MID farmers this year could get 67 percent more water

A wet weekend boosted confidence enough for the Modesto Irrigation District to forecast 30-inch water allotments this year for farmers – welcome news after four years of drought and last year’s historic low of 18 inches, although missing the 42-inch average.

The MID board on Tuesday also learned that the irrigation season may start April 3.

Both predictions are subject to change, however, as the district hears from farmers in this week’s annual preseason grower meetings and as weather conditions evolve.

“It’s a good guess,” MID irrigation operations manager John Davids said when board member Nick Blom asked how solid the 30-inch estimate is. The district is expected to announce a more sure allotment at a March 22 board meeting.

“It’s looking pretty good,” board chairman Larry Byrd said. “This could be the miracle March we’ve all been hoping for.”

Early-season storms provided enthusiasm, followed by several dry and disappointing weeks. Measurements of snow and rain in mountains to the east, which drain to reservoirs critical for holding water needed through the summer, had been above average since mid-December until last week when cumulative totals actually dipped below the historical average.

But storms since Friday dumped 4.3 inches in the hills, giving MID and farmers more optimism. As of Sunday, MID had 195,564 acre-feet of water stored for the season – 43 percent more than this time last year.

“And this weekend is likely to be as wet as last,” Davids told the board.

Attorney Stacy Henderson, who represents some growers, said the 30-inch estimate is “wonderful.”

The March 9 meeting with growers starts at 7 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel, 1150 Ninth St., Modesto. Topics include a proposed water rate hike up for a board vote on April 19.

Average increases are hard to estimate, as the fixed, per-acre charge would rise from $40 to $44 while extra fees based on consumption could go up as much as 300 percent in wet years. Also, the board will decide April 19 whether to levy another drought surcharge.

If approved as proposed, MID’s water income would increase about 20 percent, from $3.18 million to $3.82 million. That amounts to 18 percent of what it costs MID – $21.2 million – to deliver that water; the district makes up the difference with a subsidy from overcharging electricity customers tens of millions of dollars each year.

This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 5:15 PM with the headline "MID farmers this year could get 67 percent more water."