The Stanislaus River Drainage Basin and the New Melones Dam: Historical Evolution of Water Use Priorities

摘要

The evolution of water use priorities for the Stanislaus River goes beyond the highly-publicized contest of the 1970s between the federal water agencies and the environmentalists over construction of the New Melones project. Since the 1850s, plans for development of the Stanislaus River have passed through several distinct phases, each reflecting the prevailing values and objectives. These phases, analyzed topically and chronologically in this report, include: a private phase, dominated by mining-related and subsequently by the electric utility interests; a local phase, dominated by irrigation districts, culminating in construction of the Tri-Dam Project in the late 1950s; and an early federal phase, in which the Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers competed for jurisdiction for the New Melones Dam.