Central Valley Project

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The Central Valley Project (CVP) is a federal water project undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1935 as a long-term plan to use water in California's Central Valley. It was designed to move some of the abundant water supply of the northern end of the Central Valley to the dry southern end. The goals of the CVP were water and hydroelectric power for farms, flood control, improved navigability of the Sacramento River, and the development of water supplies for cities and towns of the Central Valley.

The project has been implemented through the construction of dams and water delivery canals.

Because of dredging and dam building, the project has taken a toll on the environment. Much of the wildlife and riparian habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Central Valley has been destroyed. Salmon (especially Chinook salmon) have been adversely impacted because they cannot reach upstream spawning grounds due to dams and water diversions.

Water delivery to farmers has turned what was previously a semi-arid desert into productive farmland. California agriculture and related industries directly account for 7 percent of the gross state product. The CVP supplies water to about half of that.

Many CVP water users are represented by the Central Valley Project Water Association (CVPWA).