Central Valley project, central Calif., long-term general scheme for the utilization of the water of the Sacramento River basin in the north for the benefit of the farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley in the south, undertaken by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1935. The program's concerns are flood control; improvement of navigation; the development of hydroelectric power, irrigation, and municipal and industrial water supply; protection of the Sacramento delta from seawater encroachment; and the propagation and preservation of fish and wildlife. Shasta and Keswick dams on the Sacramento River, and Friant Dam, on the San Joaquin River, were among the first units built. Canals, such as the Friant-Kern, the Madera, the Delta Cross Channel (which uses Sacramento water to fight soil salinity in the delta), and the Delta-Mendota, are used to transport water throughout the valley. Among the hydroelectric dams are San Luis, Spring Creek, Judge Francis Carr, and Auburn. Folsom Dam is one of the several units constructed in the valley by the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

The Central Valley Project Water Association (CVPWA) represents water users that have long-term contracts with the Bureau of Reclamation and receive their water from the Central Valley Project, which operates many dams and canals in California.

The association was founded in the late 1970s and represents 75 agricultural districts, as well as several industrial and municipal districts. Because of the rising cost of water in California, the association is in favor of more surface-level reservoirs for more water storage. They are also in favor of mitigating the damage the CVP caused to the Bay Delta.

The CVPWA is an independent organization funded by its members. Its offices are located in Sacramento, California. The current executive director is Robert Stackhouse, who replaced Jason Peltier in June 2001. Jason Peltier left after working there for 12.5 years to assume a position with the United States Department of the Interior.

Some environmental issues they are concerned about are:

1. The restoration of riparian habitats around the Delta which were damaged by the CVP.
2. The removal of dams in Battle Creek, California to protect Chinook Salmon and other fish.
3. The addition of more water quality measuring stations to determine where toxic substances are coming from. The CVPWA believes that these should be dealt with at the source, rather than flushing them into the Delta.

One of the recent concerns of the CVPWA about the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) was over the Board sending seemingly last-minute bills to agricultural districts and individual farmers for thousands of dollars. The SWRCB planned to receive $7.2 million annually from the bills, half of its annual budget. The CVPWA believed this tax was illegal and unconstitutional, and filed a lawsuit against the SWRCB early February 2004.

External links

• CVPWA meeting notes
• Does California Need More Surface Water Storage?
• County to sue over water fees