Term Paper on "California Water System"
Term Paper 4 pages (1109 words) Sources: 1+
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Southern California Water SystemTurn on the tap and fill a glass with water. It's a simple act that most people in developed areas of the world take for granted. But ensuring that the water is pure and getting it to the tap is not simple.
In 1876, Los Angeles' isolation made it unattractive to San Francisco's robber barons, but a spur line finally reached LA just in time to service the upstart southern Californian orange-growing industry. The first commercial grove proved so successful that a second crop was established in what is now Orange County.
By 1889, more than 13,000 acres (5200 hectares) were planted in citrus. LA's population jumped from 2300 in 1860 to more than 100,000 in 1900, despite the fact that there was no natural harbor and the fresh water supply was woefully inadequate.
Construction of a harbor at San Pedro, 25 miles (40km) south of city hall, began in 1899; the first wharf opened in 1914, the year the Panama Canal was completed, and 8000 miles closer to the Atlantic seaboard, San Pedro became the busiest harbor on the West Coast; bringing drinkable water to the growing city required a more complex solution.
In 1904, LA's water bureau superintendent William Mulholland visited the Owens Valley, 230 miles (370km) northeast, and returned with plans to build an aqueduct to carry snowmelt from the mountains to the city. Voters approved the plan, and by November 1913, Owens River water was spilling into the San Fernando Valley at a rate of 26 million gallons (120 million litres) per day.
LA's population soared to one million by 1920, and two million by 1930, which was pr
download full paper ⤓
Today, the daily flow of water has increased to 525 million gallons (2.4 billion litres). The rest of the city's water, as well as Southern California's electricity, come from dams on the Colorado River, 200 miles (320km) east.
Fresh water is one of our most important natural resources because it's needed for survival and there is no substitute for it. Unlike energy, which has many alternative forms there are no alternatives for water. Most of our earth is covered by water, but only a tiny amount is available for fresh water. The amount of accessible fresh water varies from country to country and region to region.
Groundwater originates as water or melting snow that seeps into the soil and finds its way down through cracks and spaces in rock until it is stopped by an impermeable layer of rock, where it forms as groundwater. The porous layers of underground rock in which the groundwater is stored are called aquifers. The overuse of an aquifer near coastal areas can cause salt water intrusion which happens when an aquifer is depleted faster than it can replenish itself, so water from the ocean filters into the systems.
Pesticides being used on agricultural areas find there way into groundwater, sewage, industrial waste, and garbage dumps and all contribute to the areas water woes. This is a major problem in the Great Reef aquifer which stretches from Southern California to Colorado. Large amounts of industrial waste… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "California Water System" Assignment:
“write a research paper about southern california watersystem. ( especially in LA and orange county)
How to Reference "California Water System" Term Paper in a Bibliography
“California Water System.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2006, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/southern-california-water-system-turn/781275. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
Related Term Papers:
California Water Resources Essay
The final region along the coast is the South Coast Region, which is California's heavily populated region and contains roughly half the state's population however only receives about two percent… read more
Essay 4 pages (1169 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Animals / Nature / Zoology
California Water Pricing Essay
Water Pricing
California Water Pricing Recommendations and Arguments
There are obviously significant complexities when attempting to develop an efficient pricing strategy for water in California that serves all of the… read more
Essay 1 pages (406 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Agriculture / Food / Culinary
Saving the Tuolumne Essay
California Water Pricing
The proposed hydroelectric Clavey-Wards Ferry water project development should not be allowed. The river resource has already been developed to over capacity. Further development may ruin the… read more
Essay 2 pages (495 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Energy / Power
California Infrastructure Problems Research Paper
California Infrastructure
Infrastructure Problems in California
California is currently facing considerable infrastructure challenges. The state for example appears to be suffering from funding problems as well as other shortages such… read more
Research Paper 10 pages (3139 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Economics / Finance / Banking
California's Natural Resources and Economic Development Essay
California Natural Resources
California is now one of the largest regional economies in the world and its success is one of the pillars which made the United States an economic… read more
Essay 5 pages (1647 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Energy / Power
Sat, Oct 5, 2024
If you don't see the paper you need, we will write it for you!
We can write a new, 100% unique paper!