Clara Terminal Reservoir is completed
1966	Dos Amigos Pumping Plant is completed
1967	Grizzly Dam (Lake Davis) is completed Oroville Dam is completed Hyatt Pumping/Generating Plant is completed Feather River Fish Hatchery is completed and begins operation O'Neill Dam, San Luis Dam, and Gianelli Pumping/Generating Plant are completed William Gianelli is appointed as third Director
1968	Oroville Diversion Dam is completed Thermalito Afterbay Dam is completed North Bay Aqueduct & Napa Turnout Reservoir are completed Del Valle Dam is completed California Aqueduct from Banks Pumping Plant to San Luis Reservoir is completed California Aqueduct - San Luis Canal completed Los Perillas and Badger Hill Pumping Plants are completed Governor Ronald Reagan dedicates Lake Oroville and Oroville Dam, initiating beginning of operations of the SWP State Water Resources Control Board Decision 1379 is adopted, setting water quality standards for the SWP and CVP
1969	Thermalito Pumping / Generating Plant is completed South Bay Pumping Plant is completed Del Valle Pumping Plant is completed Banks Pumping Plant is completed (4 additional pumps are added in 1986) Clifton Court Forebay is completed
1970	John E. Skinner Delta Fish Protection Facility is completed
1971	California Aqueduct constructed to Tehachapi Crossing Cedar Springs Dam (Silverwood Lake) is completed
1972	Buena Vista and Terrink Pumping Plants are completed Oso Pumping Plant is completed Clean Water Act is enacted by both houses of the U.S. Congress
1973	Chrisman Pumping Plant is completed Pyramid Dam and Castaic Power Plant are completed Pearblossom Pumping Plant is completed Santa Anna Pipeline is completed John R. Teerink is appointed fourth director
1974	Castaic Dam is completed Devil Canyon Power Plant completed Perris Dam is completed
1975	Ronald Robie appointed fifth director
1982	California Aqueduct West Branch completed Warne Power Plant completed Irrigation management weather stations provided to farmers
1983	DWR is classified as a "bulk entity" and begins entering its own electricity contracts David N. Kennedy is appointed sixth director
2007	Judge orders DWR to cease its export operations through the delta, citing that it does not have a valid permit to operate the California State Water Project pumps per the California Environmental Quality Act.

DWR's Role and Laws

The DWR was created to build and run the State Water Project. As a state group, it must follow many laws and rules. These rules help protect California's water.

DWR needs permits to use water, just like other water users. The State Water Resources Control Board gives out these permits. These permits limit how much water DWR can provide. They also lead to many of DWR's projects for the environment. DWR also answers to the Governor and the State Legislature.

DWR helps with Flood control and local water programs. It also works on water supply, protecting the environment, and making electricity.

The State Water Project

What the Project Does

The State Water Project delivers water to two-thirds of California's people. It includes:

34 storage places, like reservoirs and lakes.
20 pumping plants.
Four plants that both pump water and make electricity.
Five power plants that use water to make electricity.
About 701 miles of canals and pipelines.

State Water Project Facts

Number of storage Facilities	33
Lakes/Reservoirs (primary)	21
Total Reservoir Storage	5.8 million acre-feet = 7.2 cubic kilometers
Highest Dam Structure	770 feet (230 meters)
Largest Annual Energy Output	8.57 Billion kWh (2002)
Average Net Energy Use	5.1 Billion kWh

DWR Projects

San Luis Reservoir in July 2021

Moving and Storing Water

These projects help move and store water across the state:

Oroville Dam (1967)
North Bay Aqueduct
Clifton Court Forebay
Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (1968)
South Bay Aqueduct
California Aqueduct (a long system of canals and pipes)
- West Branch
- East Branch
- Coastal Branch
O'Neill Forebay
San Luis Reservoir (1967)
Whale Rock Dam (1960)
Edmonston Pumping Plant (1971)
Silverwood Lake
Lake Perris

Flood Control Projects

These projects help control floods:

Sutter Bypass
Tisdale Weir
Tisdale Bypass
Sacramento Weir
Yolo Bypass

Recreation Projects

Antelope Dam (1964)

Environmental Projects

DWR also works on projects to help the environment. These projects reduce the impact of the State Water Project:

Feather River Salmon and Steelhead Hatchery (1967)
Thermalito Afterbay (1968)
Yolo Bypass Wildlife Recreation Area
Suisun Marsh
Skinner Fish Facility
South Delta Improvements Program
South Delta Temporary Barriers Program

Leaders of DWR

This is a list of the directors who have led DWR.

Director	Term	Notes
Harvey Oren Banks	July 5, 1956–December 12, 1960	DWR's first director.
William E. Warne	January 1, 1961–December 30, 1966
William R. Gianelli	January 1, 1967–April 31, 1973
John R. Teerink	September 1, 1973–March 3, 1975
Ronald B. Robie	March 6, 1975–December 31, 1982
Howard Eastin	January 3, 1983–June 21, 1983	Interim Director
David N. Kennedy	June 22, 1983–December 31, 1998
Thomas M. Hannigan	March 1, 1999–June 1, 2003
Michael J. Spear	June 9, 2003–November 16, 2003	Interim Director
Linda S. Adams	November 17, 2003–February 23, 2004	DWR's first female director.
Lester A. Snow	February 24, 2004–January 31, 2010
Mark W. Cowin	February 1, 2010–Dec 31, 2016
Bill Croyle	January 1, 2017 - July 1, 2017	Interim Director
Grant Davis	July 19, 2017 - January 10, 2018
Karla Nemeth	January 10, 2018 – Present

Water Regions

More to Explore

California Department of Water Resources dams
California Environmental Protection Agency (CAL EPA)
California State Water Resources Board (SWRCB)
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
United States Bureau of Reclamation
Water in California topics

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