Border Environment Cooperation
Commission
Imperial
Irrigation District
Water
Conservation Improvement Project
General Criteria
1.
Project Type
The project falls under the Border Environment Cooperation Commission
(BECC) priority area of water conservation. The proposed project consists of repairing
deteriorated existing lined canals.
2. Project Location
The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is a community-owned utility that provides irrigation water and electric power to the lower southeaster portion of Californias desert. The IID was formed in 1911, under a state charter, to acquire properties of the bankrupt California Development Company, which had been diverting water to the Imperial Valley via the Alamo Canal since 1901. By 1922, the IID had acquired 13 mutual water companies that developed and operated the distribution canals. In 1928, the Boulder Canyon Project Act authorized the construction of the Imperial Dam and the All-American Canal and in 1942 the Canal became the only water source for Imperial Valley. The All-American Canal has been utilized by the Imperial Valley for delivery of water since 1942. The canal is approximately 82 miles in length and delivers water from the Imperial Dam on the Colorado River west to the agricultural fields and cities of Imperial Valley.
The IID is governed by a five member Board of Directors. Each member is elected, by qualified electors, from a separate geographical division of the District to serve a four year term. The critical functions of the IID are defines as 1) the diversion and delivery of Colorado River Water; 2) operation and maintenance of the drainage canals and facilities; and 3) generation and distribution of electricity.
The IID, its partners in conservation and member farms have invested $613 million dollars over the last 50 years to improve water use efficiency. Water conservation measures have included concrete lining of canals and laterals, construction of reservoirs and interceptor canals, implementing canal seepage recovery programs and additional irrigation management measures. Since 1988, the IID has entered into water conservation and transfer agreements with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority.
Approximately 3.1 million acre-feet of Colorado River water is diverted via the American Canal by the IID. The water is delivered to nine cities and 500,000 acres of agricultural land in Imperial Valley. The District maintains an extensive drainage system with ten reservoirs and total capacity exceeding 3,300 acre-feet of water.
The following map presents the location of the area served by the IID:
3.
Project Description
and Work Tasks
The IID seeks to certify a water conservation project valued at $5,000,000 dollars. The IID maintains over 1,100 miles of concrete lined canals, many of which were constructed over 40 years ago. The project consists of rehabilitating 23.25 miles of existing lined canals that have developed cracks. In many locations the seepage rate in the areas of damaged concrete lining has been observed to be greater than the original unlined canals. Replacement of the concrete at these locations will not only alleviate the seepage but will minimize erosion along the canal banks. The proposed project will be completed in a time frame of 3 years, starting in 2004 and concluding in 2006.
4.
Conformance with
International Treaties and Agreements
The International Boundary
and Water Commission (IBWC) is an independent bi-national public organization
that ensures implementation of the 1944 Water Treaty between the United States
and Mexico related to water and boundary issues. The projects do not violate
the allocation of water rights. The IID will continue to meet all state surface
water diversions from the Colorado River in accordance with the agreements in
place and the restrictions of the Treaty.
Human Health and Environmental
1.
Human Health and
Environmental Need
The proposed projects address one of the most pressing problems facing the
Colorado River, i.e., water shortages due to drought over the past years and an
increasing demand due to population growth in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Water conservation reduces the impact of drought conditions and makes available
additional water resources that would otherwise be lost to meet both domestic
and agriculture demands. This is especially important in light of the federally
imposed water conservation on Californias water use. The project addresses the
critical water shortages by reducing water losses through canal rehabilitation.
The proposed project will allow water savings of 2,835 acre-feet per
year in a period of 35 years. Taking
into account the 35 years of water savings, and the total cost of the project, each
acre-foot of water saved costs $50.50.
2. Environmental Assessment
A Categorical Exclusion was granted to
the IID under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) on April 2003. A
categorical exclusion
applies to the project since the improvements will be performed on already
impacted areas.
The project
will provide a benefit to the environment by saving water that would otherwise
seep through the ground. No impacts are anticipated due to implementation of
the project.
3.
