This notice regards:
ITEMS TO NOTE
Benefit Assessments
The 2021 Benefit Assessment statements were mailed on June 10, 2021. The charges are due now and delinquent after November 18, 2021. A 5% penalty will be added after the delinquent date. Please contact Jessie Xiong at (559) 241-6212 for additional information about Assessments.
Summer Hours of Operation
Effective June 1, the Five Points Shop and Field Office (including TFO, HFO and PVPP), commenced summer hours of operation, from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All other District offices and operations will remain unchanged and will remain open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The emergency telephone number for after hours is (559) 224-1523.
2021-2022 Supplemental Water
On June 17, 2021, Westlands conducted a special Board of Directors meeting to consider authorizing a Supplemental Water allocation. The Board directed staff to allocate 5,000 acre-feet of water in June. An additional 5,000 acre-feet will be allocated in July following confirmation that transfer water is being conveyed south of Delta. Advance payment for acquisition costs of the water is required at the time of allocation and the District will notify water users regarding the allocation advance payment.
As of May 14, 2021, the total request for 2021-22 Supplemental Water is 148,620 acre-feet on 359,434 acres. The District is planning to acquire Supplemental Water from multiple sources for the 2021-2022 water contract year. It is estimated that the District can acquire up to 135,000 acre-feet of Supplemental Water and the delivered price to water users will range from $1,200 to $1,300 per acre foot. In May 2021, the District allocated 10,000 acre-feet to 275,453 acres that requested a pre-allocation of Supplemental Water. The District will continue to seek opportunities to pre-allocate more Supplemental Water, but the majority of the Supplemental Water is currently planned to be allocated between August and October.
When the allocation of Supplemental Water occurs, the quantity allocated to a water user’s account is prorated 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 the 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 of 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 submit a late request for the Supplemental Water program, please complete the agreement, included in the April 23, 2021 Landowner Notice, and return it to the Fresno Office. Late requests will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, after timely requests are filled. Please direct questions to your Customer Accounting Technician at (559) 241-6250.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Update
The next Advisory Committee (AC) and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings are scheduled for June 29, 2021 at 9:00 am. The Committees will provide input on the Groundwater Allocation Program regulations and use of groundwater within the Westside Subbasin. For more information regarding the AC and TAC, please contact Antonio Solorio at (559) 241-6244 or sgma@wwd.ca.gov.
Tampering with District Groundwater Well Meters
To comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the District is installing meters on all groundwater wells inside the Westside Subbasin. This project includes the future installation of a District Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, which will provide real time data to the District. Recently, staff discovered several District owned meters were accessed by means of cutting the tamper proof wire lock, without authorization, to connect a well owner’s AMI system. This practice must cease immediately as any unauthorized access to the internal components of the meter can 1) compromise the factory calibrated accuracy, 2) void warranties on the meter, and 3) potentially cause premature meter failure.
The McCrometer meters that have been installed come with a five-foot cord attached that will supply a Sensus output the District will use for a future AMI system. If you had telemetry in place before the SGMA meter installation, staff will work with you and your contractor to reestablish outputs from the meter. If you did not have telemetry installed prior to SGMA meter installation and are considering installing a system now that the meter is equipped with such capability, please contact staff first so we may be able to answer any questions you have and schedule the work appropriately. If you have any questions, please contact the District’s Field Engineer, Alex Young at 559-884-2523 ext. 122 or the Senior Water Measurement Technician, John Johnston at 559-884-2523 ext. 131.
WATER SUPPLY
2021-2022 Water Supply Update
The CVP currently has approximately 4.9 million acre-feet of water stored in northern CVP reservoirs; this represents 67% of the 15-year average. Shasta Reservoir storage is approximately 1.9 million acre-feet; 55% of the 15-year average. Federal storage in San Luis Reservoir is 215,000 acre-feet; 48% of the 15-year average. Jones Pumping Plant has operated at about 12% capacity this month.
2021-2022 CVP Contract Allocation
On February 23, 2021, the Bureau of Reclamation announced an initial 2021-2022 Central Valley Project (CVP) allocation of 5% for South-of-Delta agricultural repayment and water service contractors. On March 23, 2021, Reclamation announced it would delay access to the 5% allocation until further notice. On May 26, 2021, Reclamation reduced the allocation to 0%.
