|
Program Overview
In the early years, land use surveys were conducted only for specific investigations. In the late 1950s, the Southern District made a decision to survey the urban and agricultural land use for the developed areas of Southern California and to conduct periodic updates of these areas. The Southern District is too large to survey effectively over a 12-month period. Instead, the District was divided into eight regions, and one or two regions are surveyed annually. The boundaries for the regions were determined by hydrologic drainage characteristics and water supply. Southern District Regions
Some regions are surveyed more often than others, and sometimes, only portions of certain regions or only specific counties are surveyed. Each survey is unique in the kinds of land use data collected. Since 1990, the surveys have been concentrated on agricultural land uses. Available land use surveys for all eight regions may be seen in the Southern District office. Land use maps for the surveys are also on file, and most are reproducible. Since 1990, the Department has digitized the land use data collected in the surveys. |
|
For further information, contact: David Inouye or G. I. Bergquist |
|
Copyright © 1998. California Department of Water Resources. All rights reserved. |
In 1947, the California Legislature requested that an investigation be conducted of the water resources and present and future water needs for all hydrologic regions in the State. Accordingly, the Department and its predecessor agencies began to collect the urban and agricultural land use and water use data that serve as the basis for the computations of current and projected water uses. Over the years, these data have been used in other investigations of the Department, which have examined groundwater usage and quality, assessed the need for additional water supplies, determined agricultural water drainage, and identified the potentials for water supply transfers.