45-mile Nacimiento Water Delivery

The County of San Luis Obispo secured the rights to 17,500 acre-feet of water per year (AFY) from the Nacimiento Lake Reservoir. After 1,750 AFY was designated for uses around the lake, the County decided to deliver the remaining 15,750 AFY to turnouts serving its growing communities. These included the Cities of Paso Robles, Atascadero, Templeton, San Luis Obispo.

This was accomplished through a 45-mile pipeline with varying sizes up to 36 inches in diameter. The project also included two 15,000 AFY pump stations, one 9,000 AFY pump station, two 2 million-gallon (MG) storage tanks, and four 1-MG storage tanks.

The County of San Luis Obispo selected Cannon to provide professional surveying services for the project. Cannon provided surveying and mapping for the 45-mile pipeline that crossed creeks and rivers and passed through both urban and rural areas. We also provided topographic surveys and legal descriptions for 62 sites involving property, right-of-way, and easement negotiations required prior to pipeline construction.

At the time of construction, this project was the single largest project the County had ever undertaken. The total cost of the project, including design, construction, environmental permitting, and right-of-way, was $176 million.