Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District

What Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District does

Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District (WMIDD) is a political subdivision of the state of Arizona, created by state legislation in 1951, that operates as a municipal utility delivering three core services to agricultural lands in southwestern Arizona's Sonoran Desert: (i) irrigation water delivery from the Colorado River through 378 miles of canals, laterals, and return flow channels to approximately 62,750 acres (58,200 irrigable acres in the valley plus 4,550 on the mesa); (ii) drainage management via a network of 90 drainage wells and 300 observation wells that control groundwater and saline return flow; and (iii) electrical power distribution to 3,053 meters from three hydroelectric dams through Western Area Power Administration contracts. The District's underlying technology stack includes a SCADA system on main canals for remote gate control, computerized water use records with practically instantaneous access, a prototype irrigation scheduling service using neutron probe and infrared thermometer technology, and the first widespread deployment of laser land-leveling for dead-level basin irrigation.

WMIDD serves primarily agricultural landowners and farmers (lettuce, wheat, alfalfa, cotton, citrus, vegetables, specialty seeds) plus a smaller residential customer base and the Martinez Lake recreational area. The District holds one of the most secure water rights on the lower Colorado River, secured through Public Law 93-320 and the Minute 242 international agreement with Mexico, with an allowable consumptive use of 278,000 acre-feet per year. Named enterprise customers include McElhaney Cattle Company (one of the largest U.S. feedlots, custom-feeding up to 100,000 head), Smith Farms, Amigo Farms, and GreenGate Fresh. Valuation of the District's economic role is reinforced by the fact that Yuma County produces up to 90% of U.S. leafy greens during November-March.

The District's revenue model combines per-acre Operation and Maintenance charges (covering the first 4 acre-feet of water with tiered excess-use pricing), electricity distribution billing through a SmartHub co-op portal, and statutory authority to levy property taxes. Reported power distribution revenue is approximately $4 million per year in unadjusted terms; the District does not publish consolidated financials. Operations are run with a small staff (1-10 employees reported) and direct service delivery into a bounded geographic territory — no external go-to-market, no traditional distribution channels, and no third-party customers beyond district boundaries.

Name

Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District

Legal name

Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District

Website

https://wmidd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District is a Arizona municipal utility that delivers Colorado River irrigation water, drainage management, and hydroelectric power distribution to approximately 62,750 acres of agricultural land and 3,053 power customers in the Yuma County portion of the Sonoran Desert.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Irrigation & Power Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Utilities (22), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Irrigation Design, Installation & Maintenance Services (Engineering, Retrofit, Repair) (AFAAACAL), Drainage & Field Water Management (Tile Drainage, Ditches, Water Table Control) (AFAAACAJ), Agricultural Irrigation Water Conveyance Pipelines (Long-Distance) (TLAGAHAD), Pipes, Tubing & Conveyance Infrastructure (Mainlines, Laterals, Hoses) (AFAAACAG)

Keywords

• Irrigation water delivery
• Drainage management services
• Electric power distribution
• Agricultural water supply
• Municipal irrigation district

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Water Service Charges: Basic per-acre Operation and Maintenance charge including first 4 acre-feet of water, with increasing rates per acre-foot for water use above the minimum
2. Power Distribution Revenue: Revenue from electricity distribution to residential, agricultural, and commercial customers across the service area; approximately $4 million per year in unadjusted annual revenue
3. Property Tax Assessments: Authority to levy taxes for operation, maintenance, and repayment of project construction costs
4. Hydroelectric Power Contracts: Power supply contracts from three hydroelectric dams on the Colorado River through Western Area Power Administration (U.S. Department of Energy)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District is a municipal Arizona political subdivision that delivers Colorado River irrigation water through 378 miles of canals and laterals, manages groundwater drainage through 90 pumping wells and 300 observation wells, and distributes electrical power from three Colorado River hydroelectric dams via Western Area Power Administration contracts. It serves approximately 62,750 acres of agricultural land in southwestern Arizona's Sonoran Desert. It also operates weather monitoring stations and provides treated and untreated water to residential customers within its boundary.

Product overview

Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District operates as a municipal corporation providing three core services to agricultural lands in southwestern Arizona: irrigation water delivery from the Colorado River through an extensive canal system, drainage management using a network of pumping wells to control groundwater and return flows, and electrical power distribution from hydroelectric sources. The District also operates weather monitoring stations for agricultural support. The District's water right is one of the most secure on the lower Colorado River, serving approximately 58,200 irrigable acres in the valley and 4,550 acres on the mesa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Irrigation Water Delivery Delivery of Colorado River water through 378 miles of main canals, laterals, and return flow channels to agricultural lands, with water measured through flow-measuring devices at each turnout. Serves approximately 62,750 acres (58,200 irrigable in valley plus 4,550 on mesa).
• Drainage Management Groundwater control and return flow management using approximately 90 drainage wells and 300 observation wells to prevent waterlogging and manage saline content beneath irrigated fields. Returns saline water to the Colorado River.
• Power Distribution Electrical power distribution to the Wellton-Mohawk Valley area serving 3,053 connected meters (as of 1995), sourced from three Colorado River hydroelectric dams through contracts with Western Area Power Administration. Service territory includes Martinez Lake area (added 1957).
• Weather Monitoring Stations District-operated weather stations (WM001 Wellton, WM002 Mohawk Valley, WM003 Dome Valley) providing local climate data for agricultural operations within the District.
• Municipal Water Supply Treated potable water supplied to the residential area adjacent to the District headquarters and outlying District-owned residences, plus untreated canal water delivered to hundreds of individual domestic users within the District boundary.