2020-2021 Rescheduled Water
The District rescheduled and carried over 137,234 acre-feet into the 2021-2022 contract water year. According to the District’s Rescheduling Policy, the Rescheduling Period will extend to February 28, 2022. The Guidelines provide for a 1% per month storage loss factor for evaporation and system losses. This loss factor will be prorated to rescheduled water remaining in water user accounts on April 1, 2021, and each subsequent month, until the District delivers all rescheduled water. 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
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 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 (PDF). In addition, meters found running without a valid water order may be subject to a portion of or entire lateral monitoring fee of $647.31. 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.
The schedule for placing water orders is as follows: water orders for Tuesday through Saturday must be placed the prior day between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m., by telephone or fax. Orders placed over the website are accepted until 10:00 a.m., for the following day. Water orders for Sunday and Monday must be placed by noon the preceding Friday, either by phone, fax or website. Orders may be placed by calling (559) 241-6250 or (800) 266-6574, by Fax (559) 241-6276, or online through your water user account at wwd.ca.gov. To set up a Westlands online account, please contact your Customer Service Representative at (559) 241-6250.
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Groundwater Meter Installation and Well Modifications
District staff is currently installing District owned saddle mag meters on all groundwater wells within the District, in compliance with the meter installation schedule established in the Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). Given the timeline for installing meters on all wells, staff asks that water users work closely with District field staff to ensure District owned meters can be installed.
Please inform the District when operation of a well has stopped, for District staff to arrange the meter installation. Communicating this information is critical to meeting the GSP schedule. As a reminder, well discharge modifications are the responsibility of the water user. For questions related to well modifications, please contact the Alex Young at (559) 884-2523 X122 or ayoung@wwd.ca.gov.
Please report meter issues, and do not remove or replace District owned meters.
Advanced Notice of 2021-2022 Quinquennial Inspection and Repair Shutdown Schedule
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 2021-2022. If you have questions or feedback regarding these shutdowns, please contact the District’s Maintenance Scheduler, Jimmy Weedin at (559) 884-2523 ext. 108.
| Week | Division Valves to be inspected | Pumping Plant |
|---|---|---|
| September 27, 2021 | 6L | |
| October 4, 2021 | PV3-0.2 | PV3 |
| October 11, 2021 | 7L & 7-0.5 | |
| October 11, 2021 | PV8 | |
| October 25, 2021 | 27R | |
| November 1, 2021 | 12R | |
| November 15, 2021 | 13L | |
| December 6, 2021 | 13RA & 13RB | |
| December 13, 2021 | 2RA & 2RB | |
| January 10, 2022 | 15R | |
| January 24, 2022 | 36L | |
| January 31, 2022 | 22R | |
| February 7, 2022 | 24R | |
| February 14, 2022 | PV2-0.5 | PV2 |
| February 28, 2022 | 21R |
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Groundwater and Irrigation System Management Program Outage Information
If a power outage occurs at a facility enrolled in the District’s Groundwater or Irrigation System Management Programs (GWMP/ISMP), please call the PG&E Business Customer Service Center (BCSC) at 1-800-468-4743. The BCSC will address downed poles/lines, blown fuses, damaged transformers and damaged or missing meters. Prior to contacting PG&E you will need the following information available: your prior PG&E meter number or account number. This information may also be included on the GWMP/ISMP application(s).
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact James Reynolds at 559-241-6231.
Westlands Water Quality Coalition Members
The deadline for growers to complete the Grower Outreach requirement is July 31, 2021. If you have not completed your outreach requirement, please log on to the Coalition website and watch one of the recorded videos. Please contact Zac Just at (559) 241-6245 or by email at zjust@wwd.ca.gov if you have any questions.
Westlands Groundwater Recharge Program
The District’s Groundwater Recharge Program is available for all water users in the District. The Groundwater Credit Pilot Program Terms and Conditions are located on the District’s website on the SGMA page (PDF). The project types and required technical information are described in the terms and conditions. Approved projects must comply with the terms and conditions, including groundwater usage while recharge occurs. The District’s program not only promotes recharge to benefit individual water users, but also creates guidelines that protect all other groundwater users in the subbasin. To date, the District has not rejected any proposed projects.
As a component of the Groundwater Credit Pilot Program, the District incorporated its Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Program, which allows all water users in the District to temporarily inject surface water supplies into a groundwater well to recharge the Upper and/or Lower Aquifers. The District demonstrated that ASR is a feasible solution for recharging the Lower Aquifer District-wide, and this recharge method is not subject to losses applied to recharge basins. The Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan conservatively assumed 28,000 AF as the average annual calculation, which includes years when there is zero recharge and assumes only 200 wells of 400 permitted wells are on-line. However, the District’s ASR permit issued by the Regional Board allows up to 400 ASR wells that could recharge up to 200,000 AF in one wet season.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Kiti Campbell at (559) 241-6226 or sgma@wwd.ca.gov.