Compliance with Environmental
and Cultural Resource Laws and Regulations
The State of California has
granted the appropriate environmental permits for the project. The project will
not have any impacts to cultural, historical, or archaeological resources in
the area.
1.
Appropriate Technology
The Canal Improvement Project consists of canals selected based on evaluations of a combination of their existing conditions, maintenance needs, and operational constraints.
Since the project consists of repairing cracks along the lined canals, no alternatives were considered. However, the no action alternative is not feasible if the goal of the project is to conserve water by preventing infiltration to the subsurface through the canal cracks.
Detailed plans and specifications are being developed for the projects to be rehabilitated under the water conservation project.
The following table presents the schedule for repairs:
|
Task Name |
Duration |
Start |
End |
Actual Cost |
Canal Section |
Miles |
|
Orchid Lateral |
10 days |
Mon 2/9/04 |
Fri 2/20/04 |
$387,000 |
Delivery 6B to 8 |
1.75 |
|
Oxalis Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 3/1/04 |
Fri 3/5/04 |
$114,000 |
Delivery 6 to 7 |
0.50 |
|
Osage Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 4/12/04 |
Fri 4/16/04 |
$170,000 |
Delivery 7 to 8 |
0.75 |
|
Narcissus Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 5/3/04 |
Fri 5/7/04 |
$114,000 |
Delivery 9 to 10 |
0.50 |
|
Nutmeg Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 6/21/04 |
Fri 6/25/04 |
$232,000 |
Crossover to Delivery 10B |
1.00 |
|
"C" Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 7/19/04 |
Fri 7/23/04 |
$114,000 |
Delivery 13 to 15 |
0.50 |
|
Eucalyptus Canal |
5 days |
Mon 8/23/04 |
Fri 8/27/04 |
$62,000 |
Gate 46 to 45C |
0.25 |
|
North Date Canal |
5 days |
Mon 11/1/04 |
Fri 11/5/04 |
$62,000 |
Aten Road to U/S 1/4 mi. |
0.25 |
|
Alder Lateral 5 |
5 days |
Mon
12/6/04 |
Fri
12/10/04 |
$128,000 |
1/2
mi. S. of
McCabe Road |
0.75 |
|
Elder Later 2 |
5 days |
Mon
12/13/04 |
Fri
12/17/04 |
$52,000 |
1
mi. W. of
Forrester Road |
0.25 |
|
2004 Totals |
55 days |
Fri 1/2/04 |
Fri 12/31/04 |
$1,435,000 |
|
6.50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Task Name |
Duration |
Start |
End |
Actual Cost |
Canal Section |
Miles |
|
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"D" Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 2/14/05 |
Fri 2/18/05 |
$114,000 |
Delivery 18 to Weist Road |
0.50 |
|
"I" Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 3/7/05 |
Fri 3/11/05 |
$114,000 |
Delivery 40 to 42 |
0.50 |
|
"N" Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 4/11/05 |
Fri 4/15/05 |
$288,000 |
Delivery 22 to 29 |
1.25 |
|
"N" Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 4/18/05 |
Fri 4/22/05 |
$57,000 |
Delivery 31 to 32 |
0.25 |
|
"Z" Lateral |
10 days |
Mon 5/23/05 |
Fri 6/3/05 |
$412,000 |
Heading to Delivery 7 |
1.75 |
|
Trifolium 12 Lateral |
10 days |
Mon 6/13/05 |
Fri 6/24/05 |
$114,000 |
Delivery 124 to Highway 86 |
0.50 |
|
Acacia Lateral 4 |
5 days |
Mon 7/18/05 |
Fri 7/22/05 |
$128,000 |
Delivery 34 to 36 |
0.75 |
|
Pear Main Canal |
5 days |
Mon 11/7/05 |
Fri 11/11/05 |
$52,000 |
E. of Miller Road |
0.60 |
|
Pear Lateral 9 |
5 days |
Mon 11/14/05 |
Fri 11/18/05 |
$41,000 |
1000 W. of Westside Road |
0.40 |
|
South Alamo Lateral 12 |
5 days |
Mon 12/5/05 |
Fri 12/9/05 |
$114,000 |
Heading to 1st Check |
0.50 |
|
Fern Canal |
5 days |
Mon 12/12/05 |
Fri 12/16/05 |
$232,000 |