Quantifiable outcome

• Irrigation efficiencies greater than 75% achieved through on-farm improvements on 48,000 acres
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 1974Federal agency that constructed the original Wellton-Mohawk irrigation project; continues to oversee water allocation from Colorado River; involved in flood control and water quality management through Public Law 93-320 authorized programs
• USDA Soil Conservation ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 1974Provided on-farm improvements through 1974-1986; assisted with irrigation system improvements on approximately 48,000 acres achieving irrigation efficiencies greater than 75%
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1974Issued Section 404 permit for Gila River channel enhancement project (1986); lead federal agency for environmental compliance during 1993 flood restoration; collaborated on flood control infrastructure
• Western Area Power Administration (U.S. Department of Energy)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1951Supplies hydroelectric power from three Colorado River dams to the District; power delivered through contracts for project pumping plants, drainage, and relifts
• International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral U.S.-Mexico agency overseeing administration of waterways and boundaries; administered Minute 242 agreement and desalination plant authorization for managing Colorado River salinity
• Arizona Department of Environmental QualityminorOthersParticipated in Interagency Working Group for 1993 flood restoration environmental compliance
• Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentminorOthersInitially opposed Gila River channel clearing but later fully supported the mitigation plan for the channel enhancement project
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceminorOthersParticipated in Interagency Working Group; fully supported mitigation plan for flood control project
• University of Arizona Agricultural Extension ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with District on conservation education and resource planning; maintains close contact for NRCD program advancement
• Wellton-Mohawk Valley Natural Resource Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganized by landowners in fall 1950 with same boundaries as Irrigation District; provides soils information, engineering assistance, and conservation planning help to area farmers

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Imperial Irrigation District: Largest irrigation district in California, serving approximately 6,000 square miles with Colorado River water delivery, drainage, and power generation/distribution. Most directly comparable to WMIDD in terms of integrated water-and-power municipal utility model in the lower Colorado River basin.
• Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation & Drainage District: Arizona irrigation and drainage district providing Colorado River water to agricultural lands in Pinal County. Comparable as a Central Arizona Project contractor with combined irrigation and drainage mission and similar acreage-scale operations.
• Yuma Mesa Irrigation & Drainage District: Neighboring Arizona irrigation and drainage district in the Yuma area delivering Colorado River water to mesa-top agriculture. Operates an essentially identical business model of irrigation delivery plus drainage pumping, making it the closest geographic and operational peer.
• Yuma County Water Users' Association: Non-profit irrigation district delivering Colorado River water to roughly 55,000 acres in the Yuma area, with similar agricultural customer base and irrigation infrastructure to WMIDD. Operates in the same immediate geography, addressing the same Yuma County growers.

Broad incumbents

• Central Arizona Project: Statewide 336-mile aqueduct system delivering Colorado River water to municipal, agricultural, and tribal users across central and southern Arizona. WMIDD is itself a CAP-related agricultural contractor; CAP represents the broader infrastructure backbone WMIDD draws from.
• Salt River Project: One of the largest U.S. irrigation and electric power utilities, serving agricultural water and electricity across central Arizona. Comparable integrated water-and-power municipal utility model, though at much greater scale and with broader customer base than WMIDD.

Regional players

• Parker Valley Water Users' Association: Arizona irrigation district serving agricultural lands in La Paz County along the Colorado River, with similar crop mix and Colorado River water rights profile. Comparable scale and operating model but operating in a different geographic sub-region of Arizona.
• Electrical District No. 2 of Pinal County: Arizona political subdivision providing electric distribution in Pinal County under a model comparable to WMIDD's power franchise. Relevant peer for WMIDD's electric distribution utility arm though geographically distinct.

Others

• Western Area Power Administration: U.S. Department of Energy agency that markets hydroelectric power from federal dams on the Colorado River, including the three dams from which WMIDD contracts power. Comparable as an enabling infrastructure counterparty in WMIDD's vertically integrated utility model.
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Lower Colorado Region: Federal agency that constructed the original Wellton-Mohawk project, manages Colorado River allocations, and operates Hoover and other Colorado River dams supplying WMIDD's hydroelectric power. Key institutional counterparty and infrastructure provider rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/117312838328103
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wellton-mohawk-co-op

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District