Spring 2015 USCID Issue No. 120 The U.S. society for irrigation and drainage professionals

November 17-20, 2015 New USCID Officers, President’s Message Governance Focus of Board Members Earlier this year, I had the honor of being elected President of USCID. Albuquerque Meeting During its annual meeting in April, the While I am still not quite sure how I got Irrigation district managers are facing USCID Board elected Brian T. Wahlin, elected, be assured that I will take this an increasing number and scope of WEST Consultants, Inc., as President. position very seriously and will do my societal and environmental challenges, Steven C. Macaulay, Macaulay Water best to follow in the footsteps of our in order to fulfill their fundamental Resources, was named Secretary. outgoing President, Bryan Thoreson.I responsibility of delivering diverted Wahlin, who previously served as am glad that I was able to spend my first water to users. Secretary, succeeds Bryan P. Thoreson. few years on the USCID board with The Board also appointed Randy The Theme of the USCID Fall Bryan, as l learned quite a bit from him Hopkins to complete the term of Conference, Emerging Issues in Water during his tenure as president. Bryan Rhonda Skaggs, who resigned. Management Governance,issureto was always organized and ran quick engage managers and practitioners in In recent balloting, Eduardo Bautista, board meetings (always a plus). In stimulating discussions regarding David E. Bradshaw and Brian T. addition, he had excellent and irrigation and water management. Wahlin were elected to three-year terms thoughtful ideas, as well as a strong on the USCID Board of Directors. vision for the future of USCID. Bryan A unique program is being developed by Bautista was elected to his first term; implemented member meetings during Conference General Chair Gerald A. Bradshaw and Wahlin to their second. A conferences to facilitate getting Gibbens,Co-ChairsDavid J. Gensler Tellers Committee of William A. Price, feedback from our members. and Blair L. Stringam, and the Planning (continued on page 24) Recognizing the need to collaborate (continued on page 23) with other organizations, Bryan Thoreson and Steve Macaulay organized Governance Challenges for Comprehensive a joint conference with the Groundwater Resources Association of California. Groundwater Management Most importantly, he had a strong by Steve Macaulay, P.E., Macaulay Water Resources, Davis, California, passion for USCID, and irrigation and [email protected] drainage in general. I want to thank him for his service. He has set the bar high, Editor’s note: An oral summary of this paper was presented during the USCID and I hope that I can live up to the high Conference in Reno, Nevada, during June. The author has added observations from standard he set. the Conference. Since this is my first President’s Introduction Message, I thought it would be good to The concept of state groundwater legislation in California has been discussed for (continued on page 23) many years. As background, direct control by state government of surface waters came about through the adoption of the Water Commission Act of 1914. This set in Inside... place the current surface water appropriative water system — water users are issued AwardsandScholarship...... 9 a water right permit for the beneficial use of such water supplies. The legislative Reducing Energy Requirements. . . 12 deliberations leading to the adoption of the 1914 Act considered whether the state would have permitting and management authority over groundwater extractions, but RenoConferenceSummary...... 15 ultimately was limited to surface water rights. WaterTransfers...... 17 (continued on page 5) NewMembers...... 25 USCID Sustaining Member 1616 Seventeenth Street, #483 § Bureau of Reclamation Denver, CO 80202 Telephone: 303-628-5430 Corporate Members Fax: 303-628-5431 § E-mail: [email protected] Advanced Drainage Systems Internet: www.uscid.org § Aqua Systems 2000 Inc. The United States Committee on Irrigation and Drainage is a § AWBlair Engineering National Committee of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage. USCID § Campbell Scientific, Inc. Mission Statement § CH2M Hill, Inc. § The Mission of USCID is to promote progressive and sustainable irrigation, drainage and flood control Davids Engineering, Inc. practices in support of food and fiber production and public safety, recognizing that sustainability § Eagle-Spec Sales Group embodies economic, social and environmental goals. § Fresno Valves & Castings § USCID Newsletter and Membership Imperial Irrigation District § International Water Screens The USCID Newsletter is published in Winter, Spring and Fall for USCID Members. News items and technical articles of interest to the irrigation community are invited. Membership information is available § MACE USA LLC on the USCID website. § MBK Engineers § Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group Board of Directors Ex-Officio Directors § Quantumflo, Incorporated Brian T. Wahlin, President Clifford I. Barrett § Steven C. Macaulay, Secretary Joseph I. Burns Rubicon Water § Eduardo Bautista Grant G. Davids Siemens Thaddeus L. Bettner Franklin E. Dimick § SonTek David E. Bradshaw Jerrold D. Gregg § Summers Engineering, Inc. Charles M. Burt Marvin E. Jensen Water District Members Randy Hopkins James F. Ruff § Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Samuel W. Schaefer Mark Svendsen § Lower Colorado River Authority Delbert M. Smith Bryan P. Thoreson § Merced Irrigation District Darell D. Zimbelman § Middle Rio Grande Conservancy Board Advisor District Laura A. Schroeder § Modesto Irrigation District § Northern Colorado Water Conservancy Executive Vice President District Larry D. Stephens § Oakdale Irrigation District § Pershing County Water Conservation Standing Committees Committee Chairs District Membership...... SamuelW.Schaefer § Salt River Project Technical Activities ...... BlairStringham § Stockton East Water District NewsletterandWebsite...... CharlesM.Bu § Turlock Irrigation District LongRangePlanningandConferences...... GrantG.Davids § Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District USCID Newsletter 2015 ISSN: 1083-1320 © § White River Irrigation District Institutional Members § American Academy of Water Resources Engineers § Colorado Water Institute USCID Advertising Rates § Irrigation Training & Research Center § Pueblo of Sandia Professional ¼ Page ½ Page Full Page Inside Back Card Cover

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Newsletters, 3 issues $150 $250 $450 $800 $900 Membership Directory The most recent Membership Directory is Directory, Website and $195 $325 $625 $1,100 $1,250 Newsletters online in the Members Only section of the USCID website — www.uscid.org. In addition to contact information for each Member, the Corporate Members receive a free Professional Card or a 20 percent discount on ads. Directory includes member listings by state Media specifications are available at www.uscid.org/idmedia.PDF. and organization, as well as information about USCID and ICID work body memberships.

