A Publication for Turlock Irrigation District Irrigation Water Users
the Grower
Vol. 27 • No. 2 | October 2015
Lateral 8 project to be expanded
Important Dates
TID will soon begin work to expand the Lateral 8 Regulating Reservoir Project, which was completed and placed in service prior to the start of the 2015 irrigation season.
Sun., October 4 Last day to place irrigation orders
The project, which is located just east of Hilmar where the Highline, Lateral 8 and Lateral 7 come together, is designed to support water conservation efforts by stabilizing flow in those canal systems and capturing water that is normally spilled as a result of operational fluctuations.
Throughout November Water Use Statements mailed December 20 Water transfers must be completed
As part of the upgrade, the reservoir is being expanded to cover the entire 25.5-acre Districtowned parcel to increase capacity to 130 acre-feet. Two additional pumps will be installed at the pump structure, allowing the reservoir to provide larger flows to the adjacent canals. Once complete, the expansion will
Wed., October 7 Final day of irrigation season
Have Issues? drastically increase the amount of water captured from the Highline spill and enable greater flexibility in water deliveries on Laterals 7 and 8. Projects like the Lateral 8 Total Control Channel and Reservoir are examples of TID’s vision and preparation for the future by piloting new concepts to improve efficiency on our 127-year-old
system. The District is constantly evaluating concepts for future efficiency projects and will provide updates and opportunities for input as those projects are being considered. For detailed information about Lateral 8 and the Regulating Reservoir Projects, visit TID.org/ lateral8.
As of September 10th, the Lateral 8 Project has captured
1,257 AF or, 409,595,243 gallons of water! ONLINE ORDERING REMINDER - When ordering water online, you will always receive a confirmation e-mail from TID if
View this issue and past issues of The Grower online at www.tid.org/ news-resources/ publications
E-mail Sign-up TID sends out e-mails to growers. E-mail us at info@tid.org if you would like to sign up
Inside • Evening Board Meeting October 13 • Changes Underway at the Canal Drive Campus • Call TID for Groundwater Data
your online order was successfully placed. If you do not receive one of these e-mails within minutes of placing the order, go back and place the order again or call (209) 883-8456 for assistance.
Board to host evening meeting October 13 The Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2015 will be held in the evening beginning at 5:30 p.m. Board meetings are typically held every Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., however the Board of Directors also hosts multiple evening meetings throughout the year. TID staff will deliver several updates at the evening meeting, including, but not limited to, the weekly water report, power report, and irrigation update. In addition to regular updates, there will be a presentation of proposed updates to the Agricultural Water Management Plan (AWMP). The District’s current AWMP was adopted in 2012 and evaluates water use within the District and actions taken to implement a series of efficient water management practices to make the best use of available water resources. Prior to 2012, a plan was developed under a voluntary process established in the 1990s. Legislation passed in 2009, commonly referred to as SBx7-7, made the once voluntary program mandatory. Following the presentation, the Board will have an opportunity to set a future hearing date after which the Board may consider adopting the revised AWMP. After the hearing is set, a Public Review draft will be available for review. Copies of the draft plan will be available at the TID Canal Office (333 E. Canal Drive, Turlock, CA 95380), the Turlock Public Library (559 Minaret Avenue, Turlock, CA 95380) and on our website.
Evening Board of Directors Meeting Date: October 13, 2015 Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: Board Room of TID’s Main Office, 333 E. Canal Drive in Turlock
The meeting will take place in the Board Room of the TID Canal Office, located at 333 E. Canal Drive in Turlock. For meeting agendas and Board minutes, visit www.tid.org or call (209) 883-8300.
Canal Drive Construction As you may be aware, TID has completed the purchase of the property surrounding our office on Canal Drive in Turlock, with the exception of the State Courts building facing Starr Avenue. This property was formerly home to the Turlock Police Department, War Memorial and the Brandon Koch Memorial Skate Park. The City of Turlock removed the skate park from the property at the end of August 2015, at which point TID assumed ownership. Plans call for consolidation of water operations as well as relocating some of our power operations to this new complex. Over the next few months, TID will be finalizing designs and obtaining the necessary permits to begin renovating the complex. In the meantime, changes will be made including installing perimeter fencing and changing the parking and traffic flow at the rear of our building. If you happen to visit our office during construction, please excuse our mess. Once completed, the renovation with its consolidated operations will allow us to serve our growers and power customers with greater efficiency.
