Imperial Reservoir

For the reservoir in Texas, see Imperial Reservoir (Texas).

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
Imperial Reservoir Show map of California Imperial Reservoir Show map of the United States
Location	Lower Colorado River Valley Imperial County, California Yuma County, Arizona
Coordinates	32.8833°N 114.4677°W / 32.8833; -114.4677
Lake type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Colorado River
Primary outflows	Colorado River
Catchment area	5,756 acres (2,329 ha)
Basin countries	United States
Managing agency	United States Bureau of Reclamation
Surface area	28 km2 (11 sq mi)
Water volume	160,000 acre⋅ft (200,000,000 m3)
Surface elevation	56 m (184 ft)
References	U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Imperial Reservoir

Dry wash watersheds

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

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

• List of dams and reservoirs in California
• List of lakes of the Colorado Desert
• List of lakes in California