|
<br />ix~~:;.t'fIiWGATIOND~rRIt'f
<br />1,,~mrc,'<<ntmT.
<br />,:;~'Jltl\j.:l"'~.Jl.rJEJ.,l, ..'.,
<br />
<br />.~,;.
<br />
<br />
<br />. '" ...,.,..v.,.-, _
<br />
<br />.J\.ll~ American,.
<br />, Canal
<br />
<br />,. '... .,~' . , - - ~
<br />;.;-.."'-:""-'
<br />
<br />.-~::,~ .'
<br />
<br />
<br />~ '-;>', .'.!
<br />'-:.:;;j,.- , . .
<br />,,';"Y" ... The.AlI-An\eri~an Canal~theImpe~al Valley' slifeline iromtheColoraclo
<br />~;,~~v~l":<:onsid~redanengirleeringDlarvel, even by today's standards, the 82-mile ,','
<br />,~:~rifaVi,ty1tlP~canatbegipsathnrepalDam on theCol()rado Riveraoout 20 mi1~oorth.., '
<br />l'Lt~t:qf:)(u.mfl,.t\ri.zo~f1;propping~tQtal of175.f~t between~perialDam .andthe, ".
<br />J';'.:o/~~i4~'l1~il'lCan~,theAlI-An1eriCaIlCanal ~xtends south and west,foIfowing th~
<br />f"~MexicaThIJ\1n~rican border much of the way. Crossing 14 miles of sand dune~ on the
<br />0'j~ilst$id~'oftl1e Imperial Yalley, the Canal stops in the southltVest comer of the Itnperi~_.
<br />1i;t~gil~()~ Dist"tict's\Vaterdelivery systtml.Approximately 2.6 million acre-feet of, "
<br />T/f~()I~rCl<ip~'V~rwf1ter ~deliveredannual1y Via the All-American Canal to nine ci~es
<br />,,!,';~Ci'5Ofi)~O()Qa.qes ofagricultlJrcij land!? in the Imperial Valley.' '
<br />
<br />,.~-"';~}.~;{,-:" -
<br />,
<br />
<br />
<br />Background
<br />
<br />,- - " ',:', ,-' ", ',,' .
<br />
<br />","V '!d>~tirvivalartd dev~lopmentinImperial Valley has always been dependent on'
<br />,', 'water;an.ditsavailability. ",.,',.'
<br />> ,'. .;' . .,ThequestJo brfugwatetfromtiw Colorado River to irrigate laridinImperial,
<br />;\,~neybeganinth,e 1850$. But, it was not until 1901 that the California Development
<br />. (:Qtnpany contracteCito 1>uildacanCll (the Alamo) to deliver water by gravity-flow from
<br />f"'Jhel'lV~ftothe..sQuth~rn end of theYalley. TheAlaino Canal's diversion point was 'near'
<br />,Pi1otJA\~b, a sh()rtdistanceabove the Mexican border, but most of its length was in
<br />:'.' Mexi(Zo befor~ itrecrQs~d the border into the Imperial Valley.
<br />'TheImperi~ lnigation District was formed in 1911 to acquire the bankrupt
<br />~alif()rni.ct.Development Company and its Mexican subsidiary. Because its main canal
<br />n. angl~~$ were located in Mexico, giving hnperial Valley little ~curity in its water
<br />"'J~~'pply~r'against flooding, the District realized the need for an 11 All-American Canal"
<br />',l'lort,h ()f;~eintel'Il~tioTlal1:>order. ',", ' . '
<br />.",'.',. /". ...",.' ,Tliesollcept of an All-American Canal was not new. In 1912, Mark Rose, a
<br />'.'pi()n~el'fiJ.tmer,wenttoWasWngton seeking funding for a canal on his land onImpeJ;ial
<br />:vap~y's'Eas~'Mesa. .', , , ' " " , ' , " '
<br />, . " , " , 11:1.1917, the District's chief cOUIlSeI, Phil Swing (who laterbecame a U.s. Con,.
<br />.::$resslnart} successfullynegotiateclanagreement between the Bureau of Reclamation
<br />','>~(fthepistrict,to investigate the, Valley's need for an All..:American Canal.
<br />, ' '",'.,The early pioneers' efforts paid oft In'1928, the Boulder Canyon Project Act
<br />'autJ\6riZedtheco~tructionoftheAll-AmericanCanal, Hoover Dam and Imperial
<br />t>Clrrt.theAll-AmericanCapaI was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation during
<br />; ,me 19308 ~d,'inI940, the first water was delivered to Imperial Valley. In 1942; the AlI- ,
<br />'AtnerlCan Cahalb~atriethe sole water sourcefot Imperial Valley residents and farm'"
<br />lands.
<br />
<br />
<br />Public InfQrmaiHm' Office · P.O" Box937. 333 E. Barioni Blvd. . Imperial, CA 92251
<br />
|