Westlands Awards Eight Students Scholarships

Eight High School Students Awarded Westlands Water District’s 2021 Westside Scholarship

 

Westlands Water District is proud to announce the eight recipients of its 2021 Westside Scholarship, which recognizes and rewards exceptional academic achievement and leadership shown by graduating seniors at area high schools.

“Westlands is proud to recognize these outstanding students, whose accomplishments and achievements are points of great pride for the communities on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley,” commented Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands. “We hope these students will continue contributing to their communities during their college years and beyond and help build an even better future for generations to come.”

 

The recipients of the 2021 scholarships are:

 

Aidan Apgar – Aidan, a senior at Hanford West High School, plans to attend California Polytechnic State University in the fall of 2021 to study business administration. Aidan held a four-year commitment to the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program, water polo team, and swimming team. Aidan’s scholastic and extracurricular involvements were honored with a California Scholarship Federation: Lifetime Member achievement, placement on the honor roll for seven semesters, awards from both the water polo and swim teams, and FFA State and Chapter degrees. Aidan aspires to be in financial management.

 

Bryan Welch – Bryan, a senior at Coalinga High School, plans to attend California State University, Fresno, in the fall of 2021 to study mass communications and journalism. Bryan has been involved with the Pleasant Valley 4-H club for 10 years, tennis team for four years, Coalinga High School Band for three years, Coalinga FFA Chapter for two years, and as the announcer for the boys and girls basketball teams for three years. Bryan has served in a number of leadership roles with these groups, such as the president of the Pleasant Valley 4-H club, the vice president of the California Scholastic Federation Coalinga High School chapter, and team captain of the boys tennis team. Bryan aspires to become a sports broadcaster.

 

Chloe Scialo – Chloe, a senior at Hanford High School, plans to attend California State University, Fullerton in the fall of 2021 to study business. Chole has been involved with the Associated Student Body and is a member of the Hanford FFA chapter, earning both Chapter and Greenhand degrees. Chole is also involved with the Sons of Italy, Cabrillo, participated in the Girl Scouts of America and has earned a 10-year award from the Dancers Edge studio. Chloe aspires to become a real estate agent or work in interior design after completing her education.

 

Carlos Emilio Meza – Carlos, a senior at Lemoore High School, plans to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara in the fall of 2021, studying psychology and brain sciences. Carlos has been involved with the Guitar Club and has completed community service for the local Catholic church by volunteering time at various fundraisers. Carlos’s scholastic achievements have been recognized with an American Legion Award; Carlos also holds two jobs, one at Domino’s and another at a landscaping business. Carlos aspires to attend medical school and become a doctor or surgeon.

 

Jacquelin Garcia – Jacquelin, a senior at Tranquillity High School, plans to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara in the fall of 2021, studying psychology. Jacquelin has been involved with the Youth Leadership Institute, FFA, Anime club, and Drama club, and has taken on leadership roles as the President of Yearbook and Secretary of the Art Club. Jacquelin’s scholastic and extracurricular involvements have earned a Student of the Month award and an award for outstanding academics. Jacquelin aspires to become a psychiatrist.

 

Marcos Rivera Hernandez – Marcos, a senior at Mendota High School, plans to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz in the fall of 2021 to study computer science. Marcos has been a member of the Mendota FFA where he has earned an FFA Chapter and Greenhand degrees and conducted his own Supervised Agricultural Experience project. Marcos is also a member of the Mendota Junior State of America club, the Mendota National Alliance on Mental Illness Club, Link Crew, and the Mendota Youth Coalition. Marcos aspires to become a software engineer after completing his education.

 

Omar Almaraz – Omar, a senior at Firebaugh High School, plans to attend the University of California, Los Angeles in the fall of 2021, studying political science. Omar has been the captain of the football and tennis teams, been named a WSL Football Champion, and played for the soccer team. Omar was also involved with FFA, participating in Ag Awareness Day as the Sheep Showman Captain and winning Outstanding Showman and sheep production awards, obtaining a Firebaugh FFA Chapter Degree, and attending the California FFA Made for Excellence and Advanced Leadership Academy conferences. Omar will graduate high school with an associate’s degree from West Hills Community College. Omar aspires to become a government agent and farm owner.

