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California's Water: Facts on The Sacramento Valley

Sacramento Valley Overview

  • Stretching from the crest of the Sierra Nevada to the Coast Range, the Sacramento Valley is a unique tapestry of farmland, rivers, wetlands and growing communities.
  • The valley is traversed by two of the state’s most important rivers and is home to numerous managed wetlands and wildlife areas. Its waterways provide important habitat for waterfowl and spawning grounds for salmon and steelhead trout, while its cities and rural communities provide an important job base – including the hub of state government.
  • Several million acres of family farms dot this working landscape, providing a key economic engine while also serving as valuable habitat for waterfowl along the Pacific flyway.
  • The valley provides habitat for 50% of the threatened and endangered species in California, including winter-run and spring-run salmon, steelhead and many other fish species.
  • Six national wildlife refuges, more than 50 state wildlife areas and other privately managed wetlands support the annual migration of waterfowl, geese and water birds. These seasonal and permanent wetlands provide for 65% of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan objectives.
  • The region’s largest metropolitan area, Sacramento, serves as the center of government for the state and supports a booming population. Some of the fastest-growing communities in California can be found in the foothills to the east of Sacramento as well as in the southern reaches of the Sacramento Valley.

Sacramento Valley Water Management Agreement

  • Water agencies in the northern Sacramento Valley have developed a comprehensive water management program to address an array of water needs and ecosystem concerns. The program includes facilities such as fish screens, groundwater management, flood protection, watershed management, water use efficiency and water transfers and exchanges.
  • The plan involves more than 50 short- and long-term projects to be implemented over the next 10 years to create additional water supplies and better manage existing resources to meet local needs, improve water quality and help boost water supply reliability for other areas of the state.
  • The program stems from a landmark agreement reached in 2002 as an alternative to litigation and adversarial water rights proceedings. It is seen as a win-win effort that will pay off in real water and benefits for the region and the state as a whole.

American River Basin Efforts

  • Water managers in the Sacramento metropolitan area are joining forces on programs and projects that will take regional water management to new levels. Local water agencies have adopted an integrated water management plan for the lower American River basin that will boost water supply reliability for the growing municipal area, improve water quality, increase flood control and protect the lower American River, the only nationally designated wild and scenic river in the country that runs through a major metropolitan area.
  • The plan includes an array of projects to support a regional conjunctive use program and promote water recycling, water use efficiency and other strategies to improve local water supply reliability.
  • It is an outgrowth of the historic Sacramento Water Forum Agreement, which capped seven years of negotiations and created a unique partnership aimed at meeting the region’s needs for water while protecting the environmental values of the lower American River.
  • The plan identifies a suite of 14 infrastructure projects, including groundwater wells, surface water pipelines, water treatment plants and water recycling facilities, that will result in significant water quality and environmental benefits for the region.
  • The projects will also generate statewide benefits by improving habitat and the quality of water reaching the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, an ecologically sensitive estuary that is also a critical link in the state’s water delivery system.