Irrigation Leader Washington Edition November/December 2017

Volume 8 Issue 10 Washington State Edition

November/December 2017

Nathan Draper of

M H O A X L EE E S Irrigation District

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CONTENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 Volume 8, Issue 10

Irrigation Leader is published 10 times a year with combined issues for July/August and November/December by Water Strategies LLC 4 E Street SE Washington, DC 20003 STAFF: Kris Polly, Editor-in-Chief John Crotty, Senior Writer Matthew Dermody, Writer Julia Terbrock, Graphic Designer Capital Copyediting LLC, Copyeditor SUBMISSIONS: Irrigation Leader welcomes manuscript, photography, and art submissions.

However, the right to edit or deny publishing submissions is reserved. Submissions are returned only upon request.

For more information, please contact John Crotty at (202) 698-0690 or John.Crotty@waterstrategies.com.

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ADVERTISING: Irrigation Leader accepts one-quarter, half-page, and full-page ads. For more information on rates and placement, please contact Kris Polly at (703) 517-3962 or Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

MODERNIZING PIPELINES AND PROCESSES AT THE SELAH-MOXEE IRRIGATION DISTRICT

Washington State Edition 5 Collaborating to Create Supplies

By Kris Polly

24 Vast Aquifer Supports Remote Mojave Desert Farm

By Courtney Degener

6 Modernizing Pipelines and Processes at the Selah-Moxee Irrigation District

28 Subduing Subsidence in the Central Valley

12 Preserving Water and History in the Imperial Valley

22 Partnering to Irrigate Wetlands at the Grassland Water District

By Ric Ortega

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34 San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority

By Jason Peltier

THE INNOVATORS 38 Using Science to Eliminate Aquatic Weeds: UPI’s Craig Smith and Joe Vassios

Copyright Š 2017 Water Strategies LLC. Irrigation Leader relies on the excellent contributions of a variety of natural resources professionals who provide content for the magazine. However, the views and opinions expressed by these contributors are solely those of the original contributor and do not necessarily represent or reflect the policies or positions of Irrigation Leader magazine, its editors, or Water Strategies LLC. The acceptance and use of advertisements in Irrigation Leader do not constitute a representation or warranty by Water Strategies LLC or Irrigation Leader magazine regarding the products, services, claims, or companies advertised. /IrrigationLeader

@IrrigationLeadr

COVER PHOTO: Selah-Moxee Irrigation District general manager Nathan Draper.

IRRIGATION LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SELAH-MOXEE IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

18 Revolutionizing Recycled Water: Anthea Hansen of the Del Puerto Water District on the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program

DISTRICT FOCUS

CIRCULATION: Irrigation Leader is distributed to irrigation district managers and boards of directors in the 17 western states, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials, members of Congress and committee staff, and advertising sponsors. For address corrections or additions, please contact our office at Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

Collaborating to Create Supplies

T

he Central Valley of California is one the nation’s main sources of fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts. Over the last couple decades, the Central Valley has struggled with water supplies because of federal management and drought. In light of limited surface supplies, water managers in the valley have come up with creative solutions to make the most of each drop and sustain the economic engine of rural California. This issue of Irrigation Leader focuses on those solutions.

In our cover interview, we speak to Nathan Draper, general manager of the Selah­-Moxee Irrigation District (SMID), in the Yakima Valley. SMID is looking to participate in the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP), a partnership among federal, state, and local entities to conserve water, help fish, and invest in district infrastructure. Although the federal water management framework differs significantly from that in the Central Valley, YRBWEP serves as a good model for effective collaboration between local and federal partners. For SMID, Mr. Draper explains, “[t]here is a clear economic benefit to having adequate, reliable, and efficient water supplies available to our growers. We also know that there are environmental benefits to our projects, especially the increased river flows that help fish.”

We hear from several water districts in the Central Valley.

Anthea Hansen of the Del Puerto Water District discusses the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program. The innovative project develops a new supply for Central Valley growers by bringing recycled water from the cities of Turlock and Modesto to the Delta-Mendota Canal. “This is a project that is actually going to turn the course of the future for our landowners and

By Kris Polly

protect the value of their investments.”

Another beneficiary of the North Valley project is the Grassland Water District, which is dedicated to providing water for wetlands. Manager Ric Ortega notes, “We are trying to use our position to bring . . . opposing sides together to work on collaborative projects. Agriculture has been an important partner in the preservation of wetlands, especially north of the delta.”

The San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA) oversees the 29 water agencies—including Del Puerto and Grassland Water Districts—that rely on water from the Delta-Mendota Canal. SLDMWA General Manager Jason Peltier, who has been immersed in CVP issues for decades, summarizes the challenges and solutions moving forward for his member agencies. “If we can shift the CVP back to being an effective project again, we can build a future for central California that everyone can be proud of and that will work to the maximum benefit of all interests.”

While the CVP’s problems can seem insurmountable, its water managers embody a can-do spirit and a path forward based on science, collaboration, and innovation. IL Kris Polly is editor-in-chief of Irrigation Leader magazine and president of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at Kris.Polly@waterstrategies.com.

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Our theme this year is “Leadership, Efficiency, and Safety.” The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for general managers and directors of irrigation districts and water agencies to discuss ideas and exchange information on a variety of district operational and management–related issues, to build out-of-state working relationships, and to learn from their peers.

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Modernizing Pipelines and Processes at the Selah-Moxee Irrigation District

U

pdating water infrastructure is one of the most challenging tasks for any irrigation district, but changing management processes to better integrate with neighboring districts can be even more difficult. The Selah-Moxee Irrigation District is currently attempting to achieve both goals at the same time and hopes to replace as much as three-quarters of its canal systems with pipelines over the next 20 years. At the same time, the district is better integrating itself into regional water management frameworks that will improve coordination among water suppliers and water users in southern Washington.

Nathan Draper has been the general manager of the Selah-Moxee Irrigation District for 5 years, and he has spent that time working to make those goals into realities. He recently sat down with Irrigation Leader’s editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, to discuss the district’s history of providing water to southern Washington, the capital improvement program that will modernize the district’s infrastructure, and how better regional integration has and will continue to benefit his water users in the future.

Kris Polly: Can you give us an overview of the district and the infrastructure that serves your irrigators?

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SELAH-MOXEE IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Nathan Draper: We divert water from the Yakima River, and we have three reservoirs upstream of our main canal that we draw water from. We are a senior water rights district and are usually one of the first in line for water, so we rarely have shortages of water, even in years of severe drought. We have approximately 2,800 irrigator accounts and 7,400 total irrigated acres.

Coming from the river, we divert into an earthen canal, which meanders through the Selah area for about 4 miles.

