Social Studies Alive! California's Promise Student Edition Sample

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LESSON 10

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Bringing Water to a Thirsty State How has California met the water needs of its farms and cities?

Introduction The young state of California was growing quickly. Many newcomers started businesses, which helped build the cities.

Others looked to the land to earn a living. They became farmers and ranchers. These people planted crops to help meet the growing population’s demand for food.

Railroads carried California’s farm products to markets far and wide. Especially important was the refrigerated railroad car, a new invention that kept crops cold and fresh. Fruits and vegetables could now travel thousands of miles without spoiling, so people all over the country began buying fresh foods from California.

By the early 1900s, California was a top farming state. But there was a problem. Farms need more than good soil and sunshine. They need water. Cities require water as well. In many parts of the state, water was scarce and caused conflict between farmers and city residents.

Californians would have to resolve this issue in order for the state to continue its growth. In this lesson, you will learn about the compromises and advances made in order to distribute water across California’s lands. Finally, you will learn how water usage is still a topic of conflict for the Golden State and its residents.

Social Studies Vocabulary aqueduct decade delta drought groundwater hydroelectric levee reservoir

Farmers in California use irrigation techniques to bring water to their crops.

Civics

Economics

Geography

History B r i n g i n g Wa t e r t o a T h i r s t y S t a t e

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Much of California’s water comes from snow melting in the mountains. Most of California’s snow collects in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

1. California’s Water Challenge

groundwater water stored in sand and soil deep underground

California Rainfall in California

Sacramento

San Francisco

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SE 10.02a Rainfall in California TCI21 22 L e sFirst s o n Proof 10 3/18/10

All people need water to live. California Indians knew this, so they learned to use water wisely. Early settlers understood this, too. They were careful to build their missions and pueblos near sources of fresh water.

Where did early Californians get fresh water? In many places, water flowed on the surface and formed rivers, lakes, and streams. Another source was groundwater, or water that is found in the earth.

It seeps into the soil when rain or snow falls and then collects far underground.

At one time, California had lots of Average rainfall per year groundwater. In some places, water 0 to 16 inches actually bubbled to the surface. A 16 to 32 inches place where groundwater comes to 32 to 48 inches over 48 inches the surface is called a spring. Early Californians took water from springs.

They also dug wells to get to the groundwater.

All these sources of fresh water depend on rain and snow. Most of the state’s rain and snow falls in the Sierra Nevada and in the north, so the rest of California is drier. Some places get rain Los Angeles part of the year, while others get almost no rain. It was in these dry places that San Diego thousands of people started building farms and cities in the late 1800s.

The population boom in California began in 1849. With each passing year, more and more people arrived. Every decade, or ten years, California’s population significantly increased.

Many settlers came to the state because they saw promise in the rich soil and mild climate.

They turned to farming.

Early on, wheat was a big crop. Farmers planted many acres of wheat in the Central Valley. Then they began growing other crops.

They planted orange groves in the southern part of the state. They grew walnuts near Santa Barbara and plums near Fresno.

These crops needed water to thrive—large amounts of it. However, most of these farms were in places that received little rain. So, as on the early missions, farmers irrigated their crops.

But the missions had been small, whereas these new farms were huge. For example, one county in southern California had farms large enough to produce one-sixth of the nation’s oranges by the 1930s.

Meanwhile, city dwellers needed water, too. They used it for drinking and washing.

Businesses and industries also used water.

However, California’s cities were growing in some of the driest parts of the state.

The demand for fresh water across the state was growing rapidly. How would California get water to where it was needed? That was the challenge.

decade ten years

California’s Population, 1900 People per square mile 0 to 3 3 to 30 30 to 3,000 over 3,000 Sacramento

San Francisco

Los Angeles

San Diego

California’s Population, 1850–1930 6,000,000

5,000,000

4,000,000

3,000,000

2,000,000

This chart shows how quickly California’s population grew between 1850 and 1930. Much of this growth came from new arrivals to the state.

As California’s population continues to increase, so does its demand for water.

1,000,000

0 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930

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2. Meeting the Growing Need for Water

This is an overhead view of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta.

Here, two rivers flow together and form a marshy region.

Marshy delta land is too wet to grow crops unless farmers drain the water off. For farmers, having too much water can be just as bad as having too little.

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As farms and cities grew, people turned first to the water that was close at hand. This meant using surface water.

In the Central Valley, farmers relied on the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers. These rivers bring water down from the mountains that surround the valley. Farmers used this river water to irrigate their lands because rainfall alone was not enough for many crops. The valley soon bloomed with crops of all kinds.

These big rivers could be unpredictable, though. In dry years, they would run low on water. In very wet years, they would flood. Farmers needed a reliable supply of water.

