WSP01896

• File Number: 8278.200
• Description: Title I - Welton - Mowhawk
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 9/1/1972
• Author: C.C. Taybor
• Title: Wellton-Mohawk Drainage and the Mexican Salt Problem
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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WELLTON-MOHAWK DRAINAGE
AND THE MEXICAN SALT PROBLEM
by C. C. Tabor
September 1972

The purpose of this paper is to present facts and logical conclusions

which will refute statements that have been made, such as:

1. The quality of Colorado River water delivered to Mexico at Morelos

Dam has been three and four thousand parts per million due to drainage from the

Well ton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District;

2. Thousands of acres of farm land in the Mexicali Valley have gone

out of production due to this high saline water;

3. Lack of drainage in Mexica1i Valley has nothing to do with this

problem.

The Treaty

As we all know, the treaty of 1944 between the United States and

Mexico established Mexico's portion of the flow of the Colorado River to be

1,500,000 acre feet per year. The treaty also said that the water to be fur-

nished Mexico "shall be made up of the waters of said river, whatever their

origin."

GeoRraphy and ExistinR Works

I refer you first to Figure 1, a map of the Yuma area projects. This

shows the Valley Division of the Yuma Project in Arizona, Reservation Division

of the Yuma Project in California, the two oldest projects in the area; the

North Gila, Yuma Auxiliary, and South Gila Projects, also relatively old, and

two relatively new projects, Yuma Mesa and Wellton-Mohawk, the latter lying along

the Gila River. This map also shows the location of Imperial Dam, Senator Wash

Dam and Morelos Dam which are of great importance to irrigation in California,

Arizona, Baja California and Sonora. You will also note the location of Boundary