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For centuries, two granite outcroppings at the Yuma Crossing created a safe narrow place to cross the wild Colorado River,
which often stretched as far as 10 miles wide.
The Quechan Indian Tribe swam people and animals across the river.
In 1849 alone, during the California Gold Rush, 60,000 people crossed by rope ferry.
The U.S. Army used the Crossing as both fort and supply base,
with the creation of Fort Yuma and the Yuma Quartermaster Depot.
In 1877, the Iron Horse arrived with the Southern Pacific Railroad, bringing with it a population and economic boom.
Yuma was no longer just a crossing, it was a destination.
As the Arizona Territory entered the 20th Century, Yuma's growth depended on taking advantage
of its rich agricultural soil and ideal climate for growing winter produce.
But, it lacked a stable and secure water source from the unpredictable Colorado River.
There was either too little water due to drought or too much water causing floods.
The river needed to be managed to protect Yuma Valley's agricultural lands,
and the territory needed the the federal government's help to do that.
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President Theodore Roosevelt realized that harnessing water was the key to supporting Western growth and development.
The federal government was able to provide funding and expertise
for water containment and delivery projects the West urgently needed.
In 1902 Congress created US Reclamation Service,
now the Bureau of Reclamation.
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Authorized in 1904 under the Reclamation Act, the Yuma Project was one of the first federal projects on the Colorado River.
The intent of the Yuma Project, was to deliver irrigation water to Yuma's agricultural fields.
The Quatermaster Depot served as Reclamation's headquarters.
Newspaper headlines such as "Hail to the new Yuma - the Queen of the desert, the Alexandria of the American Nile"
refected local enthusiasm for the project.
The first feature of the Yuma Project was Laguna Dam,
a diversion dam which fed 60 miles of 10 primary canals and 218 miles of laterals.
It was constructed between 1905 and 1909 at a cost of $2 million,
using techniques from India and Egypt to overcome the silt laden terrain.
Levees were also built with a dual purpose - for flood protection and transportation of materials to the dam site.
Water was brought to Yuma through canals on the California side of the Colorado River.
The challenge was how to get water across the river to the Yuma Valley,
which was by far the largest area to be irrigated.
A flume crossing was considered but eliminated due to frequent flooding of the Colorado River.
The decision was made to construct an inverted siphon, a major engineering feat.
The siphon was built with three concrete structures, which together form the wide U-shaped structure.
The tunnel under the river is 14 feet in diameter, 955 feet long, with 2 foot concrete walls.
To built the siphon, Reclamation brought in 26 experienced compressed air workmen.
Completed on June 29, 1912, the year of Arizona's Statehood, the siphon was heralded at the time:
Male Voice: "The great siphon under the Colorado River filled with water and glad tidings went out the the world
today that the thirsty lands of the Yuma Valley would henceforth receive and abundance of water."
The siphon continues to operate today, bringing water to the City of Yuma and the Yuma Valley.
In the late 1930s Imperial Dam and its desilting works was added to the river system
along with the development of the All-American Canal and Gila Gravity Main Canal.
The All-American Canal delivers water to the Imperial and Coachella Valleys in California and to the Yuma Project.
The Gila Gravity Main Canal delivers water to the Mesa, Welton Mohawk, and the Gila Valley.
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Despite all the physical changes over the last 100 years, one thing has not changed,
the Bureau of Reclamation works in close partnership with the local community.
Local irrigation districts were responsible for repaying the original Federal investment,
and are responsible for ongoing operations of the canals and associated Reclamation owned facilities.
There are 230,000 acres of irrigated lands in Yuma County alone
and Yuma provides about 90% of all the leafy vegetables grown in the U.S.
President Theodore Roosevelt's vision for the West has become a reality,
but it also evolves to meet current and future challenges through both local and federal efforts.
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