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The Imperial Irrigation District’s All-American Canal Lining Project has been named one of the Public Works Projects of the Year by the American Public Works Association. 

The project’s managing agencies, IID and the San Diego County Water Authority, along with the project owner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the primary contractors Kiewit Pacific Company and Ames-Coffman Joint Venture, as well as the primary consultants, Dahl Consultants, Inc./GEI Consultants, Inc., will be presented with the award during APWA’s 2010 International Congress and Exposition in Boston, Mass., in mid-August. 

The public works projects of the year awards are presented annually to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects, recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, contractor, consultant and their cooperative achievements. 

“It was really quite a project,” said Michael L. King, IID Water Department manager. “All parties involved really worked hard and cooperatively to get the job done. We’re quite proud to see our effort recognized at this level.” 

Considered a model for partnerships between state and local water agencies to invest in California’s water supply, the All-American Canal Lining Project was awarded a Project of the Year Award in the Environment category, with cost greater than $75 million. 

The project was initially authorized by Congress, and is a key element of the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement to reduce seepage from the existing earthen All-American Canal. The canal is an 82-mile structure that has been the source of the Colorado River water, into the Imperial and Coachella valleys, since 1938. The project included building a 23-mile concrete-lined canal parallel to, and replacing, a section of the earthen canal.  

The AACLP was built in three sections based on tie-ins to three hydroelectric facilities along the canal, making the project more cost effective and reducing the impacts to IID’s power-generating ability. Construction on the project began in 2007, and by April 2009, the partnering agencies celebrated the early and on-budget completion of the 23-mile mainline section of the AACLP, deeming the project substantially complete, with remaining appurtenant and environmental projects to be completed by spring of 2010. The early completion date allowed for the transfer of conserved water supplies to coastal areas, which are desperately needed to offset the impacts of statewide drought and regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from other imported water sources. In addition, extensive environmental mitigation was required that included the creation of wetlands, fish rescue/ponds, a 1,025-acre species habitat, dune restoration, large mammal mitigation, safety ladders, buoy lines and warning signs, along with a human safety outreach campaign.