2 ICID News and Activities

USCID Members are encouraged to 2015 ICID Meeting attend ICID 2015. It is an excellent Thailand to Host 2nd opportunity to share technical expertise Set for Montpellier and meet colleagues from around the World Irrigation The ICID family will gather in world. Early registration closes August Forum Montpellier, France, for the 66th IEC 31. For more information, visit Meeting and 26th European Regional http://icid2015.sciencesconf.org/.¤ The 2nd World Irrigation Forum will Conference, October 11-16, 2015. be held November 6-12, 2016, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in conjunction Centered around the theme Innovate to with the 67th IEC Meeting.ICID Improve Irrigation Performance, the African Regional organizes the World Water Forum every Conference will include technical three years, bringing together all sessions, workshops and roundtables, Conference stakeholders involved in irrigation, thematic meetings of ICID working The 4th African Regional Conference including policy makers, experts, groups, an exhibition, technical tours on Irrigation and Drainage will take research institutions, NGOs, private and a networking program. place April 26-28, 2016, in Cairo, sector companies and farmers. The European Regional Conference will Egypt. The theme will be Agricultural The Theme for the 2nd World Irrigation focus on three topics: Land and Water Management for Sustainability under Climate Forum is Water Management in a • Drip Irrigation for Water Savings Variability. The Conference will feature Changing World: Role of Irrigation for • Potential for Wastewater Use in technical sessions, an exhibition and Sustainable Food Production. Agriculture book fair, and a one-day study tour For more information, go to following the Conference. www.worldirrigationforum.net.¤ • Governance for Groundwater and Surface Water Use in Agriculture For more information, go to www.encid.org.eg/arcid/index.htm.¤

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 3 4 Governance (continued) eventually end up in the various DWR As outlined in a separate paper by regulations. It is Macaulay and Joseph, California’s 2014 largely acknowledged Sustainable Groundwater Management that discussions Act sets forth a number of requirements regarding GSA and timelines for establishing formation need to get Groundwater Sustainability Agencies underway and for eventual development of immediately. In fact, Groundwater Sustainability Plans. as of April 2015, SGMA requirements include: (1) dialogue at many designation of basin priorities (only levels had been medium and high priority basins are actively underway on required to form GSAs and develop this topic. GSPs); (2) consideration of groundwater Recognizing the basin boundary adjustments to importance of this boundaries that were developed by dialogue, DWR has DWR over the past 30-40 years; and (3) offered limited consideration of the necessary no-cost facilitation components of a GSP (regulations to be services to help developed by DWR). There are many promote such more requirements, but these are critical discussions. for local agencies to form GSAs. Basin Priorities SGMA Elements Related to GSAs and resulting Formation of Groundwater GSPs are required of Sustainability Agencies all groundwater Figure 1. CASGEM Groundwater Basin Prioritization. In the best of all worlds, these three basins that are of SGMA requirements would be medium or high 7. Impacts on the groundwater; established in DWR regulations long priority. An early SGMA requirement including overdraft, subsidence, saline before GSAs are formed. However, the was to adopt basin priorities. In 2009, a intrusion and other water quality law takes a concurrent rather than linear new law went into effect that required degradation approach, making it more difficult to DWR to develop the California 8. Any other information determined to form GSAs by the legal timeline while Statewide Groundwater Elevation be relevant by DWR the other requirements are in play. Table Monitoring program. CASGEM was 1 below shows the deadline for each developed to track seasonal and While SGMA added “including adverse requirement in chronological order. long-term trends in groundwater impacts on local habitat and local elevations in California’s groundwater streamflows” to factor 8 above, this did While this appears linear with the basins. Fortunately, the CASGEM not change initial basin priorities establishing of GSAs at the end, the program had developed groundwater although it may change such priorities formation of GSAs is expected to be a basin priorities as of June 2014, and in the future as more information and long and difficult process and will in DWR adopted those priorities in data is developed on this matter. many cases depend on what will January 2015 as the initial SGMA DWR’s extensive website on priorities. Figure 1 shows statewide SGMA Requirement Due Date groundwater resources basin priorities. (www.water.ca.gov/groundwater/) DWR: prioritize groundwater Jan. 31, 2015 The 2009 law required that the includes this description of California’s basins CASGEM program prioritize each of the extensive groundwater basins: DWR: adopt basin boundary Jan. 31, 2016 groundwater basins using the following There are 515 alluvial groundwater revision regulations (after factors: which applications for basins and subbasins in California as boundary adjustments can be 1. Overlying population defined in DWR’s Bulletin 118. These submitted) 2. Projected growth of overlying basins contribute close to 40 percent of DWR: adopt regulations June 1, 2016 population the California’s annual water supply in specifying GSP components an average year and as much as 45 3. Public supply wells percent in dry years. During extensive Local agencies: establish July 1, 2017 GSAs for medium and high 4. Total wells dry or drought years, groundwater can priority basins 5. Overlying irrigated acreage provide close to 60 percent of the water supply. Statewide, approximately 30 6. Reliance on groundwater as the Table 1. Timelines for Various SGMA million people, or 80 percent of Requirements. primary source of water

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 5 Californians, live in areas overlying land use authority is one of the tools for alluvial groundwater basins. Some 10733.2. DEPARTMENT TO ADOPT GSPs. communities are 100 percent reliant on EMERGENCY REGULATIONS groundwater. CONCERNING PLAN REVIEW AND Case Studies: Challenges and IMPLEMENTATION Initial Efforts in Selected Basin Boundary Adjustments (a) (1) By June 1, 2016, the department Regions of California Current statewide basin boundaries are shall adopt regulations for evaluating For almost 20 years, California state published in DWR’s Bulletin 118-2003. groundwater sustainability plans, the government has allowed and encouraged While the boundaries are established implementation of groundwater the development of groundwater largely based on hydrogeologic factors, sustainability plans, and coordination management plans, and in recent years they also consider political boundaries. agreements pursuant to this chapter. such plans have included measurable SGMA provides for the possibility of basin management objectives. This has existing boundaries being modified for (2) The regulations shall identify the necessary plan components specified in been a voluntary program, with grant the purpose of implementation of the funding available to those organizations law, and DWR is required to adopt Sections 10727.2, 10727.4, and 1 0727.6 and other information that will assist that wished to develop a plan. In regulations for basin boundary revisions addition, for more than a decade state by January 31, 2016. local agencies in developing and implementing groundwater sustainability government has also promoted the As of July 2015, DWR staff had plans and coordination agreements. development of integrated regional participated in more than 100 meetings water management, including the with many specific water interests and development of integrated regional Groundwater Sustainability Plan groups to hear what they had to say water management plans (IRWMPs). Components regarding the need to adjust boundaries As described earlier, CASGEM was in their regions in addition to other The specific requirement in SGMA from developed to track seasonal and SGMA issues. Public “listening the California Water Code is reproduced long-term trends in groundwater sessions” were held to get input on above. elevations in California’s groundwater basin boundary adjustments, and a These regulations are intended to basins. The law requires collaboration Practitioners Advisory Panel had been identify necessary GSP components and between local monitoring entities and formed to provide technical and describe how DWR will determine DWR to collect groundwater elevation institutional input. A number of whether the sustainable groundwater data. concerns have been raised, including the management objectives and actions need to reflect boundaries of agencies All of these programs — all largely developed by GSAs meet the intent of voluntary for local agencies and water that make water resource management the law. decisions within their boundaries that do users — have formed important building Land Use Control not necessarily match groundwater basin blocks for statewide sustainable water boundaries. It was made clear in many It is important to of these meetings that the local agencies recognize that not all managing surface water resources are irrigated lands in likely to play important roles in California are within a achieving sustainable groundwater water or irrigation management, and that success in district, and that meeting sustainable groundwater achieving long-term objectives will require overall groundwater sustainable water management. sustainability may require reduction in groundwater Another concern raised by local extractions in some agencies is the interplay among water basins over time. district boundaries, county boundaries Decisions on land use in and groundwater basin boundaries. In California are made at the some cases local agencies have local level, with indicated that county boundaries might decisions by cities made work best. In other cases, especially within municipal where groundwater basin boundaries boundaries and decisions crossed over county boundaries, there by county government were mixed recommendations made for unincorporated depending on various circumstances in areas. SGMA establishes different regions. A common concern the counties as a default appeared to be how to handle GSA or partner in a GSA, groundwater use areas that are not presumably to ensure that within water districts. Figure 2. General Location of Case Studies.

