The Imperial Irrigation District is looking for water, and a new subcommittee is being created to find a solution.
The district is now accepting its second round of solicitation applications for its 2012-2013 fallowing program. The district has reopened the application process, mailed notices out and is hoping to get a good response to make up water for the July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012, fallowing cycle, said Tina Shields, assistant water department manager. The payment rate has also been increased from $85 per acre-foot to $100 per acre-foot.
Applications must be received by the IID water manager’s office by noon Feb. 8.
There is a high volume demand this year as the district only contracted out half a year of fallowing last year, she said. Because of the uncertainty of the Quantification Settlement Agreement, the nation’s largest agriculture-to-urban water transfer, the district was hesitant to contract a full year of fallowing as the funding to fallow was uncertain.
“We need a lot of water right now,” she said.
Shields added that she fully anticipates taking all contracts that the district issues as she doesn’t think there will be a problem of getting too much water. There will also be the option to start fallowing earlier than July 1.
While the district is proceeding with fallowing applications this year, it is also working with the district’s citizen water board to find future solutions.
Water Conservation Advisory Board members expressed their concerns about the current fallowing program, including the transfer of water that has not yet been conserved and the need to move toward water efficiency.
Those ideas could be incorporated into a future solution, as the water conservation board has created a subcommittee to focus on future projects. Four members of the board, Ralph Strahm, Tom Brundy, Mark McBroom and Jim Abatti, are set to work with staff in the coming weeks to come up with solutions.
Staff Writer Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
The district is now accepting its second round of solicitation applications for its 2012-2013 fallowing program. The district has reopened the application process, mailed notices out and is hoping to get a good response to make up water for the July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012, fallowing cycle, said Tina Shields, assistant water department manager. The payment rate has also been increased from $85 per acre-foot to $100 per acre-foot.
Applications must be received by the IID water manager’s office by noon Feb. 8.
There is a high volume demand this year as the district only contracted out half a year of fallowing last year, she said. Because of the uncertainty of the Quantification Settlement Agreement, the nation’s largest agriculture-to-urban water transfer, the district was hesitant to contract a full year of fallowing as the funding to fallow was uncertain.
“We need a lot of water right now,” she said.
Shields added that she fully anticipates taking all contracts that the district issues as she doesn’t think there will be a problem of getting too much water. There will also be the option to start fallowing earlier than July 1.
While the district is proceeding with fallowing applications this year, it is also working with the district’s citizen water board to find future solutions.
Water Conservation Advisory Board members expressed their concerns about the current fallowing program, including the transfer of water that has not yet been conserved and the need to move toward water efficiency.
Those ideas could be incorporated into a future solution, as the water conservation board has created a subcommittee to focus on future projects. Four members of the board, Ralph Strahm, Tom Brundy, Mark McBroom and Jim Abatti, are set to work with staff in the coming weeks to come up with solutions.
Staff Writer Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
