Water management alternatives for the Colorado River below Imperial Dam. Item Type Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic); text Authors Gordon, Yoram,1928- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 03/10/2021 20:13:31 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/190966 WATER MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES FOR THE COLORADO RIVER BELOW IMPERIAL DAM by Yoram Gordon A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the CO~MITTEE ON HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN WATER RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZO~A 1 970 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE I hereby recommend that this dissertation prepared under my direction by Yoram Gordon entitled V,IATER MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES FCiR THE COLORADO RIVER BELOW IOCPERIAL DAM be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement of the A" / _, l 4.1./"-'/1. / -;:' / "".""/ U// Dissertation Director Date After inspection of the final copy of the dissertation, the following members of the Final Examination Committee concur in its approval and recommend its acceptance: ~': A ('1 (10 -!, This approval and acceptance is contingent on the candidate's adequate performance and defense of this dissertation at the final oral examination. The inclusion of this sheet bound into the library copy of the dissertation is evidence of satisfactory performance at the final examination. STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. (0 COPYRIGHTED BY YORAM GORDON 1970 iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the help of all those who assisted me in this project. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Professor M. M. Kelso, who spared no effort in advice and guidance; my association with him was a stimulating experience and a constant source of inspiration. I am particularly thankful to the other members of my committee, Professors D. D. Evans, T. Maddock, Jr., R. A. Phillips, S. D. Resnick, and T. G. Roefs, for their advice, assistance, and time which they proffered so generously. With gratitude I acknowledge the assistance of Mr. A. D. Halderman of the Agricultural Engineering Department. To the many other faculty members who were always ready to help and who are too numerous to mention-­ my thanks. I am especially grateful to my wife, Judy, for her encouragement and support. Her patience, understanding, and assistance were of inestimable value. Last, but by no means least, a note of thanks to my sons, Gilad and Liran, who maintained their cheerfulness and thus were a source of encouragement throughout the period of my studies. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES • ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi ABSTRACT xii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION. 1 2. THE COLORADO RIVER. 5 Structures • 7 Glen Canyon Dam 8 Hoover Dam . 8 Davis Dam 9 Parker Dam . 9 Headgate Rock Dam 10 Palo Verde Diversion Dam . 10 Imperial Dam . 11 Senator Wash Dam and Reservoir . 12 Laguna Dam . 13 Morelos Dam 14 The Gila River . 15 Water Quality of the Colorado River 17 3. HISTORICAL AND LEGAL PERSPECTIVES 24 The Colorado River Compact . 29 The Boulder Canyon Project Act • 31 The United States-Mexican Water Utilization Treaty., . 33 Minute No. 218 . 36 The Colorado River Basin Project Act . 37 4. DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOWER BASIN . 40 The Yuma Project . 41 The Yuma Auxiliary Project • 43 The Gila Project • 44 The Yuma ~esa Division . 45 The Well ton-Mohmvk Division 48 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS--Continued CHAPTER Page 5 . IRRIGATION PRACTICES: ALTERNATIVES AND EFFECTS 57 The Consumptive Use of Citrus 59 Flood Irrigation . 60 Alternative Methods of Irrigation 61 Sprinkler Irrigation . 62 Trickle Irrigation . 64 The Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District 66 Economic Analysis 68 Results 75 The Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District 77 Economic Analysis 83 Results 87 6. ALTERNATIVES FOR AUGMENTATION OF THE FLOW 90 The Importation of Water . 91 Desalination . 93 The Eradication of Phreatophytes 96 Weather Modification . 99 Watershed ~anagement 100 Evaporation Suppression 101 7. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 103 Alternative Method of Irrigation. 104 The Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District 105 The Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District 110 Augmentation . 115 Evaluation of the Various Alternatives 118 8. IMPLEMENTATION • 120 The Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District 123 The Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District 125 Recommendations for Future Study 132 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS--Continued CHAPTER Page APPENDIX A. MINUTE No. 218 . 