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1910 - The United States Consulate In California

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

This is the story of the first and only United States consulate in California. Thomas Oliver Larkin served in four different official capacities under the United States government -- as United States consul in California from 1844 to 1848; as confidential agent of the government from 1846 to 1848; as navy agent from 1847 to 1849; and as a naval store keeper from 1847 to 1848. Rumors of war with Mexico over Texas and later with England over the Oregon boundary reach California.

When Larkin became consul for the United States, the US consular service was on an uncertain basis …

1910 - A Mission Record Of The California Indians; Putnam, Kroeber

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The Mission Record of the California Indians was in response to a list of questions sent to Alta California in 1811 by the Spanish government of Mexico. The “interrogatorio” was answered at the various missions, the replies collected and prefaced by the president of the mission with a short general statement or abstract of the answers received to each question and then presumably forwarded to Mexico with a copy retained in the archives of the Santa Barbara Mission.

1911 - California Under Spain And Mexico, 1535-1847; Irving Berdine Richman

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

This book provides history of the California and Pacific Coast of the United States under Spain and Mexico, based on original sources, chiefly manuscript, that were found in the Spanish and Mexican Archives and other repositories.

1912 - The Missions Of California And The Old Southwest, Jesse S. Hildrup

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

A publication exhorting the glory of the California and Old Southwest missions, the golden climate and the efforts by the padres to save the Indian from his primitive life and ultimately prepare them for the civilization which came later under American sovereignty. The author viewed the region as the "chosen land, so wonderfully endowed by Nature, made possible the spiritual and civilizing purposes of the Church by the very configuration of its surface, the fertility of its soil, its temperate and subtropical climates, and its abundant water, which were stored in natural reservoirs and available for lowland cultivation by the …

1913 - Water Resources Of California, Part Iii, Water-Supply Paper 300

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The water available for irrigation and domestic supply was the chief factor in the development of southern California, which then had a population of more than 1,000,000 people. The many mountain streams of California afforded abundant hydroelectric power, the utilization of which in manufacturing enterprises and in transportation had been made possible by the progress of electric-power transmission during the previous decade.

Information concerning the quantity of water carried by the streams had been and would continue to be an important factor in the development of these resources, for the fundamental importance of stream-flow data was so thoroughly recognized that …

1920 - Irrigation Of Twelve Million Acres In The Valley Of California; Robert Bradford Marshall

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

By 1920, California's potential wealth in land reached into billions of dollars; 12,000,000 acres of available agricultural lands remained practically untouched. Marshall proposed a large plan that would make the Valley of California the world's greatest garden. The engineering plans for such a project must be comprehensive, for their execution must not only assure the complete reclamation of 12,000,000 acres of valley lands but must also effectively and forever control the river floods and insure safe and continuous river navigation throughout the year. The hydro-electric current generated along most of the streams would furnish all the power necessary for construction …

1920 - Third Biennial Report Of The State Water Commission Of California

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The California State Water Commission was created to carry out the terms of the Water Commission Act passed by the Legislature in 1913, and approved under referendum December 19, 1914. This act provides for a definite record of water right titles and constitutes a code of water law governing the use of surface water and underground water :flowing through known and definite channels, based upon rights by appropriation. It is designed to serve three main purposes.

First-To provide a definite system for public supervision of the initiation of water rights acquired subsequent to the adoption of the act and a …

1919 - Catalogue Of Materials In The Archivo General De Indias For The History Of The Pacific Coast And The American Southwest, Chapman

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The Sevillian archive, Archivo General de Indias, contained a wealth of materials on almost every conceivable subject in Spanish colonial administration and was the most valuable single archive on that field in existence. As of 1919, much material of the Spanish period relating to regions now within the United States was still found in various local archives. The report listed the pertinent files on California history in general and that of regions in the direct line of approach to California, especially Baja California and Sonora but also affairs of the easterly provinces of the northern frontier from Nueva Vizcaya to …

1923 - California County Boundaries With Maps, Owen C. Coy

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The object of this volume is to present a brief but comprehensive account of the formation of the counties of California, together with a more detailed study of the location and changes in the county boundaries. Beginning with the first legislature, in 1849, which divided the state into twenty-seven counties, the agitation for new counties and for county boundary changes has continued down to the present time, when there are fifty-eight counties, with consequent radical changes in boundary lines.

1953 - Santa Cruz-Monterey Counties Investigation - Bulletin No. 5

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The area in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties under this investigation has recently experienced a substantial increase in water utilization, in common with many other parts of California. As a result, it is confronted with a need for more complete conservation of its water resources. Diversion of surface water in Santa Cruz County has increased until in dry years insufficient summer How exists in certain streams to meet peak water demands for urban and recreational requirements. Expanding irrigated acreage in Pajaro Valley together with trends toward more intensive agriculture have increased the ground water draft in that valley and have …

1923 - Irrigation Requirements Of California Lands, Bulletin No. 6, Appendix B, Report To The Legislature

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The legislature of 1921 appropriated $200,000 for an investigation of California's water resources by the State Department of Public Works, Division of Engineering and Irrigation. Accordingly, an engineering investigation was completed.

