March Notice (#610)

ITEMS TO NOTE

Office Communication During Coronavirus Pandemic

Considering the recent developments related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Westlands Water District requests that water users conduct all District related business via phone and e-mail, in lieu of visiting District offices. The District’s Fresno and Five Points offices will remain open during regular business hours.

The District is following guidelines to slow the spread of the Coronavirus announced by the Whitehouse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These guidelines advise avoiding gatherings in groups of more than 10 people and maintaining social distancing. District staff will monitor the developments closely and seeks to maintain the safety of employees, water users, and the public. Westlands will continue its commitment to water users by, as always, providing timely and reliable water services.

Please contact District staff if you have questions. Contact the main office by phone: (559) 224-1523, or email: info@wwd.ca.gov. The District will provide notices to landowners and water users should District operations be further impacted by Federal or State recommendations to slow the spread of the Coronavirus.

2020-2021 Land-Based Charges

The bills for the 2020-2021 Land-Based Charges were mailed on March 10, 2020, with the first installment due March 25, 2020, and the second installment due September 25, 2020. A penalty will be added to unpaid charges on the day following the payment due date. Please contact Jessie Xiong at (559) 241-6212 for additional information about Land-Based Charges.

2020-2021 CVP Contract Allocation

On February 25, 2020, the Bureau of Reclamation announced an initial 2020-2021 Central Valley Project (CVP) allocation of 15% for south-of-Delta agricultural water service contractors. Reclamation may make additional allocation announcements based on updated hydrologic information as it is available.

The final allocation, typically made in April or May, will depend on the actual hydrology in the watersheds that produce runoff in the upper Sacramento River basin. District staff projects that the allocation, under a median hydrology, could range from 25-35%. If the hydrology is above average, and if there is significant runoff on the San Joaquin River during the spring, the allocation could be greater. The District will continue to monitor and timely report any changes to the CVP allocation.

Westlands Water Quality Coalition Members

Crop year 2019 Farm Evaluation Surveys and Nitrogen Summary Reports were due March 1, 2020; both reports are required to be completed online at WWQC Website. If you need assistance with the submittal process, please contact Nicole Branum at (559) 241-6235 or by email at nbranum@wwd.ca.gov or Edith Ramirez at (559) 241-6242, or by email at eramirez@wwd.ca.gov. For questions regarding your online submittal or use of the WWQC reporting system, contact wwqc@wwd.ca.gov. Failure to complete submittals could result in fines assessed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

As a reminder, all landowners and farm operators adjacent to the Panoche-Silver Creek, Cantua Creek and Arroyo Pasajero should allow District staff and laboratory personnel access to creeks for water quality sampling. Please contact Edith Ramirez at (559) 241-6242 if you have any questions.

2020-2021 Supplemental Water Application – Response May Be Required

The District is planning to acquire supplemental water from multiple sources for the 2020-2021 water contract year. It is estimated that the delivered cost to water users will range from $600 – $700 per acrefoot. 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.

When the allocation of Supplemental Water occurs, 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 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. The water will be allocated to water user accounts as Project water or non-Project water (if available), allowing Full-Cost rates to be applied as required by Reclamation law.

If you would like to be part of the Supplemental Water program, please complete the enclosed agreement and return it to the Fresno Office by close of business on May 1, 2020. The agreement may be mailed 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. Requests will be filled on a first-come, firstserve basis. Agreements not received at the District by the due date will not be considered timely
(regardless of the postmark). Requests received after the deadline will receive a lower priority for allocations. Please direct questions to your Customer Accounting Technician at (559) 241-6250.

WATER SUPPLY

2020-2021 Water Supply Update

The CVP currently has approximately 8.4 million acre-feet of water stored in northern CVP reservoirs; this represents 106% of the 15-year average. Shasta Reservoir storage is approximately 3.5 million acrefeet; 103% of the 15-year average. Federal storage in San Luis Reservoir is 471,000 acre-feet; 73% of the 15-year average. Jones Pumping Plant operated at one unit for the latter half of the month.

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Water Ordering and Meter Turn Off

It is important water users 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. 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

Planned Maintenance Shutdown Schedule – 2019-2020

Staff would like to thank water users for their assistance and understanding over the past five months in accommodating the planned work for the 2019-2020 water contract year. There were multiple capital projects, annual maintenance activities, and the yearly quinquennial shutdowns that impacted water deliveries on a scale far greater than previous years. With rapidly changing weather, Contractor schedules, and unforeseen delays, there were multiple instances when notifications of scheduling changes had little to no advanced notice. Staff appreciated the willingness of water users accommodating these changes up and will continue to strive to provide as much advanced notice of planned work as is possible.

Advance Notice of 2020-2021 Quinquennial Inspection and Repair Shutdown Schedule

The following table is provided to water users as a reminder of the District’s planned pumping plant system inspection and repair shutdown schedule for fiscal year 2020-2021. The table below represents the pumping plants that have been scheduled and their general order. Dates for the shutdowns are currently being reviewed and finalized. If you have questions or feedback regarding these shutdowns, please contact the District’s Maintenance Scheduler, Jimmy Weedin at (559) 884-2523 ext. 108.

2020-2021 Quinquennial Shutdown Schedule

Week	Division Valves	Pumping Plants
To Be Determined		25L
To Be Determined	32-2.0	32L
To Be Determined		PV4
To Be Determined		PV6
To Be Determined		23R
To Be Determined	Replace 3-2.7 Slide Gate	3L
To Be Determined		6-1 & 6-2
To Be Determined		31L
To Be Determined	Repair Bypass Valve at 7RA	7RA, 7RB, 7RC, 7RD
To Be Determined		11R
To Be Determined		17RA, 17RB, 17RC
To Be Determined		4L
To Be Determined	33-2.0	33L
To Be Determined		22L
To Be Determined		24L

RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

2020-2021 Canal Integration Program

The District is pursuing approvals to operate the Canal Integration Program (CIP) if the CVP allocation is 20 percent or less.

If the CIP is approved, 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 second month

If a well does not meet the established standards at any point, it will be shut off. Water users that are interested in participating in the CIP and would like to begin testing their wells in anticipation of an approved CIP, should contact David Vang at (559) 241-6202 or dvang@wwd.ca.gov.

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 the Groundwater Management and Temporary Diversion 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 the District’s 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, increased power costs, which are then passed on to program participants.

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 24, 2020 and ends on November 15, 2020. 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, 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 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.

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.

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 Nicole Branum at (559) 241-6235 or nbranum@wwd.ca.gov to begin the application process. Additional information is also available on the District’s website.