San Luis Reservoir, which provides imported surface water supplies to the San Benito County Water District through its “blue valve” irrigation distribution system to agricultural customers, this week was at 77 percent of its capacity, up from 63 percent of its capacity as of Jan. 6. The last time the reservoir was full was in 2011 before the drought began. Even with current rainy weather conditions, it might take two months to completely fill San Luis.Â
The largest off-stream reservoir in the United States, the San Luis Reservoir is a key water facility serving both the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Located east of San Benito County and west of Los Banos in the Central Valley, the reservoir can hold 2 million acre-feet of water and is jointly owned by the federal Bureau of Reclamation and California’s Department of Water Resources. The state’s share of the San Luis Reservoir water is 55 percent.
Jeff Cattaneo, district manager/engineer with the San Benito County Water District, told BenitoLink that the filling of the San Luis Reservoir will help maintain the balance of groundwater levels in the county as imported supplies are purchased through state and federal contracts, but the water flowing in the San Benito River and elsewhere will percolate into local aquifers which will make more of a positive impact on local water supplies.Â
Local water resources are managed by the San Benito County Water District. According to its website: “The District has broad powers for the conservation and management of water (flood, surface, drainage and ground water). The primary focus of the District is the management of water quantity and quality throughout San Benito County including, where appropriate, the development of local water supplies and the development and importation of water supplies from outside the County.”
“The District is a California Special District formed in 1953 by the San Benito County Water Conservation and Flood Control Act. At that time, the District merged with the Hollister Irrigation District, becoming the successor to the water rights, water facilities and land interests of the Hollister Irrigation District. The name was changed from San Benito County Water Conservation and Flood Control District to San Benito County Water District in 1988.”
In 1955, San Benito County decided to join Santa Clara County in a legislative Act called the Santa Clara-Alameda-San Benito Water Authority, which was passed by the State Legislature. This enactment permitted public agencies, upon popular vote, to join efforts in exercising limited powers — largely in order to make the preliminary feasibility studies to tunnel under Pacheco Pass as the conduit for water importation into Santa Clara and San Benito counties.Â
Congress authorized the construction and use of San Luis Reservoir for joint federal-state water storage and conveyance. During its construction period, Congress also appropriated a sum to permit the Bureau of Reclamation to build the inlet and 1.8 miles of the Pacheco Tunnel before filling the reservoir and thus inundate the future conduit site.Â
The purpose of the San Felipe Project is to convey supplemental water to Santa Clara, San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, though the conduit never reached Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The original intent of the imported water was to prevent over-drafting of the groundwater in Santa Clara County, replace boron-contaminated water in San Benito County, and provide water to coastal areas in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.Â
Resources
http://www.watereduc ation.org/aquapedia/san-luis- reservoir
​”Water in the Santa Clara Valley: a History *1981
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