IA,IPERIAT VAUEY, CALIFORNIA FROM DESERT WASTETAND TO AGRICUTTURAT WONDERIAND: THE STORY OF WATER AND POWER IMPERIAT IRRIGATION DISTRICT o/5.6 Tne wnaerness and the solitary place shatl be gtad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. Isaiah 35:1 :i:.ti.i! ilri.:::a.!,j:jr.::a ,,. i.r::, .:i..r 1i::jir.:rr.r: :ii;ii!i.!i?il t l Hoover Dam,303 miles upslrcam lrom lmpetiol Dom. t 're^ru oPDrolof otll u.rorl 6urue^lP 0ll-&r^016 o Iq louo) ^ pato6rrr aq plno) puo oas lol uesap sqt loql peaord a1o1g la^el ^^oleg ,(q ue1o1 s6urpoer )rJlouroJoE 'uasaP sol alaql ,r ou eJeq,r pes Puolul uo uaaq Poq araql aull euo +o lot{l 6ul,t oqs ',sulolunou aql }o loof aql lo aurloror.ls luer)uo aqt pe)rlou pDt{ Puo C98 t u! pesaP aql q6no.rql passod poq elolg '(.rod {aa.rns poorpor o rlt!,r ts!6oloa6 y ',(e11o1 lor.redurl e q*o o +ueroo I "r, ",,, ::,.";,Hl J:l::: il ffi ,1 il'J'$ ", oq plnor Daro eql tot{l pezrloer uau pelq6ls.ro} /t ef o 098 t so {;loe so 1ai( 'reuJoq 6ulquors auos eq+ Pareluno)ua nlollol ol alal ol'lrr sJaleloll 'si(eurno! srq ur ozuv aP Papro .ralol PUD +rasep er{l utralo^ ro} Paqlroes 'ool'orln se)loC o)slruorl opll6uaulag .rat1lo3 ,(q peperejd so^ ozuv aG ,,'Poao eql lo aq!\--,,souanw sol aP DPou.ror o'1,. aPou Pot{ eq loqr ParDlraP^aurnor aq uorssrw larrqoc uog Oulqroar uodn loqt 6utpptq:o1 os Puola+sor o Pareluno)ue ozuv a6 ',On1uer r{+8 t aql ut oero aql ssolf o uoupadxe uo Pal eq uaq,t uaseP {;uo puno;',(ruro qsguods eql ul uloldor D'ozuv ap otsllnog uonf treseo 6ulqrror5 Paroj sraro;dx3 l;ro3 ',(e11o1 lor.radug ;o ,(rolsrq at11 ,(;lorluassa sr--plrlslO eql |o 6ut;osaloq,tr puo puo--relo^\ 1o I.rolsrq er{f 'uotlnqlllslP ro} selll) aql ol ll sJeurro, aql ol ll 6uua,{;ap 'la|;o1 eql ol relo,r 6ur'rq o1 uolpun} s,l)l.rlsrG aql sl l! 'lopo1 's'radole,rep aql lo sal+redo.rd puo slq6r'r aql ertnbro ol Peuroj so,r^ 'olurolllof |o alols aql lo uorsr^lPqns Peu^ o-l;rrlqnd o'lrulsrq uor1o6r.u; louedurl eq+'tt6t ur 'oS'a)rrues relo^^ alqDllar aprao.rd ol alqoun ara,r PUo lqeP ur ,(;daap auto)eq ,(eql leunuolslut ql;n pan6o;d a:a,r,r ,(41;o1 ;ouedurl 1o s.radoleaep ;our6tro eq1 'fuaqroer1 ;o elqodor so,r^ lr lot{l sral$os ,(;.roe o1 pe,ro.rd 1r lai( 'puo;urrol ollpal ol also,i paseP sltll pa6uotl> {;a1orur1;n 'i(o,rro sa;pu 99 6ura,ro;1 're^ru oPoJolo3 aq1 ',(;ddns relo^ slr uo papuadep soq s,(op 6uruur6aq sll a)urs Ie;1o1 lor.redul ur lo^!^rnS 'loa{ qtoa slsluolloer)eJ lo sPuosnoql sl)oJllo qlrq,r,r punol6lo;d o sapr'rojd srq{ lnq '+rasep,(q pepunoq sr ,(e;;o1 aql 'anrl 'selll) 6u!