6 management. While voluntary, each While water district boundaries are not Figure 1. The Northern California Water program has had major success — in shown, they are a complex mix Association (a regional water user part due to the availability of supporting throughout the Valley. organization) has suggested that there bond funds, and in part due to the need In meetings with a number of would be merit in dividing much of the to develop groundwater management Sacramento Valley representatives, Sacramento Valley along county lines plans, IRWMPs and implement DWR received many comments about for a variety of reasons including the CASGEM in order to get future state the complex institutional relationships jurisdiction of the counties for the funding for water management support. that exist throughout the Valley. The unmanaged areas. The four case studies that follow least complex is Yuba County on the Kern County (general locations shown in Figure 2) east side of the Valley, which has The Central Valley portion of Kern describe the historic development of political boundaries formed by three County is extensively irrigated, with groundwater management in each of the rivers. Water leadership is essentially water supplies managed by a large subregions, as well as the challenges the same as between the Yuba County number of water and irrigation districts. each face as they seek to develop Water Agency and the Yuba County A map of these districts is shown in groundwater sustainability agencies to Board of Supervisors, and water Figure 4. The collective boundaries of comply with SGMA. resources are effectively managed these districts essentially overly the Sacramento Valley within the County boundaries. Several large groundwater subbasin in this districts elsewhere in the Sacramento region. The floor of the Sacramento Valley is Valley (e.g., Glenn-Colusa Irrigation essentially a large alluvial region, with District, Reclamation District 108 and The entire Kern groundwater subbasin is two primary groundwater basins the Tehama Colusa Canal Authority) classified as high priority under SGMA, (Tuscan and Tehama formations) overlap two or more counties. Such and has a long history of both overdraft divided into a large number of subbasins water districts effectively manage their and extensive water management. The shown in Figure 3. The figure shows surface water resources — and to some region has a number of surface water county boundaries in the background. extent groundwater extractions — only sources including water imported from within their other regions. Surface water distribution boundaries and have facilities are located throughout the no authority over subbasin, each controlled by a different adjacent areas that entity with varying and different sources pump groundwater. of surface water. The subbasin is highly Some districts also dependent on groundwater in dry years, overlap different when surface water supplies are low. groundwater Most of the districts in Figure 4 have subbasins. recently formed the Kern Groundwater Effective Authority (KGA) to respond to the management required challenges brought about by SGMA. by SGMA may The KGA is currently engaging in an warrant modification open dialogue of how water interests in to the groundwater Kern County should appropriately subbasins shown in address the requirements of SGMA.

Figure 3. Sacramento Valley Groundwater Basins. Figure 4. Water Districts in Kern County.

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 7 They recognize that SGMA allows Water agencies in Monterey County the adjudicated and non-adjudicated several options for developing SGPs have raised several concerns. First, basins has the potential to further within a basin, and the ongoing dialogue various State agencies involved in water aggravate seawater intrusion, and direct is exploring the concept of forming supply and water quality do not provide participation by the adjudicated basin in multiple GSAs and either multiple GSPs consistent and often conflicting a GSA and subsequent GSP might be or a single GSP with a number of guidance when implementing State desirable. chapters addressing the implementation Agency programs. In particular they Santa Cruz County plan for each of the KGA member were concerned about coordination with agency areas. the State’s salinity and nutrient The City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, Soquel Creek Water District, Water agencies in Kern County are management regulatory program as it may affect SGMA implementation. Scotts Valley Water District, Pajaro historically very engaged in water Valley Water Management Agency and management, and frequently work Second, Monterey County has not yet others have been working actively for together on common issues. They are complied with provisions of the several years on more active raising a number of issues related to CASGEM program, limiting their access engagement in sustainable groundwater SGMA compliance, mostly associated to future State bond funds. Recognizing management. They have begun active with the interplay between GSAs ands this limitation, they have begun working discussions on forming appropriate GSPs and how that relates to current to provide all necessary information to GSAs, taking into consideration a institutional boundaries. The SGMA DWR in order to reach compliance in all number of factors including potential issues in this region are primarily of the remaining unmonitored groundwater basin boundary institutional, but are important to groundwater basins in their area. adjustments and the interaction between successful attainment of sustainable A third issue is how to address SGMA groundwater extractions and surface groundwater management. requirements for the Carmel River water resources. Monterey County watershed, due to the very complex A number of technical concerns have Figure 5 shows a map of groundwater nature of water rights and groundwater been raised concerning SGMA basins in both Monterey County and extractions in this small but important implementation in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz County, along the California watershed. A key issue in that watershed There is a concern that there is little coast. is adverse impacts of pumping on scientific basis for three of the basins in surface water the County, and it may make sense to flows. combine them. Due to the dipping of A fourth issue is a geologic groundwater-bearing need for a basin formations, a significant amount of boundary pumping in formations east of the modification in the Pacific coast is causing impacts to down southern portion gradient groundwater basins. In of the County due addition, the County of Santa Cruz has to the presence of documented groundwater basin a physical boundaries as part of their current groundwater groundwater management plans, and divide that is not they do not correspond to current reflected in current DWR-developed boundaries. basin boundaries. The current low-priority Scotts Valley A final issue basin is completely reliant on relates to groundwater, and it may make sense to longstanding increase the basin priority in order to seawater intrusion, allow the basin to develop a GSP. In and how that is addition, there is a concern that impacted by groundwater pumping in this small, groundwater confined basin is impacting flows in the diversions in a nearby San Lorenzo River. The nearby adjudicated interaction between groundwater groundwater extractions and surface water resources basins is one of the elements added by SGMA (adjudicated for establishing groundwater basin basins are not priorities. subject to SGMA). Finally, the agricultural Pajaro Valley The concern is that overlaps both Santa Cruz and Monterey Figure 5. Groundwater Basins in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties pumping in both counties. Basin boundaries, GSAs and

