The Santa Fe Irrigation District board unanimously approved a 2% water rate increase at a special meeting on Feb. 12. Customers in Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch will see the new rate go into effect on March 1 and in combination with wholesale water rate increases from the San Diego County Water Authority, the average bi-monthly bill will increase by about 9% depending on meter size and water usage levels.
As wildfires rage in Los Angeles County and gusty Santa Anas sweep the region, residents near Lake Hodges say the scene is all too familiar.
“We’re all a little bit on edge as you can tell. The winds you’re feeling today are very similar to the winds that brought the fire down from Ramona and brought it through Lake Hodges,” said Robert Dudley, a resident near the lake.
Two local water agencies are pursuing legal action against the City of San Diego over loss of access to water from Lake Hodges, resulting in the release of billions of gallons of water from Hodges Dam.
CBS 8 is Working for You to investigate the Lake Hodges water supply, after receiving a huge response to our report on the release of more than 600 million gallons of water into the ocean.
Record rainstorms across the county have forced the City of San Diego to release hundreds of millions of gallons of water from Lake Hodges dam in recent weeks. The city of San Diego is under a state order to keep the water level low in the lake — at about 30 percent of capacity — due to safety concerns over Lake Hodges dam. It’s more than 100 years old.
San Diego is accelerating efforts to shore up the city’s aging dams, including moving up construction of the new Lake Hodges Dam from 2031 to 2029 and committing to comprehensively evaluating the eight other city dams by 2028.
Over the past year, eleven billion gallons of water have been wasted/released from the Hodges Reservoir.
The City of San Diego said it is under a state order to keep the water level low in the lake. Water districts said the city is to blame because the San Diego Public Utilities Department failed to maintain the dam for decades.
The Vista Irrigation District, one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
In the 1920s, citrus and avocado farming in the Vista area increased so quickly that the growing region faced the real danger of running out of water. Completing the Henshaw Dam in 1923 made it possible for the Vista community to receive a reliable water source instead of relying on well water.
The arrival of the new water source sparked discussion about forming a water district to secure additional imported water to make continued growth possible. On August 28, 1923, voters approved the formation of the Vista Irrigation District (VID) in a landslide: 104 votes to four votes in a 100% voter turnout.
Completion of the Henshaw Dam transformed North San Diego County, including the Vista area, in the 1920s. Photo: Vista Irrigation District
In its first year, VID served 337 customers. Today, VID serves water to more than 134,000 customers in a diversified community and robust economy and is celebrating its 100th anniversary on August 28, 2023.
“Vista Irrigation District is proud of its accomplishments over the last century and looks forward to providing reliable water service to the residents and businesses it serves for years to come,” said Board President Jo MacKenzie.
The Vista community celebrated the arrival of the first water from Lake Henshaw on February 27, 1926. Following the arrival of water, crops of all kinds were planted in increasing numbers. The Vista area became known as the “Avocado Capital of the World,” with six avocado packing houses in the area.
In June 1946, after several years of negotiations, Vista Irrigation District purchased the San Diego County Water Company. Included in the purchase was the 43,000-acre Warner Ranch, a former Spanish Land Grant, which includes Henshaw Dam and Lake Henshaw. The deal was driven by the economic motivation to find another, less costly source of water for VID’s customers.
Members of the Vista Irrigation District board visited Lake Henshaw in 1951. Photo: Vista Irrigation District
Drought conditions and population growth continued to press VID to seek additional sources of water. On February 16, 1954, the Vista Irrigation District became a member of the San Diego County Water Authority. It allowed VID to bring in water imported from the Colorado River and Northern California.
One year later, in 1955, Vista’s first suburban-style housing arrived in what had been an agricultural community. The Vista area began experiencing a decline in its avocado producing and packing due primarily to the industry’s economic decline and drought, which would continue into the 1960s. Many avocado groves were split into smaller parcels and sold to housing developers. The land was more valuable for homes.
An overview of downtown Vista looking southeast circa 1928. The region began to flourish with the arrival of water. Photo: Vista Historical Society and Museum
The people’s vote in 1923 revolutionized the small rural settlement held back by a lack of water. Over the years, Vista transformed itself from its agricultural origins to a thriving community with a diversified economic base and a revitalized downtown.
