Colorado River

Mineral Resources of the Jacumba (In-ko-pah) Wilderness Study Area, Imperial County, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | January 1st, 1987

This report presents the results of a mineral survey of part of the Jacumba (In-ko-pah) Wilderness Study Area (CDCA-368) that was designated by the Bureau of Land Mana

This report presents the results of a mineral survey of part of the Jacumba (In-ko-pah) Wilderness Study Area (CDCA-368) that was designated by the Bureau of Land Management as suitable for mineral surveys. In this report, the area studied is referred to as the "wilderness study area", or simply "the study area." The study area encompasses approximately 28,443 acres in southwestern Imperial County, Calif. Field work for this report was carried out between 1983 and 1985. Numerous mines, prospects, and claims are present in the study area, but none are being actively mined or prospected. Three sites inside the study area have identified limestone resources that total about 1.8 million tons. Four areas in the northwestern, northern, and eastern parts of the study area have high potential for undiscovered limestone resources. Two north-trending belts in the western and eastern parts of the study area have low resource potential for tungsten.

Minerals of California Bulletin No. 113

State of California | February 15th, 1938

Missing Water: The Uses and Flows of Water in the Colorado River Delta Region

Pacific Institute | September 1st, 2001

The Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security is pleased to announce the release of Missing Water: The Uses and Flows of Water in the Color

The Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security is pleased to announce the release of Missing Water: The Uses and Flows of Water in the Colorado River Delta Region. This new study describes the fate of the millions of acre-feet of water diverted from the Colorado River at and below Imperial Dam, and the total inflows to and outflows from the Colorado River delta region more generally. This study uses the classic hydrologic boundaries of the delta region described by Godfrey Sykes in 1937, encompassing some 3,325 square miles (8,611 square kilometers) in the states of Arizona, Baja California, California, and Sonora, including the Imperial, Mexicali, and San Luis valleys, Yuma Project lands, and the lower Coachella Valley. The study period examines the flows and uses of water in the years 1991-1998, divided into Flood and Non-Flood years to reflect the tremendous variability of mainstem Colorado River flows. Missing Water compiles flow data along the mainstem and along diversions within the delta region, the first time such data has been compiled for the region as a whole. The study also report consumptive uses of water in the agricultural and urban sectors, and estimates such use by the environment. Agricultural use is also reported for the major crops in the region, both by acreage and by water use.

Mitigating land subsidence in the Coachella Valley, California, USA: An emerging success story

International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) | April 22nd, 2020

Groundwater has been a major source of agricultural, municipal, and domestic water supply since the early 1920s in the Coachella Valley, California, USA. Land s

Groundwater has been a major source of agricultural, municipal, and domestic water supply since the early 1920s in the Coachella Valley, California, USA. Land subsidence, resulting from aquifer-system com- paction and groundwater-level declines, has been a concern of the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) since the mid-1990s. As a result, the CVWD has implemented several projects to address groundwater overdraft that fall under three categories – groundwater substitution, conservation, and managed aquifer-recharge (MAR). The implementation of three projects in particular – replacing groundwater extraction with surface water from the Colorado River and recycled water (Mid-Valley Pipeline project), reducing water usage by tiered-rate costs, and increasing groundwater recharge at the Thomas E. Levy Groundwater Replenishment Facility – are potentially linked to markedly improved groundwater levels and subsidence conditions, including in some of the historically most overdrafted areas in the southern Coachella Valley. Groundwater-level and subsidence monitoring have tracked the effect these projects have had on the aquifer system. Prior to about 2010, water levels persistently declined, and some had reached historically low levels by 2010. Since about 2010, however, groundwater levels have stabilized or partially recovered, and subsidence has stopped or slowed substantially almost every- where it previously had been observed; uplift was observed in some areas. Furthermore, results of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar analyses for 1995–2017 indicate that as much as about 0.6 m of subsidence occurred; nearly all of which occurred prior to 2010. Continued monitoring of water levels and subsidence is necessary to inform the CVWD about future mitigation measures. The water management strategies implemented by the CVWD can inform managers of other overdrafted and subsidence-prone basins as they seek solutions to reduce overdraft and subsidence.

