2016 – The Emergency and Carryover Storage Project Creates a Lasting Legacy for Water Reliability in San Diego, California

Michael F. Rogers, Gerard (Jerry) E. Reed III, and Glenn S. Tarbox

The San Diego County Water Authority (Water Authority) recently completed the San Vicente Dam Raise Project (SVDR) to increase local water storage capacity in San Diego County, California as the final phase of the $1.5 billion Emergency & Carryover Storage Project (E&CSP). The E&CSP was developed by the Water Authority to protect the San Diego region from disastrous disruptions to the imported water delivery system due to catastrophic events (e.g. earthquake, structural failure, extended drought, etc.) and to address climate change conditions by increasing the amount of water stored locally in the San Diego region. The E&CSP also provides new features for the legacy Water Authority system delivery to provide a more flexible conveyance system.