WSP05341

• File Number: 8278.100
• Description: Title I - Yuma Desalting Plant
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/23/1992
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Yuma Desalting Plant - Alternatives for the Interim Period
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Status

Construction of the facilities essential to operation of the Desalting
Plant has been completed. Costs are expected to reach $258 million upon
completion of all related works. The Desalting Plant is currently
operating at one-third capacity producing about 23,000 af per year of
desalted water. This desalted water is being blended with about 3,000
af per year of untreated irrigation drainage and returned to the
Colorado River to reduce storage releases required in meeting the 1944
Treaty delivery requirements. The Desalting Plant is scheduled to
continue to operate at one-third capacity throughout the remainder of
fiscal year 1993. Full-scale OM&R expenses are expected to be
$33.7 million per year, recovering about 78,500 af per year of
irrigation drainage.

WMIDD IRRIGATION DRAINAGE REDUCTION PROGRAM

This program, authorized by section 101(f) of Public law 93-320, was
originally successful in reducing WMIDD irrigation drainage pumping and,
thus, the amount of water to be treated by the Desalting Plant. The
program focused on removing some high water-use lands from irrigation
and on increasing irrigation efficiencies. In recent years, the Federal
program has not been active, and irrigation efficiency has declined to
about 58 percent, while irrigation drainage pumping has increased to
about 145,000 af per year.

Acreage Reduction Program

Under this program, WMIDD irrigable lands were reduced from 75,000 to
65,000 acres. About 6,200 acres of land were purchased from
85 landowners. The remaining 3,800 acres were Federal lands from which
irrigable status was withdrawn. Approximately 4,600 of the irrigable
acres purchased were in crop production. As a result of the land
purchases, deep percolation was reduced by about 29,800 af annually.
This program was completed in 1978.

Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Program

Several entities cooperated on this program, including the WMIDD and its
farmers, several Government agencies (Reclamation, Soil Conservation
Service (SCS), and the Agricultural Research Service), and the
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service. Individual
measures included:

On-farm Improvements
Irrigation Management Services
Research and Demonstration
Education and Information.

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