By Don A. Wright
The Exchange Contractors board of directors met on Friday, February 2, 2024 at its headquarters in Los Banos and by telephone. I used to get up very early and drive to Los Banos to attend these meetings. They’d feed us pastries and those little cheese wheels and fruit. The coffee was pretty good. You’d get to sit a bit before the meeting and talk. Find
out interesting things that didn’t even have anything to do with irrigated agriculture. After the meeting was over if one had time there are some good restaurants in Los Banos. Basque, Mexican, Italian and there was even a drug store diner.
I was late joining the 9:00am meeting by phone this morning. I think my computer mouse needs new batteries. I was only late a couple of minutes but a solid third of the agenda had gone by. Executive Director Chris White asked me to identify myself as my phone joined the meeting. He also offered to speak with me later in the day if I wanted to catch up on what I missed. That was thoughtful. But I ended up not calling him. It was after all Friday afternoon and as gracious an act as he proposed I thought I’d return the favor and let him get on with his weekend unencumbered by regaling the first five minutes of a meeting. I’ve joked with him that I’ve been writing about the Exchange Contractors for so long given just an agenda I believe I could fake a report fairly well.
The truth is I’m confident I could fake a report of almost any public agency meeting run along the lines of a water agency. I don’t have a clear idea of how many water reports I’ve written over the years. Well into the thousands no doubt. I believe the best reports remember we’re not really covering water and policy. We’re really covering people. Farmers and their families. The Valley economy that depends on agriculture which in turn depends
on water and how that impacts people. There are people opposed to farming in California trying to impose their will on those who grow the very food they depend on to survive. They’re people too, even if misguided and to quote Governor Gavin Newsom, “Whether you like it or not,” we’re still growing food and feeding even the misguided. That’s what a water meeting is really about.
Water Report
Water Master Adam Hoffman said with the recent rain and what’s coming our way there will be a couple of releases from dams in the state to make room for flood control. The San Joaquin River is at 500 cfs for restoration flows at Friant Dam and targeting 300 cfs past Sac Dam through mid-April. Shasta is at 3.7 million a/f and the inflow is high enough to
bump up releases to 15,000 cfs. They got 18 inches of rain at Shasta during January. The upcoming rain is likely to kick up another 5,000 cfs in releases.
The storage at San Luis Reservoir is improving and there is the likelihood of the Jones Plant going to five units. That’s all she’s got. The state side of storage isn’t as high as the fed side because they moved a lot of it out last year to minimize loss of carryover. Things are looking good at Friant and Pine Flat. Even the westside rain fed reservoirs are doing better.
Hoffman said allocations are expected to increase significantly when DWR announces its February 1st forecast. Vernalis on the San Joaquin River is expected to reach 8,000 cfs. The Feather River is looking good but the current storm is warm. Snow levels were below 4,000 feet but the next series of storms is expected to be colder and help restore the levels.
White announced there will be a shut down at O’Neal Forebay and that means nothing in and out of San Luis Reservoir while some repairs are made.
Ex Direct
White said the Del Puerto Canyon is going through the road realignment dance with four alternatives on the table. Ex Con is bowing up for its biannual trip to Washington DC next week. There are meetings scheduled with congress and lobbyists. He said there were other things to talk about but that would have to wait for closed session.
Director Of Policy
In a SJR restoration update Steve Chedester said the fish ladder update is moving forward. The project is looking at $1 million with a lot of that being design work from the US Bureau of Reclamation. Reach Three on the SJR has received 90 percent engineering plans and that project may go out to bid by the end of the year. Chedester said Rubicon has installed gates at Sac Dam. These gates are set for manual operation now but they are equipped with an automated feature for the future.
The State Board is considering a four day series of work shops for the Voluntary Agreements. There isn’t a date yet but it will be spread out through mid to late spring. It won’t be four days in a row. Also, the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley’s scope of work is moving along.
Water Resources
White repeated the heavy lift on the Del Puerto Dam is the road alignment.
Transfer Agreements
White presented the board with three transfer agreements: Westside Water Authority 7,000 a/f, Santa Clara Valley Water District 2,000 a/f and Triangle T Water District 1,000 a/f. These are two year agreements and unchanged from the past. It was approved as a whole.
Gov’t Mischief
Dave Cory said a baseline nitrogen efficiency is being looked at for submission to the Regional Board. This will be crop specific without regard to the groundwater situation. There will still be groundwater quality impacts beyond these baselines. The cost share of making this happen is a difficult baby to split. Dairy has more impact but less acreage for example.
He said the Irrigated Lands Program is going to have some splash back, hopefully good. The State Board is entertaining an appeal from the Central Coast on nitrates. The State Board will hold an expert panel. Cory said the Central Valley does not want the same
nitrates program the Central Coast is currently facing.
I believe it was Mike Stearns who said he’s experiencing a good deal of frustration with the Regional Board over injection wells. He’s been told until all the GSPs are approved nothing will happen yet he’s seen some incredible work being done in Westlands. Also, Cory has recently been elected Chair of the Grasslands Basin Authority. Good for him.
Legislative Report
White reported the state’s hemorrhaging budget will have some impacts on all manor of funding. He and the legislative team met with many members of the Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee and are working with them to tell the story about the Valley. This is one of the committees to keep an eye on. There were a handful of bad bills that when through this
committee last year. The consequences, whether intended or not would have crippled agriculture in California. This is what happens when the Bay Area/University of California/State Capital complex writes laws without context beyond the faculty lounge.
