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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I cutbacks and sidewash inflows. Operational objectives at and below Imperial Dam are to meet water user demands, to conserve water, to control sediment, and to maintain the river channel. Releases from Imperial Dam are regulated by Laguna Reservoir to conserve water, to meet all or part of Mexico's water demands, and to maintain river flows downstream near Yuma. Laguna releases combined with agricultural seepage and drainage provide a continuous live stream serving recreational and fish and wildlife purposes. Larger releases from Laguna Dam are generally due to excess water from rain, flooding upstream, or from rejected water orders due to rain. These higher releases serve to maintain the river channel capacity. This occasional practice reduces channel maintenance expense without impairment of water conservation or power production. Yuma Desalting Plant The Yuma Desalting Plant was not operated in 1998, and will not be operated in 1999 as funding is currently not available for full-scale operation. Most of the damage to the Main Outlet Drain (MOD), the Main Outlet Drain Extension (MODE), arld the Bypass Drain from the 1993 Gila River flood has been repaired. Some damage to the MODE near the Gila River confluence will be repaired at a later date. All Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District drainage flows should be diverted into the MODE in 1999. The Water Quality Improvement Center (WQIC), formerly referred to as the test train but recently added on to, used for research and the building's water service, will be run throughout 1999. The WQIC uses about one million gallons per day of drainage water taken from the MODE or pumped from an on-site well. Colorado River Channel Aggradation below Gila River Confluence The 1993 Gila River flood deposited large amounts of sediment in the lower Colorado River above and below Morelos Dam. This has substantially reduced the river's capacity to carry flood flows, raised groundwater levels (levels that are expected to be further elevated by the / anticipated flood control releases planned during the next two years), and has caused operational problems with the delivery of Treaty water to Mexico above Morelos Dam. ' The Yuma Area Office has been working with local irrigation districts, the International Boundary and Water Commission, Native American Tribes, local environmental organizations, local governments, and other State and Federal agencies to develop a project proposal to solve the problems created by the channel aggradation. The overall project is being phased. The first phase of the work, consisting of partial clearing of a flow path through the Limitrophe Division and the construction of a training structure at River Mile 31, was completed in late 1997. The three additional phases of work are in planning, awaiting permitting, and in the contracting system. The initial work on the final phases is scheduled to begin in the fall of calendar year 1998. 14