Yuma Project
Encyclopedia
The Yuma Project is a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation project built to irrigate over 68000 acres (275.2 km²) of land in Yuma County
, Arizona
and parts of Imperial County, California
. The project is designed to exploit year-round farming conditions and water from the Colorado River
. It consists of the Laguna Diversion Dam
, pumping plants
, a power plant, a 53 miles (85.3 km) system of canal
s, 218 miles (350.8 km) of lateral canal
s, levee
s and drains. The project began in 1903 and the majority of the work was completed by 1915. It was the first dam and reclamation project on the Colorado River and workers had to overcome many natural and logistical obstacles to build and maintain it. The Laguna Diversion Dam was replaced by the Imperial Dam
as the Project's water source between 1941 and 1948. Today, it serves 275 farms and over 94,000 people.
-fed farming. The project would be split into two divisions, the Valley Division in Yuma County, Arizona and the Reservation Division in Imperial County, California. The Reservation Division was further broken down into the Bard Unit and the Indian Unit. The Reservation Division and Bard Unit occupy much of what was Fort Yuma Indian Reservation
.
purchased the future Yuma Project's land in the Gasden Purchase but had created the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation in 1884 to settle the indigenous Quechuan Indian
s. Much of the land was disputed in the 1890s and in 1910, the Dawes Severalty Act opened the land to white settlers which led to further disputes. A series of court battles between the United States and the landholders led to the United States winning a decision and acquiring the land in 1898.
Farmers immediately began constructing gravity-fed irrigation systems in the area which proved inconsistent and ultimately ineffective. In 1902, the Reclamation Act was passed, allotting funds for western farm development and creating the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (known as the Reclamation Service until 1923). Subsequently, in 1903, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
turned the entire Fort Yuma Indian Reservation over to the Bureau of Reclamation for development. Future farmers in the area formed the Yuma County Water Users' Association later in 1903 and in 1904, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Ethan A. Hitchcock
authorized the Yuma Project.
on the Colorado River
. On July 6, 1905 the contract to build the dam was awarded to J. G. White and Company who started construction less than two weeks later. Deliveries of cement
were a problem as they had to be delivered to Yuma
by rail and to the construction site by wagons or steamboat. Poor rock quality at local quarries also posed a problem that consistently delayed construction, 50% of the weak rock was unusable. Even after their contract was supplemented to encompass the rock quality delays, J. G. White and Company still did not meet their deadline and the Bureau of Reclamation took over construction in early 1907.
To solve the cement delivery problems, by March 1908, the Bureau of Reclamation built a levee
on the California side on the dam that was topped by a rail-line. Beforehand, they had also gained the cooperation of the Southern Pacific Railroad
who agreed to deliver cement directly at the dam site. The rock quality problem was solved when the Bureau raised the upstream and downstream cofferdam
s with rock waste and topped them with rail lines that could deliver rock-fill much faster. By December 1908, the water bypass around the dam was complete and workers began to pour the rock-fill. Three large concrete walls supported by 6 inches (152.4 mm) sheet-wood pilings were built across the river for the dam's foundation. Rock-fill was placed in between and on the outsides of these walls for support. The California sluice
way consisted of three iron gates while the Arizona had one. Mexican-Americans mostly worked on the dam while a few Native American
Indians did as well. White-labor worked in the cooler months.
s the water under the Colorado River. After it reaches Yuma, it split into the East and West Main canals to pass through the Valley Division and to the Mexican border. The Yuma Main Canal along with the East Main Canal and part of the West Main Canal were complete by 1912. The rest of the West Main Canal started again in 1913 and was completed in 1915.
Work on the Reservation Main Canal began in 1907 and its adjacent lateral canal
s began in 1908. The Mojave and Cocopah Canals were constructed as splits off the Reservation Canal. Construction on the Colorado River Siphon began in 1909 and would initially consist of a 50 feet (15.2 m) inverted siphon that transfers water via the Yuma Main Canal to the Valley Division. Construction on the siphon was halted in February 1911 after the surrounding sandstone proved too porous and unstable. The Bureau of Reclamation decided to used pneumatic compressed air to finish the construction which sank the siphon further to 76 feet (23.2 m) and it began to operate on June 29, 1912. In total, the Yuma Project contained 53 miles (85.3 km) of canal and 218 miles (350.8 km) of lateral canal.
