Outsiders Are Wary of San Diego’s Multibillion-Dollar Pipeline Plan
Opposition is building against San Diego’s dream of erecting a $5 billion pipeline to the Colorado River in the name of resource independence.
Tag Archive for: Imperial Irrigation District
Will the West Figure Out How to Share Water?
In Crowley County, Colorado, sugar beets and alfalfa used to line the fields. It’s cantaloupes were famous.
But that all changed about three decades ago when most of the farmers sold their water rights to rapidly growing cities on the Front Range.
Special Report: Restoration Projects at the Salton Sea
Nearly $47 million dollars have been secured in California’s state budget for the next year to begin mitigation efforts at the Salton Sea and the New River.
It’s a major win for a decades-long problem that has contributed to the environmental and health impacts in Imperial County.
Although, millions of dollars are being poured into helping improve the environmental health crisis Imperial County is facing, will it be enough and will residents see a change in their lifetime?
Election Results: IID Heading for a Shakeup While Incumbents Holding on at Coachella Valley Water Boards
Water districts races in the Coachella Valley on the Nov. 3 ballot saw all their incumbents holding onto leads by Wednesday afternoon, but Imperial Irrigation District’s board of directors appeared to be headed for a board shakeup.
Imperial County Farmer Michael Abatti Looks to Take Fight with IID to U.S. Supreme Court
Having been turned away by the California Supreme Court last week, farmer Michael Abatti looked to have lost his years-long fight with the Imperial Irrigation District over who owns valuable water rights on the Colorado River. But Abatti apparently isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet.
In paperwork filed in a state appellate court Monday, Abatti’s legal team indicated that they wanted to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the matter.
Election Results: Imperial Irrigation District Board Candidates Vie for Two Open Seats
The Imperial Irrigation District recently saw its power cemented, as the state court system declared it the rightful holder of huge water rights on the Colorado River. Now, candidates are facing off for two open seats on its five-member board of directors.
In addition to being the single largest water user on the river, the district delivers electricity to Imperial Valley and the eastern half of the Coachella Valley. Its board, which is elected only by its water ratepayers, continues to fend off attempts to add members from Riverside County.
California Supreme Court Refuses to Review Farmer Michael Abatti’s Case Against IID
The tumultuous, years-long legal fight between farmer Michael Abatti and the Imperial Irrigation District — two of Southern California’s powerbrokers — is now finished.
On Wednesday, the California Supreme Court declined Abatti’s petition for review, leaving in place an appellate court’s decision that declared IID the rightful owner of a massive allotment of Colorado River water.
Opinion: An Agreement to Sell Water is Not About Selling Water?
One of Belgian surrealist painter Rene Magritte’s most famous paintings depicts a tobacco pipe with cursive script below it reading, “Ceci n’est pas une pipe,” which translated from French means, “This is not a pipe.”
Election 2020: Imperial Irrigation District has Two Seats on November Ballot
Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Imperial Irrigation District’s five-member board of directors on Nov. 3. The election will be the culmination of contentious races that already eliminated one incumbent in the primary.
Water Authority to Host Public Session on Economics of Regional Conveyance Study
The San Diego County Water Authority will host an online public information session on Oct. 27 about economic considerations related to the proposed Regional Conveyance System. The virtual event will run from 10 a.m. to noon. To reserve a spot, email .
Meeting participants can:
- Learn about alternatives the Water Authority Board of Directors is studying to secure San Diego County’s future water supplies
- Ask the experts about key issues
- Understand the feasibility and costs of building a conveyance system to deliver San Diego County’s Colorado River supplies
- Discuss potential next steps
In June of 2019, the Water Authority’s Board of Directors approved a study of the viability of a new regional conveyance system that would deliver water from the Colorado River to San Diego County and could provide multiple benefits across the Southwest.
Regional Conveyance Study
The Phase A report, released in August 2020, found that building a new conveyance system to transport the region’s supplies from the Quantification Settlement Agreement is cost-competitive with other long-term strategies for meeting the region’s water needs.
At its August 2020 meeting, the Water Authority’s Board decided to continue the regional discussion about the study until November 19, at which time the Board is expected to decide whether to move ahead with Phase B of the study.
To learn more about the Regional Conveyance System Study or to read the executive summary and the full report, go to sdcwa.org/colorado-river-supplies-management.
Potential pipeline routes
A study of a new regional water conveyance system to deliver high-priority Colorado River supplies from the Imperial Valley shows three potential routes to move the water. Graphic: San Diego County Water Authority
Each of the potential conveyance routes would connect to the tail end of the All-American Canal where it meets the Westside Main Canal in the southwest corner of Imperial Valley.