On Vaughn Road |
1.00 |
|
2005 Totals |
260 days |
Mon 1/3/05 |
Fri 12/30/05 |
$1,666,000 |
|
8.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Task Name |
Duration |
Start |
End |
Actual Cost |
Canal Section |
Miles |
|
2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trifoilum Ext. Lateral 7 |
10 days |
Mon 2/13/06 |
Fri 2/24/06 |
$340,000 |
Delivery 74 to Spill |
1.5 |
|
Orita Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 3/20/06 |
Fri 3/24/06 |
$114,000 |
Delivery 23 to 25 |
0.5 |
|
Nettle Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 4/3/06 |
Fri 4/7/06 |
$232,000 |
Delivery 6 to 8 |
1 |
|
"E" Lateral |
10 days |
Mon 5/8/06 |
Fri 5/19/06 |
$340,000 |
Heading to Delivery 7 |
1.5 |
|
Trifoilum 13 Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 6/19/06 |
Fri 6/23/06 |
$114,000 |
Delivery 248 N. |
0.5 |
|
Osage Lateral |
5 days |
Mon 7/10/06 |
Fri 7/14/06 |
232000 |
Delivery 7 to Butters Road,
(1.00 mi.) |
1 |
|
Malva Lateral 1 |
5 days |
Mon 8/7/06 |
Fri
8/11/06 |
232000 |
N/A,
(1.00 mi.) |
1 |
|
East Highline Lateral 2 |
5 days |
Mon 11/6/06 |
Fri 11/10/06 |
62000 |
Heading to 1/4 mi. D/S, (.25
mi.) |
0.3 |
|
East Highline Lateral 13A |
5 days |
Mon 11/13/06 |
Fri 11/17/06 |
26000 |
Heading to 100 yds. D/S, (.25
mi.) |
0.3 |
|
East Highline Lateral 1B |
5 days |
Mon 11/27/06 |
Fri 12/1/06 |
$114,000 |
|
0.5 |
|
Pear 9th Street Ditch |
5 days |
Mon 12/4/06 |
Fri 12/8/06 |
114000 |
Gate 30A to end, (.50 mi.) |
0.5 |
|
2006 Totals |
245 days |
Mon 1/2/06 |
Fri 12/8/06 |
$1,920,000 |
|
8.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Summary |
766 days |
Sat 1/3/04 |
Fri 12/8/06 |
$5,021,000 |
|
23 |
2. Operation and
Maintenance Plan
The IID main canals are
operated through the Water Control Center (WCC), located at the IID
headquarters in Imperial, California. Each Wednesday WCC staff prepares a master
water order for the upcoming week (Monday through Sunday) and submits the order
to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The master order is based on the IID
Watermasters judgement and historical deliveries. The master order can be, and
typically is, modified according to trends in water orders, weather conditions
and other factors. Master schedule modifications require four days of advance
notice to the BOR.
Three decentralized divisions
operate the lateral canal distribution system. Divisions receive water orders
from growers, consolidate the orders and submit them to the WCC daily at noon
for development of the next days operating plan. Because total available flow
for the upcoming operational day is fixed according to the modified master
schedule, demand for water and available supply typically do not match. If
demand exceeds supply, orders are carried over to a future operating day,
usually no more than two days beyond when the water is desired. By shifting
water orders forward and backward this way, daily demand for water is matched
to the available supply from the Colorado River. Storage levels in main canal
regulating reservoirs are also adjusted to help balance supply and demand
discrepancies.
Despite the intent to balance
each days supply with demand, a number of operational factors can cause
differences between actual supply and demand within the system. Influential
factors include variances between water orders and actual demand due to farmers
reducing or shutting off delivery early, changes in canal losses from day to
day; measurement of operator error in distributing flows, and other factors.
