Canal Upgrade Optimizes Water Deliveries, Saves Millions for Ratepayers
October 21, 2024
Renovation project will positively impact multiple Southern California water agencies
A newly completed canal renovation project will support water conservation, provide new water storage, and save ratepayers millions of dollars thanks to a partnership between the Coachella Valley Water District, the San Diego County Water Authority and the San Luis Rey River Indian Water Authority.
The Coachella Mid-Canal Storage Project, completed this summer, made critical upgrades to the 123-mile Coachella Canal, which provides Colorado River water to the Coachella Valley and – under landmark water conservation agreements – the San Diego region.
The $7.5 million project was funded jointly by the three water agencies through a low-interest loan from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which was part of the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocations to relieve drought in the West.
“There is a strong spirit of collaboration within the region for efforts to save water and reduce expenses,” said Jim Barrett, CVWD general manager. “The Mid-Canal Storage Project significantly reduces maintenance costs for all parties, and the additional storage created by this project helps increase CVWD’s canal operational flexibility and optimizes water deliveries.”
Construction included removing concrete lining in a 4.9-mile section of the canal where high clay content in the soil and water pressure in the canal caused extensive cracks that allowed
water to seep through. Those cracks increased annual repair costs and undermined the original intent of lining the canal to conserve Colorado River water.
The project will reduce future costs related to repairing the cracked concrete, work funded by the County Water Authority and the Indian Water Authority. For the County Water Authority, the project will save more than $10 million in long-term repair costs; the Indian Water Authority will save more than $2 million.
In addition, the project created a 728 acre-foot in-line storage facility for the Coachella Valley that will improve the flow of water and provide the water district greater flexibility in managing
deliveries.
The Coachella Canal was built between 1938 and 1948 to deliver Colorado River water to serve the Coachella Valley’s agriculture customers and reduce demand on the local groundwater basin.
As part of the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement, the County Water Authority and the Indian Water Authority are allocated Colorado River water through the San Diego region’s investment in concrete lining sections of the Coachella Canal and the All-American Canal.
Our region’s investment in conserved Colorado River water has served us well, and these canal lining projects provide our lowest cost water. In an era of tight budgets, this repair project highlights how we work collaboratively with partners to improve both reliability and affordability through strategic cost-saving measures.
Dan Denham, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority
San Luis Rey River Indian Water Authority President Bo Mazzetti added of the project, “We are proud to work with our partners towards cost-saving measures.”
The Coachella Canal Lining Project, completed in 2008, lined a 36-mile section of the canal. The All-American Canal Lining Project, completed in 2010, lined a 23-mile section of that canal, which extends 83 miles from the Colorado River into the Imperial Valley.
Lining sections of both canals conserves 93,700 acre-feet of water annually. Each year, the San Diego region receives 77,700 acre-feet of that conserved water. The Indian Water Authority, with its settlement partners under the San Luis Rey Indian Water Rights Settlement, receives 16,000 acre-feet annually. Delivered to the San Diego region through the Colorado River Aqueduct, the canal lining supplies will continue through 2112 when the allocation agreement ends.
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Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of directors. The district provides domestic and irrigation water, agricultural drainage, wastewater treatment
and reclamation services, regional stormwater protection, groundwater management, and water conservation. It serves approximately 115,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, primarily in Riverside County and portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.
The San Luis Rey River Indian Water Authority is a federally charted government agency created by the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, Pala Band of Mission Indians, Pauma Band of Luiseño
Indians, Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians and San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians to oversee and protect Indian Reserved Water Rights. Established in 1988, the Indian Water Authority’s mission is to ensure that the Indian Bands have a say in the San Luis Rey River Basin’s water use and supply.
The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $262 billion regional economy and the quality of life for more than 3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 22 retail water providers, including cities, special districts, and a military base.