Yima Project Case Study

The developers of the Yuma project had to overcome several challenges before the project was built. Natural hazards and other difficulties made it hard to achieve the goal of building the Yuma project. The natural catastrophes that occurred at that time made detractors of the project criticise it even further. “Floods constituted a major hazard for the Yuma project.” They damaged the project several times, while it was built, being “fed by rapidly melting snow” in spring and early summer and were running high due to that fact. In addition, those flood times were often followed by low running water. In consequence it was hard for farmers to grow crops, as they could not predict the amount of water available. After the Hoover Dam was built, a …show more content…
Only very few were actually settling in the county, because of the flood hazards created by the Colorado. The Colorado river provides a huge area with water. Seven states gain water from the river, which means, that the majority of the water cannot be used for agriculture. Despite this fact, an immense amount of the water is used for agriculture. Furthermore, not only the greater use of water for agriculture creates problems. The dam blocks the upper river and consequently the water level is too low for the steamboats to travel safely. The Yuma project has a negative impact on the steamer business. Considering, that most of the water is used for agriculture, the water level is already fairly low. In certain times or places, the river does not even contain water. The river is dry. Transportation on the waterway is not possible anymore. “Steamboats still cruised up the Colorado River from Mexico, packed with goods, when the bureau started building the Laguna Dam around 1906…” The Yuma project symbolizes the end of the steamboat era. However, the project also symbolizes the beginning of irrigated agriculture. Irrigation expands Yuma, the population increases, more towns and farms are founded. The economy becomes more stable and richer through the agriculture. Yuma becomes rich. “The construction of the Laguna Dam and siphon caused a great spurt in land development in the Yuma and Gila …show more content…
But anyways, there are some disadvantages caused by the project. Before the project was built, the steamboats could travel up the Colorado river and transport goods from Mexico all the way through seven states and up to Wyoming. Undeniably, the river was an important means of transportation. However, the Yuma project lowered the water height for a great deal. Consequently the steamboats could not travel safe on the river anymore. The waterway could not be used for transportation anymore. The steamboat business decreases in Yuma county. Nevertheless, the Yuma project stabilized the economy of Yuma a lot. The majority of the now usable water is benefiting the agriculture. The town expands greatly, as the city grows richer. Whereas Yuma county does not have a water shortage anymore, the land coming afterwards, which did benefit from the water transported by the Colorado river, cannot use that water anymore. Especially in Mexico the water shortage is conspicuous. The irrigation system pilfers water from the river. “In years of low flow, any shortfall required to meet Mexican treaty rights will be made up in equal quantities by the upper and lower basin states.” The Basin states have to give a certain amount of water to Mexico. But the Colorado is partially very low or does not even contain any water. Thus, the water supply is limited. “We would be unwise to assume