California's agricultural lands are those portions of the state that have suitable soils, disposed in appreciable areas of regular surface conformation, favorable climate, and other requisite conditions for the production of harvestable crops. Included in these, are lands at present deficient in natural moisture, but more or less conveniently situated for the ultimate acquisition of an accessory water supply. These agricultural lands produced, or were capable of producing, the …

1929 - California Irrigation Districts, Bulletin No. 21

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The investigation is an enlargement of a study outlined February, 1926, by the late state engineer, Wilbur F. McClure, and cooperating agencies. Work on the project was suspended in 1927 but was resumed early in 1928 at the request of the California Economic Research Council, whose committee on irrigation economics prepared the schedule used in the field investigation.

An earlier report on this subject by the same author covered the situation up to 1915, and was published as Bulletin 2 of the State Department of Engineering. This report, together with Bulletin 2, presented the most complete information it had been …

2000 - Preparing For California's Next Drought -- Changes Since 1987-92

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The purpose of this report is to review items that the California Department of Water Resources should consider in near-term drought planning, putting California’s conditions today into perspective with experiences gained in the 1987-92 drought. The report begins with an overview of California hydrology and water supply, then describes conditions encountered in the 1987-92 drought. Changed conditions since that drought are summarized, and their implications discussed. The report concludes with a list of actions that the Department could take to respond to future drought conditions.

1993 - Lessons Learned From The California Drought (1987-1992) - National Study Of Water Management During Drought

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The 1987-92 drought in California put the long-term strategy of drought protection as well as short-term drought response measures to a severe test. The report provides background information and data on California's economy and water resources, the existing water management system. , a chronology of major drought events and significant drought response actions during the droughts.

The report summarizes the contents of the interviews pertaining to four general aspects of the drought: (1) critical drought impacts, (2) communication and cooperation, (3) the role and responsibilities of the media, and (4) response to the drought of the general public and water …

2010 - California Agricultural Vision - Strategies For Sustainability

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

California is a major contributor to the global food supply and to the national security of the United States. To keep pace with growing demand for food, as the world’s population continues to expand, California agriculture must remain profitable and competitive in a global market by efficiently using resources and controlling production costs. California faces unprecedented challenges to its sustainability in the form of pressures on its profitability and productivity related to water, regulations, labor, invasive species, urbanization and many other factors.

1994 - Agriculture, Water And California's Drought Of 1987-92, Kenneth W. Umbach.Pdf

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The purpose of this paper was to summarize the 1987-1992 drought in the context of agriculture and water in California, to examine the types of response that farmers and institutions could and did use, and to draw lessons from that experience. California would be challenged as it grappled with population growth and environmental concerns. In view of the demand on water supplies made by California's agricultural sector (77 to 80 percent of the "developed" water used in the state, it was especially important to review those responses.

2013 - California Water Rights - Ca Water Plan Update

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

A presentation addressing California Water Rights, the evolution of water right law, types of water rights, permit process, beneficial use/waste, in-stream flows/public trust, Federal preemption and the Klamath case study.

2008 - Managing An Uncertain Future - Climate Change Adaptation Strategies For California's Water

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

This report recommends a number of adaptation strategies for California and local water managers to improve their capacity to handle change. Many of the strategies will also help adapt California's water resources to accommodate non-climate demands including a growing population, ecosystem restoration and greater flood protection. Several of the recommendations in this report are ready for immediate adoption, while others need additional public deliberation and development. Some can be implemented using existing resources and authority, while the majority will require new resources, sustained financial investment and significant collaborative effort.

1914 - Report Of The State Agricultural Society For The Year 1913

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

1914 report by the California State Agricultural Society on the production and resources of California along with a review of the physical conditions and characteristics of most of the counties in the State and statistics showing the farm acreage, the assessable wealth, and industrial resources for those counties.

1918 - Report Of The State Agricultural Society For The Year 1917

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

1918 report by the California State Agricultural Society on the production and resources of California along with a review of the physical conditions and characteristics of most of the counties in the State and statistics reflecting the farm acreage, the assessable wealth, and industrial resources for those counties.

1918 - Geology And Oil Prospects Of Salinas Valley-Parkfield Area, California; Walter A. English

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

A 1981 report on an investigation undertaken partly to procure data for the classification of public lands located in the Salinas Valley-Parkfield area of California withdrawn from entry pending classification, and partly to determine areas in which the geologic conditions were favorable for oil prospecting so as to prevent useless expenditures in drilling dry holes in unfavorable areas. The work on which the report was based was done during the field seasons of 1915 and 1916.

