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              FRESNO   COUNTY
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company, through
several power houses like
this, supplied 1.76 billion KWH of electricity
to Fresno County in 1958.
areas has been made possible by a
unique record of public and private
cooperation. Contributing materially
to the project have been farmers, irrigation districts, canal companies, government agencies and for the last 30
years the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company.
The Kings River's flow is backed up
into five reservoirs. Flow is controlled
to make maximum use of water for
agricultural and industrial use and
electric power from three powerhouses
is obtained from the flow. The entire
project cost about $80,000,000 and
generates some 261,500 kilowatts of
electricity.
Head gate for Friant-
Kern Canal which has a
capacity of 4,000 cubic
feet per second. World's
largest man-made canal,
it extends for 153 miles
to the south.
■ ■>>■■ ■
melting snows have made necessary
a number of water storage projects.
The release of this water for consumer
use through carefully located dams
provides virtually unlimited water resources.
The Fresno area is served by the
Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Fresno is the headquarters for the San
Joaquin Division. An interesting fact
in regard to power availability is that
this division serving Fresno County
had greater peak power loads in 1958
than more than half of the states in
the nation.
The two major sources of power
are the hydro-electric stations at dams
26
and steam generating plants.
Of particular note are two large
California water-power projects, both
of which serve Fresno County. They
are the Kings River Project and the
Central Valley Project.
Kings River Project
The Kings River is unusual in that
its watershed—the area in which the
water for its flow is gathered—is entirely distinct and separate from its
service area—where its water is used.
All the waters of the river are used
and none is wasted to the sea. The
collection and use of these waters for
Fresno  County  and its  other service
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
The Central Valley Project
During the past twenty years the
Federal government has taken an active role in the development of water
resources in California. The most extensive project is known as the Central
Valley Project. It was developed and
is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. One of the major reservoir areas
of this project is the Friant Dam on
the San Joaquin River in Fresno
County.
While the storage and delivery of
irrigation water, and the generation of
electric power are a financially contributing benefit, the principal products derived from the operation of the
Central Valley Project, there are a
number of other important services
made possible by the integrated function of its interrelated units. Principal
among these benefits are flood control,
improvement of navigation, supply of
municipal and industrial water, control of salinity incursion in the delta
area, improvement of conditions for
the propagation and preservation of
fish and wildlife and recreational possibilities at water conservation sites.
Entering the San Joaquin River at
the Mendota Pool, water originating
in the Sacramento River Basin and
transported therefrom by man-made
means replaces the natural flow of
the San Joaquin River, which is diverted at Friant Dam, located on the
San Joaquin River, about 20 miles
northeast of Fresno.
At Friant Dam almost the entire
flow of the San Joaquin River is
turned southward into the Fri ant-Kern
Canal. Friant Dam is 320 feet high
and has a crest length of 3,430 feet.
The reservoir, Millerton Lake, has a
capacity of 520,000 acre-feet. The
Madera Canal, which flows northward
September, 1959
FRESNO   COUNTY
from its source at Friant Dam, is 37
miles lone and has a capacity of 1,000 _____
second-feet.
From Friant Dam southward for a
distance of 153 miles the Friant-Kern
Canal, with an initial capacity of 4,000
cubic feet per second, carries a life-
giving supply of water into the major
water-deficient area of the project.
In delivering water to the consumer,       fv £ **1 «n|    JJMJWi
the   Bureau   of  Reclamation   operates &TTHm|    am m * i #jUl
through   some   70  irrigation   districts __KMI~Pwr*flr« 'g«oi~~W^JI »•,, *• * .-, , jj  ,    j- -.^m^m^
which receive supplies direct from the
several main-line project canals. These
districts are autonomous state political   subdivisions.   They   operate   and
maintain   their  own  distribution  sys-   	
tems,  which  in  some  instances  deliver The education  of young  people  is of great  importance  to the  people  of  Fresno  County.   This
water   for   purposes   Other  than   irriga- new auditorium to Roosevelt High School in Fresno exemplifies the progressive spirit of education
TV/r          J> i  •  ..                j  j- i  •!_   i- over the entire county.   The first junior college in California was built in  Fresno County.