^!rt{l Puo spuolullo, qsnl slr r{lr,r ',(e;;o1 aql ur lua.roddo ,(;prara sr erl'l ,,'Poao eql lo leurnof s.roei( reloldxa eqlrr oero aql q6no.rt1l dt.rl srq pauelsrrr.l) Poq erolsq '(uotu I;roe uo loql ssan6 reaau Plno,r euo 'r(e;;o1 ;ouadu; s,,(opo1 6uralat1 uroqslloH'y aruo1 lg {rols;14 ,a!rg V r)lulslo Nollvoluut rvluSdwl oNV AlllVA MUIdWI Another individuol interested in the development of lhe deseri wos Dr. Oliver M, Wozencroft, who crossed through the oreo during the gold rush of 1849. Hiring on engineer to moke o survey ond recommend o locoiion for o conol, Wozencrofr, in I861, succeeded in hoving legislotion introduced in the United Stotes Congress lo outhorize development of lmperiol Volley. But the Civil Wor deloyed furiher progress on ihe plon for mony yeors, ond Wozencroft died without seeing his dreom become o reolity. C. D. Compony Formed lo Recloim the Volley Finolly, in 1896, lhe Colifornio Development Compony (C. D. Compony) wos formed by Chorles Rockwood, Anthony Heber ond others to recloim lmperiol Volley with Colorodo River woler, bosed on woter f ilings mode by certoin individuols in the I890s ond ossigned io the C. D. Compony. George Choffey, o fomous irrigotionist, wos persuoded to ioin forces with the C. D. Compony, ond in I900 he controcted tc build o conol io deliver woter by grovity f rom the river lo the upper end of the Volley. C. N. Perry loid out much of the complicoted irrigotion system which wos to serve the lond. Excovolion of the conol commenced in Augusl, 1900' The point of diversion from lhe Colorodo River wos neor Pilol Knob, o short distonce obove the Mexicon border. The conol porolleled lhe river to the border ond on into Mexico for o dislonce of four or five miles. lt lhen swung west for three miles to connect wilh on old river chonnel (Alomo River), which, with o minimum omount of work, wos converled into o serviceoble conol. For lhe next 40 miles, lhe conol possed through Mexico, reentering lhe Uniled Slotes ot Shorp's Heoding where the Alomo turned northword to Solton Seo. Eorly in 190.l, o wooden heod gote, known os Choffey Gole, wos built in the intoke conoloboui five hundred feei north of ihe internotionol boundory to conlrol inflow of woier inlo the conol. Woier wos firsi delivered to the Volley ihrough the lmperiol (Alomo) Conol in June, 1901, ond some 1,500 ocres of lond were pui into crops in the foll of lhoi yeor. Becouse seltlement of the lmperiol Volley wos more ropid ihon onticipoted, ond olso becouse of silt build-up in the intoke conol, serious woter shortoges occurred during the winters of I902-03 ond '1903-04. Difficulties wirh the lederol governmenl orising over woter rights compounded the problem. To relieve lhe woter shorloge, rhe C. D. Compony decided to open onother inloke f rom the Colorodo River lo the lmperiol Conol furiher downstreom in Mexico, below ihe silt-clogged intoke. A chonnel 60 feet wide ond 3,300 {eet long wos constructed between lhe river ond the conol. No