We begin deliveries almost immediately and provide water to approximately 800 acres in Selah. After that, we have a 2-mile tunnel system that goes through the Yakima Ridge and provides water to the Moxee area. We have 40 total miles of canal, including the Selah-Moxee Canal, the Hubbard Ditch, and the Moxee Ditch, all of which are earthen canals. We primarily irrigate for hops, but we also provide water to orchards that grow pears and apples, in addition to some vineyards. Pastureland, hay ground, and residential areas also depend on our water.

Kris Polly: How do most of your irrigators water their crops?

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IRRIGATION LEADER

Nathan Draper: Drip irrigation is the most common method used in our district. Hops are irrigated with drip systems, and the orchards are watered with microsprinklers.

The remainder of land within the district uses varying types of sprinkler irrigation.

Kris Polly: What kind of cooperative interaction do you engage in with neighboring districts?

Nathan Draper: We are essentially sandwiched between two other irrigation districts, and we have good working relationships with both of them. All three districts work independently of each other most of the time, but we do interact from time to time. Both our neighboring districts have been great to work with and are good neighbors.

Kris Polly: What are some of the critical supply and delivery challenges facing the district?

Nathan Draper: Like many districts, aging infrastructure is one of the biggest issues we face. We are using a canal system that is over 100 years old to meet the demands of modern communities and agriculture, which is very challenging.

Kris Polly: Do you have a capital improvement or other program in place to update your infrastructure?

Nathan Draper: We have a capital improvement program that we are looking at implementing for the interim, which includes replacing concrete structures like our turnouts and diversions off the canal. Our overall plan is to install a piping system throughout the district, which is part of the feasibility study we conducted in 2015. We are currently trying to obtain funding and are looking at a variety of financial sources, including the Yakima integrated plan.

We could see a water savings of 10,000 acre-feet after the project is complete.

Kris Polly: What kind of processes are you going through right now to try to obtain funding for the projects?

WASHINGTON Selah-Moxee Irrigation District

ABOVE: Selah-Moxee Canal in the Terrace Heights area.

TOP LEFT: Selah-Moxee Irrigation District’s Yakima Ridge Tunnel.

BOTTOM LEFT: Hops.

IRRIGATION LEADER

Nathan Draper: We have actually done some presentations for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on our project to explore several different funding options. One is the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP). We are looking at funding through that source in addition to the integrated plan. Those discussions are in the early stages.

We are also exploring other grant opportunities through the WaterSMART program, state Department of Ecology grants, and other avenues as well. The goal is to figure out which plan makes the most sense for us.

Kris Polly: If all goes well, how long will it take you to complete this project?

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Nathan Draper: Funding will determine how quickly we will be able to accomplish our long-range goals. If we had a constant, available funding supply, we could complete the process in 20 years.

Kris Polly: How many miles of canal would be updated under the capital improvement plan?

Nathan Draper: The district’s feasibility study calls for piping approximately 36 miles of earthen canal and installing a canal liner in the first 4 miles of our system. The district has divided the entire project into multiple phases to match the funding we believe to be available.

Nathan Draper: Overall, our project plays an important role in the goals of the integrated plan, especially regarding flow augmentation in the river. We are in the early stages of becoming involved, and this is a process that is new to us.

Our district had traditionally acted as a standalone entity for many years, but has now begun to coordinate with other stakeholders. We still have a long way to go on our path to better cooperation and integration, but we are making progress.

Kris Polly: What kind of feedback have you received from your board and your farmers about the projects?

Nathan Draper: It has been an educational process for our board and our members. It is not just about going out and digging a ditch any more. There is more to it than that, including regulatory “Our district had and environmental concerns. The board and I had to make a concerted effort traditionally acted as to obtain a thorough understanding a standalone entity of what it would take to complete for many years, but the project and then explain to our has now begun to members how it would benefit them.

Our board members understand that coordinate with other the district needs to modernize and be stakeholders. We still with the technology used have a long way to go compatible on farms, and they are willing to make on our path to better the long-term investments in time and cooperation and money to make it happen. They have been excellent partners to work with, and integration, but we am fortunate to have such a supportive are making progress.” Iboard.

Kris Polly: Will the tunnel that is buried under rock on the Yakima Ridge be included in the piping plan?

Nathan Draper: Yes it will. We are evaluating how to approach the tunnel and pipe it effectively. The tunnel was constructed in 1928–1930. It is primarily exposed basalt rock and averages 8 feet in diameter. There is over 12 feet of fall from the tunnel’s entrance to the exit, and the precision of the alignment is impressive.

The irrigation district funded the tunnel’s construction.

Prior to the tunnel, there was a wooden flume that wrapped around the hillside and went through the Selah gap. The problem was that in the 1920s, the wooden flume began leaking so badly that it washed out the county roads below. The county asked —NATHAN DRAPER the irrigation districts to do something, Kris Polly: Where do you want the and the tunnel was the solution that was district to be in 5 years? put forth. The district is also concerned with the stability of the tunnel due to external factors that include naturally Nathan Draper: I would like to have the first several occurring seismic conditions, blasting activity from an phases of our projects completed, as well as have a better adjacent rock quarry, and vibrations from a nearby military understanding of our operational needs. I would also like to training facility. see an increase in our labor force, which would allow us to Kris Polly: How many employees does the district have, and complete elements of the project in-house. will they be the ones doing the pipeline project?

Kris Polly: What would your message be to state and federal lawmakers about the value of the district?

Nathan Draper: The staff consists of two full-time ditch riders, a part-time bookkeeper, and me. We are a relatively Nathan Draper: From an economic perspective, the district lean operation. We will likely have to contract out the growers produce $75 million in hops alone each year. There piping projects, but we may do at least some of the work is a clear economic benefit to having adequate, reliable, and in-house if the proper district workforce is in place. I have found that we can save a lot of money if we do projects like efficient water supplies available to our growers. We also know that there are environmental benefits to our projects, this ourselves. especially the increased river flows that help fish. The project is multifaceted and has many benefits, but we can Kris Polly: Can you describe how your district fits into reach out even further, to things like groundwater recharge, the YRBWEP process, and how you work with the other that could provide even more benefits to the local area. IL districts to help ensure the project is completed?

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IRRIGATION LEADER

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Imperial Valley, the evolving challenges farmers in the valley face, and how IVH2O is helping farmers to cooperate for a better present and future.

Kris Polly: Can you give us a brief summary of your family’s history in the Imperial Valley?

Craig Elmore: Both sides of my family are third- and fourth-generation farmers in the valley. One side came to the area in 1908, and the other came in 1911. My mother’s maiden name is Brandt, and the Brandts are a long-established part of the farming and cattle businesses in the Imperial Valley. Her father was the first Brandt to come to the valley, and he later brought his brother with him. The two of them eventually started a real estate business, began acquiring land, and later opened a small feedlot operation that grew into the largest feed yard in the valley.

