Background

The YCWUA, a private non-profit corporation, was formed in 1903 to operate and maintain the Valley Division of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Yuma Project, which includes irrigation and certain power transmission facilities in Arizona. Located on the Colorado River, the members of the Association farm over 53,400 irrigable acres, with 45,000 to 46,000 acres in production.

The Yuma Project was constructed in the first decade of the 20th century and is greatly in need of repair. The YCWUA has already replaced eight miles of canals with pipes, with financial assistance from the City of Yuma and the Arizona Department of Transportation. In 1997, the YCWUA also improved its water delivery system to allow for more flexible operation of the on-farm irrigation systems.

Description

The project consists of lining 25 miles of earthen and badly deteriorated canals with concrete, as well as replacing deteriorated structures. It has been divided into three phases to be carried out over a three-year period as follows:

1. A total of 8.4 miles of newly lined canals and replacement of 39 turnouts and 8 checks in 2004;
2. A total of 8.4 miles of newly lined canals and replacement of 29 turnouts and 8 checks in 2005; and
3. A total of 8 miles of newly lined canals and replacement of 32 turnouts and 11 checks in 2006.

Benefits

Lining the canals will prevent water losses from seepage, as well as eliminate groundwater drainage problems attributed to the existing unlined canal system and thus improve the quality of flows in the Colorado River. Water savings from this project are estimated at 7,583 acre-feet a year.