Today, Vista is a thriving community that continues to grow and develop many new activities and attractions, such as its popular Moonlight Amphitheatre. Photo: City of Vista
Vista Irrigation District has demonstrated its ability to adapt to these ever-changing landscapes over time and looks forward to many more successful years of service to the community. Through a century of service and stewardship, the Vista Irrigation District can take credit for its solid track record over the last century to continue many more successful years of service to the community.
(Editor’s note: The Vista Irrigation District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region. The District is celebrating “A Century of Service and Stewardship” on Saturday, September 9, at its Vista headquarters. The public is invited to attend.)
California’s new state budget includes nearly $25 million for a variety of projects and programs across the city of San Diego, including upgrades in Balboa Park, a new Lake Hodges dam, a gun violence task force and a Mission Valley nature center.
The money also helps with housing projects, human trafficking prevention, libraries, lifeguard operations and lighting for sports fields.
Community leaders and neighbors joined the Santa Fe Irrigation District in celebrating its 100th anniversary at a “Century of Service” event on June 21. The celebration at the San Dieguito Reservoir recognized SFID’s contributions to the community over the past 100 years and reflected on the water agency’s history and milestones.
In addition to the celebration, SFID received recognition from state and federal officials. Congressman Scott Peters delivered a proclamation for SFID, which is part of his congressional district.
Congressman Mike Levin also recognized the milestone: “Congratulations to the Santa Fe Irrigation District on 100 years of serving our community! As Californians, we all understand the importance of conserving water and the impact droughts have on our daily lives. I’m grateful to have SFID as a partner in the work to strengthen our local water independence.”
California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot issued a congratulatory message: “Many thanks to the Santa Fe Irrigation District for 100 years of service. We appreciate this century-long legacy of water service to generations of Californians and look forward to continuing to partner on adjusting to the changing climate by improving water efficiency and diversifying our water supply.”
The original Santa Fe Irrigation District office in 1926. Photo: Santa Fe Irrigation District
In 1923, SFID was established under the California Irrigation District Act of 1887. SFID was originally formed by landowners to provide water service to the area. Residents within the proposed SFID boundaries voted on and approved the creation of the Santa Fe Irrigation District in January 1923. Initially, SFID supplied water to primarily meet agricultural irrigation needs from the Lake Hodges reservoir, its only water source at the time. As the area developed, the District began providing potable water to residential, commercial, and institutional customers.
In 1948, SFID became a member of the San Diego County Water Authority and gained access to imported water supplies from Northern California and the Colorado River.
In 1948, the first Colorado River water flowed into Lake Hodges. This occasion marked the completion of a water line from the San Vicente Reservoir, where the first Colorado River barrel empties into the county water system. Photo: Santa Fe Irrigation District
In November 1948, officials celebrated the completion of a water line from the San Vicente Reservoir, where the first Colorado River barrel empties into the county water system. Pictured above are former Santa Fe Irrigation District members, including (with camera) former board director R.M. Clotfelder, former general manager D.M. Bakewell, and former directors William A. Smart, George Dose, and Harry Porter.
The Lake Hodges Dam flume, which delivered water from Lake Hodges to SFID, was replaced in 2003 with a new 36-inch transmission pipeline. Use of the historic 75-year-old flume ended. A new Rancho Cielo Raw Water Pump Station located on Del Dios Highway was also placed into service in 2003, providing an alternative means of moving water from Lake Hodges directly to the R.E. Badger Filtration Plant.
The San Dieguito Reservoir was constructed in 1918. This terminal storage reservoir can hold 550-acre feet of raw water. Photo: Santa Fe Irrigation District
During the construction of the Lake Hodges Dam, the San Dieguito Reservoir was also constructed in 1918. This terminal storage reservoir can hold 550-acre feet of raw water. In 1967 the San Dieguito Reservoir Pump Station was built to pump water from the reservoir to the R.E. Badger Filtration Plant.
The Santa Fe Irrigation District owns 150 miles of pipelines and a six-million-gallon treated water reservoir in the City of Solana Beach called Larrick Reservoir. The reservoir was constructed in 1965 and named after H. G. Larrick Sr., a board member from 1941 to 1957.
Today, the District serves approximately 20,000 customers on 10,300 acres of land in three communities: Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, and the City of Solana Beach.
(Editor’s note: The Santa Fe Irrigation District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)