IRRIGATION LEADER

PHOTOS BY DREW METZGER/TRESPASS PHOTOGRAPHY.

California’s Imperial Valley has a long history of innovative and effective irrigation systems, and it has used that infrastructure to become one of the premier farming regions in the nation. Craig Elmore’s family has been at the forefront of those efforts since coming to the Imperial Valley in the early 1900s, and today, the family owns many successful farms in both the Imperial and Palo Verde Valleys.

Recent droughts and growing populations have forced irrigators and farmers to find ways to conserve water while maintaining strong crop yields. In 2014, Mr. Elmore helped found Imperial Valley Water (IVH2O) to serve as a unified voice for the interests of farmers and irrigators in the valley and to protect the Imperial Valley’s water rights. Today, that organization advocates for effective water policies and helps water users share best practices to save water and money.

Mr. Elmore spoke with Irrigation Leader’s editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, about his family’s role in bringing agriculture to the

Preserving Water and History in the Imperial Valley Craig Elmore, President of IVH2O

Imperial Valley

My grandfather was a young man when he came to the valley. He eventually helped construct the canals for water delivery with mules and Fresno scrapers. Both brothers also homesteaded some land while acquiring other parcels. In 1928, the Elmore Company Desert Ranch was founded after a 5-mile canal was built to connect the land to the irrigation systems. The ranch grew to over 6,000 acres over the years and is now controlled by the families of my grandfather’s four children. Other members of the family have established farms throughout the Imperial Valley and elsewhere in California.

Kris Polly: So your family actually helped bring irrigation to the valley?

Craig Elmore: Irrigation was there when they arrived, but they helped expand it. My family helped build new ditches IRRIGATION LEADER

that allowed additional lands to be developed. My uncle was also involved in the development of drainage pipes.

The Imperial Valley is all below sea level and needs to be drained to prevent the buildup of water and salts that would render the area unproductive.

Prior to the installation of plastic tile, concrete pipes would be hand set in underground trenches. My uncle helped develop corrugated plastic tubing with perforated holes that was cheaper and more effective in packed gravel or clay soils than the previous concrete pipe. Tiling became much more affordable and prevalent after that, which aided the management of water in the valley. The company that developed this technology, Lidco, is now run by one of my second cousins. The company works across the country and the world, including in Saudi Arabia.

Kris Polly: What crops does your family currently grow?

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Craig Elmore: We raise produce, including romaine and babyleaf lettuce, carrots, onions, potatoes, melons, sweet corn, alfalfa, cotton, and small grains.

Some of our land borders the Salton Sea, which starting rising back in the late 1960s, forcing us to construct and fortify levees. The land bordering the sea used to have underground tile that drained by gravity into the sea. As the sea’s levels rose, we had to begin pumping our drainage for it to be able to reach the sea.

Kris Polly: You are also the president of IVH2O. Please describe the organization and its mission for our readers.

Craig Elmore: IVH2O was formed 3 years ago and is a group of landowners and farmers. Its goal is to be a voice for farmers, landowners, and stakeholders on water rights in the Imperial Valley, which are held in trust by the Imperial Irrigation District. The farmers, landowners, and stakeholders who are the beneficiaries of those rights are the ones who implement water conservation practices.

Those practices are capital intensive, costly, and require significant planning and implementation times.

IVH2O tries to help the local irrigation districts spread the word that we are good stewards of water and are using it beneficially. Our area is the primary source of year-round fresh vegetables in the United States, and water makes that possible, so we strive to use every drop wisely and efficiently.

Kris Polly: How many growers belong to your group?

Craig Elmore: We currently have over 85 members, but our membership is constantly expanding.

Kris Polly: What are some ways that you intend to help the irrigation districts?

Craig Elmore: We are trying to work with as many stakeholders as possible. In the past, the district and various farm groups have had some adversarial relationships, but our group strongly believed that we are a far more effective voice when we are all united. Our goal is to communicate a positive message about the good work that irrigators and farmers are doing in the valley.

Craig Elmore: I have been farming for over 40 years, and my father taught us to be good stewards of our resources.

We try to use gravity to move water and minimize any pumping. Fields are leveled so that water can cascade from one field to another, which allows us to be far more efficient and apply water more uniformly across entire fields. Cascading also enables us to weather droughts more

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Kris Polly: What other water-saving technologies have IVH2O members employed in recent years?

Craig Elmore: One of our farms has a pump-back system that is used when we cannot cascade or have too many fields to cascade effectively. Water is pumped back for reuse after the final field. We move and recirculate the water to upper field areas, and this technique has been beneficial for farmers who are not able to invest in drip irrigation or other conservation methods. Pump-back is not as efficient as drip, but is more cost effective and does reduce overall water use.

The Imperial Valley farmers in general are embracing water conservation practices where it makes good economic and environmental sense. However, the agriculture community can’t do conservation totally on its own. There has to be an economic incentive to conserve water, or farmers will not be able to fully adopt it. IL IRRIGATION LEADER

PHOTOS BY DREW METZGER/TRESPASS PHOTOGRAPHY.

Kris Polly: You mentioned water conservation. Can you elaborate on some things you and other growers are doing to make better use of water?

effectively and to reduce the total amount of water we use.

We have increased the use of sprinkler and drip irrigation while reducing our use of flood irrigation to further improve our efficiency. All these efforts have given us large water savings.

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REVOLUTIONIZING RECYCLED WATER Anthea Hansen of the Del Puerto Water District on the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program In California’s Central Valley, the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program represents a first for a federal water project: Recycled water from two municipal treatment facilities will be piped to a federally owned canal. The recycled water will serve as an additional water source for the Del Puerto Water District and generate revenue for the cities. The project has support from federal, state, and local stakeholders and will be complete by 2019.

Del Puerto Water District is a Central Valley Project (CVP) water service contractor located south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta on the western side of the California’s Central Valley. Its service area spans 50 miles in length and encompasses 45,000 acres of farmland that produces almonds, walnuts, apricots, peaches, olives, grapes, citrus, tomatoes, and dry beans, among many other crops. Del Puerto’s lands are east and west of the Delta-Mendota Canal and cross San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and western Merced Counties.

Anthea Hansen is the general manager of the Del Puerto Water District and has helped guide the project through the approval process. She spoke with Irrigation Leader’s writer, Matthew Dermody, about the impetus for the project’s development, the process to obtain necessary permits and financing, and how the project will provide a stable alternative water supply for Del Puerto’s growers.

Matthew Dermody: Where did the idea for the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program start?

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Matthew Dermody: Please describe the program.

Anthea Hansen: The first objective was to study the feasibility of actually completing the project, including all the permitting and environmental review processes.

The goal of the project is to connect the Turlock point of discharge with a dedicated pipeline up to a new pumping station located at the Modesto treatment facility. Turlock’s recycled water will then be combined with recycled water from Modesto and pumped through a dedicated pipeline under the San Joaquin River and up to the Delta-Mendota Canal.

