California Waterfix Case Study

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California’s water supply system, a complex system of aqueducts and infrastructure that was once the envy of world is now in crisis. With the state falling victim to drought and what some call an “outdated water system” Governor Jerry Brown has proposed a solution called the California WaterFix(Blair 2015). Boasting a “State of the Art Solution” to California’s water “problem,” the WaterFix is a dual pipeline, fifteen million dollar project that aims to improve the security of our water system by repairing and replacing aging infrastructure in the Sacramento River-San Joaquin Delta area. The system aims to divert 9,000 cubic feet-per-second (CFS) from the Sacramento River and predicts that it can increase California’s water supply by .8 to 1.4 million acre feet per year (MWDSC 2017). …show more content…

California’s current water system in the delta consists of a 700 mile grid of waterways, sloughs, canals and levees that many deem unfit too provide a sustainable water supply for future generations. With high susceptibility to damage or interruption via natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods, the past fifty years has seen many solutions proposed in order to guarantee a healthy water supply for California’s future (CNRA 2017). In 2015, California WaterFix was proposed as a dual conveyance operation that would allow water from both the North and South Delta to be delivered to pumping plants that supply water to the Bay Area as well as the Central Valley (MWDSC

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