Oakdale Irrigation District sets talks on water sale plan

OAKDALE -- The Oakdale Irrigation District board plans its first public discussion Sept. 18 of a proposed water sale to the city of Brisbane.

Meanwhile, the district is preparing for a hearing early next year on a proposed annexation that would provide water to about 7,500 acres of new almond orchards near Knights Ferry.

The two proposals come amid continuing debate over the Modesto Irrigation District's proposed water sales to San Francisco. The first of those sales is being renegotiated to deal with concerns about dry-year shortages from Modesto city officials and others.

The OID's Sept. 18 meeting will provide details on a sale that has been discussed only in closed session because the negotiations are ongoing, General Manager Steve Knell said. No action will be taken.

Brisbane, a city of about 4,300 people just south of San Francisco, gets its water from the larger city's Hetch Hetchy Water and Power System on the Tuol-umne River.

The OID does not have a direct connection between its Stanislaus River supply and the Bay Area. The sale would require a three-step process:

An amount of Stanislaus water equal to the Brisbane purchase would be shifted by the OID to the MID via a connection between their systems.

The MID would let an equal amount be held back in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, upstream of the district's diversion.

The Hetch Hetchy system would deliver extra water to Brisbane.

San Francisco officials have not received a formal request "and thus have not done any analysis yet," city spokesman Tyrone Jue said in an e-mail.

The OID annexation involves land owned by Trinitas Partners LLC, based in Menlo Park. It would pay $2,600 per acre to join the district and $60 per acre-foot of water from the Stanislaus River each year.

The OID charges its current farmers a flat $19.50 per acre, which provides as much water as can be reasonably used.

The agreement calls for suspension of the transfer in dry years, when the company would use its wells and all of the river supply would go to the OID's current 55,000 acres.

The annexation needs the approval of the Stanislaus Local Agency Formation Commission. Knell said that could happen at its Feb. 27 or March 27 meetings.

A review of the proposal's environmental effects could be released next month, he said.

The district board tentatively has approved the terms, but that could change depending on public input, Knell said.

The OID board will meet at 9 a.m. Sept. 18 at the district office, 1205 E. F St., Oakdale.

Bee staff writer John Holland cab be reached at jholland@modbee.com or (209) 578-2385.