WSP12980

• File Number: 8210.140.20.C
• Description: Imperial Irrigation District ‎(IID)‎
• State: CA
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/9/1996
• Author: Imperial Irrigation District
• Title: Water Requirements and Availability Sutdy ‎(draft)‎
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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through October 15. The program resulted in an average water savings of 1.36 acre-feet per acre.
(Test Water Conservation Program - Program Description, lID, May 1992.)

To establish such a program, lID would have to formulate rules for participating in the program,
sign people up to participate, and then withhold water from those fields for a given number of
days after sign-up. In the pilot program, participants were required to keep the field in
production until June of the following year. This type of program could be initiated on short
notice and would require adoption of the above water savings factor to determine the amount of
water conserved.

Cost elements consist of grower costs and revenue impacts, lID revenue loss, and possible
compensation for participating growers. Grower costs and revenue impacts result from increased
cultural costs, lost production, and savings of production costs; lID revenue loss would come
from lower water and power sales.

IV.B.3 Alternate Cropping Patterns
Cropping patterns in the Imperial Valley vary according to market demand. Another factor
affecting cropping patterns is the presence of pest and/or disease vectors that damage crops
grown or once grown in the area. For example, since 1985 the three year weighted average of
acreage for garden crops has increased by about 3.0 percent, for field crops by 3.3 percent, and
for permanent crops by 10.6 percent. However, many melon varieties once grown in the Valley
are no longer viable.

The California Water Plan Update, Bulletin 160-93, discusses alternate cropping patterns (page
168). "The option to shift to another crop must be considered with respect to the grower's
financial resources, the suitability of climate and soils for the specific crop, and crop marketing
conditions. (For many high-valued crops, the necessary market conditions include obtaining a
contract with a food processor.) Because of such constraints, land planted to lower-valued crops
like pasture or alfalfa may not be a sign of opportunity being ignored."

Draft: Subject To Revision 12/21/95

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