San Felipe Division Project
General
The San Felipe Division of the Central Valley Project, in the central coastal area of California, embraces the Santa Clara Valley in Santa Clara County, the northern portion of San Benito County, the southern portion of Santa Cruz County, and the northern edge of Monterey County.
On August 27, 1967, the San Felipe Division was authorized for construction. The division provides supplemental water to 63,500 acres of land, in addition to 132,400 acre-feet of water annually for municipal and industrial use.
Water from San Luis Reservoir is transported to the Santa Clara-San Benito service area through Pacheco Tunnel and other project features which include 48.5 miles of closed conduits, two pumping plants and one small reservoir.
Provisions for future construction of about 25 miles of closed conduit to Santa Cruz and Monterey counties are included in the division features. Water is conveyed from the Delta of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers through the Delta-Mendota Canal to O'Neill Forebay.
The water is then be pumped into San Luis Reservoir and diverted through the 1.8 miles of Pacheco Tunnel Reach 1 to the Pacheco Pumping Plant. At the pumping plant, the water is lifted to the 5.3-mile-long high-level section of Pacheco Tunnel Reach 2. The water flows through the tunnel and, without additional pumping, through the Pacheco Conduit to the bifurcation of the Santa Clara and Hollister Conduits. The water is then conveyed throughout the service areas for irrigation and municipal uses.
History
After World War II, citizens of the San Felipe Division lands realized they needed to bring water into their area. Although efforts to connect their counties with the Central Valley Project took some time, they ultimately succeeded.
The San Felipe Division plays an important role in replenishing groundwater and providing water for agriculture, industry and municipal use, making this division an important addition to the Central Valley Project. However, difficulties in authorization and construction of the various facilities during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, are indicative of difficulties faced by the Bureau of Reclamation.
Construction of the San Felipe Division highlighted the role environmental concerns play before projects can be built and clearly demonstrates issues Reclamation must confront for any projects.
Construction
As the crowd watched President John F. Kennedy participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the San Luis Dam and Reservoir of the Central Valley Project Aug. 18, 1962, little did they or many other Americans realize they were also watching the beginning of the Central Valley's San Felipe Division.
Congress’ authorization of the San Luis Unit of the Central Valley Project included an amendment laying the foundation for an additional unit of the Central Valley Project to provide water to the Santa Clara Valley, west of California's Diablo Mountain Range.
Farmers in this area would have to wait almost 25 years before all the facilities were completed, but water for a variety of purposes was on its way.
Plan
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Overview
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