Drawing water from or putting water into main canal regulating storage
reservoirs accommodates mismatches between actual demand and supply. The extent
to which water deliveries are made both reliably and flexibly while minimizing
operational spillage depends primarily on the volume of regulating storage
available in the system and the ability to move flow changes smoothly through the canals to the reservoirs.
The IIDs main canal system is
segmented into six operating reaches defined by the location of the regulating
reservoirs. The reservoirs absorb flow mismatches from the main canal reach
upstream and allow delivery of scheduled flows into the next reach downstream.
The six operating reaches, along with their associated regulating reservoirs,
are listed below:
a.
All-American Canal, Drop 1 to
Central Main Canal Check, pool upstream of the check serves as a small
regulating reservoir;
b.
East Highline Canal Reach 1,
Singh Reservoir;
c.
East Highline Canal Reach 2,
Galleano Reservoir;
d.
Central Main Canal, Fudge
Reservoir;
e.
Westside Main Canal Reach 1,
Sheldon Reservoir;
f.
Westside Main Canal Reach 2,
Carter Reservoir.
The operational procedures described above
constitute an upstream canal control process, where scheduled water deliveries
are released into canals and routed from upstream to downstream according to
the operations schedule. The objective at flow control locations, such as main
canal and lateral headings, is to maintain scheduled deliveries. Between flow
control locations, the objective is to use check structures to maintain a
targeted water level.
3.
Compliance with
Applicable Design Standards and Regulations
A
Registered Professional Engineer in the State of California will complete the
design of the project. The project will be designed according to standard
engineering practices.
Financial Feasibility and
Project Management
1.
Financial
Feasibility
Brown and Caldwell was contracted
to perform a financial feasibility analysis on the IID. The results of the
evaluation are presented below:
The District provided seven
Fiscal Years of excerpts from financial statements for this evaluation
beginning with the fiscal year that ended on December 31, 1996. Evaluation of the financial statements is
summarized in the following sections revenues and expenditures, and fund
balances. The evaluation includes the
pro forma projection of cash flows for Fiscal Years 2003 2007. Tables that summarize cash flows for Fiscal
Years 1996 2007 are part of the financial analysis. Ending balances for Water Fund cash accounts and audited accounts
are part of the financial analysis. The financial analysis is part of the
project binder and is available for review.
The total cost of the
proposed project is $5,012,000 and will be financed by the NADB Water
Conservation Investment Fund (WCIF) and a contribution by the IID. The following table presents
the financial structure for the project.
|
Funding Source |
Amount ($) |
Percent of Total |
|
NADB WCIF |
2,506,000 |
50% |
|
Imperial Irrigation District |
2,506,000 |
50% |
|
TOTAL |
5,012,000 |
100% |
Revenues and Expenditures
For the year ending December 31, 2002, the District had
total revenue from water operations of about $50,649,000, from the sources
shown in Table 1. Historical and
projected revenue for Fiscal Years ending December 31, 1996 though 2007 are
shown in Figure 1 (see page 11.)
Table 1. Year 2002 Revenue Sources
|
Revenue Source |
Amount ($) |
Percent of Total |
|
Water Sales |
44,628,680 |
88% |
|
Water Availability |
2,023,543 |
4% |
|
Use of All-American Canal |
3,996,700 |
8% |
For the year ending December
31, 2002, the District had total expenditures on water operations of about
$49,844,000, from the items shown in Table 2.
Historical and projected expenditures for Fiscal Years ending December
31, 1996 though 2007 are shown in Figure 2 (see page 11.)
Table 2. Year 2002 Expenditures
|
Expenditure Item |
Amount ($) |
Percent of Total |
|
O&M American Canal |
3,559,144 |
7% |
|
O&M Irrigation System |
36,147,576 |
73% |
|
Administrative |
5,893,134 |
12% |
|
Interdepartmental Power Sales |
1,459,505 |
3% |
|
Interest expense |
2,784,328 |
6% |
Fund Balances
The District provided two different summaries of
ending balances for Water Fund accounts.
A summary of cash accounts listed five operating accounts and nine other
accounts. A summary of audited water
accounts listed five separate accounts, which includes both operating and other
accounts. Ending balances for water
cash accounts and audited accounts are shown in the financial analysis.
