State Water Project
Today the Central Valley Project, operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,
is one of the world’s largest water storage and transport systems.
Its 22 reservoirs have a combined storage of 11 million acre-feet, of which
7 million acre-feet is delivered in an average year. In comparison, the
SWP’s 20 major reservoirs can hold 5.8 million acre-feet, with annual
deliveries averaging up to 3 million acre-feet.
CVP water irrigates more than 3 million acres of farmland and provides
drinking water to nearly 2 million consumers. SWP deliveries are 70 percent
urban and 30 percent agriculture, meeting the needs of 20 million Californians
and more than 600,000 irrigated acres, respectively.
The CVP has long-term contracts with more than 250 contractors in 29 out
of 58 counties; while 29 agencies have 50-year contracts with the SWP.