We are constructing a total of 15 miles of concrete-coated steel pipeline, which is being produced locally in Tracy, California; the first segment will be operational by the end of 2017. That segment includes the IRRIGATION LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEL PUERTO WATER DISTRICT.

Anthea Hansen: All the CVP districts that export water south of the delta have been struggling for over 2 decades with shortages. Much of the time, those shortages are not just hydrologic but are tied to regulatory or environmental restrictions that limit the ability of the state and federal water projects to pump water through the pumps themselves. It has been an evolving issue, and we initially tried to address it with improved irrigation efficiencies, land fallowing, and buying surface water supplies from water markets. As the situation continued to worsen, however, those measures proved to be inadequate.

The idea of using recycled water was first proposed approximately 10 years ago by leaders of Stanislaus County, the city of Modesto, and our district. Del Puerto became the ideal location for a regional partnership because of its proximity to Modesto’s Jennings Road Treatment Plant, which is just east of the San Joaquin River near

the center of our district. The city of Turlock, which also discharges to the San Joaquin River just east of the river near Patterson, joined the partnership soon after. Early in the investigations, the decision was made to work toward delivering recycled water to the Delta-Mendota Canal, which is where Del Puerto receives it water supplies.

make the loan payments. The cities and the district have also worked cooperatively to access grant funding when opportunities arose.

The cities will construct and maintain ownership of the pipeline, which per agreement can only be used for the delivery of water supplies to Del Puerto Water District. We will repay their costs by providing them a water revenue stream, and the costs to our users will remain fairly stable as the recycled water quantities increase over time. When the SRF loans are repaid in 30 years, the revenues will convert to pure profit for the cities for the last 10 years of the agreements. That conversion will help the cities further benefit from the sale of their resources.

Matthew Dermody: How easy or difficult was it to achieve buy-in from stakeholders like the cities, the landowners, and the public?

pump station from the Modesto facility and the pipeline going west under the river to the Delta-Mendota Canal.

The discharge facility at the canal is near completion, and most of the open-cut pipeline has been installed. The horizontal directional drill under the river is currently under way. Construction on the Turlock-to-Modesto segment will begin in early 2018, and both cities should be able to deliver a majority of the recycled water from their treatment plants to Del Puerto at the Delta-Mendota Canal by early 2019.

Matthew Dermody: How is the project being paid for?

Anthea Hansen: Del Puerto obviously could not put a lot of money in front of water supplies, because it is difficult to finance projects when we do not have the water to back it up. However, the cities agreed to bear much of the upfront costs, with Del Puerto contributing a smaller percentage.

Each city obtained a financing package through the State Revolving Fund (SRF), which is administered by the State Water Resources Control Board. The packages include lowinterest loans to fund the construction of the project. Del Puerto has signed 40-year water purchase agreements with the cities, providing a revenue stream with which they will IRRIGATION LEADER

Anthea Hansen: The cities bought in fairly easily because they will be receiving a nominal amount of revenue in the current years and a larger stream in later years from a resource that would not have otherwise provided any revenue at all. Their citizens will also benefit because fewer restrictions will be imposed on the cities’ discharges, resulting in avoided treatment costs as a result of the project. When discharges go directly to a cold-water fishery like the San Joaquin River, there are stringent requirements on the discharges, leading up to requirements for processes like reverse osmosis or some of the higher-level water treatment processes. Many of those can be avoided if the water is being delivered to a man-made water delivery system like the Delta-Mendota Canal. City staff and leadership also recognized the benefit to supporting the local agricultural economy.

In 2015, our landowners voted on the financing of the project through the Proposition 218 process. [California’s Proposition 218 requires voter approval of an increase or imposition of general taxes or assessments.] Over 86 percent of landowners voted, and most were in favor of moving forward with the project. It was broadly felt that the value and productivity of district lands would only increase with a reliable supply of water.

Another positive aspect of this effort with respect to stakeholder buy-in and support has been its environmental benefits. As part of the federal approval process and the resulting record of decision, the district is making available a portion of the supply on an annual basis to Central Valley Project Improvement Act–designated wildlife refuges south of the delta to meet the federal obligation for Incremental Level 4 supplies. Like the agreements between the district and the cities, the agreements between the district and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Refuge Water Supply Program are long term and provided a reliable source of supply on which the refuge managers can count for planning purposes each year.

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A section of pipe is installed for the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program.

Matthew Dermody: What is the biggest benefit that you hope the program will provide to the district?

Anthea Hansen: We are most grateful for the flexibility that another water supply option will provide for the district to help us overcome the challenges associated with our CVP supply and the shortages inherent to our CVP contract. The fact that this supply will be highly reliable is an important benefit for us. Recycled water is produced every single day and will flow through the pipelines consistently, and we will be able to count on it year after year for planning and financing purposes.

Predictability and reliability are paramount to our growers, especially when it comes to planning and managing their operations. They have to know how much water they will receive in a given year before the planting season arrives. In its first year, this project will deliver more water from the two cities than we did

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throughout the entire district in all of 2014 and 2015. Within 5 years, the project will supply up to 30 percent of our water demands.

Matthew Dermody: What would your message be to Congress, the administration, states, and any district considering a project similar to yours?

Anthea Hansen: Helping agencies streamline the regulatory approval process would be very helpful to projects like ours. It took 7 years and millions of dollars to get through the environmental studies, feasibility analyses, and state and federal permitting and approvals. We think we completed this process in a fairly short amount of time, but it is still a lengthy and complicated process, so anything that can be done to expedite those processes would be welcomed.

We did do a little extra work on the federal National Environmental Policy Act approval process to get our project Title XVI certified [under the

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s water recycling and reuse program]. That allowed us to submit an application under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act for additional funding. We hope the application will be approved; the funding would be used to offset the costs of the project, which will be somewhere just shy of $100 million.

Access to grants at the federal and state level, or low-interest loan programs with flexible repayment terms, are helpful in moving projects like ours along.

I believe the decisionmakers involved throughout the approval process understood that this type of project was not just another surface water purchase for the district. This is a project that is actually going to turn the course of the future for our landowners and protect the value of their investments. We are all eager to bring it to fruition. IL IRRIGATION LEADER

Partnering to Irrigate Wetlands at the Grassland Water District

By Ric Ortega

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conveyance. Each of the federal contractors pays into a restoration fund, which is used for acquiring and delivering our water supply. Unfortunately, due to the cost of water these collections have not been adequate to acquire the amount of water Congress mandated ago. To get more water to habitat, Grassland developed a concept to partner with agriculture to help fund direct water acquisitions as well as infrastructure in exchange for water.

