Imported Sources of Water
Water for agricultural irrigation primarily comes from the Colorado River. It is delivered to local farms via the 123-mile Coachella Canal. A quarter to a third of farm irrigation water is groundwater, pumped from privately owned wells.
In addition to local farms, 36 golf courses within the Coachella Valley Water District use imported water from the Coachella Canal to supplement their groundwater use.
CVWD also uses imported Colorado River water and State Water Project water exchanged for Colorado River water to artificially replenish the aquifer at 4 sites throughout the Coachella Valley. Replenishing with imported water supplements natural groundwater replenishment from rain and melted snow.
History
Prior to the Coachella Canal's completion in 1948, imported water was not available to the Coachella Valley. The first water deliveries took place in 1949.
In the 1960s CVWD and Desert Water Agency became State Water Project contractors. Together, the 2 agencies use their entitlement to the State Water Project to replenish the western Coachella Valley’s aquifer at the Whitewater Spreading Area, the valley’s largest groundwater recharge facility. The combined entitlement is the third largest among state water project contractors.
Since 1973, the districts have replenished more than 3.6 million acre-feet of imported water at this site. Previously, the Water District relied on rain and snowmelt from nearby mountains to naturally replenish the aquifer at the location.
