Imperial Reservoir

The Imperial Reservoir is an artificial lake formed by the construction of the Imperial Diversion Dam across the Colorado River in the Lower Colorado River Valley of Imperial County, California, and Yuma County, Arizona. A component of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, the reservoir is 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Yuma, Arizona.

Imperial Reservoir
Imperial Diversion Dam and Reservoir complex in 1972
Imperial Reservoir
Imperial Reservoir
LocationLower Colorado River Valley
Imperial County, California
Yuma County, Arizona
Coordinates32.8833°N 114.4677°W / 32.8833; -114.4677
Lake typeReservoir
Primary inflowsColorado River
Primary outflowsColorado River
Catchment area5,756 acres (2,329 ha)
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area28 km2 (11 sq mi)
Water volume160,000 acre⋅ft (200,000,000 m3)
Surface elevation56 m (184 ft)
ReferencesU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Imperial Reservoir

Dry wash watersheds

Dry washes are the major watershed feed systems to Imperial Reservoir. The next upstream major watershed feeder is the Bill Williams River from western Arizona. Upstream on the Colorado River, the basic feeder watershed to Imperial Reservoir is the Havasu-Mojave Lakes Watershed, of Lake Havasu.

Two dry wash watershed attempt to enter the Imperial Reservoir from western Arizona, south of the Bill Williams River: the Bouse and Tyson Washes. Both washes end on the eastern perimeter of the Colorado River Indian Reservation along the Colorado River. Neither enters the river proper, except in extreme flood stage.

No "lengthy" watersheds flow eastwards from California; all are short distance, in the extreme aridity of this desert region.

See also

References

  • "Imperial Diversion, California". FindLakes. 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  • Bureau of Reclamation (29 June 2009). "Imperial Diversion Dam". U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
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