Active Wetlands Management Wetlands in the Grassland Water District are intensively managed to maximize their productivity. Our focus is on controlling the movement of water to provide for optimal germination and growth of plants to meet the needs of the millions of birds that overwinter here. Our ponds are laser leveled to expedite their filling up and draining. Each individual impoundment employs multiple water control structures, including flashboard risers, which provide the ability to control the pond elevation to provide optimal foraging depths for waterfowl.

IRRIGATION LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRASSLAND WATER DISTRICT.

Grassland Water District is the only federal contractor solely dedicated to providing water for wetlands—in this case, some of the last remaining wetlands in California. We are one of the 19 refuges identified under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) to mitigate the effects of the federal Central Valley Project.

California has lost over 95 percent of its interior wetlands, which underscores the importance of the 5 percent that remains.

In addition to providing water supply to 2,500 landowners, we also deliver water on behalf of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to state and federal wildlife areas in the Grassland Resource Conservation District. Over two-thirds of that complex is privately held, while the rest is split between the state and federal agencies. The wetland complex is located south of the delta and is served by the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors and the San Luis Delta-Mendota Water Authority.

We assess our landowners just as any other water agency would. That is how we finance the maintenance of our

Each year, the Central Valley hosts over 10 million birds that winter here, which is critical for refuge stakeholders—sportsmen and hunters, environmentalists, and others who rely on the migration of the birds.

The active resource management process is similar to that of an agricultural district. Once the growing season is complete, landowners and managers use mechanized management techniques for mowing, tilling, controlling invasive species, and nurturing the soil.

Natural Partners Not only does Grassland work the same way as an agricultural irrigation district, it also shares water conveyance, including the Delta-Mendota Canal and the Central California Irrigation District’s Main Canal, as well as some lateral conveyances, with agricultural irrigation districts. Water moves most efficiently in large irrigation blocks: the larger the quantity moved at one time, the greater the benefit.

That fact creates a natural partnership in that we share the operations and maintenance of those conveyance facilities. In addition, all our neighboring municipalities are completely dependent on groundwater, so we are able to influence and improve their water quality while protecting the environment.

Challenges to Effective Management Because we are located south of the delta, export limitation affects our ability to receive water supply. The drought posed some serious challenges for Grassland; we received less than half of our normal water supply and only one-third of our full contract amount. This has been a long-standing problem for us. Grassland has only received its full contracted amount twice in the 25 years since the CVPIA was passed.

Ideally, we would like to fill up the marsh in August, but delta export restrictions prevent us from doing so. Those restrictions inhibit our ability to flood or irrigate when we really need to. Given California’s cultural affinity for being green, it is ironic that so much of our wetlands have been lost.

In addition, we need improvements to our conveyance, as well as new systems. Five of the 19 CVPIA still do not have the ability to receive even their base supply. Our pumps, lifts, and canals all need to be upgraded or replaced to allow us to physically move water to the habitat.

Collaborative Solutions Although financing has been the biggest limitation to our infrastructure improvements, we are establishing an exchange mechanism with contractors receiving the lowest water allocations on the Central Valley Project—they generally have large supplemental water supply portfolios IRRIGATION LEADER

and can afford water beyond what we can afford. Entities such as the San Luis Water District are able to capitalize on the refuge water supply infrastructure by sharing in the yield of these projects. This mechanism brings more water to refuges and to agricultural districts at no cost to the refuge program. The exchange represents a significant policy shift and has been endorsed by Reclamation.

We are also partnering with Del Puerto Water District and the cities of Modesto and Turlock on the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Project. The project will introduce tertiary treated recycled water from the cities into the Delta-Mendota Canal. We were awarded $23 million under Proposition 1, which was implemented to meet the requirements of the CVPIA. Reclamation has also invested $25 million in that project on the behalf of the refuges, and those combined monies should pay for nearly half the project’s total cost. The project will drive down the cost of water and provide water for the wetlands for decades to come.

Shared Benefits Our partnerships benefit everyone and everything sharing in the yields of these projects. Each year, the Central Valley hosts over 10 million birds that winter here, which is critical for refuge stakeholders—sportsmen and hunters, environmentalists, and others who rely on the migration of the birds.

This cooperation is helpful from a policy and public relations perspective as well. Many of the water issues we face today are polarizing, and we are situated between the water entities and the environmental groups. We are trying to use our position to bring those opposing sides together to work on collaborative projects. Agriculture has been an important partner in the preservation of wetlands, especially north of the delta. We have done a poorer job south of the delta in explaining how important agricultural water users are to conservation. If we can tell that story better, we can find even more ways to collaborate, which will benefit our wetlands and the local agricultural economy. IL

Ric Ortega, an ecologist by training, has been general manager of Grassland Water District since 2011.

You can reach him at rortega@gwdwater.org.

23

Vast Aquifer Supports Remote Mojave Desert Farm Water-wise practices and careful management sustain Cadiz Ranch’s long-time agricultural operations

By Courtney Degener

W

hen flying to Southern California from the East Coast or traveling back from Las Vegas along historic Route 66, it is hard to miss the lush, green acres of lemons, grapes, squash, and other crops that stand out against the endless tan vistas of California’s Mojave Desert.

Cadiz Ranch is located in the remote Cadiz Valley of eastern San Bernardino County, a former train stop nestled between the majestic Marble Mountains and Route 66, now known as National Trails Highway.

The appearance of this verdant, 50-square-mile outpost among the desert creosote and cactus begs the question: How? The secret to this successful farming development at Cadiz Ranch is water. Nestled at the confluence of two watersheds spanning approximately 1,300 square miles—an area nearly three times the size of the city of Los Angeles— Cadiz Ranch is underlain by a significant aquifer system that extends more than 1,000 feet below the Earth’s surface.

The watershed is naturally recharged by groundwater that originates as rain and snowmelt in the surrounding mountains, some which reach 7,400 feet in elevation.

The owners of the property identified the watershed and location in the early 1980s using NASA satellite data and then spent several years building a contiguous land position and searching for groundwater.

In 1986, Cadiz Inc. planted its first crop—red table grapes—relying on the life-sustaining groundwater supply for irrigation.

The ranch’s use of the aquifer for irrigation has been strictly monitored by San Bernardino County. Cadiz Inc. and its partner growers use environmentally sound farming methods to protect this valuable water supply, including drip irrigation, soil moisture sensors, and data-driven irrigation control systems.

Innovative water management methods and other sustainable practices have been able to make this some of the most productive farmland in the region. Because of the pest-free environment, many of the crops grown at Cadiz Ranch are certified organic.

“We are proud of our farming history at Cadiz, which has always been guided by the principle of sustainability

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and a holistic land management strategy to ensure we protect this unique desert environment we’ve called home for 30 years,” said Scott Slater, chief executive officer and president of Cadiz Inc. The farm supports lemons grown and sold by Limoneira of Santa Paula, one of the largest growers of the fruit in the United States and the lessee of 1,480 acres at Cadiz. Also cultivated here are certified-organic, dried-on-the-vine raisins farmed by Cadiz Inc. and its partners since 1992.

