The Imperial Valley Irrigation District (IID) inaugurated a water reservoir near the city of Calipatria, (located 62 kilometers north of Mexicali), with a capacity to conserve 493,392 cubic meters (m3), equivalent to 400 acre- feet per year.
The new operational reservoir is the first middle-lateral canal reservoir built through the IID System Conservation Program and is the eleventh operational reservoir in the district.
The reservoir will be named after “Lloyd Allen,” who is the director of Division 3 of the IID and an advocate for Imperial Valley water rights.
The new reservoir will help IID store 400 acre-feet of water per year and has a storage capacity of 40 acre-feet (49,339.2 m3).
In addition, the operational reservoir helps the district’s Agricultural Efficiency Conservation Program by providing good water supply services and flexibility to producers and IID water supply staff in the northern end of the valley.
“Today we celebrate one of our most recent achievements in water conservation and cooperation,” said IID Director General Jamie Asbury.
“Not only does this project show how IID and agricultural water users work together to preserve it, but it also deserves to bear the name of one of the strongest defenders of our water rights in the valley, Director Lloyd Allen.”
Allen served five terms on the IID Board of Directors, providing direction during numerous negotiations, resulting in agreements such as the 1988 water conservation compact with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the 2003 Quantification Agreement and the San Diego County Water Authority/IID. transfer program, which was signed 20 years ago this month.
“Today we recognize former Calipatria IID Director Lloyd Allen as a tireless advocate for Imperial Valley water rights, who served the valley during critical times and a generous friend and pillar of our community. ,” said Director Gina Dockstader who, like Allen, holds the Division 3 seat.
“Director Allen has been a dedicated and influential leader in shaping many agreements affecting current and future water use throughout Southern California and along the Colorado River,” added IID Board Vice Chairman JB Hamby, who takes over. to Allen as Colorado River Chairman. California Board, on which Allen served from 2002 to 2006 as the last IID member to chair the board.
“We are grateful for his legacy of dedication and leadership to the district and the communities he served.”
Wednesday’s dedication was attended by more than 100 people and included local dignitaries, representatives of the California Colorado River Board, the San Diego County Water Authority, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Coachella Valley, Palo Verde Irrigation District and the California Agricultural Water Coalition, among others.
Former IID CEO Jesse Silva told those gathered that Allen was “really committed to water conservation,” and explained that Allen felt the Imperial Valley was always under the microscope for water use.
Allen believes “the best way forward is to negotiate the best terms we can get, and I think we’ve achieved that.”