 

Yasin Dominguez – Yasin, a senior at Riverdale High School, plans to attend West Hills Community College Disitrict in the fall of 2021, studying political science. Yasin has been involved with the Riverdale High School SMART (Students Mobilize Awareness and Reducing Trauma) Club and served as Club President in 2020 and 2021. Yasmin has also participated in the Associated Student Body as Secretary, Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Club as President, After Hours Club as Vice President and Secretary, Big Brother Big Sisters program as a mentor, Environmental Club, Academic Decathlon, AVID, Fresno State Education Talent Search, and Building our Leaders and Dreamers Cohort. Yasin aspires to become a writer and lawyer.

Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 for community college or university expenses. Applicants were judged on their academic performance, school activities, and community leadership.

Westlands Water District congratulates each of these talented students and wishes them the best of luck in their future academic and professional careers.

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About Westlands Water District

 

Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the westside of Fresno and Kings counties for more than five decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.

2021-07-12T15:49:29-07:00July 12th, 2021|

Bureau of Reclamation Official Announce on 15% Initial Allocation


 

15% Initial Allocation is based on Less Than Average Rain and Snow

The Bureau of Reclamation today announced the initial 2020 water supply allocation for Central Valley Project contractors will be 15%. Allocation amounts are based on an estimate of water available for delivery to CVP water users and reflects current reservoir storages, precipitation, and snowpack in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada.

“Today’s allocation comes on the heels of an operations plan signed last week, underscoring the Trump administration’s commitment to bringing a sustainable and reliable water supply to California’s Central Valley. While that operations plan is based on the best available science and maximizes water supplies, we still face significant uncertainty due to legal challenges,” said Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman. “Despite the hurdles brought on by litigation from the state and others, we remain committed to providing reliable water for families, farms, cities and the environment.”

California benefited from wet weather and significant snowpack in late 2019, but precipitation and snowpack have been below average so far in 2020. The California Department of Water Resources reports that as of February 24, statewide average snow water content in the Sierras was just 41% of the April 1 average. Current Northern Sierra precipitation is about 51% of the seasonal average.

“After a promising start to our precipitation season, January and February turned much drier than average,” said Reclamation’s California-Great Basin Regional Director Ernest Conant. “Fortunately, our project reservoirs are still hovering above average thanks to the wet winter last year, but with little precipitation in the forecasts, we must remain cautious with supplies and allocations this early in the year.”

Shasta Reservoir’s 4.5 million acre-feet capacity represents the majority of CVP water storage. Water from Shasta is used for many purposes, including contractor supply for north and south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, as well as ensuring adequate temperatures can be maintained downstream of the dam throughout the summer and fall for threatened and endangered species. Currently, reservoir storage is above the historic average for this time of the year. However, runoff forecasts still predict that overall storage might be limited if typical spring precipitation does not materialize.

“While we’re constrained by the water nature provides, our new CVP operations plan will improve operations to maximize water supplies,” Conant said. “We recognize the importance of providing meaningful allocations early in the year, especially for our agricultural contractors’ planning needs.”

Given the low snowpack and low projected runoff this spring and summer, Reclamation is announcing the following initial allocations:

North-of-Delta Contractors (Including American River and In-Delta Contractors)

  • Agricultural water service contractors North-of-Delta are allocated 50% of their contract supply.
  • Pursuant to Reclamation’s M&I water shortage guidelines, M&I water service contractors North-of-Delta (including American River and In-Delta Contractors) are allocated 75% of their historic use or public health and safety needs.
  • The Sacramento River Settlement Contractors are allocated 100% of their contract supply.

Eastside Water Service Contractors

  • Eastside water service contractors (Central San Joaquin Water Conservation District and Stockton East Water District) will receive 100% of their contract total.

