Los Padres Reservoir Capacity Issues
Contents
Summary
The Los Padres dam was built in 1949 as an alternate water storage facility in response to sediment accumulation in the downstream San Clemente Dam (built in 1921). Water stored in the Los Padres reservoir is released to the Carmel Valley Aquifer where it is pumped out by California- American water co. and is used by nearly all of the Monterey Peninsula. By 1999, the Los Padres dam had lost half of its capacity to heavy sediment accumulation.
The 2008 Basin Complex fires burned a part of the Carmel river watershed. Burned areas leave behind hydrophobic soils which erode quickly given precipitation. This may exacerbate erosion rates and lead to increased sediment accumulation in the Los Padres Reservoir.
The Los Padres reservoir serves as the primary source of water storage for the Monterey Peninsula so any big increase in sediment accumulation may be detrimental.
Location
The Los Padres Reservoir is part of the Carmel Valley Watershed
Resource/s at stake
Water supply for the Monterey Peninsula is at stake. Increased sediment in the Los Padres reservoir decreases water storage capacity, directly affecting the water supply for the residents of the Monterey Peninsula. Increased sediment accumulation may also degrade water quality, posing as a threat to essential habitat for steelhead trout.
Stakeholders
-California-America Water Company ( Cal-AM ) -Monterey Peninsula Water Management District ( MPWMD )
Laws, policies, & regulations
...What laws, policies, and/or regulations are involved?...
Systems
... What elements of the biophysical system are/were involved?...
Science
...What scientific studies are or would be relevant / already completed?...
Tools
LIDAR data can be merged with multibeam bathymetry data to create high resolution digital elevation maps.
Future research
...What knowledge gaps remain?...
...Suggest a CWSP MS thesis topic that could contribute to the issue...
...Suggest a topic for a hypothetical study that had unlimited resources...
References
...Proust, M. 1901. Poetica nausea. J. Nauseum. pp 1-9999.
Links
- Other Watershed Issues
Disclaimer
This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.