. In the Valley Divisions, the drains run through its central part while wells exist in the east. All drainage is removed at the Boundary Pumping Station which began operating in 1919.
s was also constructed between 1907-1909 in order to protect the banks of the Colorado River from flooding and its historical course-changing meandering. The Reservation levee was constructed on the west bank of the river between Lagunato and Araz. The Yuma Valley levees were on the east bank of the river until the Colorado-Gila River
confluence and then to the Mexican border. To maintain the levees, the Bureau of Reclamation built rail lines on top of the Reservation levee so rail cars could reinforce or fill in problem areas. This proved successful during a major flood in 1912 and the Bureau asked Southern Pacific Railway if another line could be built on the Yuma Valley levee but they were reluctant. With its own acquired funding, the Bureau began to construct the Yuma Valley Railway in May 1914 and despite hot temperatures and wage strikes, construction was completed in February 1915.
was also complete. Unit B irrigated as much as 3000 acres (12.1 km²) but development of the other three units never materialized. Only 3.6 miles (5.8 km) of canal and 10 miles (16.1 km) of lateral canals were built. In 1949, after the Laguna Dam ceased to divert water, the Yuma Auxiliary Project was reduced to just over 3300 acres (13.4 km²) in sized and the Gila Project took over its water supply.
's troop demands. The Laguna Diversion Dam weathered the floods but its downstream talus
at its toe was extended between 1923 and 1924 to help better protect it. An earthquake on May 18, 1940 damaged the Project considerably, especially the Valley Division. Canals, levees and other features were damaged but repaired by late May. From 1936 through World War II
, Civilian Conservation Corps
workers, Indians from Mexico, Italian prisoners and German prisoners all worked to maintain the project.
The Boulder Canyon Project Act in 1928 would signal change for the Yuma Project. The Act authorized the construction of the Hoover Dam
which curtailed flooding on the Colorado River but it also authorized the All-American Canal
and the Imperial Dam
. The Imperial Dam would serve as the lower Colorado's diversion dam and would also supply the Yuma Project with water. The dam was completed in 1938 and in 1941, the Bureau of Reclamation sealed off the Yuma Main Canal from the Laguna Diversion Dam
. All outlets from the Laguna Dam were sealed on June 23, 1948 allowing for full supply from the Imperial Dam. Becoming obsolete, the Bureau decommissioned the power plant at the Siphon Drop Spillway in 1972.
Yuma County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*2.0% Black*1.6% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*20.8% Other races*59.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and parts of Imperial County, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The project is designed to exploit year-round farming conditions and water from the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. It consists of the Laguna Diversion Dam
Laguna Diversion Dam
The Laguna Diversion Dam is an rock-fill diversion dam on the Colorado River. It is located 13 miles northeast of Winterhaven, CA–Yuma, AZ on Imperial County route S24...
, pumping plants
Pumping station
Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites.A pumping station...
, a power plant, a 53 miles (85.3 km) system of canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s, 218 miles (350.8 km) of lateral canal
Lateral canal
A lateral canal is a canal built along the same right-of-way as an existing stream. Water for the canal is usually provided by the original natural stream. Many French lateral canals have the word latéral as part of their name...
s, levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s and drains. The project began in 1903 and the majority of the work was completed by 1915. It was the first dam and reclamation project on the Colorado River and workers had to overcome many natural and logistical obstacles to build and maintain it. The Laguna Diversion Dam was replaced by the Imperial Dam
Imperial Dam
The Imperial Diversion Dam is a concrete slab and buttress, ogee weir structure across the California/Arizona border, northeast of Yuma. Completed in the 1938, the dam retains the waters of the Colorado River into the Imperial Reservoir before desilting and diversion into the All-American Canal,...
as the Project's water source between 1941 and 1948. Today, it serves 275 farms and over 94,000 people.