tion. Many districts owned distribution ' '
systems prior to  construction  of the approximately one-third preparing for Recreational  Facilities
project,  while for others the Bureau teaching credentials.   The College re- Fresno County has a total area of
constructed distribution systems under cently   completed   a   new   twenty-five 3?830?400 acres or 6,005 square miles,
contract. These works, like the main million dollar campus. About  one.third   of  this   area  is  set
project  facilities,  are,  insofar  as  the        The first junior college in California aside in Millerton Lake State Park, the
irrigation aspect is concerned, financed was founded in Fresno in 1910.    In Sierra  National  Forest,   the   Sequoia
under non-interest-bearing terms. 1917 the college began receiving state National Forest, and Kings Canyon Na-
Power Usage ana county support and was later com- tional park. In addition, Yosemite Na-
Power usage is always an excellent bined with tne Fresno Normal School. tional park? though not actually in the
guidepost in measuring the growth of Today the Fresno Junior College, re- COunty, is just north and within easy
an area. Pacific Gas and Electric serv- cently  renamed Fresno City  College, acceSs.
ing the Fresno County area makes the nas an enrollment of over 3,000. The county is literally in the heart
following breakdown of figures avail-        Modern, well-staffed schools are well of an all-year vacation area.   Among
able   covering  the   growth   in   power spaced throughout the County accord- the natural  attractions are thousands
usage over the past 18 years.   of Sequoia Gigantea trees measuring
Electric                                                    1940                       1950                        1958 more tha^u 10 feet in diameter    More
Avg. No. of Customers              57,008                    94,456                  126,425 *an ^ mll*s °f superlative fishing
Total KWH Sales                 379,585,236        1,150,147,344        1,760,100,071 ^^^
Total MCF Sales         3,236,878              6,310,145             11,437,105 gtocked by one of ^ largegt figh ^^
Energy  for  industrial consumption < eries in the country, located in Friant.
from both electricity and gas poses no mS  to  population   distribution.     For por    ^    mountain    climber,    peaks
problems in Fresno County, with the example, Fresno County has 163 ele- ranging t0 more tnan 11,000 feet offer
entire area served by the Pacific Gas mentary schools and 37 junior high accesg during most 0f tne year. Hunt-
and Electric Company and the South- and high schools. The city of Reedley is ing   enthusiasts  can   find   within   the
ern California Gas Company, an inter- die site of Reedley College, now oc- countv   deer,   bear,   quail,   pheasant,
locking system of power and pipe lines cupying  a  new  $1.6 million  campus geesCj ducks, dove, wild pigeons, rab-
assures   the   industrialist   of   uninter- overlooking the Kings River. At Coal- bitg and a variety 0f other game. State
rupted  service for  any type of peak mga tne Coalinga Campus, started in managed   co-operative   hunting   areas
requirements. Fresno County, inciden- July 1955, is already accommodating are abundantly stocked with duck and
tally, is served directly by P.G. & E.'s 800 day and night students in 17 of its pneasant<
two major gas transmission lines run- modern buildings. From  December to  May  skiing  is
ning from Texas to California.                      You   will   discover   that   people  in aVailable in the Sierras at Badger Pass
Educational  Facilities Fresno  County  are very  "education- 0r at China Peak.
Fresno State College, one of Ameri- conscious." They take pride in the Of particular note is the Millerton
ca's better-known state colleges, is efficiency of their schools and are plan- Lake State Park area, entered through
located in the city of Fresno. First ning improvements on a continuing the town of Friant in Fresno County,
opened in 1911, the college was ele- basis. The lake was created as part of the vast
vated to full four-year status in 1923. Most of the industrial skills required Central Valley Project mentioned ear-
In 1949 the college was authorized to by industry are trained in vocational lier under water and power facilities,
grant a master of arts degree. education courses. Local school offi- The lake has an area of 12,769 acres
Today students may choose their cials work with employers to develop with a shoreline of 43 miles. Under
majors  from  57  subject  fields,  with special skills required. an interbureau agreement with the Bu-
September, 1959                                                           INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 27