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Show 42 UPDATING THE HOOVER DAM DOCUMENTS small contractors of which the Marine Corps Air Station used 2,041 acre-feet. The Marine Corps Air Station was formerly the Yuma Army Air Field. C.4.2 North Gila Valley Upon completion of Laguna Dam, 10 miles northeast of Yuma, in 1909, the North Gila Valley Irrigation District diverted water therefrom. Under a contract with the United States dated September 24, 1918, the District assumed possession of the headgate, canal, levees and spur dike constructed to serve and protect its lands. On May 12, 1953, the District entered into a contract with the United States, No. 14-06-W-54, under which the United States agreed to deliver water stored in Lake Mead to the District through diversions from Imperial Dam, thence through the Gila Gravity Main Canal, at or near Station 409 + 25, at a maximum rate of delivery of 100 frVs, as may be reasonably required and beneficially used for the irrigation of the irrigable lands in the District. The obligation to deliver water was subject to the availability of such water for use in Arizona under the Colorado River Compact, the Boulder Canyon Project Act of December 21, 1928, 45 Stat. 1057, the Gila Reauthorization Act of July 30, 1947, 61 Stat. 628, and was also subject to the Mexican Water Treaty of 1944. The aforesaid contract of September 24, 1918, was terminated and the District assumed O&M of the works transferred to it under that contract and the obligation to pay the costs thereof within 60 years as well as the District's share of the O&M costs of the works utilized in making water available to the District; e.g., Imperial and Laguna Dams, the Gila Desilting Works, the Gila Gravity Main Canal and the North Gila Drains. The contract also provided for the maintenance of books and records, acreage limitation provisions, and for its validation in the Arizona State courts. Since the Yuma Irrigation District, representing the South Gila Valley, was unwilling at that time to contract for delivery of water through the Gila Gravity Main Canal and preferred to continue its groundwater pumping, the United States was receptive to increasing the 100 frVs capacity in the Gila Gravity Main Canal available to the North Gila Valley Irrigation District. On June 24, 1954, the contract was amended (No. 14-06-W-66) to increase the maximum rate of delivery of water from 100 ftVs to 150 frVs, to increase the repayment obligation from $325,000 to $475,000 and the annual O&M costs proportionately. This was further amended by Contract No. 14-06-300-1862 on August 9, 1966. On October 26, 1964, the parties contracted (No. 14-06-300-1497) for the construction by the United States of a second turnout for the District at Station 595 + 48 on the Gila Gravity Main Canal with a design capacity of 45 ftVs. A second amendatory contract, executed August 9, 1966, No. 14-06-300-1862, provided for delivery of water to the District at or near both of the aforesaid Stations with the understanding that such deliveries would not increase the quantity of water which the District is entitled to receive nor increase the maximum rate of delivery through the Gila Gravity Main Canal in excess of 150 ftVs. The final repayment obligation of the District was established at $430,277, of which $169,491 was paid as of September 30, 1977, leaving $260,786 as the remaining obligation. C.4.2.1 North Gila Valley Water Use The North Gila Valley water delivery contract, dated May 12, 1953, No. 14-06-W-54, contains no specific reference to the quantity of water to be delivered. Instead, it has provisions relative to the quantity reasonably required and beneficially used, subject to the conditions similar to those for the Yuma Mesa District. In 1975, 1976, and 1977, the District consumptively used 48,909, 44,599, and 42,153 acre-feet of water, respectively; i.e., diversions less measured return flows. |