Oakdale Irrigation District angling to ease drought

Irrigation leaders on Tuesday will consider appeasing farmers with a pair of drought-related potential actions:

▪ Increasing water allotments

▪ Canceling water deliveries to almond conglomerate Trinitas Farming

Two members of the Oakdale Irrigation District board said they’ll consider bumping allotments from 36 inches per parcel to 40. Tuesday’s meeting agenda credits “seasonal water use to date,” suggesting more water to go around because people have used less than expected.

This is the first time in OID’s 105-year history that deliveries have been capped. Initially, the board on April 21 restricted farmers to 30 inches and bumped the cap to 36 inches in early May, citing the same water-use explanation.

But the April 21 vote included a provision ensuring that Trinitas, whose 7,234 acres were annexed two years ago, and another new customer’s 812 acres would get a third the amount going to 52,000 acres of longtime customers.

Some farmers protested, circulated a petition, and on Wednesday complained to the Stanislaus Local Agency Formation Commission, a panel that approved the 2013 annexation when OID promised that the Trinitas deal would not harm existing customers. Some commissioners this week said they’re looking into the matter, as OID expects to approach LAFCO with more annexation requests in the fall.

The OID board is wrestling with serious financial trouble resulting from the drought. The district used $7 million in savings to cover last year’s expenses because wholesale electricity sales were down, and anticipates a $10 million shortfall this year.

In the past decade, OID has balanced its books and financed improvements by selling water to buyers in other areas, reaping more than $35 million. The board budgeted an additional $4 million in expected sales this year but canceled the deal because of the drought and a legal threat.

Meanwhile, Trinitas pays a higher price for the same Stanislaus River water – $55 per acre, as opposed to $27 charged to longtime customers. Also, the company pays OID a yearly $1.2 million annexation fee under a 20-year agreement that will fetch a total of $24.7 million.

OID officials made it clear in 2013 that Trinitas would not receive water in dry years unless others got what they needed. Canceling Trinitas deliveries would allow OID to give established customers about 1.4 inches more.

Petitioners have said the district’s share of the Stanislaus this year is more than OID used last year, when there was no cap. Officials say some must be held in dams to comply with federal fish requirements.

Tuesday’s OID board meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the chamber at 1205 E. F St., Oakdale.

This story was originally published May 31, 2015 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Oakdale Irrigation District angling to ease drought."