Some farmers used new machines that could pump groundwater to the surface. Cities also began pumping water from wells. This supply of water was reliable and seemingly endless.

Groundwater has limits, however. If pumping is heavy, rains cannot refill underground wells, causing groundwater levels to drop. In 1906, parts of San Diego County faced this problem. Wells there had pumped out too much groundwater. As a result, seawater from the nearby ocean seeped into wells. Salty water began flowing from taps.

Saltwater is not good for drinking or farming.

Usually, farmers had too little water, but sometimes they had too much. This was the problem in the delta where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers meet. A delta is an area near a river’s mouth where the water fans out across the land and deposits silt, like fine sand or clay.

Although the soil in the delta is excellent, it was marshy and wet in the 1800s. Before people could use the land, they had to drain off the water. To do this, they dug ditches across the marshland so that the water could seep into the low ditches. Then the marshes dried out, allowing the farmers to plant crops.

Flooding was also a problem in the delta. To prevent floods, people built levees along the riverbanks.

Levees are raised walls of earth that help keep a river from overflowing its banks.

A different kind of flood occurred near the Imperial Valley, a desert area in the southeastern corner of the state. In the early 1900s, farmers began irrigating the land there. They used water that was diverted from the Colorado River, which turned the dry desert into a rich garden.

Then the Colorado flooded.

Raging waters widened a break in the riverbank. The flood washed out the irrigation canal, and many gallons of water spilled into the desert. The water collected at a low spot, forming a new lake. This lake, called the Salton Sea, is still there today.

delta the area near a river’s mouth where the river fans out

levee a raised earthen wall that keeps water within the banks of a river

The Salton Sea lies in a desert, as seen in this view from space. Irrigation water runoff keeps this lake from drying up.

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3. Water for Los Angeles

In 1871 (top picture), Los Angeles was a small town.

By 1894 (bottom picture), it had many more streets, more houses, and more people. Los Angeles was becoming a big, thriving city.

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In 1870, many Californians lived in the northern part of the state, where the largest cities were located. The transcontinental railroad ended there. But the state was about to drastically change. Soon, railroad tracks would reach south. The trains brought new opportunities—and thousands of people—to southern California.

Many newcomers settled in Los Angeles. In 1860, fewer than 12,000 people lived in the old Spanish pueblo. By 1900, Los Angeles was a booming city of about 170,000. And it kept growing, becoming the state’s largest city in 1920.

Oil helped the city grow. In the 1890s, vast oil deposits were found under Los Angeles. Oil was a valuable fuel that people called “black gold.” Before long, oil wells popped up all over.

(Some wells were on the same rancho land as the La Brea Tar Pits.) The booming oil business brought jobs and wealth to the city.

Shipping was another big industry. Around 1900, Los Angeles began to improve its harbor. Soon this harbor was handling more cargo than the port of San Francisco. Los Angeles eventually became a center for trade between the United States and Asian countries across the Pacific Ocean.

As Los Angeles grew, so did its need for water. Initially, the city got much of its water from the Los Angeles River.

But by 1904, the river was running very low.

City leaders looked around for another source of water.

They decided on the Owens River, which flowed through a valley about 250 miles north of Los Angeles. There, the river provided water to farmers. The city bought up much of the valley land and forced the farmers out.

How would the city get Owens River water to its people?

The plan was to build an aqueduct, or a structure made up of trenches, pipes, and tunnels. Owens River water would flow downhill along the aqueduct, all the way to Los Angeles.

Building the aqueduct was a huge job that took about five years. When the aqueduct opened in 1913, it gave Los Angeles roughly four to five times more water than the city had been able to get before. But the city kept growing, and soon city leaders were looking for more water. This time they looked east, to the mighty Colorado River.

With the Owens River project, water ran downhill. But the Colorado River Aqueduct had to run uphill in places, so this system used huge pumps to push the water along through the pipes.

aqueduct a structure made up of trenches, pipes, and tunnels for moving water overland

The Owens River project took years to build. It brought much needed water from the Owens River to the city of Los Angeles.

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4. Water for San Francisco

hydroelectric a type of electric power made by the force of flowing water

reservoir a human-made lake for storing water

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Aqueducts brought badly needed water to southern California. The water helped Los Angeles flourish and turned the Imperial Valley into rich farmland.

To the north, San Francisco also needed fresh water. This city is nearly surrounded by salt water. It does not get a lot of rain so it had to find other ways to bring in fresh water.

In the early 1900s, San Francisco leaders began planning their own aqueduct that would carry water from the Tuolumne (too-ALL-uh-mee) River, 106 miles away. The project would also make electric power. (The Owens River and Colorado River projects had this electric feature as well.)

