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<br />~ <br />\_x.-' <br />== <br />DISTRICT <br />~~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Inside In~eriJll Irrigation District <br /> <br /> <br />::.... _\!:-:~ <br /> <br />- ;:.:.-:. <br />_a_ _~. _. <br /> <br />-...... <br />.La""" <br /> <br />Ge~~"".~. _\~.~i:.~..--;e~ <br /> <br />\Vbat vou are savina about water marketina <br />- - 0 0 <br /> <br />::: ve:-y ~londay a: noen. f;:>r i:he pas: :-'''"0 mc"ths, the IID Bea:-d' s Wate:- Transfer Study Group <br />h2.s ape;;.ed its mee:ings far pu:,iic dis::uss:on. DiEere::t grc~ps 0: 10 to 15 ?ecp~e~ represent- <br />ing the Chamber5~ tae ~it:e5: the Co~n::'~ civ~c orga;:.iza:io.-:s anc :he farm ~o:nm~~ity ::.ave <br />given us their ideas :hiot:gn these 7neelings. \v"e neve compiled extensive notes trow ~hese <br />:neetings a::.':: a!"e I:: :he process of 2.na:yz:ng the CO::lmer::s. Then, the Board me;nbers can use <br />!~i5 information as they make decisioiiS on \""~ater m2.rketi:1g proposc.ls. <br /> <br />\\"e have leamed many :h:ngs abou: the !~ough!s 2.:ld opinions represe:lted :,y those ,,\'"ho <br />ane;lded these meetings, Same o:tne::1 said :he rID should ?roceed slowly and cautiousiy. <br />Others are readY:0 pa~i:::ipate in possibie c:1-fam: wate:- conservation prag:-ams that may be <br />offeree as a res;.;l~ or a t:"ans:er arra:1geme~t. Although \',;e are stili working on catego:-:z!ng the <br />comments \.\"e:\"e recei'\"ed~ I can give y~u some idea of 'the kinds of conce;ns v.;e've heard and <br />provide ans\~;ers to son:e of1:ne most orren asked questions. <br /> <br />Are you considering fallowing? <br />This ques~ion ~omes up at every meeting_ rallowing is not a popular \'-'od in I:nperial Valley, <br />Our Smdy Group has fOU;lC though that faiiowing coulc become confused with "laying ou:" or <br />"idling" land, which is a common funning practice 2.lready in use i~ Imperial Valley, Taking <br />farmland ou: of production is the re2.l concern, because of the possible impacts on our commu- <br />nity. No one at lID is interested in having land taken out of production on any son of perma- <br />nent basis, Instead, we a:uicipa!e that participating iando~l1ers would use the funds to pur- <br />c~ase s?rinkler systems, da more land leveling and make other improvemen:s that '-""ould in <br />tu1.l malce iocal agricuirure more productive than before" <br /> <br />How much water should be transferred? <br />\\'e have Laiked aboU! ?ossi~ie water Lransfe:-s from Imperial Valley in varying amounts. <br />Ho\,,'ever, v..e have always qualified our statemeats about the qUOJ'ui:y of water we could make <br />avaiiable, because we have not yet updated our Water Requiremems and Avaiiability Study. <br />i ha: stud~: will consider futu:-e lane and waLer use in Imperial Valley, analyze potem:ial water <br />conserva!ior. proje~ts a.,d deter.nine a range of quami:ies of water that could be ~onserved a:1d <br />made availabie fur use by othe:-s. <br /> <br />Wbose water is it? <br />~he lID holds the water rights in trust for the lando'-'l.ne:-s in its service area. Any transfer <br />arrangerr:.ent with an outside agei1cy has to be nade wi6 t~e lID. Landowners and growers <br />could par.icipa!e only if we incorporate an on-ram: water conservation prog:am that they <br />"""Otdd sign up TO:- with IID_ suc~ agreeiTIems would follow guidelines set up by lID and the <br />:a~ers wou;d be com:>ensatea b:-' I~D, <br /> <br />"'bat if we can't ever get our water back? <br />Ca!i~omia i2.\'-' provides for the transfer of conser>ec wate:- to another use ane that '-;0 forfei- <br />ra:-e of!he \\~a!e~ rigi:t \,,"iH ac;;ur. The concern is that if\1.:e make a long-!erm ~:'"2.T!sfer agree- <br />=ec:~ and the area receiving "ihe \~;ate~ be::OITleS de;Jendent on that supply, \\-"e may have a <br />ciff.~uit :i1i:e ~c7:vi~~i~g E.:1yo!!e :hc..! lID s::ould ge~ ~! back. This is a very real concern that <br />O:..l!' Board r::us: consider if :hey are iTIaking decisions on tne 2.mOi..i;1~ of v.--ate:- to be 'lrans- <br />:er:-ed, The:e are ways to write an agreement that give more assu:-ances that the '-'I.'ater WOUld <br />~ame back. Pro\:isions co;;lj be \:;'Tli1e:: into ari ~greeme:lI, far in5tan::e~ \\-hich requiie :he <br />:,eneficia::...-- of"!z:e \~.a!er to :evie\\.-" ather 5ou~ces at :ive cr ten year i~ter.;a15~ so :hai: anc:her <br /> <br />s;J:.!i':e or ;'\-2r~~ is a'l,:2.i~a~~e :0 :he~ 2: :he enc 0! O~:- agree~e~t. <br /> <br />We ha""e strong water rights. Why are we doing all this? <br /> <br />\~.:e C0 h2.~,:e s::-OGg \:;c.:er ~~g~!s. Tr:e C.S. Supre~e Co~rr has ;.;phelc :~e validi:y of lID's <br />5enia~ \,,-a:er ~igi::5. 3ut~ :ID :5 5~bje=: :0 S:2te a~d :ecerai ~:e5 and i'"egu~Gt:O~5 :o:1cer::i!:g <br />:-e250i:2.Dle ~se J: C:..l:- \4.--a:e:-. The Bu:-eau o:Rec~c.rr:2.:i8:1 has ~ee:: \""o=-k~ng since 1990 :0 get <br />:':5 !0 use ~ess \~.'-aIer. ~io.~5:}: ~~e l!~b2.n areas ~ave much mare poli~icai clout. If lID \ve:-e to do <br /> <br />::8:h:~g, :::ere ~;:c;j:d :,e ;:0r;.:inuec ef:0:15 to reaU;:;;:ate :he \V2ter Si.lpp~y. \\.e \\"olJd ;-ather do <br />svce:hing an au:" Q'.::-.-n i:er:-::s tha:;. ~e forced in:o a 5i~2.ti~~~ :ha~ limits our ~p~io~..s. <br /> <br />IV PRESS <br />5:.:,,-d2o;.. Oct. 22 & ~foncay, OC:. 23, 1995 <br />3 :0:~rr::l5 x :3 :n:.:~e5 <br />