Background and layout
Although temperatures in the southern areas of Arizona and California tend to be hot and precipitation averages 3.5 inches (88.9 mm) a year, the region features a year-round farming season and the Colorado River. The Bureau of Reclamation and the Yuma County Water Users' Association wanted to exploit these conditions and create a large area or irrigationIrrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
-fed farming. The project would be split into two divisions, the Valley Division in Yuma County, Arizona and the Reservation Division in Imperial County, California. The Reservation Division was further broken down into the Bard Unit and the Indian Unit. The Reservation Division and Bard Unit occupy much of what was Fort Yuma Indian Reservation
Fort Yuma Indian Reservation
The Fort Yuma Indian Reservation is a part of the traditional lands of the Quechan people. Established in 1884, the reservation, at , has a land area of 178.197 km² in southeastern Imperial County, California, and western Yuma County, Arizona, near the city of Yuma, Arizona. Both the county...
.
History and construction
In 1854, the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
purchased the future Yuma Project's land in the Gasden Purchase but had created the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation in 1884 to settle the indigenous Quechuan Indian
Quechuas
Quechuas is the collective term for several indigenous ethnic groups in South America who speak a Quechua language , belonging to several ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Argentina.The Quechuas of Ecuador call themselves as well as their...
s. Much of the land was disputed in the 1890s and in 1910, the Dawes Severalty Act opened the land to white settlers which led to further disputes. A series of court battles between the United States and the landholders led to the United States winning a decision and acquiring the land in 1898.
Farmers immediately began constructing gravity-fed irrigation systems in the area which proved inconsistent and ultimately ineffective. In 1902, the Reclamation Act was passed, allotting funds for western farm development and creating the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (known as the Reclamation Service until 1923). Subsequently, in 1903, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
turned the entire Fort Yuma Indian Reservation over to the Bureau of Reclamation for development. Future farmers in the area formed the Yuma County Water Users' Association later in 1903 and in 1904, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
Ethan A. Hitchcock
Ethan A. Hitchcock (Interior)
Ethan Allen Hitchcock served under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.-Early life:...
authorized the Yuma Project.
Laguna Dam
The Bureau of Reclamation with project engineer Francis L. Sellew, immediately began purchasing the necessary lands and began the project with the Laguna Diversion DamLaguna Diversion Dam
The Laguna Diversion Dam is an rock-fill diversion dam on the Colorado River. It is located 13 miles northeast of Winterhaven, CA–Yuma, AZ on Imperial County route S24...
on the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. On July 6, 1905 the contract to build the dam was awarded to J. G. White and Company who started construction less than two weeks later. Deliveries of cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
were a problem as they had to be delivered to Yuma
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
by rail and to the construction site by wagons or steamboat. Poor rock quality at local quarries also posed a problem that consistently delayed construction, 50% of the weak rock was unusable. Even after their contract was supplemented to encompass the rock quality delays, J. G. White and Company still did not meet their deadline and the Bureau of Reclamation took over construction in early 1907.
To solve the cement delivery problems, by March 1908, the Bureau of Reclamation built a levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
on the California side on the dam that was topped by a rail-line. Beforehand, they had also gained the cooperation of the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
who agreed to deliver cement directly at the dam site. The rock quality problem was solved when the Bureau raised the upstream and downstream cofferdam
Cofferdam
A cofferdam is a temporary enclosure built within, or in pairs across, a body of water and constructed to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out, creating a dry work environment for the major work to proceed...
s with rock waste and topped them with rail lines that could deliver rock-fill much faster. By December 1908, the water bypass around the dam was complete and workers began to pour the rock-fill. Three large concrete walls supported by 6 inches (152.4 mm) sheet-wood pilings were built across the river for the dam's foundation. Rock-fill was placed in between and on the outsides of these walls for support. The California sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
way consisted of three iron gates while the Arizona had one. Mexican-Americans mostly worked on the dam while a few Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Indians did as well. White-labor worked in the cooler months.