8 GSPs need to account for this physical in this paper, in addition to other fact, particularly since Pajaro Valley presentations and dialogue at the June USCID 2015 Awards Water Management Agency is one of 2015 conference, showcase a number of the few organizations that is defined as complex technical and institutional and Scholarship an exclusive GSA in SGMA. challenges that will need to be Nominations are being accepted for the addressed, and reinforce the importance 2015 USCID Merriam Improved More Information from the of tailoring water management solutions Irrigation Award and the USCID Conference to complex local needs.+ Service to the Profession Award. The June 2015 USCID Conference, at Nominations are due September 9, While not specifically addressed in the which this paper was presented, 2015. case studies, a common concern is included a panel discussion of water promoting effective outreach and The USCID Merriam Improved management institutions in the western communication as SGMA Irrigation Award, endowed by the late states with a focus on groundwater implementation goes forward. Efforts at John L. Merriam, is given to a Member issues. Each state has different legal broad local dialogue have begun of USCID who has made meritorious requirements, and even so there are throughout California, against the contributions to the advancement, challenges in water management. For backdrop of a fourth consecutive year of understanding or attainment of the goals example, the surface water supplies for drought. By June 2016, the California and objectives of USCID, ICID and/or the downstream senior water rights of Department of Water Resources will furthering the value of flexible irrigation the Pershing County Water have adopted a number of regulations water supply and distribution systems. Conservation District on the Humboldt required for SGMA implementation, River in Nevada have been greatly The USCID Service to the Profession after which local agencies will need to diminished by upstream junior water Award recognizes service to the form groundwater sustainability right holders who pump groundwater. irrigation, drainage, flood control or agencies and eventual groundwater The legal and institutional framework is water resources management profession sustainability plans. in place, but it has proven difficult to by an individual, organization or manage and enforce. This paper was written as a companion agency. Nominees need not be USCID to other papers on the general topic of Members. In contrast, the Pima-Maricopa California’s 2014 Sustainable Irrigation Project in Arizona has been Visit www.uscid.org/awards.html for a Groundwater Management Act that were very successful in managing its complex list of previous recipients of USSD also addressed as part of the June 2015 water resources, in large part due to Awards. USCID Conference in Reno. Contact relatively new facilities, high-priority USCID to receive a copy of the Scholarship water rights, proactive leadership, and Proceedings.¤ the ability to take advantage of water Applications for the USCID/Summers management experience throughout the Engineering Scholarship are also being western states. accepted. Only USCID Student Science and Policy Members are eligible to apply for the The Tulare Irrigation District is one of Conference to Focus Scholarship, which will be awarded the water districts in the overdrafted San during the USCID Water Management Joaquin Valley of California that is on Groundwater Conference in Albuquerque, November confronting SGMA implementation 17-20, 2015. The scholarship recipient challenges. The region began irrigation The Second International Conference will be expected to make a poster in the late 1800s and turned to Linking Science and Policy will presentation during the Conference, and groundwater in the 1920s to supplement address the theme, Toward Sustainable the registration fee and travel expenses surface water supplies. Depth to Groundwater in Agriculture. The to attend the Conference will be paid by groundwater has declined steadily since Conference will be held June 28-30, USCID. the 1920s, aggravated by declining 2016, in San Francisco, California. It is reliability of surface water supplies in sponsored by the Robert M. Hagan Applicants should send a 750-word recent decades. They are facing very Endowed Chair, University of summary of their academic program, a significant institutional, land use and California, Davis. copy of their transcript and a letter of other challenges in order to achieve endorsement from their advisor or The three-day international Conference department head. Applications should sustainable overall water use by the will bring together scientists, policy SGMA deadline of 2040. be sent by e-mail, no later than October analysts, policy and decision makers, 2, 2015. For more information, visit Conclusions and agricultural and environmental www.uscid.org/scholar.html. stakeholder groups. SGMA implementation will require The Scholarship winner will be notified major changes over the long-term in Abstracts will be accepted between by October 16, in time to make plans to how water agencies and local September and November 2015. Visit attend the Albuquerque Conference.¤ government in California manage or http://ag-groundwater.org for more oversee water supplies. The case studies information.¤