South-of-Delta Contractors

  • Agricultural water service contractors South-of-Delta are allocated 15% of their contract supply.
  • M&I water service contractors South-of-Delta are allocated the greater of 65% of their historic use or public health and safety needs.
  • The San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors and San Joaquin Settlement Contractors are allocated 100% of their contract supply.

Wildlife Refuges

  • Wildlife refuges (Level 2) North- and South-of-Delta, which also have allocations subject to pre-established Shasta inflow criteria, are allocated 100% of their contract supply of 422,000 acre-feet.

Friant Division

  • Friant Division contractors’ water supply develops in the Upper San Joaquin River Basin Watershed and is delivered from Millerton Lake through Friant Dam to the Madera Canal and Friant-Kern Canal. The first 800,000 acre-feet of available water supply is considered Class 1; and Class 2 is considered the next amount of available water supply up to 1.4 million acre-feet. Given the current hydrologic conditions, Reclamation determined that Friant Class 1 initial allocation will be 20% and Class 2 will be 0%.
  • For the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, Reclamation is currently forecasting a “Critical-High” water year type, providing for 70,919 acre-feet to be used for Restoration Program purposes.

In addition to the 2020 initial CVP water allocation, several South-of-Delta and Friant Division contractors are rescheduling unused water from 2019 supplies into 2020. That water is being stored in San Luis Reservoir and Millerton Lake. The option to reschedule (carry over) water in San Luis Reservoir and Millerton Lake from one contract year to the next has been available to the water service contractors since the early 1990’s. That carry over option was instituted after a series of dry years in the early 1990’s to encourage conservation and best water management practices.

Reclamation notified the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors, San Joaquin Settlement Contractors, and Refuge Contractors that the forecasted inflow to Shasta Lake is currently greater than 3.2 million acre-feet and we are not currently in a “Shasta Critical” year as that term is defined in their contracts.

As the water year progresses, changes in hydrology and opportunities to deliver additional water will influence future allocations. Water supply updates will be made as appropriate and posted at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp-water/index.html.

2020-02-25T13:03:30-08:00February 25th, 2020|

Feds Initial Allocation is only 15 Percent

Westlands Water District Statement on 2020 Initial Allocation

 

Today the Bureau of Reclamation announced that the initial 2020 allocation for south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) agricultural water service contractors is 15%. Needless to say, Westlands Water District wishes it were higher, and the District is confident that Reclamation would have provided a higher allocation if existing conditions would have allowed it.

It is likely many people will question a 15% initial allocation considering President Donald J. Trump’s recent remarks concerning new biological opinions issued for coordinated operations of the CVP and State Water Project (SWP). Without question, those new biological opinions restore operational flexibility to the CVP and SWP, while at the same time providing more protection for listed species.

Indeed, if those biological opinions had been in effect in 2019, the projects would have been able to conserve more than an additional one-million acre-feet of water. That is enough water to irrigate 300,000 acres of land or serve more than 2 million households in urban areas served by the CVP and SWP. However, 2019 was a wet year, and unless California begins to experience significantly more precipitation, both in the form of rain and snow, 2020 will ultimately be classified as a dry or critical year. Even with the new biological opinions, Reclamation cannot allocate water that its operations forecast indicates will not be available.

Despite the lack of precipitation, it should be noted that the new biological opinions have benefited farmers in the San Joaquin Valley. The 2020 water year is shaping up to be very similar to 2009, a critically dry year. In 2009, south-of-Delta CVP agricultural water service contractors received a 10% allocation, and that allocation did not come until April. Comparatively speaking, a 15% allocation in February is good news.

Westlands staff will continue to work with Reclamation and other CVP contractors to analyze hydrologic and environmental conditions in hopes the allocation can be increased as early as practicable.


