TID staff urges 18-inch cap on water

The staff of the Turlock Irrigation District recommends capping water at 18 inches this year – a tiny bit more than had been discussed, but still much less than the accustomed amount.

The district board will consider the 2015 allotment Tuesday morning, as well as a proposed April 9 start to the irrigation season. That is later than usual, part of the effort to conserve water in a four-year-long drought.

The Tuolumne River watershed has produced just 13 percent of average runoff to date, said Mike Kavarian, water distribution manager, in a memo to the board.

“Weather forecasts also indicate no significant rainfall on the horizon,” he said. “As a result, 2015 will be an extremely dry year.”

The staff had talked about a cap of 15 or 16 inches during meetings with farmers last month. The boost to 18 came after a review of up-to-date watershed conditions.

It will be a “soft cap,” meaning that farmers will be able to exceed 18 inches to complete their last irrigation of the season, scheduled to end Oct. 7.

TID typically makes 48 inches available in years with adequate rain and snow. Last year, it had a soft cap of 20 inches.

The district plans on above-average pumping from its own wells and those rented from farmers. It also aims to keep spills in the canals to a minimum and will allow customers to transfer water among themselves.

The proposal to start irrigation season late drew some discussion at last week’s board meeting. Director Joe Alamo said he heard from a couple of tree crop growers who need water sooner.

“They’re saying their crops are really being damaged if they don’t get that water,” he said.

TID is the largest irrigation district in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. It serves about 149,000 acres in an area from south Modesto to north Merced County and from the lower Sierra Nevada foothills to the San Joaquin River.

The Modesto Irrigation District, which also draws from the Tuolumne, expects to deliver 16 inches this year.

Also Tuesday, the TID board will hold a workshop on its new rate schedule for customers who generate solar electricity. Installers have raised concerns that the rates do not adequately compensate customers for excess power they send onto the grid.

This story was originally published March 30, 2015 at 5:01 AM with the headline "TID staff urges 18-inch cap on water."