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 9 10 USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 11 Reducing Energy Requirements for On-Farm Irrigation Systems — The California Energy Commission’s WET Program By Charles Burt and Stuart Styles, Irrigation Training and Research Center, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California Historically, electrical utilities in California have offered will be responsible for providing the documentation of how financial incentives for the purchase of various irrigation these fit together for the target DU. Additionally, once in the system pieces. However, these financial incentives have not field, the system will be subject to verification of performance considered how the pieces function together as a package. using the Cal Poly ITRC drip/micro evaluation technique. For example, an inefficient farm well pump may be replaced Designers will know exactly how the performance will be by a more efficient one. The practical result has been that the verified, and they can, therefore, design accordingly. more efficient pump extracts more groundwater but ultimately The specifications could have included many details regarding uses the same annual kW-Hr as before. That is not the case pipe pressure rating, pressure relief valves, air vents, riser with irrigation district lift pumps, which have a limit on the designs, tubing wall thicknesses, etc. We felt that these volume pumped per year. specifications were the minimum that would be necessary for As another example, a favorite rebate item has been verification and for achieving the goals of good energy “low-pressure nozzles” for sprinklers. The rebates, however, efficiency. do not consider that changing sprinkler nozzles has secondary System Requirements impacts on pump operating points, and unless the pump is also The preliminary system requirements are provided below: modified there may actually be an increase in annual kW-Hr consumption. 1. The Distribution Uniformity must be 0.92 or higher (new), calculated using the Cal Poly ITRC design computational Similarly, drip/micro systems have been subsidized because it procedure that is based upon field (not hose) uniformity. The is a common perception that these are “low-pressure” systems. values used to compute this field (global) uniformity must be Indeed, some people refer to these systems not as drip/micro provided, and must include: systems, but as “low-pressure systems.” However, the reality in California is that a typical pump discharge pressure into a a. Flow rate differences of individual emitters due to drip/micro system — even one using drip tape with 8 psi into pressure differences. Even with pressure-compensating (PC) the head of the tapes — is about 45 psi. emitters, there is some impact of pressure differences. This must be clearly shown using excellent pressure/discharge A More Holistic Approach graphs, indicating the range in pressures and flows expected The California Energy Commission, in August 2015, will across the complete field. initiate a new program that provides rebates for drip/micro b. Non-uniformity due to manufacturing variability. The systems that are designed with a more holistic approach. The computation must show: basic factors that must be included as a package are: I. The number of emitters assumed per plant. 1. The pump discharge pressure must be as low as possible. ii. The manufacturer coefficient of variation (cv). 2. The irrigation system Distribution Uniformity (measured globally) must be high. c. Unequal drainage. 3. The pump must operate at a high efficiency over the 2. Proof of adequate filtration and chemical injection for expected operational range. maintenance must be provided. Filtration sizing must conform to industry standards of velocity as related to degree of 4. A variable frequency drive (VFD) must be incorporated filtration required. into all systems that will have variable flow or pressure requirements over time. Examples would be wells with 3. Proof of adequate and simple means of flushing variable dynamic pumping levels, irrigation district tapes/hoses, with necessary hardware, must be provided. connections with varying discharge pressures, and irrigation Flushing manifolds must be designed to guarantee a minimum systems with blocks of different sizes. tape/hose end flushing velocity of 1.5 ft/sec. Rather than simply specifying various pressure regulators, 4. Maximum pressure at outlet of pump (upstream of the emitters, filters, and other such pieces, the grant program goes filter) must be 30 psi, plus any uphill elevation. right to the bottom line: how all of these components fit 5. The pump must be designed to deliver the low pressure together as a system, to require a minimum inlet pressure. with the required maximum system flow rate, having an Obviously, only certain filter designs and pressure regulation impeller/bowl efficiency of better than 80 percent at that valves will be capable of fitting into a low-pressure design. By point. specifying a minimum new Distribution Uniformity (DU) as 6. The pump must have an inverter duty motor, meeting being a global DU, the program does not need to specify NEMA MG-1 Part 31 Standard. In addition, for motors of 100 details such as allowable pressure losses, specific emitters, HP or greater, the following must be included for vertical and specific pressure regulator performances. The designer

12 a. An insulated bearing carrier must be installed on the t. The ability to automatically restart after an overcurrent, upper bearing (above the thrust bearings). overvoltage, undervoltage, or loss of input signal protective b. A shaft grounding ring is needed above the bottom trip. The number of restart attempts, trial time, and time guide bearing. between reset attempts shall be programmable. Similar insulated bearing carriers and grounding must be u. 3-position Hand-Off-Auto (HOA) switch and speed provided for horizontal motors. potentiometer. When in “Hand,” the VFD will be manually started, and the speed will be controlled from the speed 7. The pump motor must be supplied by a VFD (variable potentiometer. When in “OFF,” the VFD will be stopped. frequency drive), with the following minimum characteristics. When in “Auto,” the VFD will start via a signal from an Proof of these specific characteristics must be supplied. internal PLC, and its speed will be controlled via PLC a. NEMA 3R or equivalent enclosure (in terms of communications. For units with bypass capability, a 3-position environmental protection). Drive-Off-Bypass switch is required. b. Electronics exposed to no external air. v. The VFD shall have input line fuses standard in the c. True power factor greater than or equal to 0.90. drive enclosure. d. Cooling guaranteed to protect the VFD in the hottest w. The VFD shall be optimized for a 2 kHz carrier conditions expected. (switching) frequency. The carrier frequency shall be adjustable to a maximum of 8 kHz. The carrier frequency shall e. The VFD enclosure shaded from the sun, with air be adjusted to the maximum frequency that eliminates audible circulation between the shading and the enclosure. “hums” in the motor and drive. f. Microprocessor-based inverter logic isolated from x. All EMI and RFI must be contained and controlled to power circuits. meet IEC 61800-3. g. Buffered Pulse Width Modulated (BPWM) output y. The drive must meet standard IEC 61800-5-1:2007 (2.3 waveform using 4th generation Insulated Gate Bipolar times the line voltage for 1.3 msec) for transient protection. Transistors (IGBT) technology. z. The VFD shall provide volts per Hertz and “Sensorless h. A guaranteed ability to provide continuous output Vector” operation. The operating mode shall be “Sensorless amperage of 15 percent greater than the maximum amperage Vector” operation. required by the project for the motor at a specified input voltage. 8. A flow meter with both totalizer and flow rate displays is required, with manufacturer recommended minimum lengths I. Resolution of output control frequency (0-70 Hz) of +/- upstream and downstream (existing meter can be used if it has 0.003 Hz. the documented accuracy). j. DC link choke for the DC bus reactor. One might notice the extensive details for the VFD. This is k. Passive filter (line reactor and EMI/RFI filter) on the required at this point in time because many pump dealers and input side of the controller. customers have minimal familiarity with what a good VFD l. Ability to accept a variation of input voltage of +10 should consist of. As a result, VFDs frequently overheat, are percent to -15 percent (full rated motor voltage and torque very noisy, are inefficient, are not properly mounted, are must be deliverable with voltage dips down to 10 percent undersized, create poor quality power, etc. Excellent VFDs are below the nominal AC line voltage). available, but their proper application in irrigation by pump dealers and irrigation dealers is still in the adolescent stage.¤ m. Ability to support a motor cable length of 100 feet (minimum) or any greater length specified for this application without voltage reflection or other problems. n. Temperature rating for 100 percent performance at 50 deg. Celsius ambient. o. Must have 3 percent input line reactor on the input between the VFD and motor (if not built-in). p. Must be a 6 pulse VFD. q. Testing by the manufacturer of the completely assembled package listed above. r. Drive efficiency (including all associated filters) of 96.5 percent or better at full speed and full load. s. Displacement power factor between 1.0 - .95 lagging at all speeds and loads.

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 13 Eighth International Conference, Reno

Tony Sannella, Sage Designs, Inc. Keith Bellingham, Stevens Water Monitoring Joe Catanzarite, South San Joaquin Irrigation Systems; and Steve Knell, Oakdale Irrigation District. District.

Daniel Crevier, Axter Colentache Inc.; and Steve Rick Roberti, Roberti Ranch; and Jeff Shaw, Stantec David Bradshaw, Imperial Irrigation District, with Macaulay, Macaulay Water Resources Consulting Services, Inc. Roberti Ranch solar panels background.

