2018-2019 Water Supply Update
On February 20, 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) announced an initial 2018-2019 allocation of 20 percent for South-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) water service contractors. The final allocation, typically made in April or May, could increase depending on increased precipitation, especially in the watersheds that produce runoff on the San Joaquin River. The District will continue to monitor and timely report any changes to the CVP allocation.
The CVP currently has approximately 8.9 million acre-feet of water stored in northern CVP reservoirs; this represents 111 percent of the 15-year average. Storage in Shasta Reservoir is approximately 3.6 million acre-feet; 106 percent of normal for this time of year. Federal storage in San Luis Reservoir is 841,000 acre-feet; 112 percent of the 15-year average. Jones Pumping Plant has averaged about 56 percent of capacity and has pumped approximately 101,000 acre-feet thus far in March. On March 21, USBR implemented Section 4003 of the WIIN Act and increased Jones pumping.
2017-2018 Rescheduled Water Update
Reclamation established a Rescheduled Water Supply cap of 150,000 acre-feet (AF) for the San Luis Reservoir. The cap limited the District’s share of Rescheduled Water into the 2018-2019 water contract year to about 99,000 AF. The District had approximately 364,000 AF at the end of the 2017-2018 water contract year. Therefore, the District anticipates the loss to be about 265,000 AF. Because San Luis Reservoir was not full on February 28, 2018, the Rescheduling Period will be the entire 2018-2019 water contract year. Accordingly, the District is applying Cap Losses at the beginning of the Rescheduling Period, after adjusting accounts for internal transfers of Rescheduled Water received and approved by the District on or before March 10, 2018, according to the District’s Rescheduled Water Policy.
Please Note: The District revised the application of loss method (Cap Loss and Rescheduling Loss) within the Rescheduling Policy from a loss proration based on volume (acre-feet) to a loss based on volume per acre (acre-feet/acre), from highest to lowest. That loss will be applied in the following order and manner:
- Any remaining Rescheduled Water in excess of the Acreage Based Cap (0.5 acre-feet per irrigable acre).
- Water rescheduled by the District.
- Remaining Rescheduled Water.
- Delivered Rescheduled Water in excess of the Acreage Based Cap.
- Delivered Rescheduled Water within the Acreage Based Cap.
Through the implementation of this loss process, the District expects that water users will be able to successfully reschedule about 0.206 AF/Acre into the 2018-2019 contract water year. This assumes all privately owned, irrigable land, approximately 480,000 acres, is included in water user accounts that are rescheduling at least 0.206 AF/Acre. The District will waive collection of the San Luis & DeltaMendota Water Authority O&M rate and the District’s O&M rates, on water that is lost due to rescheduling water from the 2017 water contract year to the 2018 water contract year. The District may need to collect charges including but not limited to water rights fees, supplemental premiums, and other non-O&M charges on lost water due to rescheduling.
2018-2019 Supplemental Water Update
The District is planning to acquire supplemental water from multiple sources for the 2018-2019 water contract year. It is estimated that the delivered cost to water users will be in the range of $475 – $525 per acre-foot. 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 the summer.
If you would like to be part of the Supplemental Water program, please complete the agreement located in the February 23, 2018 Notice #533 and return it to the Fresno Office by close of business on May 1, 2018. The agreement may be mailed to Westlands Water District, P.O. Box 6056, Fresno, CA 93703, but agreements not received at the District by the due date will not be considered timely (regardless of the postmark). You may also hand deliver the agreement to the District’s Fresno Office at 3130 N. Fresno Street. Requests received after the deadline will receive a lower priority for allocations and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please direct questions to your Customer Accounting Technician at (559) 241-6250.
2017 Benefit Assessment
The 2017 Benefit Assessment was due March 19, 2018. There is a 5 percent late penalty if paid after the due date. Please contact Deborah Tuggle at (559) 241-6212 for additional information about the 2017 Assessments.
2018-2019 Land-Based Charges
The bills for the 2018-2019 Land-Based Charges were mailed on March 9, 2018, with the first installment due March 26, 2018, and the second installment due September 25, 2018. 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.
