Work begins on All-American canal lining project
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 1, 2007 at 9:57 amAfter a year’s delay while several legal challenges were resolved, work has begun on lining a 23-mile section of the All-American canal. The All-American canal delivers Colorado River water to irrigate farmland and for municipal use in Imperial County.
From the Yuma Sun:
When completed, the two-year project is expected to save 67,700 acre-feet of water a year now lost because of seepage, Kelly said. One acre-foot of water is considered enough for a family of four for a year. But it was that very seepage that led to legal challenges and the delay. Environmentalists and businesses on both sides of the border claimed that the seepage from the 70-year-old canal has become a vital water source for the Mexicali Valley aquifer. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco lifted its injunction last month, clearing the way for the project to proceed, said Kelley.
To read the full text of the article from the Yuma Sun, click here.
The project is part of the effort to reduce water consumption to comply with a multi-state pact to reduce California’s use of Colorado River water and live within it’s 4.4 million acre-feet allocation. Urban users in San Diego will be the prime beneficiary of the saved water.
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