WSP01908

• File Number: 8278.300
• Description: Title I - Merxican Deliveries
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 2/1/1963
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Special Studies - Delivery of Water to Mexico
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Water vas msde available for predevelopment work on the Yuma

Mesa unit in 194-4 under the original project authorization, and

5,887 acres of land were under irrigation by 1951. Of the

19,970 irrigable acres in the unit, 16,049 acres were irrigated

in 1961.

The South Gila Valley lies between Yuma, Arizona, and the Gila

River Narrows near Dome, Arizona, and is bounded on the north by the

Colorado and Gila Rivers, and on the soutb by the Yuma Mesa

escarpment. In 1915 the first irrigation well was constructed

and on February 18, 1919, the Yuma Irrigation District was formed,

principally for distribution of power to individual PUlllJ? irrigation

systems. In 1961, 10,547 acres of land were irrigated within the

District boundaries, 848 acres of ~hich received water from the

Gila Gravity Main Ca.nal under the Warren Act. The remainder vas

supplied by water from deep-well pumping. In addition to pump

irrigation withdrawals, and the interception of underground flovs

by the main outlet drain, drainage for the South Gila area is no~

"""uLU"llshed-'-by-nine-deep-drai-nage "ells. A di-at~~:l:on-6Y13t~

for delivery of wter from the Gila Grav1 ty Main Canal will be

constructed under a repayment contract for construction of the

South Gila Valley unit, dated July 23, 1962.

The North Gila Valley Irrigation District diverted irrigation

wter for the North ,Gila Valley unit from Laguna Dam until

December 16, 1954, when the Arizona headwrks of La€una Dam were

closed and deliveries were initiated through a ne~ly constructed

turnout from the Gila Gravity Main Canal. Of the 6,231 acres in

the North Gila unit, 6,082 acres were irrigated in 1961.

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