IID Approves $21 Million Overhaul at District’s Largest Hydroelectric Plant by Imperial Irrigation District Nov 4, 2026 Member Submitted News IMPERIAL — Nearly 70 years after it began generating electricity with Colorado River water, the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is investing nearly $21 million to restore generating capacity at its largest hydroelectric plant. The IID Board of Directors approved the refurbishment of one of two generators at the Pilot Knob Hydroelectric Plant near Winterhaven. The generator has been out of service for three years, with repairs expected to be completed in 2029. “Pilot Knob has been part of IID’s public power system for nearly 70 years, and this investment is about making sure it remains part of our future,” said Karin Eugenio, Chairwoman of the IID Board of Directors. “By restoring equipment that has served generations of customers, we are protecting an important public asset, strengthening the reliability of our electric system and making responsible investments that will benefit our customers for decades to come.” The project is part of IID’s Powering Our Communities Together initiative, which includes plans to refurbish the District’s 17 hydroelectric generators over the next seven years. Pilot Knob was the centerpiece of IID’s $10 million 1953 Power Development Project, approved by Imperial Valley voters in that year with 89 percent support. The plant began operating January 31, 1957, becoming the District’s largest hydroelectric facility. Its history is closely tied to the Colorado River and the development of Imperial Valley. Built along a channel connecting the All-American Canal to the Colorado River, Pilot Knob generates electricity from water being delivered to Mexico under the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty. After passing through the plant, the water returns to the river through the historic Rockwood Heading, built in 1918 to divert water into the Alamo Canal. Before the All-American Canal, that canal carried Colorado River water through Mexico to Imperial Valley.
