This notice regards:
ITEMS TO NOTE
Board of Directors Vacancy
Bobbie Ormonde: (559) 241-6203.
Todd Neves will resign from the Board of Directors effective Wednesday, February 23, 2022. Applications for appointment to this pending Board vacancy are now being accepted. To serve on the Board, you must be a landowner, a legal representative of a landowner, or designated as a representative of a landowner. Applications must be filed with the District no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 4, 2022, at the District’s Fresno Office, 3130 N. Fresno Street Fresno, CA 93703. More information is provided in the notice issued on February 16, 2022.
Annual Water Users’ Workshop
The Annual Water Users’ Workshop will be held Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. at the District’s Five Points Office. District staff will provide updates on District activities and other matters.
2022-2023 Budget, Water Rates, Charges and Land-Based Charges Approved
At the February 15, 2022, meeting, the Board of Directors adopted the 2022-2023 Recommended Budget. The budget totals $287,377,900 and may be revised when the final water supply is determined. The budget provides funds for water and power purchases and the operations, maintenance, and administrative activities of the District. The budget also includes funding for coordination with other agencies and contractors on water supply matters, legal challenges to our water supplies, debt service on the San Luis/Westlands Water District Financing Authority Revenue Bonds, Westlands Water Quality Coalition activities, and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
The Board approved implementation of the water rates and charges, which were noticed to all land owners and water users on December 30, 2021. These rates are based on a 0% Central Valley Project contract water allocation and other delivered water supplies totaling 183,982 acre-feet. With this total supply, the District O&M rate is $128.21 per acre-foot. The adopted O&M water rate of $128.21 may require modification once the final CVP contract water allocation is determined. The Board also approved land-based charges for District water supply debt service, and extraordinary repairs of distribution system pipelines. A land-based charge was approved for debt service on the San Luis Unit/Westlands Water District Financing Authority Revenue Bonds. In addition, a Westlands Water Quality Coalition charge and a Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) charge was approved to cover the costs associated with administering these programs.
Water users should also note that approved Account Monitoring Charges are $10,854 each month when any billed overuse occurs, and $1,249 each month for those who are subject to Advance Payment Monitoring. Additionally, a new Account Monitoring Charge for meters running without a valid water order was approved and is $635.53 per lateral. Water users can avoid these charges by discontinuing water use when their water supply is exhausted, making timely payments and placing valid water orders in compliance with District regulations. Tools are available on the customer section of the District’s website to help water users determine when they will run out of water. Contact your Customer Accounting Technician if you need assistance with website data or to establish a secure login.
The District will impose a processing fee for parcel information requests or bank assurance letters. The fees will range from $82.29 to $571.64 depending on the number of parcels involved.
The District will impose a USBR Capital Repayment Debt Service rate of $31.68 per acre-foot on all water delivered in the District. There is also a Well Reconfiguration fee of up to $3,100 per well site for SGMA. The complete list of rates, charges and credits may be found on the District’s website. From the home page, click Water Management, then click Water Rates.
Allocation of District System Gain
Customer Service Representative: (559) 241-6250
The Finance and Administration Committee authorized allocating 3,500 acre-feet of 2021-2022 System Gain supply to water users that delivered water during the period that system gain was generated. These allocations will appear on your February 2022 allocation statements (mailed in early March).
Projected 2022-2023 CVP Contract Allocation
The District expects that Reclamation will make an initial allocation in February. However, given the very low storage currently in CVP reservoirs, it is likely that the initial allocation to South of Delta agricultural water contractors will be 0%. Additionally, if the 2022 water year hydrology is below normal, the final allocation to South of Delta agricultural water contractors is likely to remain at 0%.
Westlands Water Quality Coalition Members
Zac Just: (559) 241-6245 or zjust@wwd.ca.gov.
Kori Peterson:(559) 241-6231 or kpeterson@wwd.ca.gov
The 2021 Crop Year Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan (INMP) Reports are due March 1, 2022. All submissions are required to be completed on the Coalition Website. The Coalition developed several tutorial videos to guide members through the submission process and are located on the Coalition website under the Member Outreach tab. If you need assistance with submittals, resetting your password,
or other Coalition items, please contact us.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Update
Antonio Solorio: (559) 241-6244 or sgma@wwd.ca.gov
The next Advisory Committee (AC) and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings are scheduled for February 22, 2022.
GWMP Meter Installation and Well Modifications
Alex Young: (559) 884-2523 X122 or ayoung@wwd.ca.gov
District staff has resumed installing meters on groundwater wells and as such will be reaching out to well owners on needed modifications and installation schedules.
The District would like to remind water users that meters installed on groundwater wells for compliance with the approved Groundwater Sustainability Plan are owned by the District and should not be adjusted or moved by water users or their staff. If water users are planning to abandon a well and want to move the meter to a new site, please contact District staff so it can be moved for you.
