Why Zanjeros Are Fundamental to the Imperial Irrigation District’s Operations
An IID zanjero operates a manual gate on the North Date Canal.
T
he Imperial Irrigation District (IID) serves half a million acres of highly productive farmland in the Imperial Valley of Southern California with Colorado River water. Its massive water distribution system includes major canals and check structures that are operated automatically and remotely, but also thousands of field-level turnouts that must be manipulated by hand by the district’s zanjeros, or ditch riders. In this interview, Jeff Dollente, a zanjero for IID, and Robert Schettler, IID’s public information officer, tell us about the essential job zanjeros perform to deliver water safely to the district’s customers.
Jeff Dollente: As general background, water flows into IID’s system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, mainly by gravity. We go up and down the ditch banks constantly, managing this water so that it goes to where it needs to go. We deliver and cut back water every day. Customers order the water the day before they need it. Then we get our shipment for the day and have to deliver it to the various fields and farmers.
Irrigation Leader: Mr. Dollente, please tell us how you came to be in your current position. Jeff Dollente: I started at IID right out of high school and have been here since 1985.
Jeff Dollente: Each field has a delivery gate that we have to monitor to complete the order. We also have to adjust check structures to keep the ponds up and maintain pressure on the gates. The water that arrived today in the valley was ordered 3 days ago. Water is constantly moving, and it goes up and down.
Irrigation Leader: Would you tell us what a zanjero is, what your duties are, and how they differ from those of ditch riders elsewhere?
Irrigation Leader: Would you describe the size of IID’s delivery system and tell us how many gates or points of delivery there are? irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF IID.
14 | IRRIGATION LEADER | September 2021
Irrigation Leader: What is involved in making sure that water gets delivered where it needs to go? Does that involve manipulating manual gates?