Statement by California Farm Water Coalition Executive Director Mike Wade  
on the Initial Allocation Announcement by the Bureau of Reclamation

“Today’s announcement by the Bureau of Reclamation of a 15 percent initial allocation for water supplies south of the Delta is clearly the result of the dry hydrology California is experiencing. February is shaping up to be possibly the first time in recorded history without any measurable precipitation. That alone is evidence that California may be on the leading edge of another drought.

“These dry conditions are similar to what we saw in 2009. For months farmers were not given an allocation amount and told they may get zero water. In April of that year, well past the time to make effective planting decisions, the allocation was set at 10 percent.

“The new biological opinions implemented last week are already making a difference by allocating 15 percent in February. We’re obviously hopeful that allocations will rise, but we’re pleased to be off to a better start than we were under the old operating rules.

“Had the new biological opinions been in place last year we believe an additional 1 million acre-feet of water could have been stored for use this year, delivering more water and offering better species protection, based on what we’ve learned over the past 10 years studying the Delta and its tributaries.

“That kind of operational flexibility is essential for California to remain the nation’s leading farm state and to continue to produce more than half of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown in the U.S. as well as vast amounts of dairy, beef and nursery products.”

 

2020-02-25T12:41:26-08:00February 25th, 2020|

Peracchi Steps Down as President of Westlands

Dan Errotabere is Now President of the District

On December 17, 2019, Don Peracchi announced that he would step down as President of Westlands Water District’s Board, effective December 31, 2019. Following his announcement, the District’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to elect Director Daniel Errotabere as President of the District.

Mr. Peracchi stated, “It has been an honor to serve as Westlands’ President, and I am proud of the District’s accomplishments over the last several years. These include the District’s role in passage of the WIIN Act, its role in negotiating revisions to the Coordinated Operations Agreement, conversion of the District’s water service contract to a repayment contract, and development of the groundwater sustainability plan. The District has a well-functioning Board supported by competent, dedicated staff. I believe it’s time to provide another Director with the opportunity to serve as President of the District.”

Tom Birmingham, the District’s general manager, stated, “On behalf of the staff, I want to express our appreciation to Mr. Peracchi. Few people understand the time commitment required to serve as Westlands’ President; it is a full-time job. Mr. Peracchi led the District through difficult times, when drought and regulatory restrictions severely reduced water supply, but because of his leadership on the Board, the District is in a good position.”

Mr. Errotabere stated, “Don Peracchi leaves big shoes to fill. He did an incredible job of leading the District through difficult times. I am gratified that the Board has confidence in my ability to continue the course set by Don and the Board.”

Mr. Peracchi has served as a Director of Westlands since 2008 and was elected President in 2011. He will remain on the Board of Directors. Mr. Errotabere, who previously served as Westlands’ President from 2002 through 2005, will begin his second term as President of Westlands on January 1, 2020.

Westlands is a public water district governed by a nine-member Board of Directors. Elections for the Board are held every two years and Directors are elected to four-year terms in office. The Board elects the District President and appoints other officers.

Westlands Water District is the largest agricultural water district in the United States, made up of more than 1,000 square miles of prime farmland in western Fresno and Kings Counties. Under federal contracts, Westlands provides water to 700 family-owned farms that average 653 acres in size.

 

2019-12-18T14:25:28-08:00December 23rd, 2019|

New Proposed Westlands Water Contracts to Users

Statement from Tom Birmingham, General Manager of Westlands Water District

A response to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s proposed conversion of the Westlands Water District water service contract to a repayment contract

