Where does the Imperial Valley get water for irrigation?

Answer 1

The Imperial Valley gets its water from the Colorado River. It receives water around the clock for irrigation 365 days a year. It also provides water for industrial, commercial and residential use. Water quantities are ordered from the Bureau Of Reclamation three days in advance. It is delivered from Lake Mead through the lower Colorado River system and ultimately through the All American Canal. This Canal was developed in the early 1900's under the Boulder Canyon Act when the Boulder Dam, now known as Hoover Dam, was approved and constructed. It is the Colorado's tail end of water use in the US. A portion of the water also flows to Mexico which is governed by an international treaty between the USA and Mexico. The largest use of the water is for crop irrigation. It supports the Valley's multi billion dollar agricultural industry which provides food and feed hay year round for the US as well as for export to many other countries. The Imperial Valley is known as The Winter Food Basket of America. The Salton Sea is not a source of irrigation water but rather storage for the tail end of the Imperial Valley's drainage system for farm drainage and natural water run off. It is a highly saline body of water that is a winter home to many migratory fowl. It is also the second lowest body of water on earth, more than 200ft below sea level, second only to the Dead Sea in Israel.