By Don A. Wright
The Westlands Water District held its board of directors meeting at its Fresno headquarters and on Zoom, good deal, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. It has been unseasonably warm in California these past few weeks. I’m sorry the younger generation has grown up thinking weather is some strange beast trying to ruin us all. Climate change is real; we’ve had ice ages and warm spells. California has a Mediterranean climate. It can get hot and dry and it usually doesn’t do so at our whims. But calling every weather cycle a climate whiplash or crisis is merely foolish and often an excuse to either impose more rules or do nothing and blame it on the weather.
When you think about climate change remember this; about 30-years ago I was living in an apartment in Fresno. It was late at night on Halloween, late enough in the year it should at least be cool if not cold. However, it was so warm I was working on my old truck in the parking lot in just a tee-shirt. I’m not sure who, but someone called the cops and they made me put on my trousers.
GM Report
Allison Febbo started with bad news, a 15 percent water allocation. Very low considering the amount of rain and precipitation received. This triggered the Port Chicago Standard (Spring X2) which sucked up a good portion. The State Water Resources Control Board gave an inflexible response to modifying outdated tools such as the Port Chicago Standard. Westlands has been working with the US Bureau of Reclamation about this matter and the good folks have been cooperative.
Under the Trump Executive Order’s Action Five more than 50,000 acre feet have been saved. Action Five takes into account the technological upgrades that allows Delta flows to be monitored in real time. This accurate measurement is preferable to a calendar-based flow schedule.
There is a possibility of getting funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill to address subsidence within the Westlands’ area. The price of $3 billion is estimated for fixing the San Luis Delta Mendota Canal and California Aqueduct. Febbo said there are other ways to work on this matter without having to spend as much up front.
Water Supply
Kitty Campbell reported 907,276 a/f of total supplies last year. If I understand WWD will receive .3 a/f per acre of rescheduled water. Snowpack is rapidly declining due to warmer conditions melting things. The northern Sierra is at 29 percent while the southern is at 72 percent. There hasn’t been any rain lately and none on the way. However, reservoirs through most of the state are full. Febbo observed this shows why California needs more storage.
Campbell continued saying storage looked better at Shasta and Folsom this year than last. Folsom is slightly encroached but not making any substantial releases. At San Luis both the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project storage are both approaching full. The Delta operations has the Jones Plant pumping away during March.
About 68,000 a/f have been lost to a 10,000 a/f first flush and 58,000 a/f Port Chicago X2. But the Action Five has saved a good deal of water, I didn’t catch the exact amount but it was more than 100,000 a/f if I understood correctly. The graphics showed 1.8 million a/f of storage at New Melones.
Science
Brad Cavallo gave a fisheries update saying the entrainment issues haven’t triggered much of anything. There is expected to be a more normal salmon fishing season. He said the California fishing license allows for salmon just like bass. California Fish & Wildlife doesn’t do much to track this. Coho is endangered but unless you have an ichthyologist on the sports fishing boat you can’t really tell which type of salmon is which. Yet if one Coho is entrained at the pumps it counts as a take for farms.
Cavallo said California’s salmon regulations are the most lax on the west coast. There are many questions about the amount of salmon harvested by sport fishing as opposed to commercial fishing. The pump entrainment is dwarfed by the unmonitored sport fishing.
Gov’t Stuff
Febbo said the war with Iran is taking most of the oxygen out of Washington DC. Senator Alex Padilla is working on a bill that will tie good infrastructure with the economic viability of disadvantaged communities. There is also another push to move NOAA and NMFS into one office.
On the state side, Westlands is reaching out to candidates to help educate them on water issues. Febbo said Westlands is tracking legislation regarding subsidence and golden mussels.
O&M
Kelly Vandergon reported progress will is being made on refurbishing pumps. Silt removal and electrical panel replacement at the pumping plants is going well. Pipelines and other district infrastructure are being maintained, monitored and repairs are dealt with tenderly by crews with backhoes and jackhammers when a leak is detected. I didn’t have it in front of me but Vandergon referred to an estimated pipe failure chart developed by Dr. Woo or Dr. Who. A bit intriguing.
Vandergon is on top of the golden mussel situation. The little boogers are swarming. Westlands’ delivery system is mostly pipe with water moved by pumps. The perfect place for the bivalves. Staff is looking at chemicals, steam, dewatering and just about anything else they can get their hands on. Each treatment has its own benefits and challenges. There are currently two proposals that will soon be brought to the board for approval.
Director Jim Anderson was concerned about theft and vandalism on the Coalinga Canal. Vandergon said it’s a difficult portion of the system to monitor but the Sherrif or Highway Patrol are called when anything suspicious is afoot. He also asked everyone working with water in the district to keep an eye out for mussels and report them. He said some of the meters could be impacted.
Some photos showing the de-silting of the pumping plants were shown. Some of the sumps had more than two feet of silt. As the crews cleaned out the silt they high pressure sprayed the walls and ceilings for mussels.
I once had the fun and honor of touring a big swath of Westlands with former Director of O&M and incredibly nice guy Bill Pierce. It is an amazing, complex infrastructure they have in place.
