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Local Storage: A Vital Water Resource San Diego County’s semiarid climate means that truly wet years are few and far between, and dry years are very common. Since 1976, the amount of local surface water used to help meet annual demand has been as high as 140,300 acre-feet and as low as 4,071 acre- feet. Consequently, runoff from local rainwater that flows into reservoirs – commonly called surface water – represents a vital but small portion of San Diego County’s water supply needs. Over the past 10 years, an average of about 7 percent of the region’s total annual water supply came from local surface water. San Diego County has not relied solely on its local water sources since 1947, when imported water flowed through the region’s first aqueduct, making Colorado River water available to fuel the region’s post-World War II growth. Local Rainfall and Reservoirs San Diego County Reservoirs DIVERSIFICATION Enhancing Water Supply Reliability 5 15 8 76 78 67 805 56 15 52 163 5 94 54 905 Fallbrook Oceanside Carlsbad Encinitas Solana Beach Del Mar La Jolla Coronado Chula Vista National City Lemon Grove San Diego La Mesa El Cajon Santee Poway Escondido San Marcos Vista ORANGE COUNTY SAN DIEGO COUNTY MEXICO RIVERSIDE COUNTY LAKE MAERKLE LAKE WOHLFORD SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR EL CAPITAN RESERVOIR SAN VICENTE RESERVOIR LOVELAND RESERVOIR LAKE HODGES OLIVENHAIN RESERVOIR SAN DIEGUITO RESERVOIR MIRAMAR RESERVOIR LAKE RAMONA LAKE POWAY LAKE MURRAY LOWER OTAY RESERVOIR DIXON RESERVOIR SWEETWATER RESERVOIR TURNER LAKE RED MOUNTAIN RESERVOIR BARRETT LAKE CUYAMACA RESERVOIR MORENA RESERVOIR LAKE JENNINGS MORRO HILL RESERVOIR LAKE HENSHAW Maerkle, Red Mountain and Morro Hill store treated water and do not capture local runoff. Enhancing Water Storage Today, the Water Authority and its mem- ber agencies have 24 reservoirs that store im- ported and local runoff water for normal use, emergency conditions and imported water shortages. Combined water storage capacity now totals approximately 744,000 acre-feet. This is a 31 percent increase since 2003, cre- ated by the Water Authority’s $2.45 billion Capital Improvement Program to improve the region’s water infrastructure. AF = acre-foot One acre-foot is approximately 325,900 gallons, enough to supply two single-family households of four for a year. The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $220 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 24 retail water providers, including cities, special districts and a military base. February 2018

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Local Storage: A Vital Water Resource

San Diego County’s semiarid climate means that truly wet years are few and far between, and dry years are very common. Since 1976, the amount of local surface water used to help meet annual demand has been as high as 140,300 acre-feet and as low as 4,071 acre-feet. Consequently, runoff from local rainwater that flows into

reservoirs – commonly called surface water – represents a vital but small portion of San Diego County’s water supply needs.

Over the past 10 years, an average of about 7 percent of the region’s total annual water supply came from local surface water. San Diego County has not relied solely

on its local water sources since 1947, when imported water flowed through the region’s first aqueduct, making Colorado River water available to fuel the region’s post-World War II growth.

Local Rainfall and Reservoirs

San Diego County Reservoirs

DIVERSIFICATION

Enhancing Water Supply Reliability

5

15

8

76

78

67

805

56

15

52

163

5 94

54

905

Fallbrook

Oceanside

Carlsbad

Encinitas

Solana Beach

Del Mar

La Jolla

Coronado

Chula Vista

National City

LemonGrove

San Diego

La Mesa

El Cajon

Santee

Poway

EscondidoSan Marcos

Vista

ORANGE COUNTY

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

MEXICO

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

LAKE MAERKLE LAKE WOHLFORDSUTHERLAND

RESERVOIR

EL CAPITANRESERVOIR

SAN VICENTERESERVOIR

LOVELANDRESERVOIR

LAKE HODGES

OLIVENHAIN RESERVOIR

SAN DIEGUITORESERVOIR

MIRAMARRESERVOIR

LAKE RAMONA

LAKE POWAY

LAKE MURRAY

LOWER OTAY RESERVOIR

DIXON RESERVOIR

SWEETWATER RESERVOIR

TURNER LAKE

RED MOUNTAINRESERVOIR

BARRETT LAKE

CUYAMACARESERVOIR

MORENARESERVOIR

LAKE JENNINGS

MORRO HILL RESERVOIR

LAKE HENSHAW

Maerkle, Red Mountain and Morro Hill store treated water and do not capture local runoff.

Enhancing Water Storage Today, the Water Authority and its mem-

ber agencies have 24 reservoirs that store im-ported and local runoff water for normal use, emergency conditions and imported water shortages. Combined water storage capacity now totals approximately 744,000 acre-feet. This is a 31 percent increase since 2003, cre-ated by the Water Authority’s $2.45 billion Capital Improvement Program to improve the region’s water infrastructure.

AF = acre-footOne acre-foot is approximately 325,900 gallons, enough to supply two single-family households of four for a year.

The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $220 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 24 retail water providers, including cities, special districts and a military base.

February 2018

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Lindbergh Field: Actual vs. Normal Rainfall*

Local Rainfall and Reservoirs

4677 Overland Ave.San Diego, California

92123-1233858.522.6700

sdcwa.org

Printed on recycled paper

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Lake Henshaw: Actual vs. Normal Rainfall*

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Lake Cuyamaca: Actual vs. Normal Rainfall*

Scan to connect to the Water Authority website on your mobile phone

A crucial component of this program is the $1.5 billion Emer-gency and Carryover Storage Project, which created new emer-gency water storage at the Oliv-enhain, Hodges and San Vicente reservoirs. This new system ensures the region has up to a six-month supply of water should an earth-quake or other disaster disrupt imported water deliveries.

Olivenhain Dam and Reservoir and Lake Hodges

The Olivenhain Reservoir, completed by the Water Author-ity in 2003, was the region’s first new major dam and reservoir in 50 years. The reservoir holds 24,000 acre-feet of water and is designed to withstand a major earthquake to keep water avail-able and flowing to the region.

Improvements to Lake Hodges began in 2005 and were completed in 2012. The proj-ect connects Lake Hodges to the Olivenhain Reservoir and to the Water Authority’s Second Aque-duct, and makes spillovers from Lake Hodges during heavy storms less likely.

San Vicente Dam RaiseThe largest piece of the Emer-

gency Storage Project was rais-ing the City of San Diego’s San Vicente Dam. The Water Authority project increased the height of the dam by 117 feet – the largest dam raise in U.S. history. Comple-tion in 2014 added 52,100 acre-feet of emergency water storage and more than 105,000 acre-feet of carryover storage to collect water in wet periods for use in dry years. The San Vicente Dam Raise produced the largest increase in regional water storage in San Diego County’s history.

*Based on “Water Year” 2017 (Oct. 2016 - Sept. 2017)

Why can’t we get more water from underground?

Groundwater basins are underground reserves of water that may take the form of a single aquifer or a group of linked aquifers. They are a major sup-ply source in many parts of Southern California. Unfortunately, San Diego County’s geologic makeup has relatively limited groundwater assets to complement surface water stored in reservoirs.

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