Canals
Construction on the Yuma Canal which branched off the California side of the Laguna Dam began in 1909. One and half miles from the dam, at Indian Heading, the Yuma Canal splits into the Reservation Main Canal and the Yuma Main Canal. The Yuma Main Canal continues 10.5 miles (16.9 km) southwest until it reaches the 9.9 feet (3 m) Siphon Drop Spillway where a power plant was later built in 1926. After another 3.5 miles (5.6 km), it reaches the Colorado River Siphon which siphonSiphon
The word siphon is sometimes used to refer to a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. But in the English language today, the word siphon usually refers to a tube in an inverted U shape which causes a liquid to flow uphill, above the surface of the reservoir,...
s the water under the Colorado River. After it reaches Yuma, it split into the East and West Main canals to pass through the Valley Division and to the Mexican border. The Yuma Main Canal along with the East Main Canal and part of the West Main Canal were complete by 1912. The rest of the West Main Canal started again in 1913 and was completed in 1915.
Work on the Reservation Main Canal began in 1907 and its adjacent lateral canal
Lateral canal
A lateral canal is a canal built along the same right-of-way as an existing stream. Water for the canal is usually provided by the original natural stream. Many French lateral canals have the word latéral as part of their name...
s began in 1908. The Mojave and Cocopah Canals were constructed as splits off the Reservation Canal. Construction on the Colorado River Siphon began in 1909 and would initially consist of a 50 feet (15.2 m) inverted siphon that transfers water via the Yuma Main Canal to the Valley Division. Construction on the siphon was halted in February 1911 after the surrounding sandstone proved too porous and unstable. The Bureau of Reclamation decided to used pneumatic compressed air to finish the construction which sank the siphon further to 76 feet (23.2 m) and it began to operate on June 29, 1912. In total, the Yuma Project contained 53 miles (85.3 km) of canal and 218 miles (350.8 km) of lateral canal.
Drains
A system of drains, and in some areas wells, were incorporated throughout the project. They drain farming run-off and excess water from the irrigated areas. The Reservation Division's drains discharge directly into the Colorado River and nearly one half of them are intended to intercept leaks from the nearby All-American CanalAll-American Canal
The All-American Canal is an long aqueduct, located in southeastern California. It conveys water from the Colorado River into the Imperial Valley and to nine cities. It is the Imperial Valley's only water source, and replaced the Alamo Canal, which was located mostly in Mexico...
. In the Valley Divisions, the drains run through its central part while wells exist in the east. All drainage is removed at the Boundary Pumping Station which began operating in 1919.
Levees
A system of leveeLevee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s was also constructed between 1907-1909 in order to protect the banks of the Colorado River from flooding and its historical course-changing meandering. The Reservation levee was constructed on the west bank of the river between Lagunato and Araz. The Yuma Valley levees were on the east bank of the river until the Colorado-Gila River
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...
confluence and then to the Mexican border. To maintain the levees, the Bureau of Reclamation built rail lines on top of the Reservation levee so rail cars could reinforce or fill in problem areas. This proved successful during a major flood in 1912 and the Bureau asked Southern Pacific Railway if another line could be built on the Yuma Valley levee but they were reluctant. With its own acquired funding, the Bureau began to construct the Yuma Valley Railway in May 1914 and despite hot temperatures and wage strikes, construction was completed in February 1915.
Yuma Auxiliary Project
Prior to completing the Laguna Diversion Dam, the Bureau of Reclamation began to consider the Yuma Axillary Project which would supplement the Yuma Project in order to irrigate another 45000 acres (182.1 km²) of land called Yuma Mesa. Initial surveys of the Mesa began in 1916 and the US Congress approved the Project in 1917. The Project was broken down in units A, B, C and D. Construction began on September 27, 1920 with the Mesa Supply Canal for unit B and in May 1922, the unit's pumping stationPumping station
Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites.A pumping station...
was also complete. Unit B irrigated as much as 3000 acres (12.1 km²) but development of the other three units never materialized. Only 3.6 miles (5.8 km) of canal and 10 miles (16.1 km) of lateral canals were built. In 1949, after the Laguna Dam ceased to divert water, the Yuma Auxiliary Project was reduced to just over 3300 acres (13.4 km²) in sized and the Gila Project took over its water supply.