If a water user desires to connect a privately owned AMI or monitoring system to a District owner meter, please contact Water Measurement Specialist, John Johnston at 559-884-2523 ext. 131.
Please report meter issues, and do not remove or replace District-owned meters.
Public Affairs Survey
District staff is frequently contacted by people who want to learn more about activities in the District. Growers often have the answers and are in the best position to respond. For that reason, the District is reaching out to see if you would be willing to (a) answer a few questions about your farm or ranch and (b) participate in presentations, tours, media releases/editorials, interviews, etc., when the opportunity arises. The survey can be found on the water user site and by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BBZDBZC .
Westlands Water District Policy for Unclaimed Monies
The District’s Policy for Unclaimed Monies and a list of unclaimed monies for previous and current landowners and water users are available on both the District’s website and the web users’ login site.
Holiday Office Closures and Water Ordering Procedures
The emergency telephone number for after-hours and holidays is (559) 224-1523. District offices will be closed Monday, February 21 in observance of President’s Day. The affected water ordering deadlines are as follows:
For Water Use On | Place Water Order By |
---|---|
Monday or Tuesday – February 21 or 22 | Friday, February 18, noon |
WATER SUPPLY
2022-2023 Supplemental Water Application – Response May Be Required
Customer Accounting Technician: (559) 241-6250
The District is planning to acquire Supplemental Water from multiple sources for the 2022-2023 water contract year. The District anticipates that a partial allocation of Supplemental Water to water users could occur in late spring, but the majority of the Supplemental Water is currently planned to be allocated in late summer and early fall.
When Supplemental Water is made available for allocation, the quantity allocated to a water user’s account is a proration based upon the water available at that time and the number of irrigable acres associated with accounts that have outstanding requests. When an account’s request has been fulfilled, it will no longer receive allocations, and the irrigable acres associated with that account will not be factored into subsequent allocations. Accordingly, water users with relatively high per acre requests will receive the bulk (increment above the pro-rata amount) of their request later, if water is available.
Advance payment for acquisition costs of the water is required at the time Supplemental Water is made available for allocation, while operation and maintenance related costs will be billed when the water is used. The District will notify water users regarding the allocation advance payment when acquisition costs are more certain. The allocation advance payment will apply toward the delivered Supplemental Water rate. If an advance payment is delinquent for 30 days or more, the District may withdraw the water made available for allocation to a water user and reduce the water user’s outstanding request by the same amount.
If you would like to be part of the 2022-2023 Supplemental Water program, please complete the enclosed agreement and return it to the Fresno Office by close of business on April 29, 2022, by one of the following means.
- Mail to: Westlands Water District, P.O. Box 6056, Fresno, CA 93703. You may also hand deliver the agreement to the District’s Fresno Office, at 3130 N. Fresno Street.
- Scan and email: customeraccounting@wwd.ca.gov
- Facsimile to: (559) 241-6276
Agreements not received at the District or postmarked by the due date will not be considered timely. Late Requests will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, after timely requests are filled.
2021-2022 Supplemental Water
Customer Service Representative: (559) 241-6250
As of February 7, 2022, the timely requests for 2021-22 Supplemental Water totals 155,418 acre-feet on 362,364 acres. The District is acquiring Supplemental Water from multiple sources for the 2021-2022 water contract year. It is estimated that the District can acquire up to 153,500 acre-feet of Supplemental Water and the delivered price to water users is $1,075 per acre-foot.
The District made 144,265 acre-feet available for allocation thus far and anticipates the remaining Supplemental Water will be available this month.
2021-2022 Water Supply Update
The Central Valley Project (CVP) currently has approximately 4.3 million acre-feet of water stored in northern CVP reservoirs; this represents 64% of the 15-year average. Shasta Reservoir storage is approximately 1.67 million acre-feet; 59% of the 15-year average. Federal storage in San Luis Reservoir is 331,000 acre-feet; 53% of the 15-year average. Jones Pumping Plant has operated at about 40%
capacity this month.
Rescheduled and Carryover Water
The District anticipates no cap on the amount of water that it can carry over into the 2022-2023 contract water year. The San Luis Reservoir (SLR) is unlikely to fill under median or lesser hydrology, in which case there will be no loss based on “foregone pumping” and water users will continue to have access to carryover water throughout the 2022-2023 contract water year.
Reclamation’s Rescheduling Guidelines impose a 1% per month storage loss factor for evaporation and system losses on remaining rescheduled and carryover water in San Luis Reservoir. This loss factor will be prorated to rescheduled and carried over water remaining in water user accounts each month until the District delivers all remaining carry over water. Neither the types of water in an account nor participation in the Supplemental Water program are factors that affect the amount of water that a water user can carry over under the District’s Rescheduling Guidelines. It is possible due to water users’ use of other water types, when the loss is prorated, the percentage of loss applied will be less than 1%. The District is reviewing all costs associated with this water and will be posting appropriate charges to affected water user accounts.