Sam Schaefer, GEI Consultants, Inc.; and Shaun Aaron Beutler and Brian Westfall, Keller-Bliesner Brian Wahlin, WEST Consultants, Inc. (center); Minton, Electronic Data Solutions. Engineering; and Alejandro Paolini, Henry Miller and Sean Lee and Jae Lee, YOOIL Engineering Reclamation District. Co., Ltd.

14 USCID International Conference Held in Reno by Samuel W. Schaefer, GEI Consultants, Inc., Santa Barbara, California; and Laura A. Schroeder, Schroeder Law Offices, Portland, Oregon USCID organized the Eighth Water Resources, presented a keynote International Conference on address that provided an overview of Irrigation and Drainage in Reno, California’s drought impacts, including Exhibitors Nevada, June 2-5, 2015. The a briefing of the new groundwater law. » Aqua Systems 2000 Inc. Conference theme was Sustainable Rich Juricich, Principal Water Basin Water Management — Challenges Resources Engineer, DWR, followed » Axter Coletanche Inc. of Supply and Demand Management at with a presentation outlining the » Electronic Data Solutions the Basin Scale. The Conference implementation of California’s brought together water district staff, Groundwater Sustainability Act. In the » HUESKER agricultural producers, irrigation and final presentation of the opening day, » International Water Screens drainage specialists, consultants and Kelly Redman, Desert Research academics to consider governance, Institute, presented a wealth of » Irrigation Training and policy, management, financing and information on climate measurement Research Center technical issues related to regional, and a timely update on the drought sustainable, water conditions in the Western United States. » Keller-Bliesner Engineering, management. On Wednesday, the Conference featured LLC Laura Schroeder a panel discussion on Groundwater » Sage Designs, Inc. and Sam Schaefer Management led by Steve Macaulay. were the co-chairs The panel discussion lived up to » Sierra Controls, LLC of a planning expectations as the panel members » SonTek committee that Aaron Fukuda, Bennie Hodges, Shane included 18 Lindstrom and Laura Schroeder » Stevens Water Monitoring USCID Members. provided excellent summaries of state Systems, Inc. and regional groundwater management The Conference » YOOIL Engineering featured issues, and a lively discussion Conference Co-Chair concerning the pros and cons of Laura Schroeder. presentations on Sponsors sustainable basin different state and agency management » Davids Engineering, Inc. water management approaches. for surface and groundwater supplies to During lunch on Wednesday, Dan » GEI Consultants, Inc. meet demands from several regional Keppin, Family Farm Alliance, provided perspectives, including the states of an excellent overview of issues faced by » Macauley Water Resources Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, western farmers and their role to » MBK Engineers Nevada and Oregon. Representatives communicate these issues with from the Bureau of Reclamation, as well Congress. Wednesday’s dinner speaker » Provost & Pritchard as regional organizations shared their feature the Honorable Richard Wagner, Consulting Group experience concerning water District Court Judge (retired), Lovelock, management from the agency and Nevada. Judge Wagner provided an Congressional perspective. Conference participants represented 10 states, as well as Canada, Japan and Korea. The Conference included a half-day field trip visit of the Desert Research Institute that provided an overview of their research program and tours of their plant water use and climate research. The Plenary session opened with a presentation by Jason King, Nevada State Engineer, highlighting the Nevada approach to water allocations and discussion of the effects of the recent drought. Manucher Alemi, Policy Advisor for State Integrated Water Steve Macauley moderates a Panel Discussion on Groundwater Management. Panelists include (from left) Management, California Department of Laura Schroeder, Aaron Fukuda, Bennie Hodges and Shane Lindstrom.

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 15 Competing Uses of Water and Water News of Members Transfers, and Brad J. Arnold has left GEI Technologies. Consultants, Inc., to pursue his PhD at The Conference the University of California, Davis. concluded on Friday Kenneth Gilmore, Gilmore Equipment with a day-long tour Company, has relocated from Oxnard to led by Martin Roche Chico, California. that focused on the William R. Johnston now resides in Little Truckee River Montecito, California. and water use in the Sierra Valley. A tour Saleh Taghvaeian is an Assistant highlight was a visit Professor and Extension Specialist in to the Ranch. Ranch the Department of Biosystems and operations include Agricultural Engineering, Oklahoma Friday field tour participants. cattle and hay. The State University. He has research and hay is irrigated using extension responsibilities focused on insightful perspective of water right groundwater, supported by a solar farm agricultural water management and issues on the Humboldt River with his to help meet the energy needed. irrigation engineering. decades of experience acting as the Complementary to the technical content Dick Tzou now resides in Fresno, sitting judge for the Humboldt River were the Exhibitors and Conference California. He previously was affiliated Decree. Sponsors. Thank you to Larry with FAO in Bangkok, Thailand.¤ Technical sessions on Wednesday and Stephens and Tamara Borden for the Thursday included timely, informative coordination and planning they provided presentations on Groundwater to make the Conference a success.¤ Management, Basin Water Management, Sustainable Management of Groundwater and Surface Water,

16 Water Transfers Structured to Fund On-Farm Conservation Improvements Steven R. Knell, P.E., Oakdale Irrigation Abstract District, Oakdale, California The State of California passed legislation in 2009 entitled Senate Bill (SBx) 7-7. That ([email protected]) legislation has since been incorporated in the California Water Code as §10608.48. The purpose of the code section is three-fold; Background 1. To require irrigation districts to accurately measure water to each farm gate, History of OID 2. To require irrigation districts to charge volumetrically for each acre foot delivered, In 1909, OID was organized under the 3. To require irrigation districts to implement a wide array of conservation programs and California Irrigation District Act by a measures that improve on-farm water use efficiency by its water users. majority of landowners within the The program developed and implemented by the State is mandatory. The State imposed district in order to legally acquire and program provides no funding for compliance despite the fact that compliance costs will be construct irrigation facilities and significant. Oakdale Irrigation District (OID or District) anticipates the unfunded costs to distribute irrigation water from the approach $3 million dollars a year to its budget. Additionally, the unfunded cost to growers Stanislaus River (Figure 1). In 1910 and farmers in the District will be even greater. As with most government regulations, OID OID and the neighboring South San and its water users are left with the task of figuring out how to pay this bill. Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) OID has been successful in using water transfers to willing buyers to fund its infrastructure purchased Stanislaus River water rights improvements since 1999. OID’s investment in infrastructure has totaled over $58 million and some existing conveyance facilities during that period of time, most of it funded with revenues derived from water transfers. With its success in improving its operational efficiency through water transfer revenues OID from previous water companies. Both began to think of ways to drive the benefits derived from water transfer to the farm level in districts continued to expand their the hopes of paying for costly on-farm improvements. From that thought OID crafted a operations over the ensuing decades. voluntary On Farm Conservation Funding Program for the 2015 water year. The program works as follows: irrigated lands would be idled on March 1 and not receive water again until the following March. The crop’s consumptive use water that would have been applied as part of irrigation would be marketed for sale in a water transfer. The revenues of the marketed water would be returned to the landowner with the following conditions; 20 percent of revenues would be paid as an incentive for participation; 75 percent would be placed on account and available to implement an approved on-farm conservation project; and five percent of the revenue would go to OID for administration and environmental document preparations. The non-consumptive use water that was not marketed would be placed back in upstream reservoirs for uses as needed.