“The hot, dry climate and pure water supply that is low in salts and free from industrial pollution have created an ideal environment for producing organic raisins,” long-time Cadiz Ranch Operation Manager Lesley Thornburg said.

IRRIGATION LEADER

Careful management of groundwater resources has ensured the success of Cadiz Inc.’s long-time agricultural development in the Cadiz Valley of eastern San Bernardino County, California.

According to Ms. Thornburg, Cadiz has grown a variety of other crops over the years, including red flame, black seedless, and green seedless grapes; watermelon; peaches; nectarines; plums; radicchio; romaine lettuce; honeydew; cantaloupe; and tomatoes.

The farm’s infrastructure includes seven interconnecting wells with an annual production capacity of 13,000 acre-feet of water. That is enough to supply 2,100 acres of leased agricultural land, as well as housing and kitchen facilities for 300 workers.

The property is one of the largest contiguous private landholdings in the Mojave Desert region with access to water, major railroads, and highways, making its IRRIGATION LEADER

accessibility to urban Southern California, Las Vegas, and Phoenix markets more practical.

The area has been approved by San Bernardino County for a groundwater conservation and storage project, known as the Cadiz Water Project. The company also plans to develop a tourist-based steam train operation and cultural center at the ranch once the project is constructed.

The agricultural operations are expected to continue. “We are dedicated to maintaining this important connection to the local community,” Ms. Thornburg said. IL Courtney Degener is vice president at Cadiz Inc. She can be reached at cdegener@cadizinc.com.

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Subduing Subsidence in the Central Valley

E

ffectively managing the water of the Central Valley Project is a complex and challenging task. Drought, endangered species, federal and state regulations, and aging infrastructure all add to the difficulty of serving those who depend on the project’s surface water. The reallocation of surface water away from agricultural users to comply with regulatory requirements is yet another challenge for water contractors to overcome. As a result of reduced surface water allocations, irrigators are increasing their dependence on groundwater. This practice has led to groundwater being used faster than it can be replaced within the aquifer, a condition known as groundwater overdraft. Lack of water to recharge the aquifers causes land to subside by as much as 2–3 feet in some areas in as little as 15 months, threatening the viability of large areas of land and the structural integrity of water infrastructure, such as canals. One of the water entities that is negatively affected by subsidence is the Friant Water Authority.

Friant is a joint powers authority that takes its power from the irrigation districts. Prior to the Friant-Kern Canal being built as part of the Central Valley Project, a group of Tulare County irrigation districts were looking out for the best interests of the new contract holders in the Friant Division, and during one of their meetings in May 1949, they recognized the changes that were coming and decided to expand their membership to anyone that was going to receive a contract for water supply from the Friant-Kern and Madera Canals. This created the Friant Water Users Association and led to monthly meetings of members to discuss common issues relating to the Central Valley.

Almost 35 years later, that association became the Friant Water Users Authority when, through a cooperative agreement with the federal government, it was contracted to operate and maintain the Friant-Kern Canal. In 1998, the authority entered into another agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the operation, maintenance, and replacement of the canal system. Today, Friant Water Authority (successor to the Friant Water Users Authority) oversees the operation, maintenance, and replacement of the infrastructure while also looking out for the water supply and usability interests of its member irrigation districts.

Friant’s primary piece of water conveyance infrastructure is the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal, which was built in the 1940s. Subsidence around the canal has exacerbated the normal challenges associated with aging infrastructure, according to Friant Water Authority’s Chief Operating Officer Doug DeFlitch. “Through the years, there has been a lot of big threats and changes to capacity, with land

28

IRRIGATION LEADER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRIANT WATER AUTHORITY.

IRRIGATION LEADER

ABOVE: Friant Water Authority’s Chief Executive Officer Jason Phillips (left) and Chief Operating Officer Doug DeFlitch.

LEFT: The Friant Division of the Central Valley Project delivers water to over 1 million acres of irrigable farmland on the eastside of the southern San Joaquin Valley.

subsidence being the greatest. We first saw this on the Friant-Kern Canal shortly after it was built, but the canal deteriorated considerably during the droughts of the late 1970s. So much land subsidence occurred during that time that the capacity of the system was reduced. To mitigate, the Bureau of Reclamation moved bridges, raised liners, and built pumping plants for turnouts, which was considered a big fix at that time. With the recent historical drought and increased regulatory pressure in the San Joaquin Valley over the past few years, we are experiencing a similar subsidence situation. This time, the capacity of the canal has been reduced by 40–60 percent. It is a significant problem that will require an equally significant solution within the next couple years if we hope to regain that lost capacity.”

Friant Water Authority Chief Executive Officer Jason Phillips attributes the subsidence issue to groundwater overdraft resulting from surface water reallocation. “We estimate that the irrigation community in the valley has lost 2–3 million acre-feet of water per year that it had planned on receiving. In the past decade, that lack of surface water led to an increase in people using groundwater as a substitute. The large amount of groundwater overdraft is a result of meeting new and existing demand. The reallocation of large amounts of water has created a shortfall that is difficult to make up. The issue is further complicated by a California law requiring balanced groundwater tables. The law’s intent is good, but there are few options that can be used for compliance.

Local communities are supposed to figure out solutions on their own, but when you have a region like the Central Valley that depends on imported surface water for its existence and that water is reallocated, it is hard to figure out how the local communities are going to resolve that on their own without taking land areas out of production.”

Land within the Friant division is not subsiding uniformly, and subsidence is more pronounced in areas that have experienced the most groundwater overdraft. Drops of 2–3 feet near the main canal have been observed in the past year and a half. The Friant-Kern Canal is gravity fed, which renders the overall flow more susceptible to changes in the elevation of the surrounding land.