Annual Water Users’ Workshop Presentation Materials
The Annual Water Users’ Workshop was held on March 20, 2018, to update users on matters of interest including water supply, adopted budget, groundwater conditions, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program and Public Affairs update. Presentation materials can be found on the District’s website.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) – April 6th Community Workshop
The District will hold an informational Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) workshop on Friday, April 6, 2018, at 10:00 AM at the Five Points Field Office Shop located at 23050 W. Mt. Whitney, Five Points, CA 93624. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to our Disadvantage communities and any other interested parties to help them understand the SGMA process and answer questions regarding the legislation, planning and potential affects to communities, and provide a status of the District’s work to date. All workshops are open to the public, and community members interested in groundwater planning are invited to attend. On February 9th, the District held a SGMA workshop in Five Points, CA. The meeting allowed interested parties to discuss the GSP development and learn about groundwater conditions in the Westside Subbasin. Previous presentation materials are available on the District’s website. For additional information, contact Kiti Campbell at (559) 241-6226 or sgma@westlandswater.org.
Westlands Water Quality Coalition – Member Submittals and April 24th Workshop
Crop year 2017 Farm Evaluation Surveys and Nitrogen Summary Reports were due March 1, 2018; both reports are required to be submitted using the Westlands Water Quality Coalition (WWQC) webbased system at 4Creeks website. Failure to complete submittals could result in fines assessed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The WWQC will hold a Nitrogen Management Continuing Education Workshop on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM for members with Nitrogen Management Plan Self-Certification. The No Cost Workshop will be held at our Five Points Field Office located at 23050 W. Mt. Whitney Avenue, Five Points, CA 93624. Please RSVP to Nicole Branum at (559) 241-6235.
Low Interest Irrigation Equipment Lease Program
The District’s Expanded Irrigation System Improvement Program (EISIP) offers low interest loans to water users for the lease-purchase of irrigation system equipment. The EISIP provides up to $130,000 towards the design of irrigation systems and the purchase of irrigation system equipment, including portable aluminum irrigation pipe, micro irrigation, linear move and center pivots. 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 percent cost share, up to $45,500, from the District. Interested water users should contact Nicole Branum at (559) 241-6235.
Lands Available for Lease
The District has several parcels for lease in Fresno and Kings Counties. For a list of available land, please contact Cork McIsaac of Agriculture Industries, Inc. at (916) 372-5595 or (800) 822-1415.
2017 Public Education Program Recap
Throughout 2017, the District worked hard to reinforce the role of agriculture as an integral part of California’s economy as well as emphasize Westlands’ agricultural contribution locally, statewide, and nationally. The District’s efforts focused heavily on educating the public on issues such as water supply, water availability, agricultural economics, and food security all while countering inaccurate information by using facts. The full summary of our 2017 public education efforts is available on our website.
One Year 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 | 4R | |
| October 8 | 18L | |
| October 15 | 26R | |
| October 22 | 19R | |
| October 29 | 30R | |
| November 5 – November 12 | 16RA, 16RB & 16 RC | |
| November 26 | 20R | |
| December 3 | 15L | |
| December 10 | 38L | |
| December 17 | 20L | |
| January 7, 2019 | PVPP | |
| January 14 | 17L | |
| January 28 | 35L | |
| February 4 | 16L | |
| February 11 | 37-.03 | 37 |
| February 25 | 2-0.5 | 2L |
Bollibokka Fishing Club Reservations
Reservations are still being accepted for the Bollibokka Fishing Club. The Club property was acquired by the District in 2006 to facilitate the raising of Shasta Dam. Until that time, the District is committed to operating the existing 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 begins on April 28, 2018, and ends on November 18, 2018. 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. Although the early opportunity for landowners and water users to reserve a week at the Club closed on January 31, 2018, a number of weeks are still open. 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, but 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. For more information, please contact Michael Caranci of The Fly Shop at (800) 669-3474 (office), (530) 222-3572 (fax), michael@theflyshop.com (email), or by mail at 4140 Churn Creek Road, Redding, CA 96002. For additional information, visit the 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.