The American West is an arid region. When President Obama signed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act in 2016, it was with the express intent of improving the nation’s water infrastructure, especially in the western United States. As part of this improvement, Section 4011 (a)(1) of Subtitle J of the Act provides that the Secretary of the Interior shall convert water service contracts to repayment contracts at the request of any existing water service contractor.
Section 4011 was included in the WIIN Act to create a source of money that the Bureau of Reclamation could use to construct water storage projects around the west. It was intended by the Act’s co-author, Senator Dianne Feinstein, to help California “prepare for [that] future while providing us with access to more water now.” When President Obama signed the bill into law, he stated that, “This important partnership has helped us achieve a careful balance based on existing state and federal law.”
Converting “temporary” water service contracts to “permanent” repayment contracts is not uncommon. In fact, an underlying principle of federal Reclamation law  that water users who have repaid the construction costs of a project would have a permanent right to the use of water developed by a project  has been reaffirmed by Congress multiple times since it was first laid out in the Reclamation Act of 1902.
In the Central Valley Project, the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act directed the Secretary of the Interior to convert water service contracts in the Friant Division to repayment contracts to generate revenue for the San Joaquin River restoration program, and those water service contracts were in fact converted to repayment contracts. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, as of October 2019 more than 75 agencies that had “temporary” water service contracts to receive Central Valley Project water, including the State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife, have exercised the option provided by the WIIN Act to convert their contracts to “permanent” repayment contracts. The contract terms proposed in the repayment contracts for Westlands and other Central Valley Project contractors under the WIIN Act are nearly identical to those in the Friant Division repayment contracts.
Further, as President Obama also noted, the provisions of Subtitle J of the WIIN Act were intended to help meet California’s long-term water needs, helping to “assure that California is more resilient in the face of growing water demands and drought-based uncertainty.” In the case of Westlands’ contract conversion, like all contract conversions done before or after, it offers a win-win for all parties.
The Westlands contract conversion will accelerate payment of approximately $320 million to the federal government years before payment is due. This money, pursuant to the WIIN Act, will be placed in the Reclamation Water Storage Account to be used for the construction of water storage and supply projects that can benefit all Central Valley Project purposes.
2019-11-20T19:40:39-08:00November 21st, 2019|

Westlands Water District Helps Mendota Boys/Girls Club Stay Open

Westlands Board of Directors Contribute $36,000 To keep Club Open

Edited By Patrick Cavanaugh

Recently, Westlands Water District Board of Directors voted unanimously to contribute $36,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Mendota. In a letter to Westlands’ Board, Kathryn Weakland of the Boys & Girls Club explained that without immediate funding the Club was at risk of closing,

“The shortfall is due to: increased operating costs, minimum wage increases and lack of sustainable funding sources.” Robert Silva, the Mayor of the City of Mendota, addressed the Board during the meeting expressing the importance of the Boys & Girls Club providing services to children in the City. Westlands Water District Board President Don Peracchi thanked Mayor Silva, City Manager Cristian Gonzales and the Boys & Girls Club of Mendota for allowing Westlands the opportunity to support the community.

Robert Silva, mayor of Mendota

Robert Silva, Mendota Mayor

The Boy & Girls Club of Mendota serves over 300 children, 95 percent of whom live in public housing near the club. All the children served have families residing well below poverty level, with an average income of $16,000 a year. Approximately 85 percent of the children served by the club have a parent or parents who work for farmers in Westlands. The Club provides a safe and welcoming space for children to learn, grow, play and are provided with nutritious meals daily.

Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands, expressed the need to support the children who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Mendota, and he noted this was one means of mitigating socioeconomic impacts resulting from the District having retired approximately 40,000 acres of land near the City of Mendota. The Boys & Girls Club of Mendota is continuing to work diligently to establish relationships with potential donors and create a fundraiser, intended to ensure annual contributions keeping the Club operational.

“We are so thankful to Westlands Water District Board of Directors for this generous gift to keep the doors of the Mendota Club open to children who rely on the services, positive environment and diversified educational programs provided by the Club every day,” said BGCFC Kathryn Weakland, VP of Development. “We are still working to secure permanent funding, but this will help us seek the right opportunities in the meantime.”

2019-08-02T13:58:34-07:00August 2nd, 2019|

Westlands Water District Announces Scholarship Winners

Westlands Water District Announces Recipients of the Six West Side Scholarships

News Release

Westlands Water District awarded scholarships to six high school seniors in recognition of the students’ exceptional academic achievement. Each recipient, all of whom are from west side communities, will receive $1,000 towards their community college or university expenses. Applicants were judged on their academic performance, school activities, and community leadership, and each applicant submitted an essay on an agricultural-related topic.

