Cultural Water Demands

• Refer to Table 4.6-8 and Figure 4.6-10.

• Population in this basin has increased substantially since 1980, increasing from 13,653 in 1980 to 51,549 in 2000.   

• Groundwater use has increased in this basin since 1971, with an average of 17,500 AFA from 1971-1975 and an average of 54,000 AFA from 2001-2005.

• The cultural water demand table for this basin reflects the amount of water pumped from wells and diverted from streams for use.  Some of these water uses may be accounted as Colorado River water based on an entitlement system established by Decree by the U.S. Supreme Court in Arizona v. California et.al.  Further information on Colorado River entitlements in this planning area is provided in Section 4.0.6.

• Surface water diversions in this basin were relatively minimal in the 1970s, with a significant increase in surface water diversions in 1980-1985.  Current surface water diversions are 69,000 AFA on average during 2001-2005.

• The majority of surface water use from 1990-2005 was for agricultural irrigation on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation in the vicinity of Mohave Valley.

• Municipal and industrial demand is found along Highway 95 north of Mohave Valley and in the vicinity of Bullhead City.  Although the USGS National Gap Analysis Program GIS cover used for Figure 4.6-10 does not show high intensity municipal and industrial use in the vicinity of Bullhead City, this use exists in this area.

• Municipal groundwater demand has grown from 12,700 AFA in 1991 to 18,800 AFA in 2001-2005.

• Industrial groundwater demand is minimal in this basin, at an average of 600 AFA during 2001-2005. Industrial groundwater demand is for three small mines or quarries and two golf courses in the vicinity of Bullhead City.   One golf course, El Rio Country Club, opened in 2005 therefore only one year of water use for is included in the average.

• In 2001-2005 an average of 3,700 acre-feet of surface water per year was used for industrial demand.  All industrial surface water demand comes from the South Point power plant on the Fort Mojave Reservation.

• As of 2005 there were 1,887 registered wells with a pumping capacity of less than or equal to 35 gallons per minute and 353 wells with a pumping capacity of more than 35 gallons per minute.

Effluent Generation

• Refer to Table 4.6-9.

• There are fifteen wastewater treatment facilities in this basin.

• Information on population served was available for only six facilities and information on effluent generation was available for nine facilities.  These facilities serve over 15,800 people and generate over 3,100 acre-feet of effluent per year.

Click to view Table 4.6-8 Cultural Water Demand in the Lake Mohave Basin

Click to view Table 4.6-9 Effluent Generation in the

Lake Mohave Basin