IID Adds $10 million to Pay for On-Farm Conserved Water
Hoping to alleviate a perennial tug-of-war between the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Directors and farmers on timely payments for conserved water, the IID voted to provide revenue certainty to the On-Farm Efficiency Conservation Program (OFECP) by approving $310.50/AF payment rate for all the 2023 conservation and authorize a budget amendment to increase the 2023 budget by $9.936 million at the regular meeting Tuesday, June 6.
The IID had agreed to a single payment rate not to exceed the $310.50/AF, and this would prorate the fixed budget of $41,399,800 to create at least 133,333 AF of conserved water, back in November 2022.
All is done to comply with the QSA that requires the IID to furnish San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) with 200,000 AF a year. The complaints the farmers have had with the IID was expending capital upfront to conserve water either through leveling, sprinkler, pump backs, drip, or tile, and then waiting months, or more than a year to get paid for the conserved water. Unfortunately, some of the costs never were reimbursed if paperwork requirements or water conserved did not meet the pre-set standards.