Five bridges are now impeding flow due to the subsidence. Redirecting flow around and underneath those bridges is one of the biggest issues Friant faces, but the authority is working on solutions to that problem. For example, bridges could be raised in the problem areas, but this would be a temporary fix if the underlying problem of subsidence is not addressed. Mr. DeFlitch said that some pumping could also be implemented near the bridges on an interim basis, while long-term solutions could include constructing a parallel canal system or another liner raise and extension. Mr. Phillips added that “for the long term, we have to rebalance our water supply condition. In the short term, we need to invest in fixing the canal, look at where there are bridge crossings that are not receiving flow

29

Subsidence along the Friant-Kern Canal disrupts the canal’s natural grade line, impairing its ability to convey water.

and which levees need to be raised, and think creatively capacity south of the delta because so much more water is about where we can add offstream detention storage. When being carried over in storage.” we examine all 152 miles of the canal, there are solutions San Luis Reservoir, the primary storage reservoir for that work better for some parts of the system than others. water exported from the delta, experienced this dynamic Our engineers are actively studying what our options are, in 2017 due to the large amount of rain that fell in the and hopefully we can partner with the state and federal state. The amount of water exported exceeded the amount governments to implement the best solutions within the that could be used or stored, and over 400,000 acre-feet of next 5 years. It is a vicious cycle in which surface water water had to be dumped or used ineffectively. Mr. Phillips shortages lead to increased groundwater asserted that more storage south of the pumping, which leads to subsidence, Precise management delta is important for the future; not every which affects the canal and prevents us year will be as wet as 2017, and districts for so many from delivering surface water that helps could find themselves in need of the water different uses groundwater recharge.” they are now being forced to dump rather Engineers are precisely the people who than store. and conservation should be devising solutions to the water Upgrading and expanding the purposes is not relocation issue, according to Mr. Phillips.

Friant-Kern Canal’s infrastructure is necessarily a bad “As an engineer, my preference would among the district’s top priorities to be to let professional water providers mitigate its water supply challenges. Mr. thing, but it requires and engineers find the best way to solve DeFlitch believes that the Friant Water more and newer this problem. We can design water Authority “must be set up for sustainability infrastructure to do infrastructure and operations to protect in the future. We need to take a leading the biological and water quality values that role to solidify supplies in the southern San correctly. people want protected in the delta while Joaquin Valley. The Friant-Kern Canal is 68 continuing to build new infrastructure years old and will not be getting any younger, but the need like tunnels, new surface storage reservoirs, or conveyance for proper conveyance of water will only continue to grow. canals. The ability to move water to where it is needed It is a system dominated by agriculture, and mid-summer is when it is available is crucial. Much of our current water our time of peak demand. But groundwater recharge during infrastructure was built during a time when the water was the late winter and early spring is going to affect the timing not as precisely managed as it is today. Precise management of conveyance and complicate maintenance. We also need for so many different uses and conservation purposes is to mitigate potential issues like subsidence and be ready for not necessarily a bad thing, but it requires more and newer the next 50 years.” infrastructure to do correctly. We are finding that all the Mr. DeFlitch added that Congress and other federal reallocation of water and shortages of surface water are decisionmakers must understand how urgent the need forcing people to hold on to their surface water longer is for capital improvement projects that can bring more and even carry it over from year to year. The system was surface water to the district and thus reduce demand for originally set up so that all water that was moved from groundwater. “How that comes about is important to north of the delta to the south would be used that year sustaining the benefits of projects like Friant-Kern. Our and be replenished the next year. Now, people are trying to sustainability depends on keeping the conveyance facility hold on to water, which has effectively reduced the storage functioning or possibly expanding.” IL

30

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DISTRICT FOCUS

San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority

By Jason Peltier

The C. W. “Bill” Jones Pumping Plant lifts water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta into the Delta-Mendota Canal.

T

Fisheries and Farmers One of SLDMWA’s core missions is to engage in the regulatory and political processes that shape the water policies affecting the Central Valley and our member agencies. Our greatest ongoing challenge over the past

34

two decades has been the regulatory environment that has reallocated a significant amount of water from the Central Valley Project (CVP). Many of our member agencies have seen the average reliability drop to 40 percent from 90 percent due to pumping restrictions, manipulations of reservoir releases, and diversion of flows to fisheries.

While we can demonstrate the social and economic damage those actions have caused, we do not see any improvement in the conditions of fish species. The ineffectiveness of the regulatory regime in helping the fish while causing damage to the livelihoods and infrastructure of our member agencies and their customers is frustrating.

The reallocation of water and other regulatory restrictions have led us to conclude that the CVP can no longer meet the statutory goals that were established by Congress.

Accordingly, many of our growers have been forced to adopt more creative methods in response to the CVP’s dire condition, including extensive use of drip irrigation. Over 80 percent of all crops are drip irrigated in some districts, including cotton and row crops. A significant shift has also taken place in recent years toward higher value and permanent crops. Farmers have been forced to purchase expensive water from the market to replace the water that is no longer coming from the CVP and are turning to higher-yield crops to compensate for the lost revenue.

Fallowing has been another predominant coping strategy IRRIGATION LEADER

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN LUIS AND DELTA MENDOTA WATER AUTHORITY.

he Central Valley in California is one of the most important agricultural and ecological areas in the entire country. Many families, farms, and business are located here, and they all depend on a consistent and reliable supply of water to function and grow. Supplying that water is the core mission of the San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA).

Organized in 1992, SLDMWA is a joint powers authority with 29 member agencies that serves water to 1.2 million acres of irrigated farmland, 2 million people, and about 200,000 acres of wetlands in the Central Valley. SLDMWA’s 100 employees operate and maintain pumping and conveyance facilities owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, including the Jones Pumping Plant, which has a capacity of 4,600 cubic feet per second and six 20,000-horsepower motors that pump water up 200 feet out of the Sacramento River delta. We also operate and maintain the Delta-Mendota Canal, which conveys that water south out of the delta to the Mendota pool 120 miles away and makes water deliveries along the way.

DISTRICT FOCUS used by our farmers to weather the severe conditions. Over 400,000 acres were fallowed during the last drought.

The Dilemma of Delay Unfortunately, water shortages are not limited to drought years due to ongoing regulatory uncertainty over how the CVP will operate and how it will be able to deliver water. This year, we had a rebound of rainfall, but Reclamation’s allocation to its contractors was delayed into the spring because of concerns about Shasta Reservoir.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) wanted assurances that the temperature requirements for the salmon would be met, which caused Reclamation to delay its allocation decisions.

A great looming threat we see going forward is the temperature control regulations at Shasta, which could effectively shrink the reservoir from 4.5 million acre-feet to 2 million acre-feet or less in order to preserve cold water in the reservoir for release to the winter-run salmon during the course of the summer. These regulatory delays are of great consequence to our agricultural districts, where farmers make their planting decisions based on what water resources they have available to grow their crops. If Reclamation is unable to make an allocation, even if the reservoirs are full and there is water in the system, farmers will have to wait until Reclamation makes a decision, which puts them past the planting season. This creates a high-risk situation for growers who either have to miss planting season or plant crops but risk not receiving adequate water to grow them.

This year, releases are being made from Shasta to bring the reservoir down to flood control levels, but there will still be uncertainty about how Shasta can operate given the fishery regulations. However, since there does not appear to be any sign of fishery regulations being relaxed in the near future, the uncertainty and the shortages of water will likely continue.

Focusing on the Future Despite the challenges SLDMWA faces, our members remain committed to finding solutions to make optimal use of CVP water in a way that will allow farmers, fish, and all other users to prosper. We have participated in a 10-year planning process for a project that would involve the construction of two large conveyance pipes directly from the Sacramento River in the northern part of the delta to the state export pumps in the southern portion, thereby avoiding the Endangered Species Act restrictions that choke delta operations.

