Proposition 218 Public Hearing for the Proposed Benefit Assessment
A public hearing is scheduled for August 29, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. at the District’s Fresno office. At this hearing, there will be an opportunity for landowners and the general public to be heard with respect to the proposed assessment. The ballots which were mailed on July 14, 2017, will be tabulated according to the proportional financial obligation of the affected property on August 29, 2017, at the conclusion of the hearing’s public comment portion which begins at 8:00 a.m. Ballots that are received after the conclusion of the hearing will not be counted. If the number of weighted votes on ballots submitted in opposition to the proposed assessment exceeds the number of weighted votes on ballots submitted in favor, the Board will not impose the proposed benefit assessment. Staff is available to answer questions about the process or how to properly fill out a ballot. You may contact the District Secretary, Bobbie Ormonde, at (559) 241-6203 for assistance. A Frequently Asked Questions document is also available on the website.
California WaterFix Special Board Meetings
The next scheduled Special Board Meeting for the California WaterFix will be held on August 22, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. in the Harris Ranch Ballroom, located at 24505 W. Dorris Avenue, Coalinga, CA 93210. Further information will be considered by the Board at the Special Meeting scheduled to be held on August 29, 2017 at the District’s Fresno office located at 3130 N. Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93703. The District has not yet made a decision about participation in the project. The purpose of the meetings is to consider many factors associated with the project. Input from water users and landowners is appreciated. Copies of presentation materials are available by contacting the public affairs office at (559) 241-6233 or email gholman@westlandswater.org.
2017-2018 CVP Water Supply Update
Reclamation established a Rescheduled Water cap of 150,000 acre-feet (AF). The cap will limit the District’s share of Rescheduled Water into the 2018-2019 water contract year to about 100,000 AF. The District forecasts that due to Reclamation’s Rescheduled Water cap, approximately 316,000 AF of water allocated to users might not be delivered prior to March 1, 2018, and the remaining water in excess of the cap will be lost. You are encouraged to log-in to your Westlands Water User account to track supply and plan your use for the remainder of the water contract year to avoid loss of allocated water. You are strongly encouraged to consider delivering surface water in-lieu of pumping groundwater. If the District does not deliver enough surface water to recover its Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs, then water users may be charged O&M on lost water.
The CVP currently has approximately 9.4 million AF of water stored in northern CVP reservoirs. This represents 143 percent of the 15-year average. Storage in Shasta Reservoir is approximately 3.8 million AF; 134 percent of the 15-year average. Federal storage in San Luis Reservoir is approximately 766,000 AF; 300 percent of the 15-year average. Jones Pumping Plant is currently operating at 100 percent of capacity and pumped approximately 140,000 AF thus far in August. The current Agricultural Water Rate for 2017-2018 CVP water is $160.18 per AF.
Land-Based Charges September Installment
The September installment of the 2017-2018 Land-Based Charges is due September 25, 2017. A penalty will be added to unpaid charges on the day following the payment due date. Please contact Deborah Tuggle at (559) 241-6212 for additional information about Land-Based Charges.
Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Update
The District’s GSP Water User’s Technical Committee will meet in September to discuss the technical side of the District’s GSP development. If you are interested in participating in the District’s GSP development, contact Kiti Campbell at (559) 241-6226 or sgma@westlandswater.org.
ASR Pilot Project Tours
The District is currently performing an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Pilot Project to determine the feasibility of using ASR to temporarily store water supplies for use at a later date. ASR injects surface water through a well and into an aquifer for storage, which is later recovered for use. The District will conduct a tour of the ASR Pilot Project and would like to invite interested water users to the tour. If you are interested in attending, please contact Kiti Campbell at 559-241-6226 or kcampbell@westlandswater.org.
Westlands Water Quality Coalition Members
Westlands Water Quality Coalition (WWQC) members were required to complete the 2016 Farm Evaluation Survey and the 2016 Nitrogen Summary Report by March 1, 2017. The submittal period is closed and WWQC is reviewing the submitted information. WWQC will identify discrepancies and erroneous records on all submitted Farm Evaluation Surveys and Nitrogen Management Summary Reports. WWQC will contact you with questions/clarifications regarding your submitted information; please respond promptly.
Department of the Navy Agricultural Leases
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest has provided the enclosed announcement informing interested bidders about Department of the Navy Agricultural Leases as Naval Air Station Lemoore. Please use the contact information in the announcement if you have any questions about the agricultural lease program.