Strategic Plan
Jose Gutierrez took over for Febbo and introduced Steve Farmer to give the board an update. Farmer said the plan was reviewed and 31 of the action plans have been accomplished, 94 are underway and 15 new ones have been added. Much of this had to do with funding, subsidence and water banking. Gutierrez said while there won’t be pony rides the District is hosting a water users’ workshop with tacos and ice cream.
Outside Agencies
Russ Freeman reported San Luis Delta Mendota Water Authority has moved activity agreements around to free up staff. He also said Association of California Water Agencies held its quarterly committee meetings this past week.
Happily, Freeman reported he just got word the SLDMWA received a $230 million grant for subsidence repairs. Most of this funding is going through the USBR, is non-reimbursable and was just announced by a press release. One director said, “Wow, that’s a win.”
Valley Clean
Gutierrez said criteria have been developed for the sale of district land for the solar power program. There is a substation on Manning Avenue that is ideal for hooking into the grid. About 8,000 acres of land has been identified as suitable for solar. Staff is interviewing solar consultants.
Finance & Admin
Director Justin Diener chairs the Finance & Administration Committee. He had staff give a report and staff gave a good report. It was accepted and the board revised the salary code schedule.
SGMA
Next Antonio Solorio reported on how much water has been recharged so far this year. More than 1,400 a/f if I understood correctly. The spring groundwater elevation report should be ready for next month’s meeting. Some Aquifer Storage & Recovery wells have been completed and more are being considered for development.
Gutierrez showed a map of all district owned wells, about 107 of them in different states of operation. They could be developed as ASR wells. Some of them are close to the San Luis Canal and could help with slowing subsidence. Contractors will be offered the chance to take over operations of ASR wells. He asked the board if they’d like the district to follow up on this.
Diener asked if the ASR will give the bang for the buck of basin recharge. He sounded skeptical there would be much benefit for this type of recharge but for perhaps next to infrastructure. He also said criteria and procedures need to be developed.
Febbo helped clarify staff is looking for board approval to research an ASR program. Gutierrez said you have to pump recharged water to use it and this effort can be put to that use. There was talk about only using this for recharge below the clay layer and some concerns about water quality impacts.
Action Items
After the SGMA item the board was presented the opportunity to sell 210 acres of its land to Recurrent LLC to develop solar. Freeman said a CEQA evaluation will be conducted prior to any sell. Neighbors will be notified as well. A land maintenance covenant will be required to prevent nuisance to adjacent lands. Groundwater and mineral rights are reserved. Staff asked the board to authorize Febbo or her designee to enter into a proposal with Recurrent LLC to be brought back to the board.
The last action item was about land stewardship. Freeman said staff is proposing modifications to district rules and regulations to encourage proper land maintenance. Some of this is in regards to water scarcity. This also covers conversion to solar, recharge and other land use. You don’t want weeds and abandoned crops that can lead to disease spread and pests. Freeman said the issue is how to treat land in transition to contribute and support best use of water in Westlands. He asked the board to approve staff to study, develop and bring back revisions to the board. The legal team believes this is in agreement with the California Constitution’s charge to use water for the best practice.
There is a problem with rats on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley since the state banned most rodenticide. They are chewing up drip lines and creating other problems. The weeds also sling unwanted pollen that attracts undesirable insects.
There were some questions from the audience about unique scenarios such as a receivership being given the ability to cure past problems. Freeman said this is part of the considerations staff will be investigating. The board approved staff looking into this.
Public Comment & Closed Session
During public comment I was able to share with the board and now you dear readers – there will be a Valley Veterans Water Forum on April 1st at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District facilities from 10am to 2pm in Clovis. The over arching themes will be hiring veterans into the water space and bring actionable solutions to the water situation challenging Californians.
Farmer Will Coit asked the board to update the Special Punishment Area, or maybe it’s the Subsidence Prone Area known as the SPA; to extend the boundaries a mile and a half south.
Closed session had more than 20 items flittering hither and yon over the three allowed subjects: personnel, real property and lawsuit related matters. So, that was that at Westlands this month. Go be good to each other and yourselves.
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Westlands Water District
286 W. Cromwell Ave, Fresno, CA 93711 Phone:559/224-1523
Board: Jeff Fortune -President, Jim Anderson – Vice President, Frank Coelho Jr., William Bourdeau, Ryan Ferguson, Ross Franson, Jeremy Hughes, Ernie Costamagna & Justin Diener.
Staff: Allison Febbo-General Manager, Jose Gutierrez-Lt. General Manger, Russ Freeman-Deputy GM Resources, Kitty Campbell-Supervisor of Resources, Steve Farmer-VP of Finance & Admin Affairs, Elizabeth Esposito-In House Counsel, Kelly Vandergon-Director of O&M, and Jim Carter-IT Guru.
About: Without irrigation, farming in the Westlands area of California would be limited and ineffectual. The history of Westlands is one of continual adaptation, careful water stewardship and advanced technology. By maintaining a fierce commitment to sustainability, the Westlands’ comprehensive water supply system continues to adapt, educate, and surpass conservation goals. Throughout its history, Westlands Water District has demonstrated a lasting dedication to water conservation and recognized that the long-term survival of its farms depends on the effective management of California’s precious water resources. From www.wwd.ca.gov
SGMA: Westland WD is in the Westside Subbasin and the Westlands WD GSA. DWR #5-022.09
