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Show CHAPTER II 43 C.4.3 Yuma Irrigation District - South Gila Valley The aforesaid contracts provided for utilization of the following portions of the 2,200 ftVs capacity of the Gila Project works, including the Gila Gravity Main Canal: 1. Wellton-Mohawk IDD 1,300 ff/s 2. North Gila Valley ID 150 ftVs 3. Yuma Mesa IDD 520 ftVs 4. Unit B (see C.5 infra) 100 ftVs 2,070 Thus, only 130 ftVs capacity remained for the Gila Project's final water contracts. The Yuma Irrigation District represented the landowners in the South Gila Valley which had been designated as a part of the 15,000 acres in the North and South Gila Valleys and part of the Yuma Mesa Division of the Gila Project by the Gila Reauthorization Act of July 30, 1947, 61 Stat. 528. Its water supply for the approximately 10,570 acres in the District was obtained by ground-water pumping but the water quality had been deteriorating while the District's drainage problems increased. The District then sought a Colorado River water delivery contract with the United States. On July 23, 1962, the District executed a water delivery and repayment contract with the United States, No. 14-06-300-1270. Under this contract the United States agreed to construct a distribution system within the District to utilize Colorado River water and a system of District drainage tile collection lines, at a cost of approximately $6,377,000. Onfarm tile drains would be the responsibility of the farmers. Because of the 15,000 acre limitation on acreage in the combined North and South Gila Valleys as part of the Yuma Mesa Division and on the quantity of water available to the whole of the Yuma Mesa Division imposed by the Gila Reauthorization Act, only approximately 8,770 acres of District land could be irrigated with Colorado River water (15,000 acres minus 6,230 acres in North Gila Valley already under contract). Hence, the project plan called for the continued use of sufficient ground water (to be commingled with Colorado River water) to permit irrigation of all irrigable land in the District. As of September 30, 1977, $25,411 were repaid. The contract provided that repayment of total costs of approximately.$7.5 million would be made over a 60-year period. Irrigation blocks were to be created, O&M to be transferred, a reserve fund established, excess land laws enforced, and the contract to be authorized by the District's electorate and validated in the State courts. On October 25, 1965, an amendatory repayment contract was executed under which drainage of the District's lands was to be accomplished by drainage wells rather than limited to the tile collection drains. Authorization by the electorate and Court validation was provided. On March 17, 1964, Contract No. 14-06-300-1441 was executed providing for the District to transmit power and energy over its system to the eight pumping facilities constructed by the United States and to construct additions to its electric system as may be agreed upon. On December 29, 1964, Contract No. 14-06-300-1506 was executed which provided for the District's construction of additional electrical facilities in order to provide transmission service to the relift pumping facilities of the United States. On May 10, 1971, a second amendatory contract was executed under which the District could assume responsibility for payment of the charges established by the Secretary for the delivery of water rather than having such costs collected from individual farmers by the United States by means of water rental or toll charges during the development period or until transfer of O&M to the District. The amendatory contract was requested by the District in order to enable it to levy tolls against all irrigable lands, whether or not Colorado River water was used, so as to avoid an increasingly large deficit occasioned by the continued use of ground water by about 4,000 acres out of the District's 10,740 acres which did not pay water rental or toll charges. On May 17, 1973, a third amendatory contract was executed which increased the Capital Payment Reserve Fund from $50,000 to $100,000. |