Imperial Irrigation District

Imperial Irrigation District
District overview
Formed 1911 (1911-MM)
Preceding District
TypeIrrigation district
HeadquartersImperial, California
Websitewww.iid.com

The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is an irrigation district that serves the Imperial Valley and a large portion of the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert region of Southern California. Established under the State Water Code, the IID supplies roughly 500,000 acres (200,000 ha) of Imperial Valley farmland with raw Colorado River water to support irrigation.[1] IID also supplies electrical energy to the Imperial and Coachella valleys.

IID was formed in 1911 under the California Irrigation District Act to acquire the properties of the bankrupt California Development Company and its Mexican subsidiary.[2] The IID was formed as a public agency, acquiring 13 mutual water companies in the valley which had developed and operated water distribution canals. The district is headquartered in Imperial, California.

The IID is a key partner in the Quantification Settlement Agreement—a pack of several agreements among California water districts entered into in 2003 to help California live within its entitlement of 4.4 million acre-feet of Colorado River water a year. Water conserved through conservation projects under the QSA is made available for the Southern California Coastal communities (San Diego County Water Authority, Coachella Valley Water District and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California).

  1. ^ Anton, Mike (March 14, 2008). "A way of life drying up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "Imperial Irrigation District". ACWA's 75-year history. Association of California Water Agencies. 1985. p. 97.