Can Modesto provide water to big Salida growth area? Studies to assess supply
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Modesto will evaluate water service capacity for Salida's 3,400-acre expansion.
- Stanislaus County will fund water supply studies, capped at $112,400 in costs.
- Comprehensive EIR for Salida plan will address water, growth, and incorporation.
Stanislaus County has asked Modesto to evaluate its ability to provide water service for the Salida Community Plan expansion.
The county will cover the costs for the city to oversee a consultant to assess the water supply and whether the city system can serve the 3,400-acre Salida development area.
County supervisors and Modesto City Council members approved the related consent items Tuesday. Modesto will contract with West Yost Associates of Davis to perform the water service evaluations.
The county is working on an extensive environmental review of the Salida plan, which includes 2,000 acres of industrial and business park development, a possible 5,000 dwellings and parkland. In addition to environmental impacts, the review is considering transportation issues, infrastructure needs, a fee assessment and feasibility study on Salida incorporation as a city.
Studies also will assess the amount of groundwater and whether it’s feasible for the city to serve the development area.
West Yost, a subconsultant for the county environmental studies, has been evaluating water supply capacity in the Salida area. A city staff report said Modesto can contract with West Yost, skipping the normal bid process, because the firm has unique qualifications: It does hydraulic modeling for the city and knows Modesto’s water system.
The county chief executive officer still needs to negotiate an agreement with Modesto for reimbursement of costs for the water studies. The county has agreed to cover costs of the water analyses, not to exceed $112,400.
The county has budgeted $1,049,000 for the programmatic environmental impact report on the Salida plan. Ascent Environmental of Sacramento is preparing the EIR under a contract with the county and a draft study could be released in early 2026.
Modesto has supplied water service to Salida homes and businesses since acquiring the Del Este Water Company in 1995. County supervisors, in a controversial 3-2 vote in 2007, approved what’s called the Salida Community Plan “amendment,” which extends development areas north toward the Stanislaus River and east of the existing community to Dale Road.
Some have considered it a grandiose plan that could create 27,000 jobs and push Salida’s population to almost 30,000. How much of the area will be developed will depend on the economy and development demand.
“I think there will be enough water,” said Supervisor Terry Withrow, whose district includes Salida. “The city has capacity, that is for sure.”
Salida, with 14,500 residents, already is the largest unincorporated town in the county. A population twice the size would raise the question of whether the county should continue to govern Salida or if city incorporation would make more sense.
Interest in the long-dormant Salida Community Plan was rekindled when the Scannell warehouse project emerged in 2024, proposing 2.5 million square feet of warehouses and distribution centers at the northwest corner of Dale Road and Kiernan Avenue. County officials determined a comprehensive environmental study on the 3,400-acre Salida growth area was required before individual projects like Scannell could move forward.
The Scannell project also has an application for annexation to Modesto as a possible option.
Withrow said he believes other development projects in the Salida area will emerge once the programmatic EIR is completed next year. “Once that is done, depending on the economy, I think it could really take off,” Withrow said.
This story was originally published July 23, 2025 at 7:38 AM.