During Fiscal Years ending December 31, 1996 though
2002, the ending balance for Water Fund operations cash accounts normally
ranged from about $8.5 million to $13.0 million. In 2000, the ending fund balance was about negative $6.2 million. The large negative balance in that year was
attributable to a transfer to reserves related to water rights. These expenses were reimbursed the following
year.
Beginning in 1990 and continuing through 1994,
according to the terms of a transfer agreement between the District and the
MWD, the District received $23 million for mitigation. The amount was then split into two separate
accounts - one for pipe lining and one as a mitigation reserve. Throughout the years, the District has
borrowed from these accounts for operation expenses thus reflecting an unrestricted
reserve that may be used to supplement the Water Fund operations cash account
balances.
The District intends to fund the canal lining
project cash contribution of $2.5 million from its Water Fund operations cash
accounts. The projected ending balances
for the Districts operations cash accounts should remain above $14 million
during construction of the project and the following three years.
Figure 1. Historical and Projected Revenue
Figure 2. Historical and Projected Expenditures
Based
on the evaluation performed by Brown and Caldwell, the IDD has the capability
of providing funds in addition to the Water Conservation Investment Fund to
complete the proposed water conservation project.
2.
User Fees
The user
fees charged by the IID for water use are $16 dollars per acre-foot for the
first 6 acre-feet of water per each acre of land. If the users require between
6 and 8 acre-feet of water per acre of land, the cost per acre-foot of water is
$32 dollars. If the user requires water in excess of 8 acre-feet per acre of
land, the charge per acre-foot is $64 dollars.
3.
Project Management
The
project will be managed by the IID staff.
Public Participation
1. Comprehensive
Public Participation Plan
Initial contacts
with the sponsor in early July led to the Yuma County Water Association and
project steering committee to the submittal and approval of the projects
public participation plan on July 31, 2003. The following elements are proposed
in the plan to comply with BECC requirements.
2.
Steering Committee
The steering
committee members are Kelly Hughes and Mike Britain, Board Members of the Yuma
County Water Users Association; Larry Suciu, Attorney for the Association;
Harold Maxwell, of the Yuma Farm Bureau; Roger Gingrich, City of Yuma Public
Works; Terre Allen, Gowan Company; Barry Bequette, University of Arizona
Cooperative Extension; Ken Rosevear, Yuma County Chamber of Commerce; Kurt
Nolte, Arizona Western College Agricultural Director; Joyce Lobeck of the Yuma
Daily Sun newspaper. The steering committee formation meeting was held on July 31, 2003.
3.
Local Organizations
Presentations
are scheduled before the Yuma County Water Users Association Board, the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, the US Bureau of Reclamation, and the Cities of
Somerton and Yuma.
4.
Public Information
The Preliminary Engineering Report and draft Project Certification
Document for the project have been available thirty days prior to the first
BECC public meeting. The documents have
been available during and after regular business hours (24-hours per day) at
the Yuma County Water Users Association Offices, in Somerton, Arizona. Fact
sheets that include basic information on the project such as, technical,
environmental, financial and public participation components of the project
have been developed to be made available to local organizations and been
available at the
Yuma County Water Users Association.
5.
Public Meetings
Public meetings have been scheduled for August 25 and 28, 2003 at the Yuma County Water Users Association office in Somerton, Arizona.
Sustainable Development
1.
Definition and
Principles
The project complies
with BECCs definition of Sustainable Development: Conservation oriented
social and economic development that emphasizes the protection and sustainable
use of resources, while addressing both current and future needs, and present
and future impacts of human actions. The project will positively impact the
area and sustainable life of the areas residents through the conservation of
water which is becoming a scarce resource and critical for sustainability of
life and economic growth. Through elimination
of water loss through seepage, the project provides a positive impact on the
overall environment by conserving and effectively using a limited water supply
resource. Local residents will benefit
from better agricultural yields within a sustainable development framework and
from a better quality of life within a mature conservation scheme, being
careful not to compromise water and soil resources for the future, considering
that modernization and technical improvements within the Districts operational
system provide a net positive effect.
