Tag Archive for: Imperial Irrigation District

Colorado River Getting Saltier Sparks Calls for Federal Help

/in , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Emily C. Dooley

Water suppliers along the drought-stricken Colorado River hope to tackle another tricky issue after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation installs a new leader: salty water.

The river provides water for 40 million people from Colorado to California, and helps irrigate 5.5 million acres of farm and ranchland in the U.S. But all that water also comes with 9 million tons of salt that flow through the system as it heads to Mexico, both due to natural occurrence and runoff, mostly from agriculture. Salt can hurt crop production, corrode drinking water pipes, and cause other damage.

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IID to Finalize Conserved Water Payments to Growers

/in , , /by /The Desert Reviewby Betty Miller

A constant agenda item for the Imperial Irrigation District and local growers and landowners has been the payment of conserved water, the On Farm Efficiency Conservation Program. Part of the Quantitative Settlement Agreement of 2003 is the Valley’s commitment to conserve water to send to urban cities on the coast, which the beneficiaries pay. The conserved water was first done by fallowing, which was never a popular direction, but it was unknown how much of the agreed upon water transfer could be done by growers’ efforts.

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Wall Street Eyes Billions in the Colorado’s Water

/in , , /by /The New York Timesby Ben Ryder Howe

There is a myth about water in the Western United States, which is that there is not enough of it. But those who deal closely with water will tell you this is false. There is plenty. It is just in the wrong places.

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Tired of Waiting on Salton Sea Fixes, Desert Shores Residents Take a Stand

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Mark Olalde

These days, the house where Donna and John Winters planned to retire in the Southern California desert reflects in a stagnant pool of blood red water, their dream home becoming something of a nightmare.

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Climate’s Toll on the Colorado River: ‘We Can Weather Maybe a Couple of Years’

/in , , /by /The Arizona Republicby Ian James

Beside a river that winds through a mountain valley, the charred trunks of pine trees lie toppled on the blackened ground, covered in a thin layer of fresh snow. Weeks after flames ripped through this alpine forest, a smoky odor still lingers in the air.

The fire, called the East Troublesome, burned later into the fall than what once was normal. It cut across Rocky Mountain National Park, racing up and over the Continental Divide. It raged in the headwaters of the Colorado River, reducing thick forests to ashes and scorching the ground along the river’s banks.

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Climate Change Spells Trouble for the Colorado River. But There’s Still Hope

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sammy Roth

One of the best road trips I’ve ever taken was a sightseeing tour of the Colorado River, where it straddles the California-Arizona state line. I stood at the edge of Imperial Dam near the Mexican border, which diverts water to the farm fields of the Imperial Valley, then drove north to Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, home to lots of birds. I walked along the river in Laughlin, Nev., where there’s a hotel called the Colorado Belle that looks like a boat, and in Needles, Calif., where Snoopy’s brother Spike lives.

New Imperial Irrigation Board Seated Amid Tensions Over Labor Agreement

/in , /by /Palm Spring Desert Sunby Mark Olalde

Sparks were flying even before the Imperial Irrigation District’s newly elected directors were sworn in, and questions remain as to how the board’s two newest faces will fit into the powerful, five-member panel.

Community activist Javier Gonzalez’s and 24-year-old JB Hamby’s tenure got off to a rocky start on Dec. 4, as both skipped their official swearing-in ceremony because the district barred them from bringing guests due to COVID-19 precautions. Instead they held their own event in front of several dozen supporters, overseen by a superior court judge, on the steps of the Imperial County courthouse, which Hamby said was legally allowed under the California Water Code.

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California’s Colorado River Water Users Do Not Have Traditional Water Rights

/in , /by /California Ag Todayby Sean Hood

Farmer Michael Abatti v. Imperial Irrigation District is a landmark decision by the California Court of Appeals concerning the millions of acre-feet of Colorado River water used annually to meet the needs of Southern California’s agricultural empire.

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Colorado River Aqueduct-Conveyance-California Water Commission

Public Workshop on California Water Conveyance Projects

/in , /by

The California Water Commission is holding public workshops as part of its efforts to assess a potential state role in financing conveyance projects that could help meet needs in a changing climate. A workshop in Southern California is scheduled for December 10 on Zoom.

The Commission’s goal with the workshops is to hear from diverse voices across the state. Participants from the region are encouraged to share their perspective on conveyance projects, conveyance infrastructure needs and priorities. The Commission also wants to learn about effective partnerships, public benefits of conveyance, possible criteria to assess resilience, efforts in preparing for changing hydrology, and effective financing mechanisms. 

“As water managers, we are constantly refining strategies to meet the challenges of the future, and local and regional water conveyance is one of our most significant tools,” said Sandra L. Kerl, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority. “It’s important that we come together to advance integrated conveyance and interconnectivity solutions in light of the changing climate so that we can enhance regional water supply resilience for generations to come.”

The workshops are not associated with the pending proposal to improve conveyance through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Public workshops on water conveyance projects; funding options in Colorado River and South Lahontan region

The first workshop will focus on Southeastern California, including the Colorado River region and the Mono, Inyo and San Bernardino County region. The Southeastern California regional workshop will be co-hosted by the Imperial Irrigation District and the San Diego County Water Authority.

Water management issues and climate change

The workshops will be conducted via the web-based videoconferencing service Zoom. More detailed instructions on how to use Zoom and participate in the meeting can be found on the Commission website.

Additional workshops will be centered on Southern, Northern and Central California. 

The nine-member California Water Commission uses its public forum to explore water management issues from multiple perspectives and to formulate recommendations to advise the director of the California Department of Water Resources, and other state agencies including the California Natural Resources Agency, on ways to improve water planning and management in response to California’s changing hydrology.

Workshop Schedule

All workshops are from 2:45-5 p.m. (entry to meeting site opens at 2:30 p.m.) 

Southeastern California (Colorado River, South Lahontan) – Tuesday, December 8, 2020 (registration open now)

Southern California – Thursday, December 10, 2020 (registration open now)

Northern California – Tuesday, January 12, 2021 (registration open December 14, 2020)

Central California – Tuesday, January 26, 2021 (registration open December 14, 2020)

Water Commission: Conveyance Projects Panel Discusses Imperial Valley to San Diego Pipeline

/in , /by /Maven's Notebook Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The Water Resilience Portfolio directs the Water Commission to assess the state’s role in financing conveyance projects that could help meet the needs in changing climate, a task that the Commission has taken on wholeheartedly in recent months.

At their November meeting, the Commission heard from two panels: the first panel was from project proponents who discussed conveyance projects being proposed by their organizations.

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