How do farmers get their water?
In an average year, about 30 percent of California’s agriculturalapplied water is provided by groundwater extraction. In drought years, when surfacewater supplies are reduced, groundwater supports an even larger percent. Surface water supplies were developed early in the state’s history.Californians built dams, canals, pumping plants and aqueducts to carry waterto burgeoning cities and productive but dry farmland. These supplies were developedto compensate for the state’s uneven natural water distribution and to supplementavailable groundwater supplies. The major projects that have been the primary sources of water for mostCalifornians include the federally built Central Valley Project, the State Water Projectand on the Colorado River the Colorado River Aqueduct and the All-American Canal. Many smaller water projects have also been developed to satisfy local orregional drinking water or irrigation needs. Examples of such projects include DonPedro Reservoir, which is operated jointly by