Maintenance and the Imperial Dam change
Flooding continued to be a problem for the Yuma Project. In January 1916, a flood larger than the one in 1912 caused 800 feet (243.8 m) in breaks on the Reservation Levee as the Gila River reached a maximum flow of 215000 ft3/s. The river again flooded a few days later, reaching a flow of 162000 ft3/s. Afterward, 10,000 of the 16000 acres (64.7 km²) Reservation Division was inundated while 3,000 of the Valley Division's 50000 acres (202.3 km²) flooded. The floods also displaced 50,000 yards of main canal. The Bureau of Reclamation worked quickly to restore the project in 15 days. In 1918, the Colorado River's meandering damaged part of the Reservation levee and it was repaired slowly with unskilled labor because of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
's troop demands. The Laguna Diversion Dam weathered the floods but its downstream talus
Talus (fortification)
The talus is an architectural feature of some late medieval castles, especially prevalent in crusader constructions. It consists of a sloping face at the base of a fortified wall. The slope acts as an effective defensive measure in two ways. First, conventional siege equipment is less effective...
at its toe was extended between 1923 and 1924 to help better protect it. An earthquake on May 18, 1940 damaged the Project considerably, especially the Valley Division. Canals, levees and other features were damaged but repaired by late May. From 1936 through World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
workers, Indians from Mexico, Italian prisoners and German prisoners all worked to maintain the project.
The Boulder Canyon Project Act in 1928 would signal change for the Yuma Project. The Act authorized the construction of the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
which curtailed flooding on the Colorado River but it also authorized the All-American Canal
All-American Canal
The All-American Canal is an long aqueduct, located in southeastern California. It conveys water from the Colorado River into the Imperial Valley and to nine cities. It is the Imperial Valley's only water source, and replaced the Alamo Canal, which was located mostly in Mexico...
and the Imperial Dam
Imperial Dam
The Imperial Diversion Dam is a concrete slab and buttress, ogee weir structure across the California/Arizona border, northeast of Yuma. Completed in the 1938, the dam retains the waters of the Colorado River into the Imperial Reservoir before desilting and diversion into the All-American Canal,...
. The Imperial Dam would serve as the lower Colorado's diversion dam and would also supply the Yuma Project with water. The dam was completed in 1938 and in 1941, the Bureau of Reclamation sealed off the Yuma Main Canal from the Laguna Diversion Dam
Laguna Diversion Dam
The Laguna Diversion Dam is an rock-fill diversion dam on the Colorado River. It is located 13 miles northeast of Winterhaven, CA–Yuma, AZ on Imperial County route S24...
. All outlets from the Laguna Dam were sealed on June 23, 1948 allowing for full supply from the Imperial Dam. Becoming obsolete, the Bureau decommissioned the power plant at the Siphon Drop Spillway in 1972.
Irrigation data
The Yuma Project serves 275 farms and over 94,000 people. In 1992, the Project irrigated 58626 acres (237.3 km²) of land worth $196,105,730 in crops. The Reservation Division receives on average 123 ft3/s of water while the Valley Division receives 937 ft3/s.See also
- Hoover DamHoover DamHoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
- Davis DamDavis DamDavis Dam is a dam on the Colorado River about downstream from Hoover Dam. It stretches across the border between Arizona and Nevada. Originally called Bullhead Dam, Davis Dam was renamed after Arthur Powell Davis, who was the director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1914 to 1932...
- Parker DamParker DamParker Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam that crosses the Colorado River downstream of Hoover Dam. Built between 1934 and 1938 by the Bureau of Reclamation, it is high, of which are below the riverbed, making it "the deepest dam in the world". The dam's primary functions are to create a...
- All-American CanalAll-American CanalThe All-American Canal is an long aqueduct, located in southeastern California. It conveys water from the Colorado River into the Imperial Valley and to nine cities. It is the Imperial Valley's only water source, and replaced the Alamo Canal, which was located mostly in Mexico...