The Imperial Reservoir is an

artificial lake A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

formed by the construction of the

Imperial Diversion Dam The Imperial Diversion Dam (National ID # CA10159) is a Arch dam, concrete slab and buttress, dam#Spillways, ogee weir structure across the California/Arizona border, northeast of Yuma, Arizona, Yuma. Completed in 1938, the dam retains the waters ...

across the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

in the Lower Colorado River Valley of

Imperial County, California Imperial County is a county on the southeast border of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 179,702, making it the least populous county in Southern California. The county seat is El Centro. Imperial is the m ...

, and

Yuma County, Arizona Yuma County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 203,881. The county seat is Yuma. Yuma County includes the Yuma, Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county bo ...

. Partially included in the

Imperial National Wildlife Refuge The Imperial National Wildlife Refuge protects wildlife habitat along of the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California, including the last un-channeled section before the river enters Mexico. The Imperial Refuge Wilderness, a federally desi ...

, the reservoir is northeast of

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

Dry wash watersheds

Dry

wash WASH (or Watsan, WaSH) is an acronym that stands for "water, sanitation and hygiene". It is used widely by non-governmental organizations and aid agencies in developing countries. The purposes of providing access to WASH services include achievi ...

es are the major watershed feed systems to Imperial Reservoir. The next upstream major watershed feeder is the

Bill Williams River The Bill Williams River is a river in west-central Arizona where it, along with one of its tributaries, the Santa Maria River, form the boundary between Mohave County to the north and La Paz County to the south.''Arizona Atlas & Gazetteer,'' D ...

from western Arizona. Upstream on the Colorado River, the basic feeder watershed to Imperial Reservoir is the Havasu-Mojave Lakes Watershed of

Lake Havasu Lake Havasu () is a large reservoir formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California and Mohave County, Arizona, Arizona. Lake Havasu City sits on the Arizona (eastern) side of the lake with its ...

. Two dry wash watershed attempt to enter the Imperial Reservoir from western Arizona, south of the Bill Williams River: the

Bouse Bouse ( ''rhymes with "house"'') is a census-designated place (CDP) and ghost town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1908 as a mining camp, the economy of Bouse is now based on tourism, agriculture, and retirees. The populati ...

and

Tyson Wash Tyson Wash is one of the larger eastern-bank dry washes that enter the Colorado River in western Arizona. It drains the La Posa Plain south-to-north and is also coincident with the Plain's southern two thirds. It is also the southwest drainage ...

es. Both washes end on the eastern perimeter of the Colorado River Indian Reservation along the Colorado River. Neither enters the river properly, except in the extreme flood stage. No "lengthy" watersheds flow eastwards from California; all are short distances, in the extreme aridity of this desert region.

References

* *

External links

Imperial Reservoir Watershed Map
* {{authority control Reservoirs in Yuma County, Arizona National Wildlife Refuges in Arizona Reservoirs in Imperial County, California Colorado River Reservoirs in California Reservoirs in Arizona Reservoirs in Southern California

Dry wash watersheds

See also

References

External links