California Department of Water Resources
02/17/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/17/2026 17:35
The State Water Project - Beyond the Tap
The State Water Project - Beyond the Tap
Published: February 17, 2026
A windy stretch of the East Branch California Aqueduct in Palmdale, California, located in Los Angeles County near mile post 327.50 on May 12, 2023.
The State Water Project was developed in the 1960s to support the California economy. Its 705-mile-long network of reservoirs, pipelines, canals, levees and powerplants from Butte County to Riverside County provide water supply, flood control and recreation. Most Californians and nearly nine million jobs depend upon the project. As climate change threatens up to 10% of California's water supply by 2040, the SWP is essential for capturing and storing water from major storm events and adapting to a hotter, drier future.
California Department of Water Resources published this content on February 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 17, 2026 at 23:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]