The required public review process ensures that residents in the
influence areas of the project participate in the development process fully
aware that the decisions they make will focus on the sustainable management of
environmental resources to achieve a better environmental and socio-economic
improvement in their community.
2.
Institutional and Human Capacity Building
The Water
Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act (Water Code
Section 79500 et seq.) authorizes the California Department of Water
Resources (DWR) to
provide grants
for canal lining and related projects necessary to reduce Colorado River water
use pursuant to the California Colorado River Water Use Plan adopted by the
Colorado River Board of California. The objective of the grants is to invest in
projects that further the ability of all Californians to live within
California's basic apportionment of 4.4 million acre-feet per year of Colorado
River water pursuant to the Colorado River Water Use Plan.
The
Agricultural Water Conservation Program of the Safe Drinking Water, Clean
Water, Watershed Protection and Flood Protection Act (Water Code Section 79157 et
seq.) authorizes the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to make
loans to local public agencies and incorporated mutual water companies to
finance feasible, cost effective agricultural water
conservation projects or programs to improve water use efficiency. Up to $5 million is available for each
capital outlay project. A total of $9
million is available for projects during this funding cycle.
Eligible
projects may include, but are not limited to:
·
Lining
or piping of ditches
·
Automating
canal structures
·
Improvements
to water distribution system controls
·
Tailwater
or spill recovery systems
·
Major
improvements or replacement of leaking distribution systems
·
Purchasing
and installing water measurement devices
·
Capital
improvements for on-farm irrigation
The Department of Water Resources, with other State and federal agencies, local water and irrigation districts, resource conservation districts, educational and research institutions, growers, consultants, and others, is finding cost-effective ways to manage irrigation drainage water efficiently without harming agricultural production. The goal is to reduce drainage water at the source - the farm - while maintaining a salt balance in the root zone sufficient to maintain productivity. This is being done partly by on-farm demonstration and study projects where state-of-the-art irrigation and drainage management practices are used. As a result, more growers and local agencies are improving their irrigation and drainage management practices to control the drainage problem.
Over the past 50 years, the Imperial Irrigation
District (IID), its conservation partners and member farms have invested $613
million (1996 dollars) to improve water use efficiency. Water conservation measures
have included concrete lining of canals and laterals, construction of
reservoirs and interceptor canals, implementing canal seepage recovery programs
and additional irrigation management measures.
In
December 1988, the IID and the MWD entered into a water conservation agreement
that allowed MWD to invest in water conservation measures in the Imperial
Valley in exchange for use of the conserved water. This historic water
conservation and transfer agreement between the IID and MWD has been praised as
a model of cooperation between agriculture and urban centers in stretching
California's limited water resources.
MWD financed the construction,
operation and maintenance of the selected projects at a total project cost of
$233 million (1988 dollars). The program included structural and nonstructural
conservation measures that can be grouped into seven categories: Canal concrete
lining, regulatory reservoirs, 12-hour deliveries, non-leak gates, system
automation, lateral interceptors and on-farm irrigation water management. These
conservation projects in Imperial Valley will save approximately 106,000
acre-feet of water annually. This water is now available to MWD.
California's
"4.4 Plan" is an ongoing effort to reduce California's use of
Colorado River water to 4.4 million acre-feet per year. The plan is so named
because California is only entitled to take 4.4 million acre-feet of water from
the river each year, but regularly exceeds its allocation by about 20 percent.
As a
result of California exceeding this current allotment, the Imperial Irrigation
District and the San Diego County Water Authority approved in 1998 a water
transfer agreement for the long-term transfer of 200,000 acre-feet of conserved
water from the Imperial Valley to San Diego.
The
Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the San Diego County Water Authority
(SDCWA) have approved an agreement for the long-term transfer of conserved
water from the Imperial Valley to the San Diego region. Under this approved
agreement, IID and its agricultural customers would conserve water and sell it
to the SDCWA for at least 45 years. Either agency may extend the contract for
another 30 years beyond the initial term.
