In the United States an irrigation district is a cooperative, self-governing public corporation set up as a subdivision of the State government, with definite geographic boundaries, organized, and having taxing power to obtain and distribute water for irrigation of lands within the district; created under the authority of a State legislature with the consent of a designated fraction of the landowners or citizens.
It is a special-purpose district created by statute in order to develop large irrigation projects. These districts have the power to tax, borrow, and condemn.
Sample districts State District Founded NotesCalifornia Fresno Irrigation District 1920 Distribution canals in the Fresno CountyCalifornia Imperial Irrigation District 1911 Distribution canals in the Imperial ValleyCalifornia Turlock Irrigation District 1887 First Irrigation District in CaliforniaCalifornia Merced Irrigation District 1919 Distribution canals in the Merced CountyCalifornia Nevada Irrigation District 1921 Nevada County and portions of Placer and Yuba CountiesCalifornia South San Joaquin Irrigation District 1909 Southern San Joaquin CountyCalifornia Westlands Water District 1952 San Joaquin, Kings, and Fresno CountiesNevada Truckee–Carson Irrigation District 1918 Supports agriculture in Lyon County and Churchill CountyNew Mexico Carlsbad Irrigation District 1949 Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964New Mexico Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District 1925 Rio Grande in the Albuquerque Basin sectionOhio Miami Conservancy District 1914 Great Miami River and its tributariesOhio Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District 1933 Muskingum River WatershedOregon Central Oregon Irrigation District 1918 Provides irrigation water for Central OregonOregon Tumalo Irrigation District 1922 Provides irrigation water for TumaloUtah Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District 1951 Mainly operates in Salt Lake County. Called Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District until 1999Washington Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District 1910 Delivers irrigation water to farmland in the Columbia Basin
See also Deficit irrigation Environmental effects of irrigation Huerta Irrigation methods Irrigation District Act of 1916 (Smith Act) Irrigation Districts and Farm Loans Act Water district
References
External links Federal lands included in state irrigation districts "The Nevada Irrigation District Act"