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. It is 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Yuma, Arizona.

Imperial Reservoir
Imperial Diversion Dam and Reservoir complex in 1972
Location of Imperial Reservoir in California, USA.
Location of Imperial Reservoir in California, USA.
Imperial Reservoir
Location of Imperial Reservoir in California, USA.
Location of Imperial Reservoir in California, USA.
Imperial Reservoir
LocationLower Colorado River Valley
Imperial County, California
Yuma County, Arizona
Coordinates32°53′00″N 114°28′04″W / 32.8833°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
Managing agencyUnited States Bureau of Reclamation
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

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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.

The Senator Wash flows eastward from California into the reservoir.[1] The Wash is blocked by Senator Wash Dam to form the Senator Wash Reservoir, which provides more storage for the canals.[2]

Recreation

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The Bureau of Land Management operates camping sites on the north and south shores of Senator Wash and at Xanyō Xamshré (a backwater of the river).[3][4][5] It also operates a long-term campsite below the dam.[6] Hidden Shores, a BLM concessionaire, is located on the east shore of the Imperial Reservoir.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "How's My Waterway?". 6 December 2021.
  2. ^ https://www.iid.com/water/water-transportation-system/colorado-river-facilities/senator-wash [bare URL]
  3. ^ "Senator Wash North Shore | Bureau of Land Management".
  4. ^ "Senator Wash South Shore | Bureau of Land Management".
  5. ^ "T.K. Jones Campground and Boat Launch | Bureau of Land Management".
  6. ^ "Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area | Bureau of Land Management".
  7. ^ https://www.hiddenshores.com/ [bare URL]
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