Page 13 - Yucaipa Valley Water District
P. 13
Earthquakes pose a hazard to much of
California's fresh water
By SCOTT J. BRANDENBERG AND JONATHAN P. STEWART
A quake closer to the River Delta could affect supplies of fresh water for 25 million Californians
We dodged a bullet this time.
Had Sunday's magnitude 6.0 Napa earthquake been located a few miles to the southeast,
it could have caused a severe shortage of fresh water felt up and down California,
exacerbating the effects of our historic drought.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a short drive from Napa, is the hub of the
state's water distribution system, delivering fresh water to more than 25 million residents
and 3 million acres of farmland. Delta water conveyed through a network of levees is
crucial to Southern California, the Central Coast, parts of the Bay Area and much of the
Central Valley. The drought has significantly curtailed water export, and salt water has
intruded into parts of the delta as a result of reduced fresh water outflows.
Islands in the delta are formed by land that has subsided as much as 30 feet below sea
level because of the construction of levees around their perimeter and reclamation of
delta land for agricultural use. Levee construction began about 150 years ago by
dredging soil from adjacent channels, and placing it in an ad hoc manner.
Yucaipa Valley Water District Board Meeting - September 3, 2014 - Page 13 of 51
California's fresh water
By SCOTT J. BRANDENBERG AND JONATHAN P. STEWART
A quake closer to the River Delta could affect supplies of fresh water for 25 million Californians
We dodged a bullet this time.
Had Sunday's magnitude 6.0 Napa earthquake been located a few miles to the southeast,
it could have caused a severe shortage of fresh water felt up and down California,
exacerbating the effects of our historic drought.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a short drive from Napa, is the hub of the
state's water distribution system, delivering fresh water to more than 25 million residents
and 3 million acres of farmland. Delta water conveyed through a network of levees is
crucial to Southern California, the Central Coast, parts of the Bay Area and much of the
Central Valley. The drought has significantly curtailed water export, and salt water has
intruded into parts of the delta as a result of reduced fresh water outflows.
Islands in the delta are formed by land that has subsided as much as 30 feet below sea
level because of the construction of levees around their perimeter and reclamation of
delta land for agricultural use. Levee construction began about 150 years ago by
dredging soil from adjacent channels, and placing it in an ad hoc manner.
Yucaipa Valley Water District Board Meeting - September 3, 2014 - Page 13 of 51