Fortunately, a coalition to successfully fight the bad legislation prevailed. I’ve been hearing the new Chair of the WP&W Committee, Assemblywoman Diane Papan is much more willing to give further consideration to the entire state’s needs, rather than the narrow complex mentioned above. They certainly have a right to their opinions but it’s good have input from more than that limited base.
On the federal side there is the DC trip and White said he’s had good cooperation with Congressman John Duarte.
Attorney’s Report
Attorney Andy McClure reported on a lawsuit involving the Friant Water Authority and the San Joaquin River. He said it should be decided this year with nationwide implications. There is the CEQA lawsuit on, I believe the Del Puerto Canyon Dam and the Sierra Club is late filing some paperwork. Ex Con has also commented to the State Board on the Bay/Delta Plan which allows it to be in a position to sue if need be. It’s still a little early in the process to pull that trigger but at least they have some ammo if they do have to pull that trigger.
Manager’s Report & Info
Firebaugh Canal Water District General Manager Jeff Bryant said they are keeping their eyes on Silver Creek so it doesn’t cause a problem flooding into the district’s canals.
Director Eric Fontana said Central California Irrigation District’s GM Jarrett Martin wasn’t able to attend and he gave the report saying the district is moving forward on two long crested weirs and should be ready for this season. They are also monitoring creeks.
John Wiersma, GM San Luis Canal Company said things are going well with maintenance on track.
Under informational items White reported the California Irrigation Institute is having a February conference in Sacramento. Buckle your seatbelts February is busy. Some of the
Plains Tribes called January the Moon of the Popping Trees because it would get so cold the trees would split open. February might be the Moon of Refilling your Adderall Prescription. Scheduled this month are – the World Ag Expo, the annual California Agricultural Irrigation Association dinner, the Family Farm Alliance conference, the American Pistachio Growers conference, the American Ground Water Trust conference and now I find out about the CII conference. I guess it’s better to disseminate all that information early in the year.
Closed Session
The meeting went into closed session at 9:49am for seven items of a legalistic nature. As long as I’ve been reporting on water Ex Con is the New Hampshire primary of meetings,
always first. The first Friday of the month. It has become like a cup of coffee in the morning; the first part of the rhythm of water meetings. That was that, go be good to each other and yourselves.
DISCLAIMER OF RESPONSIBILITY; Waterwrights.net strives to provide its clients with the most complete, up-to-date, and accurate information available. Nevertheless, Waterwrights.net does not serve as a guarantor of the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and specifically disclaims any and all responsibility for information that is not accurate, up-to-date, or complete. Waterwrights.net’s clients therefore rely on the accuracy, completeness and
timeliness of information from DAW entirely at their own risk. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not represent any advertisers or third parties.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2024 by WaterWrights.net/DAW
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER EXCHANGE CONTRACTORS WATER AUTHORITY
Main Office: 541 H Street, P.O. Box 2115 Los Banos, CA 93653 Office 209/827-8616 www.sjrecwa.net Email: contactus@sjrecwa.net
DWR SGMA Identifier #5-022.07
The Exchange Contractors cover almost a quarter of a million acres in Fresno, Madera, Merced and Stanislaus Counties.
Mission Statement
The Exchange Contractors Water Authority mission is to effectively protect the Exchange Contract and maximize local water supply, flexibility and redundancy in order to maintain local control over the members’ water supply.
Board
Chris Cardella -Chair Columbia Canal Company, Mike Stearns-Vice Chair Director Firebaugh Canal Water District, James L. Nickel-Treasurer San Luis Canal Company, Eric Fontana- Director Central California Irrigation District
Staff
Chris White-Executive Director, Steve Chedester- Director Policies & Programs, Adam Hoffman-Water Resources Specialist, Joann White-Director Finance and Human Resources, Darlene O’Brien- Administrative Assistant, Andy McClure-Attorney Minasian Law Firm.
History
From the Exchange Contractors’ website: www.sjrecwa.net The San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors hold some of the oldest water rights in the state, dating back to the late 1800s. The rights were established by Henry Miller of the legendary Miller and Lux cattle empire. In 1871, Henry Miller constructed canals to divert water from the San Joaquin and North Fork of the Kings Rivers for irrigation of his vast acreage. Today, several of the original Miller and Lux canals are operated by the Exchange Contractors.
Although Henry Miller’s canals served the irrigation needs of his estate in the western portion of Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Stanislaus counties, in order for more growth on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley to occur, more water was needed. In 1933, the United States Department of Interior undertook the Central Valley Project, a vast undertaking to build dams throughout the great Central Valley including the Sacramento, American and San Joaquin Rivers. When construction of the Friant Dam (north of Fresno) was under consideration, feasibility studies showed that irrigation development of the Friant Project between Chowchilla and Bakersfield depended upon water being diverted from the San Joaquin River at Friant Dam and brought to the east side of the valley, via the Friant-Kern Canal.
To accomplish this, the government asked the heirs of Miller and Lux to agree to “exchange” where they receive their pre-1914 appropriative and riparian water from the San Joaquin and Kings Rivers for guaranteed deliveries of “substitute” water from the Sacramento River by means of the Delta-Mendota Canal and other facilities of the United States. This agreement, known as the “Exchange Contract,” along with the accompanying “Purchase Contract,” were reached in 1939 and that led to the name “San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors.” In normal years, the Exchange Contractors are guaranteed 100% of their contractual water allotment (840,000 acre feet) and in critical years the amount is 75% (650,000 a/f).
The Exchange Contractors, however, did not abandon their San Joaquin River water rights. Instead, they agreed not to exercise those San Joaquin and Kings Rivers’ water rights if guaranteed water deliveries continued through the Delta-Mendota Canal or other facilities of the United States.
