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<br />I-e4 <br />-..l <br />to <br />CJ! <br /> <br />The Coachella Canal originates as a diversion from the All-American <br />Canal at a turnout point near the Mexican border and runs in a generally <br />northwestern direction for a distance of 123 miles. It provides an irrigation <br />water supply for lands now totaling about 67,000 acres in3the Coachella <br />valley. The Coachella Valley Water District has 1,500 ft Is of capacity in <br />the All-American and Coachella Canals pursuant to its October 15, 1934, <br />contract with the United States. <br /> <br />Shortly after completion of the canal in 1948, seepage losses <br />developed as a result of the first 86 miles of the length of the waterway <br />being unlined. The problem was worst in the initial 49 miles where the <br />unlined canal traversed the coarse, sandy soils of the Imperial East Mesa. <br /> <br />It was estimated that approximately 141,000 acre-feet of Colorado <br />River water were lost each year through seepage from the first 49 miles of the <br />unlined Coachella Canal. The replacement concrete-lined canal was constructed <br />generally adjacent and parallel to the then existing canal along this reach. <br />It is estimated that the lined canal will reduce seepage losses to 9,000 <br />acre-feet per year, resulting in an annual savings of 132,000 acre-feet. The <br />seepage losses saved are to be used for an interim period to substitute for <br />the bypassed welton-Mohawk drainage waters and for the reject stream from the <br />desalting plant. This water would replace a part of the releases now being <br />made from storage to meet the salinity differential as required by Minute 242 <br />of the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico. <br /> <br />The interim period begins on completion of construction and ends the <br />first year that the Secretary of the Interior delivers to California less <br />mainstream Colorado River water than requested by California agencies and <br />Federal establishments with water rights in California. Following the interim <br />period, the saved water will be used by entities in California to reduce <br />deficiencies in meeting the California water orders. Because of its priority, <br />the Coachella Valley Water District will then be the major beneficiary of this <br />saved water. Construction of the canal was completed and put into service in <br />1980. <br /> <br />Approximately 4,200 acres of private lands on the East Mesa in the <br />Imperial Irrigation District were located adjacent to the canal, and the <br />authorizing act provided that these lands be purchased by the United States, <br />thus relieving the necessity to provide this service. It was .anticipated that <br />following Federal acquisition, not more than 1,500 acres of developed land <br />served from and adjacent to the lined canal would remain in production. <br /> <br />The contract with the Coachella Valley Water District provides that <br />the total construction costs will be repayable without interest in 40 equal <br />annual payments beginning the year following completion of the construction. <br />The portion of the construction charge allocated to the United States, which <br />will be nonreimbursable, will be that portion determined by the ratio of the <br />number of months in the interim period divided by the number of months in the <br />repayment period. All annual repayment installments of the construction <br />charge obligation after the end of the interim period will be repaid by the <br />Coachella Valley Water District. <br /> <br />The Coachella Valley Water District operates and maintains the new <br />lined canal and delivers water to the turnouts installed to serve water users <br />located in the Imperial Irrigation District service area. <br /> <br />VII -3 <br />