2021 Groundwater Pumping and Conveyance Project
The District is planning to operate the Groundwater Pumping and Conveyance Project, commonly known as the Canal Integration Program (CIP). Participating groundwater wells must collect and conduct initial and ongoing water quality testing to determine if the wells meet the required water quality standards, including the following:
- Title-22 water quality analysis (required every 3 years);
- Testing for specific constituents of concern prior to start-up and weekly for the first four weeks;
- Monthly testing for specific constituents of concern in the subsequent months;
- Monthly groundwater level measurements. If a well does not meet the groundwater level standards, then the well cannot participate in the CIP.
For more information regarding the CIP, please contact David Vang at (559) 241-6202 or dvang@wwd.ca.gov.
Irrigation Evaluation Cost Share Rebate
The District is offering water users a rebate for mobile lab services. Mobile lab services perform irrigation system evaluations by measuring water rate application, system distribution uniformity and by providing efficiency improvement recommendations. The amount of rebate per field evaluation is limited to 25% of the invoice or $500, whichever is less. Funds are limited, and availability is on a first come, first serve, basis. Application and information are available on the District’s website or by calling Juan Pacheco at (559) 241-6228 for additional assistance.
Water Ordering Procedures for Pumps Enrolled in District Power Programs
The District’s Groundwater Management Program and Temporary Diversion Program provide Western Area Power Administration energy to temporary diversion pumps, groundwater pumps, and drip system booster pumps. The District’s Terms and Conditions for Agricultural Water Service apply to water delivered under these programs. Accordingly, water users are required to place their water orders three days in advance if they are delivering water through a pump enrolled in a District power program. It is critical that water users comply with the ordering procedures to ensure that the District’s request for power to operate these facilities is accurate. Failure to place timely “on” or “off” orders will result in inaccurate power requests and, therefore, increase power costs which are then passed on to program participants.
Low Interest Irrigation Equipment Lease Program
The District’s Expanded Irrigation System Improvement Program (EISIP) offers low interest loans at 3.1% to water users for the lease-purchase of irrigation system equipment. The EISIP provides funding up to $130,000 towards the purchase of irrigation system equipment, the design of irrigation system and purchase of portable aluminum irrigation pipe, micro irrigation, linear move, and center pivots. Interested water users should contact Juan Pacheco at (559) 241-6228 or jpacheco@wwd.ca.gov to begin the application process. Additional information is also available on the Expanded Irrigation System Improvement Program (EISIP) page of the District’s website.
Bollibokka Fishing Club Reservations
Reservations are being accepted for the Bollibokka Fishing Club. The Club property is very private, located along seven miles of the McCloud River immediately upstream of Shasta Lake. The McCloud River is esteemed for its beauty and is renowned as a premier stream for trout fishing in the world. In order to protect this unique fishery, all fishing is catch and release, fly only, barbless hooks. The fishing season began on April 24, 2021 and ends on November 15, 2021. If you are interested in reserving a week for a fishing trip to Bollibokka, please review the following information and contact the Club manager listed below. Remember that for reservation purposes, the week begins on Wednesday morning and ends at sunset on the following Monday. The Club is closed on Tuesday for cleaning unless reserved for consecutive weeks.
There are two accommodations available for rent on the property:
The Way Station is located on the upper two miles of the property. The Way Station can accommodate up to six guests, and that is also the maximum number of rods permitted on this portion of the river. The cost is $4,410 per week.
The Club House and Rock House are located on the lower five miles of the property. The two buildings can accommodate ten and four guests, respectively, and the maximum number of rods on this portion of the river is twelve. The cost is $7,350 per week. The District is utilizing the experienced fly-fishing services of The Fly Shop in Redding, California to oversee Club management activities and coordinate all uses of the property. Additionally, the Fly Shop has associations with many fly-fishing guides familiar with the McCloud River.
For more information, please contact Chris King of The Fly Shop at:
- Phone Number: (800) 669-3474
- Fax Number: (530) 222-3572
- Email: chris@theflyshop.com
- Mail: 4140 Churn Creek Road, Redding, CA 96002
For additional information, visit the Bollibokka Fishing Club’s website. The Fly Shop will try to accommodate all reservation requests on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once your reservation is accepted, The Fly Shop will provide a Confirmation Package, which contains directions to the facilities, updated policies, information on cooking and cleaning services and additional contact information. Payment for your stay should be made directly to The Fly Shop.