Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation System, Pumping Plant No. 1, Bounded by Gila River & Union Pacific Railroad, Wellton, Yuma County, AZ

Significance: Construction on the project began in 1949 and was essentially completed in 1957. With the completion of the irrigation system, Colorado River water was delivered to previously arid lands in the lower Gila River Valley. The canal was the first of several main canals constructed in association with the Wellton-Mohawk Division of the Gila Project. Engineers with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation designed the gravity-fed system to carry water up the Gila River valley, opposite the river's flow. This required the construction of three pumping plants along the Wellton-Mohawk Canal to lift the water approximately 170'. Pumping Plant No. 1 is an integral part of the irrigation system and is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its role in regulating the flow of Colorado River water in the canals for distribution to lands under cultivation. The pumping plant is a major feature on the system and is significant under Criterion C for its design and operational characteristics.
Survey number: HAER AZ-68-A