7806

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7806
• Author: U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Title: Quality of Water, Colorado River Basin.
• USFW Year: 1997.
• USFW - Doc Type: Progress Report No. 18,
• Copyright Material: NO

Present and Future Development

irrigation of 107,588 acres of land in Arizona and California. There are 99,375 acres of land in
Arizona, of which about 76,000 acres have been developed. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has
reported a general 2,000-acre-per-year land development rate on the reservation in the past. The
land development rate of 2,000 acres per year was assumed for the future even though the Bureau
of Indian Affairs feels the land development rate may slow in the near future. For the land in
Arizona, the r~servation is allocated the lessor of 662,402 acre-feet or the quantity needed to
, supply the consumptive use of 99,375 acres.

Cibola Wildlife Refuge-The Cibola Wildlife Refuge has a water right reserved by a Secretary of
the Interior notice in the Federal Register, December 9, 1982, for 16,973 acre-feet of consumptive
use per year.

Gila Project-The Gila Project was originally authorized to develop up to 600,000 acre-feet of
consumptive use. It is now estimated that the acreage likely to be developed will consume about
426,750 acre-feet per year. The Gila Project includes the Wellton-Mohawk and Yuma Mesa
Divisions. In 1988, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Water Rights Settlement Act was eQacted which
provides for a reduction in the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District's entitlement to
Colorado River water to 278,000 acre-feet of annual consumptive use. The North Gila Valley,
Yuma Mesa, and Yuma (South Gila) Irrigation Districts are included under the Yuma Mesa
Division of the Gila Project. A total of 37,187 acres is estimated to be the average acreage
developed by the districts within this division. Consumptive use would average 150,000 acre-feet
per year and is limited to 250,000 acre-feet under the terms of the Ak-Chin Settlement Act.

City of Yuma-A contract was signed with the city of Yuma, Arizona, for an annual diversion of
50,000 acre-feet per year. The city of Yuma is expected to consume 12,000 to 15,000 acre-feet
per year.

Yuma Project, Valley Division-The Valley Division of the Yuma Project and adjacent land of
the Yuma Auxiliary Project are anticipated to supply water to about 53,000 acres of land. About
50,000 acres are within the boundaries of the Valley Division (Yuma County Water Users
Association), and about 3,000 acres are within Unit B Irrigation and Drainage District (the Yuma
Auxiliary Project).

Cocopah Indian Reservation-The tribe is allocated the lessor of a diversion of 9,707 acre-feet
or the quantity necessary to satisfy the consumptive use for the irrigation of 1,524 acres of land.

Other Uses Below Imperial Dam-The many other users with water use contracts are estimated
to have a consumptive use in the future of about 10,000 acre-feet.

California

City of Needles-The city of Needles has a present perfected right to a consumptive use of
950 acre-feet per year. A program has been developed under the Lower Colorado Water Supply
Act to provide Needles, and other noncontract users along the Colorado River in California,
an assured water supply. Under this program, water would be pumped from wells into the

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