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Show CHAPTER II 37 Association assumed the obligation under individual water right applications. Repayment period extended to 30 years. Contract No. 176r-671, dated June 15, 1951, dealt with transfer of operation and maintenance to Association, and repayment of $80,306 of costs of drainage. Repayment contract, No. 14-06-300-621, dated April 1, 1957, whereby Association was released from its obligation under individual water right applications and assumed a fixed repayment obligation. Contract No. 14-06-300-1317, dated November 15, 1962, providing for transfer of O&M of additional project works, including Yuma Main Canal and Siphon Drop Powerplant. Contract No. 14-06-300-1513, dated December 17, 1967, for conditional transfer to the Association of the reserve funds for Siphon Drop Powerplant. Contract No. 14-06-300-1850, dated June 22, 1966, for the construction, operation and maintenance of a series of drainage wells in the Valley Division. Contract No. 14-06-300-2702, dated November 12, 1969, relative to the delivery of water. Contract No. 14-06-300-2204, dated October 21, 1970, for the modification of structures. Additional contracts were entered into by the United States and the Yuma County Water Users' Association with Imperial Irrigation District: Contract No. 14-06-300-1381, dated June 1, 1963, Amendment No. 1 dated June 1, 1965, and Amendment No. 2 dated June 1, 1967, providing for the transfer of water from Siphon Drop Powerplant to the District's Pilot Knob Powerplant for the purpose of producing energy at the more efficient powerplant and for a division among the parties of the power and energy thereby produced. (Siphon Drop Powerplant, at the head of the Yuma Main Canal, about 5 miles north of Yuma, not inoperative, had a nameplate capacity of 1,600 kW, and a maximum head of 15.3 feet. Pilot Knob has a capacity of 33,000 kW.) The contract of June 1, 1967, extended the period for transfer of water for 61 months, or until June 30, 1972. On that date Amendment No. 3 extended the period for 5 years, or until June 30, 1977. Amendment No. 4 of that date provided for subsequent renewals by letter agreements. C. 1.1 Valley Division's Water Use The obligation of the United States to deliver water to Valley Division lands is not couched in terms of a specific quantity of water but is stated as the quantity reasonably required for the irrigation of the lands in the Division. In 1975, 1976, and 1977, the Association consumptively used 232,601, 212,741, and 188,854 acre-feet of water, respectively; i.e., diversions less measured returns. C.2 Gila Project - Reauthorization Act In 1934 the Bureau of Reclamation reported on the Gila Project potentials following investigations it had been authorized to undertake by the Boulder Canyon Project Act of December 21, 1928. The Yuma Mesa Division of the Gila Project, comprising 150,000 acres, was authorized under a finding of feasibility approved by the President on June 21, 1937, in accordance with Section 4 of the Act of June 25, 1910, 36 Stat. 835, and Section 4(b) of the Act of December 5, 1924, 43 Stat. 701. Original plans contemplated Colorado River water diversions to irrigate a total of 585,000 acres. In order to make a proposal of that size possible the Gila headworks at Imperial Dam were constructed with three sets of outlet units, each with three radial gates capable of diverting 6,000 ftVs. Only one outlet unit is now used. Gila Project construction began in 1936 on the Yuma Mesa but was retarded during World War II. However, the establishment of the Yuma Army Air Field on the Yuma Mesa called for dust control measures, and public land predevelopment on approximately 20,000 acres on the Yuma Mesa Division was continued to provide the necessary relief. Water was first available in 1943. Canal and lateral construction was speeded up as hostilities ended. In 1947 Congress enacted the above entitled legislation reauthorizing the Gila Project and redefining its boundaries (the text appears in Appendix 202). The Yuma Mesa Division was reduced (from its initial proposed size of 150,000 acres) to 40,000 acres (15,000 acres in the North and South Gila Valleys and 25,000 acres in the Yuma Mesa Unit) and the Wellton-Mohawk Division of 75,000 acres was substituted for the Yuma Mesa Division lands excluded from the original authorization. |