All told, last week’s system-wide storm surge left more than 5,200 Imperial Irrigation District customers without power — some for minutes, some for hours — and caused between $1 million and $1.5 million in damages to two high-voltage transmission lines, according to the most recent IID projections.
Water is the lifeblood of civilizations, and the management of this precious resource has always been a challenging task. The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) holds a significant stake in water rights, playing a vital role in water distribution and agriculture. This essay delves into the history, challenges, and strategies employed by IID to manage water rights responsibly and sustainably.
California’s Imperial Valley is one of the few places where a 95 degree day can be described as unseasonably cool.
In the shade of a sissoo tree, with a dry breeze rustling its leaves, JB Hamby called the weather “pretty nice” for mid-June. Over his shoulder, sprinklers ticked away over a field of onions. Every few minutes, a tractor rumbled across the broiling asphalt of a nearby road.
Hamby is a water policy bigwig, especially around these parts. He helps shape policies that define how water is used by arguably the most influential water users along the Colorado River. Hamby holds two jobs – he serves on the board of directors for the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and was recently appointed to be California’s top water negotiator.
And he’s only 27 years old.
The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors saluted the district’s completion of its newest water conservation and operational reservoir located just east of the city, which will conserve 400 acre-feet of water annually and provide water operational flexibility to growers in the valley’s Northend.
The new operational reservoir, recently dedicated by the IID Board as the Lloyd Allen Water Conservation Operational Reservoir, is the first mid-lateral canal reservoir constructed through IID’s System Conservation Program. It has a total storage capacity of 40 acre-feet and is located along the district’s E Lateral Canal — the longest in the district’s delivery system at 13 miles in length.
In addition to conserving water, the new reservoir supports the district’s On-Farm Efficiency Conservation Program, providing improved water delivery service to growers.
The IID Board visited the site of the new reservoir on Friday, June 30, as part of a larger tour of water operational facilities in the Valley’s Northend.
Imperial Irrigation District (IID) General Manager Henry Martinez issued a statement Monday, May 22, commenting on the announcement made earlier today by the Colorado River Board of California regarding the submission of a Lower Basin Plan to Reclamation for analysis by representatives of the seven Colorado River Basin States. The Lower Basin Plan proposes to conserve 3 million acre-feet of Colorado River water through 2026, with at least 1.5 million acre-feet of that total being conserved by the end of calendar year 2024.
The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors appointed Assistant General Manager Sergio Quiroz to serve as Interim General Manager effective June 3.
The Board’s decision was made following closed session discussions during the May 16 meeting, with directors present voting unanimously in support of the appointment.
As Interim General Manager, Quiroz will replace General Manager Henry Martinez, who will be retiring on June 2. Martinez announced his intent to retire in January, following 45 years of service in the energy and water industries, serving the last five years with IID.
The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors appointed Assistant General Manager Sergio Quiroz to serve as Interim General Manager effective June 3.
The Board’s decision was made following closed session discussions during the May 16 meeting, with directors present voting unanimously in support of the appointment.
As Interim General Manager, Quiroz will replace General Manager Henry Martinez, who will be retiring on June 2. Martinez announced his intent to retire in January, following 45 years of service in the energy and water industries, serving the last five years with IID.
The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors appointed Assistant General Manager Sergio Quiroz to serve as Interim General Manager effective June 3. Photo: Imperial Irrigation District
As Assistant General Manager at IID, Quiroz has assisted in planning and directing water and power operations, coordinating the effective use of equipment, facilities, finances and working with legal counsel to address key issues that may affect the district. He also oversees the district’s organizational and staffing plan.
Quiroz, a seasoned bilingual executive who had 22 years of leadership experience before joining the IID in August, 2016, has an extensive background in operations, finance, logistics and project management, having served as General Manager for different international manufacturing corporations in both the U.S. and Mexico.
He has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration.
During the interim, IID will continue the recruitment process to fill the General Manager position.
(Editor’s Note: In October 2003, the San Diego County Water Authority, Coachella Valley Water District, Imperial Irrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, State of California and U.S. Department of the Interior completed a historic set of agreements to conserve and transfer Colorado River water.)
The Imperial Valley has been a senior water rights holder on the Colorado River for more than 100 years. Since our founding, our farmers, and the local Imperial Irrigation District, have long viewed our water seniority as both a property right and a responsibility. As much as we believe in upholding the rule of law, we are equally committed to being responsible water users and doing our part to keep the river healthy enough to meet the needs of all seven states. Imperial Valley farms and regional water agencies have implemented a host of conservation measures throughout the past twenty years, allowing farmers to conserve large amounts of water while still producing the food our country depends on.
The powerful Imperial Irrigation District and others with historic first dibs to Colorado River water are once again facing possible threats to their jealously guarded supply. At a press conference at the Hoover Dam on Tuesday, federal officials announced possible unprecedented, across-the-board cuts to all water contractors in three states if levels in its massive reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, fall so low that they might no longer function.
The San Diego County Water Authority supports a consensus-based approach for long-term solutions to water supply issues in the Colorado River Basin. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on April 11 released a draft environmental document that considers changes to near-term operations on the Colorado River, including potential reductions in water supplies for California and across the Lower Colorado River Basin.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
