Cadillac Desert and California Water Systems

Vocabulary flashcards derived from lecture notes on California water projects, history, and agricultural development.

Cadillac Desert

A work or topic addressing systems of water and agriculture, aqueducts, and the water supply of California's Central Valley.

Central Valley

The richest yet driest agricultural land in California, which produces 1/4 of America's food and was historically swampy.

Henry Miller

A historical figure associated with the law of claiming land when one could boat to it.

Central Valley Project (CVP)

A project developed during the Great Depression to capture snowmelt and transport water from North to South.

Tulare Lake

A region noted for producing significant amounts of wheat and cotton.

State Water Project

A major water project established in 1955 and built around the same time as the CVP.

Oroville Dam

A dam built as part of California's State Water Project.

Boulder Dam

A dam associated with mid-Great Depression water transport and storage efforts.

Jimmy Carter

The U.S. President (1977–1981) who cut government funding for water projects.

Reclamation Project Act

Legislation providing government control of water that helped family farms by breaking up land into 160-acre limits.

Huron

A location described in 1979 as being very poor, with low wages and high unemployment.

Selenium

A chemical/element identified as deforming birds near agricultural plant projects.