IID Completes Phase 1 of Mulberry Inline Reservoir Project, Expected to Conserve Over 1,120 Acre-Feet of Water Annually

-Editorial 

The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) has completed Phase 1 of its Mulberry Inline Reservoir Project, an operational improvement designed to increase efficiency in the District’s water delivery system, advancing ongoing conservation efforts.

Located in the Mulberry Lateral near the intersection of Rutherford and Hastain roads near Brawley, the project is part of IID’s System Conservation Program and represents the first in a series of planned inline reservoirs across the District’s water system.

“This project is about working smarter with the water we already have,” said IID Board Chairwoman Karin Eugenio. “By improving how we manage and deliver water, we are supporting our agricultural community while continuing to meet our conservation commitments.”

In simple terms, the inline reservoir works like a “parking lot” for water, giving IID operators, known as zanjeros, the ability to temporarily hold returned water and time its delivery more precisely. Water stored in the reservoir can be delivered later the same day or the following day, reducing the need to move excess water through the canal system and risk operational discharge downstream.

The Phase 1 project included widening and concrete lining the first quarter-mile section of the Mulberry Lateral. It has a storage capacity of approximately 4 acre-feet and is expected to conserve more than 1,120 acre-feet of water each year.

The project also gives growers more flexibility at their delivery gate. Farmers can close their gates earlier once on-farm irrigation needs are met, knowing that unused water can be captured, stored, and delivered downstream when needed.

Without this operational reservoir, excess water at the end of the lateral would be discharged into drains when there was no immediate on-farm use. The inline reservoir helps reduce that loss by capturing and reusing water, improving overall system performance.

Phase 2 of the project is scheduled to begin in December 2026 and will include widening and lining the remaining quarter-section of the Mulberry Canal and installing two automated check gates.

IID’s Water Engineering team designed the project in-house. The construction work was carried out by District crews.

This project reflects IID’s continued investment in modernizing its water delivery system, ensuring every acre-foot of water is managed as efficiently as possible to support agriculture, conservation, and the long-term sustainability of the Imperial Valley.