The District congratulates the following 2019 scholarships winners:

Joe Cardiel III, a senior at Firebaugh High School. Cardiel plans to attend Fresno State, where he will major in Agriculture Education, with plans to pursue a career as an agricultural educator.

Cardiel is a varsity basketball and varsity baseball player and FFA chapter secretary. As a Firebaugh high school student, Cardiel was honored with the Eagle Baseball award, FFA State Degree, and FFA Outstanding senior.

Marvin Cornejo, a senior at Mendota High School. Cornejo is an honors student who plans to attend Fresno State to pursue a degree in Chemistry. Following college, Cornejo aspires to pursue a career as a pharmacist.

Cornejo is a Mendota School Board student representative; a West Side Youth volunteer; an avid athlete involved in track &field, cross country wrestling and soccer; and an FFA Greenhand and Chapter degree holder.

Myriam Castro, a senior at Tranquility High School. Castro will graduate in the top five of her class. Castro plans to attend Fresno State, where she will major in Criminology.

During her time at Tranquility High School, Castro was involved in the Honor Guard and the California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) and obtained the ROP Criminal Justice certificate of completion and the State Seal of Biliteracy.

Peter Hawken, a senior at Lemoore High School. Hawken was honored as the Chemistry Student of the Year. Following graduation, Hawken will attend the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he will major in Environmental Science. With his degree, Hawken aims to pursue a career as an environmental and agricultural irrigation specialist.

Hawken is the Varsity Soccer team captain, both the soccer and tennis club president and is involved in Jesus Club and a California Scholarship Federation life member.

Jazmin A. Murillo, a senior at Coalinga High School. Murillo plans to attend West Hills College Coalinga, where she will major in Political Science and film. Following college, Murillo plans to pursue a career as a paralegal and as a film director.

Murillo is the editor-in-chief of the Coalinga High School Magazine, President of the After School Program Leadership Club and VIDA club, and was on the Principal’s Honor Roll from 2015 to 2019. Murillo has also been honored with the Bausch + Lomb Honorary Science Award, first place in the Chevron Robotics Challenge and as a National Hispanic Scholar.

Emma Andrade, a senior at Riverdale High School. Andrade is an honor roll student who plans to attend Fresno State, where she will major in Physics and plans to pursue a career as an experimental physicist.

Andrade plays varsity basketball and tennis and has been involved with Rural Route 4-H since 2010, continually holding leadership positions, such as Corresponding Secretary and Camp Director. Andrade has been honored with the Academic All-League Team and Letter, County Heartbeat Artistry Award and All-League First Team Varsity Tennis.

Westlands is honored to recognize and assist these outstanding students; as reiterated by Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands, “these scholarships represent a small gesture of thanks and support to the communities on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley that make our region productive and vibrant. Our hope is that these students will continue to contribute to their communities and make them even better for future generations.”

2019-06-27T17:27:38-07:00June 27th, 2019|

65% Percent Water Allocation for Westlands with 163 Percent Snow Pack

Statement on Bureau of Reclamation’s April Water Allocation Announcement

News Release from Westlands Water District

Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced the water allocation for south-of-Delta Central Valley Project agricultural water service contractors is being increased to 65%. In light of current hydrologic and reservoir conditions, this minor increase is astonishing.

Thomas Birmingham, Westlands Water District’s general manager, stated: “This announcement begs the question, what has to happen before south-of-Delta farmers served by the Central Valley Project can get a full supply?”

With San Luis Reservoir full and flood flows coming, the 65 % allocation was more than disappointment.

Since October 1, the beginning of the current water year, California has been blessed with abundant precipitation; the 2018-19 water year is now classified as wet. As of April 8, the snow water content in the northern and central Sierra Nevada was 160% and 163% of the long-term average, respectively. Storage in every CVP reservoir used to supply south-of-Delta CVP agricultural water service contractors was more than 100% of average for that date. Indeed, these reservoirs were and remain in flood control operations.