1919 - Summary Of The Annual Reports From Farm Advisors Of California For Dec. 1917 To Dec. 1918, Circular No. 208

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

Noting that the prime requisites for the successful prosecution of the World War I were men, munitions, ships, finance and food, this report focused on food as that part of the war effort left primarily to the voluntary effort of the people. Two federal agencies were tasked with the food problem: The United States Department of Agriculture (food production) and the United States Food Administration (food conservation and distribution. The report discusses the establishment of the agricultural colleges and of the the agricultural extension organization with its local representatives known as farm advisors or county agents. Report also describes various …

1920 - California's Greatest Opportunity - Reclaiming An Empire--The Valley Of California, Col. R. B. Marshall

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

Col. Marshall proposed a state-wide engineering project that would provide irrigation water to 12,000,000 acres of land in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Livermore and Concord valleys, as well as water for Los Angeles, San Francisco and Bay cities. The water would come from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. He envisioned an increase in the State valuation of $6,000,000,000. Additionally hydro-electric current generation would furnish all the power necessary for construction as well as supply more power than would be needed for use on electric railroads, in municipal lighting, for manufacturing, and for domestic use in homes, and …

1927 - Letter To U.S. Commissioner Of Indian Affairs Regarding Homeless California Indians

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

A June 23, 1927, letter from L. A. Dorrington, Superintendent of the Sacramento Indian Agency, to the U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs regarding the purchase of land for homeless California Indians. Detailed 25-page report listing the number of Indians in each band identified in each county and advising as to whether it would be necessary to purchase public land for them. Dorrington expressed concern about the failure of certain bands to adequately develop the land noting that in some instances the need for provision of adequate water supply for domestic use, proper fencing and construction of better homes.

1959 - California Government And Forestry From Spanish Days Until The Creation Of The Department Of Natural Resources In 1927, C. Raymond Clar

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

This 1959 book focuses on the relationship between forestry and the California government. The surface treatment of the lands of California was of significant importance in the building of California, just as was the Gold Rush, the challenge of empire-building and the struggle for water. The book covers on a relatively short span of years although it commences with forest use in Spanish- Mexican California.

1976 - Mexican-American Land Tenure Conflict In California, David Hornbeck

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

This paper examines the merging of the Mexican and American land tenure systems and how the two very different concepts of land acquisition, organization and maintenance clashed resulting in a distinctive settlement pattern not usually associated with Anglo settlement. The Mexican landscape, organized according to centuries of Spanish tradition, was the antithesis of the type established by the westward moving American pioneer. Spatial differences were many, particularly in the areas of agriculture, settlement, transportation, space economy and land tenure.

1971 - Dwr Bulletin 176, Land Use In California, An Index To Surveys Conducted By The California Department Of Water Resources 1950-1970

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The purpose of the 1971 California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Bulletin No. 176 was to bring the wealth of land information assembled by the DWR over a 20-year period to the attention of public and private planning groups. The DWR and it's predecessor agencies had conducted surveys to monitor the development of California's lands in order to determine the changing needs for water management. In the preceding 20 years, population in California had doubled, resulting in an average annual increase in urban land of more than 50,000 ares and an increase in total irrigated acreage of 20 percent. The …

1979 - The California Water Atlas

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The atlas was developed as an attempt to provide the average citizen with a single-volume point of access to understanding how water works in the State of California. It addressed treatments of every aspect of water supply, delivery, and use in California, the nature of the water environment, the changes mankind has made in that environment, the history of water development, the operation of the major natural and artificial water systems, the relationship of water pricing to water consumption, the uses of water in industry, recreation, and energy development, the problems of water quality, and the current (1979) and emerging …

2004 - Upper Salinas River Watershed Action Plan - Final Report To The State Water Resources Control Board

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

The Watershed Plan (WAP) is a comprehensive planning document, a management plan, for the use by landowners, agencies, and groups in their individual and collective efforts to improve and restore natural resources within the 2,000 square mile area of the Upper Salinas River Watershed. The planning area comprises approximately one-quarter of the watersheds that affect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The primary objectives of the WAP are to improve water quality and to ensure adequate water resources to meet the various needs within the watershed, to foster the future well-being of agriculture, to reduce the loss of soil, to …

1883 - History Of Santa Barbara County

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

This 1883 publication by Thompson & West, Oakland, California, provides a diverse account about individuals, events occurring during the early years of American occupation of California, and life in California including, but not limited to, pre-Spanish occupants, Spanish-Mexican occupancy, agriculture, discovery of gold, county government, Spanish grants, education, industry, politics.