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<br />harvested from these rearing areas and then released to the lake. The suckers grow very quickly, <br />usually exceeding ten inches in length by September. <br /> <br />Senator Wash and Laguna Reservoirs <br /> <br />Operations at Senator Wash Reservoir allow regulation of water deliveries to United States water <br />users and Mexico downstream at Imperial Dam. The reservoir is operated to meet water user <br />demands when necessary and to prevent Colorado River flows from exceeding Mexican Treaty <br />requirements at Morelos Dam. This includes excess flows in the river caused by water user <br />cutbacks and sidewash inflows. Operational objectives at and below Imperial Dam are to meet <br />water user demands, to conserve water, to control sediment, and to maintain the river channel. <br /> <br />Releases from Imperial Dam are regulated by Laguna Reservoir to conserve water, to meet all <br />or part of Mexico's water demands, and to maintain river flows downstream near Yuma. Laguna <br />releases combined with agricultural seepage and drainage provide a continuous live stream <br />serving recreational and fish and wildlife purposes. Larger releases from Laguna Dam are <br />generally due to excess water from rain, flooding upstream, or from rejected water orders due <br />to rain. These higher releases serve to maintain the river channel capacity. This occasional <br />practice reduces channel maintenance expense without impairment of water conservation or <br />power production. <br /> <br />Yuma Desalting Plant <br /> <br />The Yuma Desalting Plant was not operated in 1997, and will not be operated in 1998 as funding <br />is currently not available for full-scale operation. Most of the damage to the Main Outlet Drain <br />(MOD), the Main Outlet Drain Extension (MODE), and the bypass drain from the 1993 Gila <br />River flood has been repaired. Some damage to the MODE near the Gila River confluence will <br />be repaired at a later date. All Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District drainage flows <br />should be diverted into the MODE in 1998. <br /> <br />The test train, used for research and the building's water service, will be run throughout 1998. <br />The test train uses about one million gallons per day of drainage water taken from the MODE <br />or pumped from an on-site well. <br /> <br />Colorado River Channel Aggradation below Gila River Confluence <br /> <br />The 1993 Gila River flood deposited large amounts of sediment in the lower Colorado River <br />above and below Morelos Dam. This has substantially reduced the river's capacity to carry flood <br />flows, raised groundwater levels, and has caused operational problems with the delivery of <br />Treaty water to Mexico above Morelos Dam. <br /> <br />The Yuma Area Office has been working with local tmgation districts, the International <br />Boundary and Water Commission, Native American Tribes, local environmental organizations, <br />local governments, and other State and Federal agencies to develop a project proposal to solve <br />the problems created by the channel aggradation. <br /> <br />September 3, 1997 <br /> <br />14 <br />