Maricopa Water District

The Maricopa Water District (MWD) was formally organized in 1925, as a political subdivision and an irrigation and water conservation district under Arizona state statutes and was successfully completed in 1927. MWD is the only privately financed reclamation project of its kind. MWD provides water and power to service an area of approximately 60 square miles. The lands within MWD which are still in agricultural are cropped with cotton, vegetables, fruits, citrus, grapes, and grain. There are, however, other markets which are served by MWD including trees, flowers, grass, hobby farms, and golf courses in those areas which urbanized and developed.

MWD Today:

MWD provides surface water and groundwater. It holds the certificated rights to the waters of Agua Fria River and its tributaries and owns and operates 47 wells.

MWD also owns power facilities that are located throughout its service area and provides electric service to its Shareholders for agricultural and other purposes.

MWD owns, operates, and is developing Pleasant Harbor at Lake Pleasant. Pleasant Harbor includes a marina and an RV Resort.

MWD Facilities:

Reservoirs

MWD has a 157,600AF storage capacity in Lake Pleasant, now created by New Waddell Dam. Camp Dyer Division Dam creates Hank Raymond Lake as MWD's regulatory storage. It can store a maximum of 400 acre feet.

Beardsley Canal

Water is diverted from Camp Dyer Dam into the Beardsley Canal which is MWD's main transportation system. The concrete-lined canal extends nearly 33 miles.

Distribution System

There are approximately 100 miles of laterals, sub-laterals and pipelines situated throughout the MWD service area.

Wells

MWD owns 49 wells and provides power service to approximately 103 private wells within its service area.

Central Arizona Project (CAP) Interconnect

MWD constructed an interconnect between the CAP Canal and MWD's Beardsley Canal which enables MWD to take its Agua Fria surface water or transport CAP water for other water users.

Engineering

On-Call General Engineering Services

GEORGE CAIRO ENGINEERING, INC. (GCE) is currently serving as the District Engineer and we also provide support on related technical services including the development of District Standards on an on-call as needed basis. GCE also supports the Maricopa Water District (MWD) in their management of urbanization impacts inclusive of permitting, planning, design, and construction services efforts. All relocations or modifications to the Districts facilities due to development and urbanization are designed by GCE. In addition, impacts to the Maricopa Water District operations and maintenance are evaluated, and construction inspections are performed to ensure compliance with plans and specifications.

Representative GCE projects completed for the Maricopa Water District include the following:

  • Standard Details and District Master Specifications
  • Management of District Facility Crossings
  • Twelve Oaks Phase I and II Development Flow Control Structure Improvements
  • Cortessa Development Interim Structure Design
  • Russell Ranch Lateral 6 Facility Improvements
  • Sarah Ann Ranch Development
  • Sedella Development
  • District System Mapping and Plat Book
  • Private Irrigation Design Standards and Details
  • District Standard Details and Specifications Package
  • Beardsley Canal - Padelford Wash Siphon Improvements
  • Beardsley Canal Station 13 Emergency Spillway
  • White Tank Foothills Development Cross-Cut Canal and Lateral 9 Facility Improvements
  • Cortessa Development Cross-Cut Canal and Lateral 8 Confluence Improvemetns, Waddell, AZ
  • White Tanks Flood Retarding Structure #3 North Inlet Channel Beardsley Canal Replacement Sections
  • MCDOT Northern Parkway Highway Irrigation Impacts, Maricopa County, AZ
  • ADOT Highway 303 Irrigation Impacts Mitigation, Maricopa County, AZ

Map of District

Click here to see a map of this district.

Contacts:

George J. Cairo, P.E., D.WRE
GEORGE CAIRO ENGINEERING, INC.
1630 South Stapley Drive
Stapley Center, Suite 117
Mesa, Arizona 85204
480.921.4080
480.921.4087 (Fax)
602.690.6661 (Cell)
gcairo@gcairoinc.com

Randy Riley, P.E., Senior Project Engineer
GEORGE CAIRO ENGINEERING, INC.
1630 South Stapley Drive
Stapley Center, Suite 117
Mesa, Arizona 85204
480.921.4080
480.921.4087 (Fax)
rriley@gcairoinc.com

Glen Vortherms, General Manager
Maricopa Water District
P.O. Box 900
Waddell, AZ 85355-0900
623.546.8266
623.584.2536 (Fax)









District Website

No website is currently available.
If you have further questions, comments or concerns regarding this district please contact the MWD Office.