South Bay Aqueduct
Encyclopedia
The South Bay Aqueduct is an aqueduct
located in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It conveys water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta through over forty miles of pipelines and canals. It begins in north-eastern Alameda County on the California Aqueduct
's Bethany Reservoir
serving as the forebay. The aqueduct flows along the eastern and southern edges of the Livermore Valley
. Then it flows through a series of tunnels to in end in the foothills of eastern San Jose, 5 miles (8 km) from downtown San Jose, CA
.
Construction on the South Bay Aqueduct began in 1960. The Aqueduct was the first delivery system completed under the State Water Project and has been conveying water to Alameda County since 1962 and to Santa Clara County since 1965. The South Bay Aqueduct begins at Bethany Reservoir
near Tracy
, with the South Bay Pumping Plant lifting water 566 feet into the first reach of the Aqueduct. The South Bay’s Pumping Plant's nine pumping units, with a combined capacity of 330 cubic feet per second, discharge water through two parallel buried pipelines to the eastern ridge of the Diablo Range
.
From there, water flows by gravity for nine miles to the 100 acre-foot Patterson Reservoir, where some water is released for delivery to Livermore Valley. Water flow then continues about nine miles to a junction point where a portion is diverted into a 1 1/2-mile branch line and pumped into Lake Del Valle.
Beyond the Del Valle junction, the water flows by pipeline to La Costa Tunnel, proceeds southwest past Sunol, through the Mission Tunnel, then south through the hills overlooking San Francisco Bay. South Bay Aqueduct terminates in a 160-foot diameter steel tank on a hillside five miles east of downtown San Jose.
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
located in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It conveys water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta through over forty miles of pipelines and canals. It begins in north-eastern Alameda County on the California Aqueduct
California Aqueduct
The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern- and Central California to Southern California. The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the...
's Bethany Reservoir
Bethany Reservoir
The Bethany Reservoir is located northeast of Livermore, California, USA, on the California Aqueduct. It serves as the forebay for the South Bay Pumping Plant that feeds the South Bay Aqueduct....
serving as the forebay. The aqueduct flows along the eastern and southern edges of the Livermore Valley
Livermore Valley
The Livermore Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Alameda County, California, surrounding the city of Livermore in the Tri-Valley region. Both the AVA and the city are named after Robert Livermore, a landowner whose holdings encompassed the valley. The groundwater basin underlying the...
. Then it flows through a series of tunnels to in end in the foothills of eastern San Jose, 5 miles (8 km) from downtown San Jose, CA
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
.
Construction on the South Bay Aqueduct began in 1960. The Aqueduct was the first delivery system completed under the State Water Project and has been conveying water to Alameda County since 1962 and to Santa Clara County since 1965. The South Bay Aqueduct begins at Bethany Reservoir
near Tracy
Tracy, California
Tracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County, California, United States and an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 82,922 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, with the South Bay Pumping Plant lifting water 566 feet into the first reach of the Aqueduct. The South Bay’s Pumping Plant's nine pumping units, with a combined capacity of 330 cubic feet per second, discharge water through two parallel buried pipelines to the eastern ridge of the Diablo Range
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges. It is located in the eastern San Francisco Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California, the United States.-Geography:...
.
From there, water flows by gravity for nine miles to the 100 acre-foot Patterson Reservoir, where some water is released for delivery to Livermore Valley. Water flow then continues about nine miles to a junction point where a portion is diverted into a 1 1/2-mile branch line and pumped into Lake Del Valle.
Beyond the Del Valle junction, the water flows by pipeline to La Costa Tunnel, proceeds southwest past Sunol, through the Mission Tunnel, then south through the hills overlooking San Francisco Bay. South Bay Aqueduct terminates in a 160-foot diameter steel tank on a hillside five miles east of downtown San Jose.
Water agencies served
- Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (Zone 7) - Maximum Annual Entitlement: 46000 acre.ft
- Alameda County Water DistrictAlameda County Water DistrictThe Alameda County Water District is a public agency in Alameda County, California, USA, which has responsibilities for managing and protecting certain groundwater resources within Alameda County. While not an administrative unit of the county government, this water district derives certain of...
- Maximum Annual Entitlement: 42000 acre.ft - Santa Clara Valley Water DistrictSanta Clara Valley Water DistrictThe Santa Clara Valley Water District provides stream stewardship, wholesale water supply and flood protection for Santa Clara County, California, in the southern San Francisco Bay Area. The district encompasses all of the county’s and serves the area’s 15 cities, 1.7 million residents and more...
- Maximum Annual Entitlement: 100000 acre.ft