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY ADVERTISEMENT FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO LEASE GOVERNMENT LANDS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES
- The Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, proposes to lease Government owned land for agricultural purposes located at Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA under the process and terms outlined in the Invitation for Bid (IFB).
- Sealed bid and deposit must be received at Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, ATTN: Erin Wilson, Real Estate, Code JV10.EW, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, California, 92132-5190, by 2:00 P.M. Pacific Time, on TUESDAY, August 22, 2017. The bid opening will be conducted via a live conference call ONLY at 2:00 P.M. Pacific Time on TUESDAY, August 22, 2018. As there will be no public access to the conference center, refer to call-in information in the IFB to listen to the actual bid opening. Bids will NOT be accepted after 2:00 P.M. FAX COPIES OF PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED RESPONSIVE.
- DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
| Parcel | Acres (AC) Farmable/ Rangeland | IFB Number | Lease Term |
| 4A12/4A61F5 | +/- 275.4 Total AC | N62473LO10653 | Lease term not to exceed Ten (10 years) Please reference each Parcel’s Invitation for Bid on NECO for the details of the Lease terms |
| 4A38 | +/- 213.3 Total AC | N62473LO10650 | Lease term not to exceed Ten (10 years) Please reference each Parcel’s Invitation for Bid on NECO for the details of the Lease terms |
- IFB package and instructions will be posted electronically on Navy Electronic Commerce Online (NECO). Interested bidders can view the IFB package by parcel number, print, and submit the completed Bid Form with a bid deposit.
- Interested bidders can access the following NECO website and proceed with the following steps:
- Search Synopsis
- Under NAICS Code scroll down to: “111 – Crop Production”
- Click on “Search” at bottom of page.
- Click on “NAS Lemoore Parcel 4A12/4A61” or “NAS Lemoore Parcel 4A38”, for the parcel you wish to view.
- Click on “View Solicitation.”
- Under the Line Items section, download the file listed.
- The IFB documents must be reviewed thoroughly.
- Print the IFB documents, which include the Bid Form in the downloaded file.
- Complete and submit bid according to instructions outlined in the IFB.
- If you are a registered user on NECO, you may add yourself to the Plan Holder List. The Plan Holder List will notify you if there are any updates or amendments to the advertisement. To add yourself to the Plan Holder List: after you click on View Solicitation, locate Plan Holder List (below Issue Date) and click on “Add/Del.”
- If you have any questions, please contact the following Realty Specialists: Jennifer Toups, Realty Specialist, at (619) 532-2331 or via email at jennifer.toups@navy.mil; and Erin Smith, Realty Specialist, at (619) 532-3889 or via email at erin.m.smith1@navy.mil.
- The Department of the Navy reserves the right not to award the Lease.
Lands Available for Lease
The District has upwards of 18,000 acres for lease this fall. For a list of available land, please contact Cork McIsaac of Agriculture Industries, Inc. at (916) 372-5595 or (800) 822-1415.
Advance Notice of 2018-2019 Inspection and Repair Shutdown Schedule
The following table provides water users with one-year advance notice of the District’s planned pumping plant and system inspection and repair shutdown schedule for fiscal year 2018-2019.
| Week | Division Valves | Pumping Plant |
| October 1,2018 | 18L | |
| October 8 | 17L | |
| October 15 | 20L | |
| October 22 | 16L | |
| October 29 | 15L | |
| November 5 – November 12 | 16RA, B & C | |
| November 26 | 30R | |
| December 3 | 19R | |
| December 10 | 20R | |
| December 17 | 26R | |
| January 7, 2019 | 38L | |
| January 14 | 35L | |
| January 28 | 37-0.3 | 37L |
| February 4 | 2-0.5 | 2L |
| February 11 | 4R |
Holiday Office Closure & Water Ordering Procedures
District offices will be closed on Monday, September 4, 2017, in observance of Labor Day. The affected water ordering deadlines are as follows:
| For Water Use On | Place Water Order By |
| Saturday or Sunday – September 2 or 3 | Friday, September 1, 9:30 a.m. |
| Monday or Tuesday – September 4 or 5 | Friday, September 1, noon |
The emergency telephone number for after hours and holidays is (559) 224-1523.