Prologue

This special edition of DWR News commemorates the 40th year since voters approved Proposition 1, the $1.75 billion general obligation bond issue that provided funds to construct the SWP's initial facilities.

As you read the issue, you will learn about the Project’s long history and struggle for passage; its present facilities, operations, financing, and challenges; and its future prospects in the political world of water.

The SWP helped California mature economically, eventually becoming the world’s seventh largest economy. By the end of 1999, the SWP had delivered more than 57 million acre-feet of water.

Today the SWP serves Northern and Southern California areas, plus the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast. The voter-approved bonds and interest that initially funded the Project are being repaid by agencies that have long-term contracts with DWR for Project water deliveries. These agencies also pay for construction costs of additional facilities and operations, maintenance, and replacement costs. The water received by the urban and agricultural contractors is used to irrigate farmland, fuel economic development, recharge groundwater basins, and supply residential users—all of which contributes significantly to meeting the needs of the State’s growing population and economy.

As DWR Director, I’ve become closely acquainted with the California State Water Project through the help of those individuals who deal daily with the intricacies of its operations. These are the people who are responsible for its current successes. I am honored to be a part of this project and its contributions to the people of California.

Sincerely


Thomas M. Hannigan