All-American Canal work scheduled for June start

After nearly a year's delay, Imperial Irrigation District expects to start construction June 4 on a project to line a portion of the earthen-banked All-American Canal with concrete.

The project had been put on hold because of legal challenges issued by environmentalists and businesses on both sides of the border, who say seepage from the 70-year-old canal is a vital water source for the Mexicali Valley aquifer.

Last month, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco lifted its injunction, clearing the way for the project to proceed, said Kevin Kelley, spokesman for Imperial Irrigation District. The irrigation district operates the federal waterway under a contract with the Department of Interior.

The delay was a costly one. Kelley said the price tag will now be about $287 million, an increase of $30 million.

Fortunately, he said, Imperial Irrigation District was able to keep the same contractors, Kiewitt Pacific Corp. and Ames Koffman, throughout the delay so the district didn't have to go out to bid again.

The project involves lining 23 miles of the canal with concrete from Pilot Knob to the west, Kelley said. That area of the 82-mile-long canal has the worst seepage because of its sandy soil.

When completed, hopefully by March 2010, the project is expected to save 67,700 acre-feet of water a year, he said. One acre-foot of water is considered enough for a family of four for a year.

Funding is being provided by the state of California and city of San Diego. The All-American Canal lining is part of the state's effort to comply with the Quantification Settlement Agreement signed in 2003. The multi-state water pact calls for California to scale back its use of Colorado River water to live within its allocation of 4.4 million acre-feet established in the 1922 Colorado River Compact.

Of that allocation, Imperial Irrigation District is entitled to up to 3.1 million acre-feet, of which the vast majority is currently used for agriculture.

As part of the Quantification Settlement Agreement, Imperial Irrigation District is being called upon to save water from various conservation measures to send it to the San Diego County Water Authority, the Coachella Valley Water District and the Metropolitan Water District.

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Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.