Paloma Irrigation & Drainage D

Paloma Irrigation & Drainage District (PIDD) is a U.S. state government entity located in Maricopa County, Arizona, that manages water resources for agricultural irrigation. PIDD operates and maintains a 99-mile network of irrigation ditches and canals, delivering approximately 185,000 acre-feet of water annually to 27,000 acres of farmland. The district relies on a combination of groundwater from 84 wells (64%) and surface water from the Gila River (25%) to meet its water supply needs. As a recipient of federal grant awards, PIDD primarily engages in water conservation and infrastructure modernization projects aimed at improving the efficiency and reliability of its irrigation system in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin.

Through a series of grant awards from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, PIDD has undertaken several projects to upgrade its aging infrastructure and implement water-saving technologies. These projects, funded under programs such as WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) and the Water Conservation Field Services Program, include the installation of automated gates, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and other modernization efforts. Notable projects include the replacement of 16 manually controlled jack lift gates and 24 slide gates along Lateral D with automated alternatives, the installation of three automated SCADA-controlled gates in the Gila Bend Main Canal, and the implementation of Rubicon gates at various locations. Additionally, PIDD has conducted a System Optimization Review to evaluate and improve its overall water management strategies. These initiatives aim to reduce water losses, optimize delivery efficiency, and conserve water resources, with some projects expected to result in annual water savings of up to 2,985 acre-feet.