Mojave Region Functionally Equivalent Storm Water Resources Plan

Mojave Water Agency (MWA) | October 4th, 2017

The State of California now recognizes the importance of incorporating storm water as a potential resource in a region’s water portfolio. Historically, storm water was

The State of California now recognizes the importance of incorporating storm water as a potential resource in a region’s water portfolio. Historically, storm water was thought of as a public risk (e.g., flooding) and a source of water quality impairment. Traditional approaches for storm water focused on diverting storm water into the storm drain system which ultimately and efficiently moved said water away from populated areas; the State is now supporting watershed-based approaches where storm water and dry weather runoff can yield benefits beyond flood control, such as water supply, water quality improvement, and habitat enhancement. To incentivize use of storm water, the State of California has linked storm water resources planning to state funding. Storm water and dry weather runoff capture projects seeking funding from any California bond act approved by voters after January 1, 2014 must be included in a Storm Water Resources Plan, which meets California Water Code. Regional water planning has a long history in the Mojave region. In 2005, agencies in the Mojave service area, that share a common concern for the area’s water resources, met and agreed to develop an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP). The Region’s first IRWMP identified, defined, and established strategies to capitalize on all water management opportunities that were present at that time or would become possible in the Mojave Region in the future. Since that time the IRWMP has acted as a forum for regular collaboration. The IRWMP is a living document and the regional objectives as well as strategies to improvement water management are regularly updated. The IRWMP was last updated in 2014. This Mojave Region Storm Water Resource Plan (SWRP) is an extension of the IRWMP process and is meant to bring an integrated and watershed-based approach to managing and creating benefits from storm water. This SWRP is regional and multi-agency. This SWRP includes all components required by the Water Code and will be submitted to the IRWM group. This SWRP will help entities in the Mojave Region identify, prioritize, and implement storm water projects.

Mojave Water Agency 2004 Regional Water Management Plan

Mojave Water Agency (MWA) | December 8th, 2005

This document supplements the Urban Water Management Plan element of the Mojave Water Agency (MWA) 2004 Regional Water Management Plan (RWMP). The RWMP is the master pl

This document supplements the Urban Water Management Plan element of the Mojave Water Agency (MWA) 2004 Regional Water Management Plan (RWMP). The RWMP is the master plan for MWA water management activities through the year 2020. This update provides additional information to meet 2005 Urban Water Management Plan update requirements, especially a projection of supply and demand through at least 2025. The 2005 Urban Water Management Plan is fully described in the 2004 RWMP as updated by this supplement with supply and demand projections through 2030.

More state and local attention to financing can advance sustainable groundwater management

Berkeley Law Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment | April 12th, 2025

Municipal Deliveries of Colorado River Basin Water: New Report Examines 100 Cities and Agencies

Pacific Institute | June 12th, 2011

The Pacific Institute’s Municipal Deliveries of Colorado River Basin Water documents population and water delivery information and trends for 100 cities and agencies th

The Pacific Institute’s Municipal Deliveries of Colorado River Basin Water documents population and water delivery information and trends for 100 cities and agencies that deliver water from the Colorado River basin. Since 1990, the number of people in the United States and Mexico who use Colorado River basin water has increased by more than 10 million -– but their overall per capita water use declined by an average of at least one percent per year from 1990 to 2008. The new report provides -– for the first time -– real numbers on the extraordinary population growth among cities that depend on water from the basin and on changing water delivery rates by these cities. Author Michael Cohen, senior research associate, documents the substantial water-efficiency gains made over the past twenty years by agencies delivering water from the Colorado River basin -– even by agencies and cities such as Flagstaff that already had relatively low per capita delivery rates in 1990.

Municipal Stormwater Management Spending in California: Data Extraction, Compilation, and Analysis

Environmental Management (Springer) | March 23rd, 2022

Communities in the U.S. fund stormwater management programs to reduce flooding and improve and protect water quality. Few studies have attempted to quantify municipal sto

Communities in the U.S. fund stormwater management programs to reduce flooding and improve and protect water quality. Few studies have attempted to quantify municipal storwmater management expenditures. This task is important given efforts to meet increasing water quality standards and develop new revenue sources. The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in municipal stormwater management expenditures across the state of California. The study identified and compiled publicly-available data on reported stormwater expenditures (spending) and budgets for local governments in California. Data were extracted from annual reports for over 160 public agencies. A standardized rubric of activities was developed and used to create a first-of-its-kind database of municipal stormwater budgets and expenditures. The results indicated that there is over $700 million in annual municipal stormwater spending, but this total does not represent all spending due to gaps in publicly-available data. Counties and flood control districts often have the largest total expenditures in a region, but in aggregate cities reported more spending statewide. Available data are not sufficient to adequately evaluate whether current spending meets regulatory requirements. Additionally, publicly-available data are inconsistent across geographic regions regulated by different agencies. The analysis offers a template for improved cost reporting of stormwater programs in U.S. municipalities, which can help answer key questions such as the sufficiency of current funding. Future research can use the method to evaluate spending in other states and regions, evaluate trends over time to improve outcomes, and refine the spending categories based on examples from other states. Click here for related post at UC Davis site California WaterBlog

Navigating Transformations in 2023: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Year in Review

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | April 13th, 2024