combined storage capacity of 230,400 The District Today acre-feet. Currently, the District maintains over In the early 1970s, the Bureau of 330 miles of laterals, pipelines, and Figure 1. Location of Oakdale Irrigation District Reclamation replaced the Melones Dam tunnels, 29 production wells, and with the larger New Melones Dam and 43 reclamation pumps to serve local Since their creation, OID and SSJID Reservoir. The districts have an customers. have constructed dams and reservoirs to operations agreement with Reclamation In general, the District’s facilities, regulate surface water storage and to utilize the federally owned New system operations, political deliveries. Most dams were constructed Melones Reservoir for the delivery of its organization, and administration have in the 1910s and 1920s, including senior water rights. not changed significantly during the last Goodwin Dam (1913), Rodden Dam These historical capital investment has several decades. Nearly all water supply (1915) and Melones Dam (1926), which led to a stable, plentiful water supply for canals were constructed more than provided 112,500 acre-feet of shared the district. During the last 50 years, the 100 years ago. In recent years, however, capacity. To provide supplemental water District has focused its financial the district’s customers, land use, and storage for OID and the SSJID, the resources principally on paying off financial resources have developed in a Tri-Dam Project was created in the these capital investments; as a result, the direction that is influencing the way 1940s. Sites were approved in 1948 for District has invested little in OID provides services and conducts Donnells Dam and Beardsley Dam on replacement, modernization, automation business. the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River, or rehabilitation of its existing system and for Tulloch Dam above Goodwin on Oakdale Irrigation District provides over the years. That focus changed in pre-1914 water rights to more than the main stem of the Stanislaus River. 2004. The two districts entered a joint 62,000 acres of irrigated farmland agreement to carry out the proposed located within the northern San Joaquin project and now jointly own and operate Valley of California. Initiated in the three storage reservoirs for a November 2004 and completed in June

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 17 2007, OID developed a Water purchasers ranged from $60 to $250 groundwater, that current cost is Resources Plan (WRP) as a strategic dollars depending on circumstances, approximately $80-$100 per acre foot, roadmap for addressing its future hydrology and need. depending on depth to groundwater. infrastructure and modernization needs. Water Markets Available to OID While the market is easy to define, the Today the District is moving forward cost conscientious farmers in the area, with the implementation of a $170 There are three types of water markets despite long term sustainability million capital improvement program to OID has been involved with over the questions, still have little interest in meet the multifaceted needs of the years. Each market has a different paying more for surface water if the cost District. Those needs as outlined in the ability to pay and comes with a different to pump groundwater is less. set of politics. WRP include the protection of the Markets on the westside of the San District’s water rights; an increase in High End Metropolitan Areas: These Joaquin Valley, which rely on Central agricultural water supply reliability markets come with a high capacity to Valley Project water or groundwater if during droughts; protection for the local pay but in-district politics for insufficient CVP water available, have a area’s surface and groundwater completing such transactions can be different perspective. Groundwater on supplies; along with a roadmap to difficult. Water kept locally serving the westside can be as deep as 200-400 modernize and rebuild a century old local needs is a common public feet or deeper and is extremely costly to system to meet the needs of its changing statement on these types of contracts pump compared to CVP water if and customer base. Regional water transfers and is not without merit. However, the when it’s available. This market and the have been used as the basic funding benefit in marketing to high-end capacity to seek transfer water to reduce mechanism to make this all happen. metropolitan areas is the potential for groundwater pumping has grown in high returns with the least amount of recent years. Overview of Water Transfers water being transferred. Despite the History of Water Transfers at OID desire to keep water local, water agency Environmental Market Areas: Purchase of water to meet environmental needs OID began transferring water in 1999 budgets still have to be met and water was a premise of the original Bureau through two separate contracts; one to transfer revenues are a significant part contract mentioned previously. In two Stockton East Water District (SEWD) of the OID’s budget. With that of the latest OID water transactions to for their treatment and delivery to the perspective though, balancing the the SLDMWA/DWR, water was City of Stockton, and one contract to the financial needs of the District and the released on a fish friendly schedule as Bureau of Reclamation. A portion of needs of the local community is the part of a pulse flow. While not a direct water under the Bureau contract was for driver of discussions at the local level. payer for the benefit, the ability be have use in a fish study called VAMP Local/Regional/Municipal Areas: These both water transfers and environmental (Vernalis Adaptive Management Plan), markets are only now willing to benefits is a doable option that needs and the second portion of that contract consider paying the true value of water. consideration. was for ancillary water to meet For many years, the local and regional dissolved oxygen and salinity objectives areas have relied on a seemingly The Water Market End Game at Vernalis as required under the abundant availability of both surface The end game in water transfers is Bureau’s operating permit from the and groundwater supplies that has now always to provide the maximum State of California for New Melones become less than reliable in the San protection to the district’s water rights Dam and also for miscellaneous fish Joaquin Valley. With the and to insure reliable, adequate water flow needs. implementation of the State’s deliveries to the farming community These two contracts at inception in 1999 Groundwater Management within the service area of the district had 10 year terms with renewal clauses Sustainability Act of 2014, Senate Bill before any water is marketed. Meeting that effectuated their ending dates in the x7-7, changes to the arsenic rule, rising that goal may best be met by having fall of 2010 for SEWD and in 2011 for nitrate contamination, salt water equal participation of transferred water the Bureau. In 2009, OID made a water intrusion and groundwater degradation in each market area. Politically, this transfer to the San Luis & Delta from years of overdraft, etc., cities in strategy may provide the broadest base Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA) the local and regional markets are only of support to a legal challenge to one’s and in 2013 OID made a water transfer now beginning to see reliability water right in the future. to the SLDMWA and the California constraints in their future water Benefit of Water Transfers — Department of Water Resources (State supplies. Improving Water Use Efficiency Water Contractors). Agricultural Market Areas: This local As outlined in OID’s Water Resources Over the course of these transfer years, agricultural market’s capacity to pay is Plan, revenues derived from water OID moved 575,000 acre-feet of water simply defined and premised on what transfers were directed at making and generated a revenue stream totaling makes business sense. This market infrastructure and modernization $49.1 million dollars. On average the compares the cost of surface water with changes in OID’s water delivery system. aggregate price of water marketed was the cost of pumping groundwater. In the Those changes significantly improved about $85 per acre foot on these area east of Oakdale, where agricultural OID’s capacity to deliver water more contracts. The cost of water to is expanding solely on the reliance of