134 APPENDIX B. THE ANNUAL COST TO THE FARMERS OF FLOOD IRRIGATION IN THE WELLTON-HOHAWK IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT PER ACRE OF IRRIGATED LAND ON THE HESA r. • • • 140 APPENDIX C. THE ANNUAL COST TO THE FARHERS OF SPRINKLER IRRIGATION IN THE WELLTON-HOHAWK IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT PER ACRE OF IRRIGATED LAND ON THE MESA . • • • 142 APPENDIX D. LOSS OF INCOME TO THE WELLTON­ HOHAWK IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT RESULTING FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF SPRINKLER IRRIGATION ON THE HESA 146 APPENDIX E. INCOHE ACCRUED TO THE WELLTON­ HOHAWK IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT FROM THE SALE OF POWER FOR SPRINKLER IRRIGATION ON THE MESA . • . • . 148 APPENDIX F. THE ANNUAL COST TO THE FARHERS OF TRICKLE IRRIGATION IN THE WELLTON-MOHA\YK IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT PER ACRE OF IRRIGATED LAND O~ THE .MESA . • • .• 149 APPENDIX G. THE ANNUAL COST TO THE FARMERS OF FLOOD IRRIGATION IN THE YUMA MESA IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT PER ACRE OF IRRIGATED LAND • • . 151 APPENDIX H. THE ANNUAL COST TO THE FARHERS OF SPRINKLER IRRIGATION IN THE YUHA HESA IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT PER ACRE OF IRRIGATED LAND • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 153 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS--Continued CHAPTER Page APPENDIX I. THE ANNUAL COST TO THE FARMERS OF TRICKLE IRRIGATION IN THE YUMA MESA IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT PER ACRE OF IRRIGATED LAND . • 155 APPENDIX J. CALCULATION OF THE CHANGE IN SALINITY OF THE COLORADO RIVER WATER AT MORELOS DAM ON THE BASIS OF DATA FOR JUNE 1968 • . 157 APPENDIX K. THE COST OF EXTENDING THE MAIN OUTLET DRAIN EXTENSION TO THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA . • • 159 APPENDIX L. CALCULATION OF THE COST OF PARTIAL DESALTING OF THE WELLTON-MOHAWK DRAIN CANAL WATER • ......• 160 LIST OF REFERENCES . LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. The Weighted Average for the Year 1968 of the Salt Concentration of the Water of the Colorado River at Various Locations in the Lower Basin • 20 2. The Mean Salt Concentration for the Month of June 1968 at Two Locations in the Lower Basin 20 3. Water Use with Various Methods of Irrigation of Citrus in the Mesa Section of the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District • 4. The Savings in Water in the Mesa Section of the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District Which Would be Realized by Changing from the Flood Method of Irrigation . 70 5. A Comparison of the Costs to the Farmer of the Flood, Sprinkler, and Trickle Methods of Irrigation of Citrus on the Mesa of the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District . 75 6. Water Budget of the Lower Colorado River. " 80 7. Water Use with Various Methods of Irrigation of Citrus in the Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District 8. The Savings in Water in the Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District Which Would be Realized by Changing from the Flood Method of Irrigation 84 ix x LIST OF TABLES--Continued Table Page 9. A Comparison of the Costs to the Farmer of the Flood, Sprinkler, and Trickle Methods of Irrigation of Citrus in the Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District 87 10. Flow and Salinity Data for June 1968 . 106 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Map of the Lower Colorado River In pocket 2. Yearly Weighted Average Total Dissolved Solids at Critical Points in the Colorado River • 21 3. Reclamation Projects in the Lower Colorado River Basin, Arizona 42 4. Map of the Yuma Area Showing Configuration of the Water Table, 1965 46 5. Wellton-Mohawk Dr~inage Conveyance Channels 6. Schematic Diagram Showing Gaging Stations Between Imperial Dam and the Southern International Boundary • 82 xi ABSTRACT From Imperial Dam downstream, in addition to Mexico, the Colorado River supplies water to Arizona and California for predominantly agricultural use. In Arizona, the Colorado River is the major source of water supply to the various irrigation districts in the Yuma area. Due to legal constraints, the amount of Colorado River water available to the State of Arizona is limited. On the other hand, it was discovered that the amount of water applied to the soil in irrigation exceeds that amount needed for crop-growing. Two areas where the amount of water considerably exceeds the requirements, the mesa section of the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District and the Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District, were studied in detail. The excess water applied on the mesa of the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District flows into the Wellton-Mohawk Valley whence it is pumped into a conveyance channel and then discharged into the main channel of the Colorado River. This drain water has a very high salt content and therefore it adversely affects the quality of the river water.