Water agencies are in the process of making decisions about investing in the $17 billion project. Much of the IRRIGATION LEADER

modeling shows that the CVP will get the same amount of water or even less, despite possibly spending $7–8 billion on the project. Urban agencies are generally in a much better position to make those kinds of investments than agricultural districts, but these decisions will affect all our members going forward.

The other key pathway forward lays in a sound scientific understanding of the system. We have ample evidence and broad recognition that the existing regulatory structure has not produced the benefits we expected. However, the combined state and federal scientific studies being carried out by Reclamation, the California Department of Water Resources, federal and state fishery agencies, public water agencies such as SLDMWA, environmental groups, and fishery representatives will hopefully lead us to a new regulatory regime that is better for the fish as well as the water system.

The fastest, cheapest fix to our water system is to have a smarter approach to fishery regulations. Reclamation has requested reinitiation of consultation on the delta smelt and winter-run biological opinions that have been in place for 10 years. We hope that the collaborative scientific efforts can inform the reconsultation process and result in a revision of the biological opinions that brings real benefit both to our users and the ecosystem.

There are also other physical infrastructure fixes that could help the system run more efficiently, including local recycling projects and storage system improvements. We want the CVP to be used as the water management system that it was intended to be. The CVP system is a good system that can work well but has been deconstructed, so if we can find ways to change it to benefit fish and water users, we can provide a path for the future.

The federal government, the state of California, and the water users have invested $50 million per year in science and monitoring efforts to better understand the ecosystem we operate in. If we can shift the CVP back to being an effective project again, we can build a future for central California that everyone can be proud of and that will work for the maximum benefit of all interests. IL

Jason Peltier is the executive director of the San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority. You can reach him at jason.peltier@sldmwa.org.

35

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Craig Smith and Joe Vassios are UPI’s two western territory Joe Vassios. managers. Mr. Smith, who grew up on a small farm in Oklahoma, has worked across the nation in various roles in the aquatic weed and lake management industry for almost 30 years. He recently took over the Pacific Northwest Territory for UPI. Dr. Vassios became involved with UPI doing irrigation canal research during his graduate studies at Colorado Craig Smith.

State University. During his last 6 years at UPI, he has worked with irrigation canal managers to implement weed and algae control methods for their individual situations.

Craig Smith and Joe Vassios spoke with Irrigation Leader’s senior writer, John Crotty, about UPI’s work with irrigation districts in the West and the science behind endothall-based products.

John Crotty: How does UPI work with irrigation districts?

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CRAIG SMITH, JOE VASSIOS, AND UPI.

Craig Smith: Endothall is a relatively new active ingredient in the irrigation market. UPI did a lot of research on its use in irrigation canals. Joe and I work directly with canal managers to use the right treatment protocols and the right product in the right situations to maximize results.

Every district is different, so we craft our solutions on a district-by-district basis.

With our products, it is important to know what plants you are trying to control—some plants are affected by our products differently than others. So our first step with an irrigation district is to do a survey of the canals to understand what plants we are managing

38

IRRIGATION LEADER

THE INNOVATORS as well as the volume and rate of water flow. After the survey and discussions with the manager, we will make recommendations within a day.

Joe Vassios: Once we’ve made our treatment recommendations and the product is delivered, either we, or one of distribution partners, are available to be onsite to help with the first treatment.

John Crotty: What is the history of endothall and irrigation applications?

Joe Vassios: While endothall is an older chemistry—it was originally registered in 1958—there had not been enough research done on the product to allow it to be used in irrigation canals. Through additional research, UPI was able to remove the irrigation restriction from endothall labels. With this restriction removed, Cascade and Teton made their debut during the 2010 irrigation season. In my experience, they have been cost-effective products for managers, resulting in season-long cost savings for our customers.

John Crotty: What additional research has UPI conducted to optimize treatments?

Craig Smith: UPI continues to conduct trials on species that appear throughout the West. We complete comprehensive efficacy studies to provide scientifically backed recommendations that will be effective for our customers. Since UPI has determined effective rates for all the common aquatic species, we have been evaluating shorter exposure time treatments with districts, including the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District (SCBID) and the Fresno Irrigation District, to maximize efficacy and minimize application times. This further optimization should continue to save customers time and money while still providing the same level of control.

Joe Vassios: SCBID has been conducting trials with our product involving shorter exposure times at higher rates with some exciting results. We had an eye on this protocol, and SCBID took it up and ran with it. Based on the trials in SCBID, Fresno wanted to compare the results of its copper sulfate program with a Teton-based program that incorporates a similar dispersal rate. We have seen good results with that this year.

Before and after pictures from Twin Falls Canal Company in Idaho. The photos show the day of treatment (left) for sago pondweed (at a rate of 3 parts per million of Cascade for 8 hours) and 28 days after treatment (right).

IRRIGATION LEADER

John Crotty: What are some of the advantages of endothall-based products?

Craig Smith: Per the EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] label, Cascade can be

39

THE INNOVATORS discharged into water at the maximum label rate of 5 parts per million (ppm) without negative effects on species, including salmonids common throughout the West. At algaecide rates of 0.3 ppm or less of Teton, there is also no effect on fish. In addition, the product’s efficacy is not affected by water temperature, hardness, turbidity, or alkalinity.

agriculture as well. It is very rewarding to work with districts that provide a lifeline to the communities that rely on irrigated agriculture. Knowing that we can assist a district in maximizing water flows and delivering this needed water to growers is a great feeling and gives us both a great deal of satisfaction.

“Before we ever take a product into the field, we back up the results with science.”

John Crotty: What should every irrigation Joe Vassios: Endothall is currently the district manager know about UPI and the only available in-season irrigation product service it provides? that has a systemic designation. That means that it gets down to a plant’s roots—it is not Joe Vassios: There are only around 15 a contact herbicide, which only burns off different products approved for use in above-ground growth. For irrigation canal aquatic sites. If you narrow that down to managers, this supports our observations —JOE VASSIOS what you can actually put into flowing water that endothall provides results with better in an irrigation canal, you are down to three control, rather than just burning plants active ingredients. Our focus is really on back, resulting in fewer applications per season, which can timing and treatment management to maximize efficiency lead to savings in herbicide use and labor costs. and improve cost effectiveness.

Before we ever take a product into the field, we back up John Crotty: What aspect of your work with irrigation the results with the science. We try to be responsive when canal managers gives you the greatest satisfaction? problems pop up in the field. We’ll do trials on specific species that we may not see anywhere else. We provide the Craig Smith: Both Joe and I grew up in agricultural latest science to help effectively manage weeds and algae. IL communities, and our families were both involved in

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