than deep, covers , and contains of water. The storage capacity of San Luis Reservoir is divided with 55 percent belonging to the state and 45 percent to the federal government. The Delta-Mendota Canal, originally built in 1951, carries irrigation water for the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to supply San Joaquin Valley farms. The California Aqueduct was built in 1968 as part of the State Water Project (SWP), to deliver water to Los Angeles and other cities and farmlands in Southern California. Both canals begin at the Clifton Court Forebay near Tracy, California where the Jones and Banks Pumping Plants draw water from the Delta in order to deliver it south. The canals are linked to O'Neill Forebay, a small reservoir located directly in front of San Luis Dam where the water is temporarily stored for distribution. Most CVP project water is dedicated to irrigation while the SWP water supply is split, with 30 percent going to agriculture and 70 percent to urban areas. The San Luis Pumping-Generating Plant (also known as the William R. Gianelli Power Plant) is situated between O'Neill and San Luis Reservoirs and can pump water uphill for storage in San Luis during period of low demand, and release it during periods of high demand. The plant has eight reversible Francis turbine units which can generate up to 424 megawatts when releasing water. The power consumption while pumping is 376 megawatts. The maximum water flow while generating is , and maximum pumping is . The sale of peaking power lowers the overall cost of operating the State Water Project, particularly the giant electric pumps along the California Aqueduct. A short 230 kV power line heads eastward to deliver this electricity to Northern California's electricity backbone, Path 15. However, due to friction losses when pumping water uphill, only about 70 percent of the energy can be recouped when the water is discharged. History The valley filled by the San Luis Reservoir was originally inhabited by the Yokuts people; during the early 19th century it was part of Rancho San Luis Gonzaga and small-scale agriculture began in the area, supplied by groundwater and canals from the San Joaquin River. The Central Valley Project was begun in the 1930s to provide an additional water supply to the area and greatly expanded the irrigated acreage. However, the lack of local water storage