If you were looking for bargain-priced water this year, you’re out of luck. "We got out of the market when we started seeing prices north of $900 an acre-foot," said Jason Gianquinto, general manager of Semitropic Water Storage District in western Kern County. "That’s just too much for us. We...
‘It’s Just Not Enough’ Says Senator Caballero About 5% Water Allocation to SJV Farmers
Agricultural water service contractors south of the Delta were allocated 5% of their contract supply by the Bureau of Reclamation. Central Valley lawmakers think the state needs to do better. "It's not enough. It's just not enough," says state Senator Anna Caballero, D-Salinas. "We know we need more." The Westlands Water District...
New Westlands Water District Board Member Appointed
It took only 15 minutes before the Westlands Water District Board of Directors voted to unanimously appoint Ceil W. Howe III to fill a vacancy, bringing bringing the governing body back to full strength. The board could have opted to proceed with a special election to fill the vacancy, but opted for...
Westlands Water District, Facing a Board Vacancy, Meets Tuesday to Discuss Options
The Westlands Water District Board of Directors is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday by Zoom to decide on filling a board vacancy. Item 8a of the Board's agenda states: "Consider Recommendation that the Board of Directors Appoints an Applicant to Fill Vacancy on the Board of Directors or,...
Water Agency’s Land Donation Will Benefit Mendota Park Expansion
Land fallowed for several years will be transformed into two soccer fields, a splash park, two play areas, sports field lighting and additional parking in Mendota. The Westlands Water District board of directors approved donating 4.61 acres to the city of Mendota to support the planned Rojas Pierce Park expansion...
Zero Delta Smelt Found in Latest Search. New Habitat Hopes To Change That.
An annual search for a tiny endangered and contentious fish in the sprawling California Delta has once again come up empty. The state's annual Fall Midwater Trawl Survey found no delta smelt in September's sampling of the critical waterway. The last time the rare fish turned up in a survey was...
Prospective Westlands Water Board Members Look Past Legal Challenges To Get Water, Focusing on Innovation
November 3 is filled with many elections many of us have not heard of. Unbeknownst to many, some voters will pick five new members of the Board of Directors of the Westlands Water District. GV Wire℠ had a chance to speak with two of those running for seats by Zoom...
Temperance Flat Dam Put on the Shelf Indefinitely
An investment analysis that looked at how much it would cost water users to build and operate the proposed Temperance Flat Dam northeast of Fresno without government funding was finished earlier this year and quietly passed among water districts, which just as quietly asked the federal government to shelve work...
Westlands Again Is Eyeing San Joaquin River Water
Westlands Water District sent shockwaves through the Central Valley water world recently after it alerted several districts that it intends to apply for rights to flood flows on the San Joaquin River. A previous attempt by Westlands to get rights to San Joaquin River water 20 years ago ignited a...
California Water Policies Inhibit Food Production by Valley Farmers: Opinion
Over the past several weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has created images Americans never expected to see in this country: Empty supermarket shelves and people lined up outside of markets waiting to enter to purchase food. While the food supply chain in this country is strong, and American farmers certainly have...