[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 45 (Thursday, March 9, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E206-E207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO COACHELLA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 9, 2023

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to 
the longstanding relationship between the Coachella Valley Water 
District, or CVWD, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In fact, today, 
these two agencies are celebrating more than a century of partnership 
to bring Colorado River water to the southwest United States.
  One of CVWD's first actions, after being formed in 1918, was to 
provide farms with a dependable irrigation water supply by importing 
water from the Colorado River. In 1919, the CVWD board entered into its 
first contract with the Bureau under the Kettner Bill to survey 
possible routes for the All-American Canal. A second contract was made 
under the Kincaid Act in 1921 to survey the route that would eventually 
bring Colorado River water into the Coachella Valley. In 1934, CVWD 
executed a contract with the Bureau to participate in the Boulder 
Canyon Project, which included the construction of Boulder Dam (now 
Hoover Dam), the All-American Canal, and the Coachella Branch of the 
All-American. In 1938--20 years after the formation of CVWD--
construction began on the Coachella Branch of the All-American Canal. 
The first segment of the Coachella Canal opened in 1940. The second 
segment was delayed by World War II but finished in 1943. The remaining 
segments were built after World War II, and the project was finally 
completed in 1948.
  The Coachella Valley began receiving Colorado River water in March 
1949. Shortly thereafter, CVWD developed plans to build a closed pipe 
distribution system to deliver imported water to farms. The 500-mile 
distribution system was completed in 1954. Historically, CVWD and the 
Bureau have prioritized

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long-term infrastructure projects to prioritize the efficient use of 
Colorado River water in the Coachella Valley. CVWD and the surrounding 
agricultural community have invested heavily in its irrigation delivery 
system to minimize water loss, including canal lining projects and a 
closed pipe irrigation distribution system. Agricultural customers are 
encouraged to irrigate with canal water instead of groundwater. CVWD 
delivers canal water to more than 1,200 irrigation customers. In 
addition, more than 60 percent of agricultural customers use drip 
irrigation systems, which allows the average water application to be 
less than 3.8 acre-feet per acre.
  CVWD, in partnership with the Bureau, implemented significant actions 
to conserve Colorado River Water. These investments include a 500-mile 
irrigation delivery system to minimize system losses using pipes and 
metering 100 percent of properties served. CVWD also lined a 49-mile 
section of the Coachella Canal that yielded 132,000 acre-feet per year 
in savings, as well as lined a remaining 35-mile section of Coachella 
Canal with San Diego County Water Authority and the San Luis Rey 
Settlement Parties. Today, CVWD and the Bureau are celebrating a $60 
million loan for the Irrigation Lateral Replacement Project. The 
project replaces ten sections of the aging pipeline and other water 
management structures to provide reliability in the operation and 
maintenance of this vital irrigation infrastructure. I want to 
congratulate both CVWD and the Bureau on their long partnership in 
delivering water to the Coachella Valley.

                          ____________________