Call TID for groundwater data Growers can contact the Turlock Irrigation District to check groundwater levels before replanting or converting crops this offseason. Crop root zones vary in depth and sensitivity to high groundwater levels, thus knowing groundwater levels can help you determine what types of crops are better suited for the groundwater condition. Groundwater levels are especially important during periods of drought, when the stresses put on crops should be carefully managed. Before planting, you can contact the District for up-todate groundwater data in the TID irrigation boundaries.
TID reads groundwater levels once a month to provide a long term look at the trends over a wide area. However, the District’s groundwater test wells are located in one mile interval, thus the levels at any particular time or location may vary. Additionally, the District’s Root Crop Zone wells are drilled to a depth of 16 feet and are only used to monitor water in the Crop Root Zone, not deeper levels of groundwater used for domestic or irrigation well drilling. If groundwater levels are of particular concern, growers may consider installing a test well of their own to monitor regularly, in addition to requesting data from the District.
A few rule reminders to ensure efficient operations From time to time, it is important for the District to remind growers and others working near District canals and facilities regarding a few selected rules set forth in TID’s Irrigation Rules. TID’s Irrigation Rules exist pursuant to Water Code Section 22257 to ensure the orderly, efficient, and equitable distribution, use and conservation of water resources of the District.
to the TID Board of Directors and permission continued compliance of these rules that will granted therefore.” Growers are not allowed to ensure timely delivery of water to growers. place structures in TID canals, facilities, easements or rights-of-way with written permission.
The District endeavors to deliver irrigation water in a flexible, timely manner consistent with the physical and operational limits of the delivery system facilities. But in order to do this, TID needs to be able to conduct water distribution While it may seem that some of these rules are operations and maintenance in a manner free more serious than others, they are designed to of obstructions. allow the District to continue to meet the needs of all growers that rely on District irigaiton water. A full copy of TID’s Irrigation Rule is available online at www.TID.org/water/irrigation. Irrigation Rule 2.4.1 states: “No diverting gates, Water Distribution Operators also have copies weirs, structures, or pump intakes shall be available for growers. constructed or placed in any District conduit until an application in writing has been made TID thanks its customers in advance for their
New Law Affecting Public Works Projects
SB 854 affects the way TID awards all public works projects, including every contractor and subcontractor performing work. This includes work performed by customers utilizing District funds for reimbursement. If you’re contracting for work to be performed on your property and then requesting resimbursement from TID, you must comply with the provisions of SB 854 to receive reimbursement. For details about SB 854, visit TID.org/SB854.
Calling all growers: important offseason notices •
Growers planning to convert to drip/micro/sprinkler irrigation (i.e. land conversion), need to contact TID prior
•
Growers intending to use TID canals and laterals or Improvement District facilities for irrigation purposes
•
Growers shall not plant or place trees, vines, shrubs, fences, or any other type of encroachment in, on, or
to performing any work so TID can verify a non-standard head can be delivered. Systems installed without prior approval may be denied water if the configuration is not compatible with the District’s infrastructure and operations. Please keep in mind that this type of conversion can negatively impact groundwater recharge in your area. during the offseason must contact the Water Distribution Department (883-8356) to coordinate the use.
over any District or improvement district conduit or any Disrict right-of-way unless the District has given specific written approval for such encroachment (Irrigation Rule 2.3.1). Please contact TID prior to placing encroachments in the District’s rights-of-way. If in doubt, TID can also help to identify and mark the right-of-way, often at no cost to the grower.
the Grower | October 2015
PRESORTED FIRST CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT # 415 STOCKTON, CA
333 East Canal Drive P.O. Box 949 Turlock, CA 95381 (209) 883-8300
ONLINE ORDERING REMINDER When ordering water online, you will always receive a confirmation e-mail from TID if your online order was successfully placed. If you do not receive one of these e-mails within minutes of placing the order, go back and place the order again or call (209) 883-8456 for assistance.
Water Statistics
Don Pedro Reservoir as of September 10th, 2015 Elevation this week: Elevation last year: Average outflow: Average to TID canal:
675 698 1400 881
feet feet cfs cfs
Visit tid.org/drought for drought resources, water reports and updates Visit tid.org/weather for up-to-the-minute forecasts
