Phil Swing Park set to reopen this month
Imperial Dam to remain closed amid work
A park at the base of Imperial Dam will be reopened to the public by the middle of this month, but the dam itself will remain closed as work on updating the almost 80-year-old structure continues.
Phil Swing Park, about 18 miles north of Yuma on the Colorado River, is known for free camping, fishing and boating opportunities on the California side of the river, but has been closed since September 2014 when the Bureau of Reclamation closed all public area around the dam for a project expected to last two years.
The closure was extended two years later, with most of the delays due to availability of funding from the federal government, as the work is being done in phases, Christopher Wallis of the Yuma BOR office said, “They do it when they can.”
Phil Swing Park was dedicated in 1965 and named after the “coauthor of the Boulder Dam Project (Hoover Dam) project and the All-American Canal,” according to a marker at the site.
Dam improvements include installation of a new medium voltage substation and fiber optic telecommunications network and upgrade of the facility control house.
Wallis said much needed to be done to shore up the dam. “You know, the dam is almost a hundred years old. It was built in 1938, so it needs updating and modernization; that’s what we’re doing.”
David Escobar, Imperial Irrigation District’s interim superintendent for operations and maintenance, said “Infrastructure improvements to the dam are extensive but are imperative for the continued efficient operations into the future of these important water delivery structures. While this inconveniences area residents and visitors, Reclamation and the IID are deeply committed to ensuring public safety throughout the remainder of construction.”
The irrigation district operates Imperial Dam, which is the main diversion point for river water flowing to Yuma Main Canal and Gila Gravity Main Canal in Arizona, as well as the All-American Canal and Coachella Canal into California.
Other spots on and near Imperial Dam will remain closed, including the dam control house and overlook, associated parking areas, and the McKinley Road access gate.