To make power, builders constructed a dam that blocked off the river but let some water through. This City water flowed with great force. Special Dam Aqueduct or canal equipment turned this force into River electric power. Power made in this way Lake or reservoir is called hydroelectric power.

San Francisco’s aqueduct brought water and electricity to the city.

N However, the aqueduct also started E W a dispute. When workers dammed S the Tuolumne River, water backed up behind the dam. It filled the Hetch Hetchy Valley, turning it into a reservoir (REH-zur-vwar). A reservoir is a human-made lake for storing water.

Some people were upset at the loss of the beautiful valley. Others felt the Colorado River city’s needs were more important. This Aqueduct debate still continues today.

Imperial

All-American Canal

This map shows some of the aqueducts, reservoirs, and dams in California. There are 1,251 dams in California in total.

5. Connecting to Today Over time, the state has built many dams, aqueducts, and reservoirs to help preserve water. Despite these efforts, water availability remains an issue for Californians today.

Many Californians are concerned about the state’s frequent droughts that can rapidly decrease their water supply. A drought is an unusually long period in which little or no rain falls. Throughout its history, California has endured numerous droughts. Farmers can have a very difficult time coping with these natural occurrences. Some droughts can become so severe that restrictions are made on water usage for farms and cities.

As of 2016, California was in its fifth year of a severe drought. Because of these harsh conditions, some Californians are required to pay a fine if they use too much water. To reduce how much water they use, many Californians choose to make life changes. For example, some people water their gardens less often. Others choose to boycott crops, such as almonds, that require a lot of water. Californians hope that their water conservation efforts will help the state continue to thrive.

Even though dams help Californians save water, droughts can quickly deplete the water available in reservoirs like this one near South Lake Tahoe.

drought an unusually long period in which little or no rain falls

Lesson Summary The California we know today began to take shape in the late 1800s. The population swelled. Farming became a major industry. Cities, especially Los Angeles, grew quickly.

All these changes depended on water. In California, water poses a special challenge. In some places, such as the delta, there is too much water. But in most places, there is not enough. Surface sources are not large, and rivers can be unpredictable. Some years, rainfall is very light.

This is especially true of the places where Californians chose to settle.

Earlier Californians had used water from rivers, streams, springs, and wells.

Now, people had to find new ways to meet their water needs.

Californians began pumping water out of deep underground wells, built dams to create reservoirs for storing water, and constructed huge aqueducts to carry water over hundreds of miles. These systems also provided electric power and have made it possible for cities to thrive.

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STUDY YOUR STATE

Water in California You just read about how people in California depend on aqueducts and melting snow in the Sierra Nevada. Citizens worry that there will not be enough water for the needs of the growing population. You can do some research to find out California’s biggest water problem and what people are doing about it. Write these two big questions on a piece of paper: What is the biggest water problem facing California?

How can we help solve it?

In California, farmers have to use a lot of water to grow crops. Sometimes during a drought farmers need to reduce the amount of water they use.

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Talk with your classmates about the best places to find answers to these two big questions. Use the library and the Internet to find sources. When you find a source, talk about who wrote the information. Does the writer want to persuade you to think a certain way? Does the writer want to only help certain businesses or groups? It is important to know that people have different opinions and want different outcomes when they suggest answers to problems.

For example, one of the most important water problems facing California is the way that people use water. Many people who own homes have lawns with grass that they need to water. However, regularly watering lawns can waste a lot of water.

When you are researching solutions to this problem, it is important to hear different opinions. Some homeowners may want to solve the problem without having to change the way they water lawns. Others may want to stop homeowners from using water to care for their lawns.

Solving the Problem As you research California’s water problem, write the suggested solutions on your piece of paper. Under each solution, write the author’s name and the book title or Web site address. Try to find the opinions of two or more groups of people. These may include farmers, business owners, homeowners, and conservation groups.

Now write a four-paragraph presentation that you can read to your class. In the first paragraph, describe the important water problem that your state faces. Include where in the state it is happening and describe why it is a problem.

In the second and third paragraphs, write about two or more ways that people can help solve the problem. In the last paragraph, summarize your presentation and make a prediction of how the water issue may be improved if people work together.

Read your presentation to your class. Ask your classmates if they have other suggestions that might help solve the problem. With your classmates, decide on a group project to share this information with people outside of school.

Droughts can be one of the biggest water problems in California. Water levels in lakes, like Lake Cachuma, continue to shrink. Residents must come up with solutions to the water shortage.

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READ & DO

Civics

Economics

Geography

History

The Battle over Hetch Hetchy As California grew, so did the need for resources. Sometimes, people faced hard choices. They had to decide how to use shared natural gifts. Nowhere was this decision more difficult than in the Hetch Hetchy Valley. How would people balance the need for water and power with the need to preserve natural wonders?

