Delta Cross Channel
| Delta Cross Channel | |
|---|---|
 The intake gates for the Delta Cross Channel | |
  Location of Delta Cross Channel in Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta  Delta Cross Channel (California)  Delta Cross Channel (the United States) | |
| Location | Walnut Grove, California |
| Coordinates | 38°14′46″N121°30′34″W/ 38.24611°N 121.50944°W |
| Purpose | Divert water to theC.W. Bill Jones Pumping Plantas part of theCentral Valley Project,controlsalinity,ensure irrigation supplies for theSacramento-San Joaquin Delta |
| Opening date | 1951 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Sacramento River |
| Width (base) | 210 feet (64 m) |
TheDelta Cross Channelis a facility inCalifornia'sSacramento-San Joaquin Deltathat diverts water from theSacramento River.The facility was built in 1951 inWalnut Grove, California.
It diverts water to Snodgrass Slough, from where it flows to theMokelumne River,[1]then to theSan Joaquin River,towards theC.W. Bill Jones Pumping Plant,[2]which is the intake for theDelta-Mendota Canal,part of theCentral Valley Project.[3]The distance from the channel to the Jones Pumping Plant is about 50 miles (80 km).[2]
Operation
[edit]The diversion is controlled by twosluice gatesthat each measure 60 feet (18 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) and weigh 243 tons and extend 243 feet (74 m) across the channel. The channel is 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long, has a bottom width of 210 feet (64 m), and was designed to divert a capacity of 3,500 cubic feet (99 m3) of water per second[4]under normal conditions, but can divert up to 6,000 cu ft (170 m3) if required.[1]The facility was built to augment the flow of the Sacramento River through the Delta to the Jones Pumping Plant.[5]It ensures an adequate supply of water for the Jones Pumping Plant and irrigation supplies for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta while controlling oceansalinity.
The gates close when the river floods, specifically when the flow on the Sacramento River reaches 20,000 cubic feet (570 m3) per second,[6]to prevent flooding on the San Joaquin River, and if the amount of water is so low that the Central Valley Project cannot deliver water. The gates also close during the winter to protect the fisheries in the Delta,[6]specifically thesalmonfishery.[5]The winter closure of the facility was requested by a consortium of wildlife protection agencies, including theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,and theCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife.[4]The gates are generally open during the summer months.[6]
References
[edit]- ^abLow, Alice F.; White, Jim."Relationship of Delta Cross Channel Gate Operations To Loss of Juvenile Winter-run Chinook Salmon at the CVP/SWP Delta Facilities"(PDF).California Department of Fish and Game.Retrieved7 April2015.
- ^ab"Delta Cross Channel".San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority.Retrieved7 April2015.
- ^"Jones Pumping Plant".San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority.Retrieved7 April2015.
- ^ab"Delta Cross Channel"(PDF).US Bureau of Reclamation.US Department of Interior. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 June 2015.Retrieved8 May2015.
- ^ab"Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Cross Channel".Water Education Foundatioan.Retrieved8 May2015.
- ^abc"Delta Cross Channel Gates".United States Bureau of Reclamation.United States Bureau of Reclamation.Retrieved8 May2015.