Bilbray Announces $98.3 Million Contract to 50th District-Based Company for Drop 2 Reservoir/Water Delivery Project

(Washington D.C.)- Rep. Brian Bilbray announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation has awarded Ames Construction, Inc. of Phoenix and Coffman Specialties, Inc., of San Diego, a joint-venture contract of $98.3 million to construct a water reservoir and water delivery project in Imperial County, Calif.

“The future of water storage relies on our ability to maximize the resources available to us in an effective and efficient way,” Rep. Bilbray said.  “This project will help us increase our water storage capacity so that we can continue to provide sufficient water resources to our region for years to come.”

The project is located just north of the All-American Canal Drop Structure No. 2, along Interstate Highway 8 in Imperial County, Calif., approximately 30 miles east of El Centro, Calif., and 25 miles west of Yuma, Ariz.  The Drop 2 Storage Reservoir and Canal project will include construction of an 8,000-acre-foot reservoir to retain water flows that are not captured currently – they now pass downstream from Imperial Dam at the southern end of the Colorado River. 

Also to be constructed is a water conveyance system capable of handling flows of up to 1,800 cubic-feet per-second.  It involves an inlet structure from the All-American and Coachella Canals to the reservoir; and an outlet structure that connects the reservoir back to the All-American Canal.

When completed, this project will provide additional water storage space within the United States to maximize the use of Colorado River water released from Parker Dam to the Canal via Imperial Dam. Work on the project is expected to be completed by August 31, 2010.

The Bureau of Reclamation, an agency of the Department of the Interior, is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.

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