conlrol gote wos built, since this wos 0 'raProq ol a^oq Plno,r^ IalloA eql puD re^ru ot{l uaealeq seunP Puos eql aql |o quou ,/louDJ uo)lraruv-llv,\ uo Jo, Paau aql Pazlloar l)lrlslo aql 'esuaraP Pool, Puo ,(1ddns Ja+o^ sp ur apll; ie|1o1 ;or'radu; 6urarb 'orrxeyy ur Pafo)ol araa saalal Puo^1l.rnras louD) ulou, sll esno)ag Pezrloeu louDJ ueryaulv-llv ro, PaeN ',(e;1o1 aql u! relon 6ul1nqr.r1srp ueq+ saruodruor ralo,r lontnur t[ eqt Peq]osqo Poq t)illsrc ew'zz6L Ig '.raeur6ua (;laru.rol lerq) lsrl s,lllrlsre eqt euo)eq '{uodr.uo3 'O 'f eql }o 'Poo^ l)ou salrorl3 puo .roar( euos aql l)r.rlsro uollo6!rrl ;ouadr.ul eql ol Plos eraa,r 'lueurdrnbe puo see^al 'louD) uloul oql 6urpn;rur 'sarpedo.rd eq1 '9t6t ul uolpno s,relra)er 1o y lq6noq 'Pooll toel6 aq+ aluls luoduoS 'o 'f eql PelloJluo) PoL{ t{)rq^ )ur)od uraqlnos eq+ Puo "(uoduo3 '6urpoo;; aql,(q l:1dn.r1uoq otul Pe)ro, uaaq poq ,(uoduro3 'O 'f aql 'IuoduoS 'O ') eqt 1o sellradord puo slqEu eql 6uulnb)o 1o asod.rnd eql lo, 'serlo 89C'0tg 6ursr:dr.uor 'pau.ro1 so,r l)rrlsrq uolto6r.ul ;ouadul aql',t t6t ul 'se)rol aPlslno lo lorluo) eql u! ueeq Poq ,(a;;o1 eqr ro alol er{l 'au!l srt{l ol dn 'sPuDq u,r o rraq+ olur uorlonls aql elol ot pe^our sral$es la;;o1 lor.radurl 'O[6t ur 6urpoo;; erour roUV lorluoS aIoI slelues 'Pu!qeq oas uotlDS atll 6ur,roa; 'oru.ro,!lo) ,o llnC sql olu! esrnor luel)uo sl! u,t oP soar,(1;our; Pa,r ol, u1o6o aluo oPoJolo3 aq+ Puo '106l ul peqsr;dr.uorro slr{l 'leuuoqr raurrol sp olul l)oq ta^lJ atl+ ulnl o1 parlnbal so,r {uoduto3 )rlr)Dd ureqlnos aql puo Iuoduro3 'O '3 aql ,(q +ro1;a lolueuinuour V 'pel!ol In) eql asol) ol sldrue$o peloadeX'r(opo1 spuols oas uollos eql arar{,r 'Iurs uollos eqt otu! 1ouo3 ;or]adul eql u,t oP /r^ol} llnl slr pa.rnod puo astno) sp pa6uoqr re^lJ aq+ ioPorolo) aql olul Puo ouozlrv ul ur ie^rg opC aql 1o 1no parnod spooll relut^ pelodrrlluoun '906t 'uouau.rouaqd ;o>r6o;oe6 elqolr^aur s!t{l ualsot{ pedlaq oporoloJ eql ssauroq o1 s1dural1o lsJ!, s,uow 'esrno) s5 aEuoqr uro6o plno,r ra^u eql ueqr^'arnlnl aqt ul selrnluer sdoq;ed 'aurrl aql 6u1l1oa'ro 'elo.rodoaa (;1on1ue,ra plno,r^ Pauro, uaeq Poq loql eIDl Puolur aql 'llnC aqf olul aJou, e)uo JelD,tA sI lnod of ifur,ro.r6 '{q uto6o PJo'i qlnos pe)rol oq uaql plno^ ra^rr eql 't;;s palrsodep ql!/'\ paq ,nau !11 Outstog 'Ie;1o1 ;ouadul ,r ou s! loq/r\ oful PJo,t tluou PeuJnl Pol'l puo olurolllo) aql to lnC eql ol lauuDtl) sp llal poq se6o lsod ur re^!r elqotsun srDa^ Poolj 3tll :20-9061 'oPoroloJ aq+ ,o ssausnotltldor 'uosoas aq+ ql!^ Pauol)el lou Poq 'ra^a,r oq 's.reau16ue aql Pool, &o.rodtuel o 6uuds 996 1 eql erolaq Pasol) aq ol'uolsre^rP ParePrsuo) be crossed, but engineers believed such o conol could be constructed ond moinloined in spite of the shifting sonds.