Birmingham added, “I know that Reclamation staff understands the consequences of the decisions they make. Reclamation staff understands reduced allocations in a year like this needlessly increases overdraft in already overdrafted groundwater basins. Reclamation staff understands delayed allocation announcements make it nearly impossible for farmers to effectively plan their operations. If Reclamation’s leadership could, they would make a 100% allocation. But Reclamation’s hands are tied by restrictions imposed by biological opinions issued under the Endangered Species Act. These restrictions have crippled the CVP and have provided no demonstrative protection for listed fish species, all of which have continued to decline despite the draconian effect the biological opinions have had on water supply for people.”

Birmingham concluded, “Notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by the biological opinions, Westlands firmly believes that there is sufficient water to allocate to south-of-Delta agricultural water services contractors 100%. Today’s announcement by Reclamation is disappointing for every south-of Delta farmer served by the CVP, and we hope Reclamation will increase the allocation quickly to enable farmers to quit pumping groundwater.”

After 2019, no one will be able to argue that water supply reductions for south-of-Delta CVP agricultural water service contractors are a result of hydrologic conditions. This year demonstrates only too well the crippling consequences of ineffective and unchecked regulations. Because of restrictions imposed on operations of the CVP under the guise of protecting fish, the CVP cannot be operated to satisfy one of the primary purposes for which it was built, supplying water to farmers.

2019-04-18T16:42:08-07:00April 18th, 2019|

College Scholarships Available from Westlands Water District

Westlands Water District Announces 2019 Scholarship Application with May 1oth Deadline

Westlands Water District is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for the District’s annual scholarship program. This is the thirteenth consecutive year the District will provide scholarships to recognize and reward exceptional academic achievement and leadership by graduating seniors.

Scholarships are awarded to students from the following west side high schools: Coalinga, Firebaugh, Lemoore, Mendota, Riverdale, and Tranquility.

“These scholarships represent a small gesture of thanks and support to the communities on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley that contribute to making our region productive and vibrant,” said Tom Birmingham, Westlands’ general manager. “We hope the recipients of these scholarships will continue to contribute to their communities and make them even better for future generations.”

Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 to be used for college expenses. Applicants are judged on their academic performance, school activities, and community leadership.

Past scholarship recipients have enrolled into California State University, Fresno; University of California, Berkeley; California Polytechnic State University; University of California, Los Angeles; West Hills Community College; and more.

Applications and all supporting documents are due by May 10 and may be submitted by mail to P.O. Box 6056, Fresno, CA 93703 or in person to 3130 N. Fresno Street, Fresno, between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For an application and list of instructions, please contact the public affairs office at (559) 241-6233 or visit https://wwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/scholarship-application.pdf.

2019-04-11T17:00:35-07:00April 11th, 2019|

Yes, A Disappointing 55 Percent Water Allocation for Farmers

Statement from Westlands Water District on Bureau of Reclamation’s Water Allocation Announcement

News Release

Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that the water allocation for South-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) agricultural water contractors has been increased from 35 percent to 55 percent. The increase is an improvement for the farmers and farmworkers in the Westlands Water District, but, given the healthy hydological conditions throughout the state, today’s announcement is a disappointment.

For years, we have been told that the farmers served by south-of-Delta ag service contractors received water allocation reductions due to water shortages. But this year, water is abundant, which is why today’s announcement is so frustrating. A 55 percent allocation, during a year with snowpack and reservoir levels well above average, further illustrates the extent to which California’s water supply system is broken and how important it is that we find long-term solutions to problems plaguing the water deliver system in California.

As of today, Lake Shasta is at 85 percent capacity and 111 percent of its historical average. San Luis Reservoir is at 99 percent capacity and 113 percent of its historical average. Yet, despite the availability of water, the rigid regulatory constraints imposed on operations of the CVP continue to prevent Reclamation from making common-sense water management decisions.

2019-03-15T16:46:14-07:00March 15th, 2019|
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