All-American Canal Lining Project

The Lining of the All-American Canal will result in the conservation of approximately 68,000 acre-feet of water per year that is currently lost to seepage through the unlined canal.

GEI is currently providing design and design support during construction for the All American Canal Lining Project (AACLP). The AACLP will result in the conservation of approximately 67,700 acre-feet per year of water that is currently lost to seepage through the unlined canal. First authorized by federal legislation in 1988, the AACLP is a cornerstone of the California Colorado River Water Use Plan and the QSA.

The project consists of a 10,155 cfs, 23-mile-long concrete lined canal located adjacent to and parallel with the existing canal. The lining project starts approximately 20 miles west of Yuma, Arizona. The 23 mile alignment crosses Interstate Highway 8 twice and cuts through the Algodones Sand Dunes. The project includes tie-ins to three power drops. During preliminary design, an alternative alignment was developed that consisted of crossing over from the right hand side of the existing AACLP to the left hand side to avoid the Algodones Sand Dunes. This change resulted in a savings of several million dollars. The alignment adjustment also provided a buffer between the dunes (which were encroaching on the existing canal) and the new canal, resulting in substantial O&M benefits. Another interesting cost-saving idea that developed during preliminary design was the use of Reach 2 of the existing canal as a regulating reservoir to compensate for storage lost in Reach 1. This new concept was incorporated into the final design.

Construction is planned to start in June 2007.