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Water Ordering and Meter Turn Off
Customer Service Representative: (559) 241-6250
To set up a Westlands online account, please contact your Customer Service Representative.
For Water Use On | Place Water Order By | Method |
---|---|---|
Tuesday-Saturday | Day before | 7:30-9:30 a.m., by telephone or fax, or 10:00 a.m. by website |
Sunday-Monday | Friday before | 12:00 p.m. by telephone, fax or website |
Phone (559) 241-6250 or (800) 266-6574, Fax (559) 241-6276, water user account at wwd.ca.gov
Water users should comply with the District’s water ordering procedures. Conveyance capacity through many laterals is constrained and District staff determines lateral demand based on water orders. When demand exceeds the capacity of the lateral, the entire lateral is adversely affected, and water service can be lost for all users on the lateral. To properly operate and maintain the District’s water distribution system, and to a larger extent the Central Valley Project, water users are required to place proper water orders in accordance with the District’s Terms and Conditions for Agricultural Water Service.
Further, water users who are found to be running without an order will have their meter(s) turned off pursuant to Article 2, Section 2.6.H of the District’s Rules and Regulations. In addition, meters found running without a valid water order may be subject to a portion of or entire lateral monitoring fee of $647.12. Accurate water orders are also critical for reference if a meter malfunctions or varies from a
standard calibration range. Your monthly billing can be directly affected by the accuracy of your water orders.
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Cross Connections and District Facility Protection
Field Engineering Staff: 559-884-2523
District facilities and adjacent water user property have suffered minor damages due to cross-connections with the District’s distribution system. We understand that flexibility is needed to connect and operate on-farm irrigation systems. Consideration needs to be given to the District’s distribution system when cross-connecting groundwater wells and other sources of water to protect District pipelines, tanks, reservoirs, and adjacent private property from damage. For assistance on proper connections, please contact District Field Engineering staff.
Planned Maintenance Shutdown Schedule 2022
Jimmy Weedin: (559) 884-2523 ext. 108
The District issues a monthly listing of the maintenance schedule for the next 45 to 60 days. Shutdown notices for scheduled work are sent to affected water users in advance of each shutdown. If water users are not receiving these notices, please contact your Customer Service Representative to update your contact information.
Lateral(s) Impacted | Date(s) | Scheduled Work | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
PV2 | 2/14 to 2/28 | Quinquennial Inspection | |
2R | 2/22 to 2/23 | Electrical Repairs | |
21R | 2/28 to 3/4 | Quinquennial Inspection | |
26R | 3/7 to 3/11 | By-pass Valve Replacement |
Advanced Notice of 2022-2023 Quinquennial Inspection and Repair Shutdown Schedule
Jimmy Weedin: (559) 884-2523 ext. 108
The following table lists the District’s general order and initial dates planned for pumping plant system inspection and repair shutdown schedule for fiscal year 2022-2023.
Week | Division Valves to be inspected | Pumping Plant |
---|---|---|
September 26, 2022 | 12-0.5 | 12L |
October 3 | 21L | |
October 10 | 30-1.3 | 30L |
October 17 | 27-5.0 | 27L |
October 24 | 28-2.0, 3.0, & 4.0 | 28L |
October 31 | PV9-1.5 | PV9 |
November 14 | 1RA, 1R-2.0B, & 1R-4.0B | |
December 5 | 1R-4.0C & 1R-4.0D | |
December 12 | 1R-4.0-1.0C & 1R-4.0-1.0D | |
January 9, 2023 | 3R | |
January 23 | 10L | |
January 30 | 29-1.0 | 29L |
February 6 | 34L | |
February 13 | 19L | |
February 27 | 1L |
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Land Available for Lease
Cork McIsaac of Agriculture Industries, Inc.: (916) 372-5595 or (800) 822-1415
The District has several parcels for lease in Fresno and Kings counties. For a list of available land, please contact Cork McIsaac.
Low-Interest Irrigation Equipment Lease Program
Juan Pacheco: (559) 241-6228 or jpacheco@wwd.ca.gov
In October the District amended the Expanded Irrigation System Improvement Program (EISIP) to include recharge project equipment. The District’s EISIP offers low-interest loans, of up to $130,000, to water users for the lease-purchase of irrigation system and recharge project equipment. Water users who plan to install a system on land that is served by a pump enrolled in a District power program may also be eligible for a 35% cost share, up to $45,000, from the District’s Expanded Irrigation System Improvement Program (EISIP)/Public Purpose Program (P3) Grant. Additional information is available on the EISIP and P3 pages on the District’s website.
2022-2023 Agreement to Accept and Purchase Supplemental Water