Originally called Camp Calhoun, the site was first used as a U.S. Military post in 1849.
Largely an agriculture community, the Tribe leases its thousands of acres for agriculture to both Indian and non-Indian farmers.
In addition to farming, the Fort Yuma Quechan Reservation counts on tourism and related business to augment its economy. The hot summers and relatively warm winter temperatures make the site a desirable winter vacation spot from November to March. To serve this audience the Tribe manages a trailer and RV park, one convenient store (with a second store on the way), museum, a casino and a casino resort, utility company, a fish and game department, tribal police department and tribal court system.
According to the most recent data from the Tribal Enrollment Office, the Quechan population totals over 4,000 members.
Responding to its location on the border between the U.S. And Mexico, the Tribe operates a year-round parking lot in Andrade, California, located outside the port-of-entry into Los Algodones, Baja California, Mexico.