Deliveries in the first year of the contract would total 20,000 acre-feet and
increase annually in 20,000 acre-foot increments until they reach a maximum of
200,000 acre-feet. The two agencies may agree to transfer an additional 100,000
acre-feet per year after year ten. This water transfer agreement encompasses
voluntary conservation by Imperial Valley farmers and expressly prohibits land
fallowing (retirement of farmland) to produce water for transfer. Should there
ever be a water shortage along the Colorado River, the IID and the SDCWA would
share declared shortages proportionately.
The SDCWA would pay an amount for the water that equals the cost of conserving
the water plus an incentive to encourage participation by Imperial Valley
farmers. The water's price reflects considerable effort by the IID and the
SDCWA to confirm the cost of on-farm conservation measures, including systems
to capture and reuse water and lining earthen irrigation canals. IID expects to
invest $295 million from the SDCWA in water conservation programs through the
year 2011.
The
NADB WCIF will complement, with grant funds, the capital investments required
by the District for the rehabilitation of 23.25 miles of canals. The use of
WCIF grant funds allows the District to fully finance and improve its
infrastructure in order to reduce water conveyance losses.
The projects will be managed
by the District and will be constructed and operated in conformance with
Federal, State and NADB requirements.
The process for the development of the projects has followed a planning
and public participation process that developed alternatives and associated
costs, solicited public input, established priorities based on input of the
stakeholders and proceeded according to the priorities established in the
planning process.
3.
Conformance with Applicable Local and Regional Conservation and Development
Plans
The project is in conformance with the California water Plan Update 2003, which
recommends agricultural water conservation through the improvement of
Irrigation Districts water management practices.
The project is also in conformance with local
conservation efforts already developed by the District and served communities.
Conservation of water is stressed and penalties are assessed for the overuse of
water. The municipalities served by the District have their own water
conservation plans. The IID regulations
and plan are:
i.
Imperial Irrigation District 2002
Agricultural Water Management Plan, approved by the Districts Board of
Directors in 2002.
ii.
Rules and Regulations Governing the
Distribution and Use of Water, approved by the Districts Board of Directors in
1987.
4.
Natural Resources Conservation
The proposed project was
developed in order to reduce seepage water losses in 23.25 miles with the
replacement and/or rehabilitation of existing lined canals, with some sections up
to 40 years old. The
District consists of 477,920 acres of irrigated area. The IID has a present
perfected right to 2.6 million acre-feet of water annually. In times of
shortage, present perfected rights must be satisfied first.
The IID diverts and distributes water from the
Colorado River to nine cities, and provides water to 6,174 agricultural users.
The District consists of 230 miles of main canals, 1,438 miles of canals and
laterals, and 1,406 miles of drainage ditches in the Imperial Valley.
According to the Main and lateral Canal Concrete Lining Verification
Summary Report, elaborated by Conservation Verification Consultants for the
Imperial Irrigation District, under the Water Conservation Agreement between
the IID and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; the
implementation of the project will allow an estimated water savings of 2,823 acre-feet/year. The expected water savings per
mile of lined canal is 121.41 acre-fee/year,
as result of the reduction of seepage in the improved areas.
Besides water
conservation, the District through its Biological Control Section produces a
special variety of fish (Triploid Grass Carp) to control hydrilla, the aquatic
weed which is the number one aquatic weed problem in the world today because
its ability to grow up to 10 inches a day during the peak growing season and
the lack of effective techniques to control it. The dense, tangled mats of
hydrilla can totally clog and restrict irrigation and drainage channels.
5. Community
Development.
Water conservation projects will
enable farmers to maintain current agricultural production, while transferring
conserved supplies to SDCWA. Imperial Valley farmers produce more than $1
billion annually in agricultural products from almost 480,000 cultivated acres.
This
project not only helps California to live within its water allocation, but also
benefits the economy in the Imperial Valley while providing a more reliable
water supply for San Diego.
Documents available related to the Imperial Irrigation District Water Conservation Improvement Project :
·
Financial Analysis
- Baseline Conditions report
- Categorical Exclusion
- Public participation report
- Conceptual design