The Sierra Nevada was John Muir’s favorite place on Earth.

The famous writer’s book called My First Summer in the Sierra documents his reactions to this mountain range upon his first visit.

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The writer John Muir loved the Sierra Nevada. He once wrote that it was “the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain-chains I have ever seen.”

Muir had seen quite a lot of America’s wilderness.

Throughout his lifetime, he roamed the country from Florida to Alaska. Muir explored many wild places, but the Sierra Nevada was his favorite. He enjoyed wandering among its giant trees, high meadows, rocky peaks, and bubbling streams.

Muir’s love for the Sierra led him to speak out about the need to protect it. One of his biggest concerns was the Yosemite (yo-SEM-ih-tee) Valley.

Muir urged government leaders to make this stunning valley part of a national park, which they did in 1890. Two years later, Muir helped establish the Sierra Club, a group that still works to protect America’s wild places and natural resources.

For Muir, Yosemite was just one of many magical locations in the Sierra. Another was the Hetch Hetchy Valley, which Muir wrote was “one of Nature’s rarest and most precious mountain temples.”

Few disagreed with Muir about the valley’s beauty.

But in San Francisco, people had other worries.

One worry was water availability. In the early 1900s, San Francisco got its water from the Spring Valley Water Company. However, many in the city didn’t want to depend on a private company for water. They thought the city should control its own water supply.

Then the San Francisco earthquake hit in 1906. When the shaking stopped, fires broke out.

Unfortunately, the quake had broken many water pipes, so there was no water to fight the fires, and much of the city burned.

Californians were angry. Some blamed the Spring Valley Water Company for the disaster. Calls for a cityrun system grew louder.

San Francisco also needed electricity. Electric power had begun to appear in cities in the late 1800s.

In the eastern states, power plants burned coal to make electricity. Although California had very little coal, it did have high mountains. It also had rivers, which could be used to make hydroelectric power.

The city’s leaders looked east, to the Sierra Nevada. The Hetch Hetchy Valley, they decided, could solve their problem. They would fill it with water and bring the water to the city by aqueduct. To city leaders, this seemed like a good use of the land that could benefit many people.

To city leaders, the Hetch Hetchy Valley looked like a good place to store water and make hydroelectric power.

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Today the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is filled with water.

The reservoir’s water levels shift according to the amount of rainfall California receives each year.

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When John Muir learned about the city’s plan for the Hetch Hetchy Valley, he vowed to stop it.

“Of course we must fight ’em,” he wrote to a friend, “and I think we’ll beat ’em.” Muir and his supporters led many outings to the Sierra Nevada, inviting people from all across the country to see and experience all that the area had to offer. In this way, they hoped to win new supporters for their cause against the dam.

City officials were just as determined. After all, they said, San Francisco was home to hundreds of thousands of people. The city was a major center of business and culture, so it needed a reliable source of water and power. Preserving the city was just as important as preserving nature, they argued.

In 1913, the city won the debate. The U.S. government granted San Francisco the right to build the dam and flood the wild Hetch Hetchy Valley.

Muir was crushed. The loss of the valley, he wrote to a friend, “goes to my heart.” But Muir never had to see the flooding of the valley since he died before the project got started. Workers cut down all the trees, then built the dam. By 1923, they were finished. The once wild Hetch Hetchy Valley was now filled with water.

Despite the controversy around its construction, the Hetch Hetchy project has helped San Francisco thrive. Today, the system brings water to millions of people. It also makes electric power that helps keep the city running. Additionally, the city sells power to nearby communities in order to bring in money that would pay for other services.

Such gains are called benefits, or the good results of a decision. However, a benefit often comes with a cost, or what you must give up in order to get something.

The loss of a beloved natural wonder was a cost of the Hetch Hetchy project. Some people believe this cost was too great. They hold on to John Muir’s dream and talk of taking down the dam. “The valley,” said one Hetch Hetchy admirer, “is holding its breath.”

Since the 1980s, the U.S. government has been considering the idea. There are many challenging questions to answer. Can San Francisco meet its water and power needs in other ways? What would be the costs and benefits of destroying the dam? What is the value of a beautiful place like the Hetch Hetchy Valley?

These questions will face the state in the future.

Californians must figure out how to meet a variety of different needs, just as they did a hundred years ago.

They will have to decide what they can live with—and what they can live without. ◆

benefit a gain; the good result of a decision

cost a loss; what you must give up to get something

The people of San Francisco depend on the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir for water and power. Many Californians still argue about whether or not deconstructing the dam is the best solution.

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Bring Learning Alive!

TCI offers programs for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms.

Bring Science Alive!

Social Studies Alive!

History Alive!

Geography Alive!

Government Alive!

Econ Alive! www.teachtci.com

800-497-6138