18 efficiently and with better control, canals within the OID conveyance Bringing Water Transfer thereby enhancing customer service. system. Benefits to the Farm Gate As an indicator of the changes OID has • Groundwater: The amount of water Background on Needs for a Program been able to achieve during the last that is “net” to the aquifer coming The State of California passed 10-year period though the use of water from deep percolation losses legislation in 2009 entitled Senate Bill transfer revenues in funding on-farm, seepage from OID laterals (SBx) 7-7. That legislation has since infrastructure improvements can best be and drains, etc. been incorporated in the California represented in the two figures below. During this 10 year period, OID has Water Code as §10608.48. The purpose Figure 2 represents the water use been able to reduce its annual water of the code section is three-fold; baseline established in 2001 as part of demand by 44,000 acre feet. That OID’s Agricultural Water Management reduced demand is quantified as 1. To require irrigation districts to Plan. This “Plan” was submitted to the follows; accurately measure water to each farm Department of Water Resources in • The change in Crop CU is gate, compliance with the Agricultural Water attributable to land use changes in 2. To require irrigation districts to Suppliers Efficient Water Management the conversion of pastureland to less charge volumetrically for each acre foot Practices Act of 1990 (AB3616). water intensive crops like almonds delivered, and walnuts. Figure 3 represents the water use 3. To require irrigation districts to baseline in OID’s 10-year update to that • The change in OID Losses is a direct implement a wide array of conservation same Plan. This Plan was submitted in result of operational improvements programs and measures that improve compliance with the requirements of the through modernization and on-farm water use efficiency by its automation of OID’s main canal Water Conservation Act of 2009 delivery system and lateral water users. (SBx7-7) head-gates and the installation of This State imposed program is two regulating reservoirs. mandatory and provides no State • The change in Farm Runoff is a funding for compliance hence putting result of two factors. One being the the cost burden upon agricultural conversion of pastureland to trees districts and their constituents. These and the installation of drip systems unfunded costs to OID are estimated to in much of these orchards, reducing add $3 million dollars to the OID budget or eliminating runoff. The other per year. Depending on conservation factor is the enhanced control of practices installed, the cost to the farm water by OID by the modernization of its delivery systems in providing gate could be significantly more. improved farm deliveries at the farm In an effort to meet the financial Figure 2. Data from OID’s 2001 Ag Water gate. It is difficult to achieve high challenges brought on by SBx7-7, OID Management Plan. water use efficiency on-farm if the recently approved a water rate increase water deliveries from the irrigation district are inconsistent and lack to cover some of the cost of flexibility in the frequency, rate and implementing the law. That rate delivery of water to the farm. The required a doubling of the past rate and more efficiently an irrigation district the ire of many agricultural water users. can deliver water to the farm the Many of OID farm parcels are more efficient the farm can be in the application of that water. ill-equipped to pay for the financial burden these changes bring to their • The change in water going to farming operations. OID is a mix of groundwater is an interesting note. both high value and low value crops. With the addition of automated While some of the high value crops can canal and lateral structures system Figure 3. Data from OID’s 2011 Ag Water afford to do more, it leaves few options Management Plan. wide, OID is not having to drain and fill laterals as often between for those farming low value crops to irrigation events. That operational come up the revenues to make To clarify the terms used in Figures 2 change leaves water ponded in the conservation improvements. and 3: system more often and hence, we With the successes OID experienced believe, allows more seepage to • Crop CU: The amount of water using water transfer revenues to fund its consumed solely by the crop. occur to the aquifer. This is not necessarily a bad thing. system improvements, the idea of • Farm Runoff: The amount of water bringing that same benefit to the farm to that leaves the OID service area in improve on-farm irrigation systems the form of tailwater or runoff. emerged. With that as the goal, OID crafted an On-Farm Conservation • OID Losses: The amount of operational or carriage water that Funding Program. The framework of “spills” out the ends of laterals and that program follows.

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 19 Proposed Program (Draft) — lowering, replacement or deepening first meeting in December 2014 and On-Farm Conservation Funding of domestic wells. stopped solicitations in mid-January and Sbx7-7 Compliance Terms 2015. At the end of that period, OID had 143 parcels covering 3,250 acres of Program This program is a 1-year program. • lands that had submitted statements of Eligibility Criteria • Water made available by participant interest in the program. Of those • Participation is VOLUNTARY. lands would be marketed at $400 per submitted, 50 parcels were 10 acres or acre. less, 54 parcels were 10-40 acres in size • Open to all parcel sizes. • Funding levels for conservation and 20 parcels were more than 40 acres. • Enrollment acreage limited to 2,500 practices will be determined by On a crop mix basis, 1,760 acres were acres per year. multiplying the market rate of water pasturelands, 690 acres were corn/oat per times the crop allocation lands and 800 acres were a mixed use of • Program enrollment period from provided earlier. March 1, 2015, to September 30, lands. 2015. • Funding from program will be Program Success allowed to spent in the following • Participant lands must have irrigated areas: OID believes the response to the 3 out of the last 4 years. program is an overwhelming affirmation ° 20 percent cash incentive to that such programs can bring value to • Participant lands will be limited to landowner/participant the following water allocations by the participants. While in the short term, crop for funding calculation ° 75 percent installation of approved the program affords the landowner purposes: conservation practices sufficient capital to improve its 5 percent OID administration 4.0 acre feet/acre for pastureland ° irrigation system, it’s the long term ° costs benefits that will provide the most ° 3.5 acre feet/acre for rice land • All participant lands must have a value. 2.5 acre feet/acre for corn/oats measurable gate or meter at their ° Program Benefits ° Crop allocations not listed shall be point of delivery, compliant with determined by the Consumptive SBx7-7 requirements, or that will be Modernized irrigation systems provide a Use of the crop between the one of your conservation projects level of water control that will reduce months of March 1 to October 1 under the program. wasteful runoff and excessive deep • Participant lands on private • Contractors/landowners working percolation losses. Reduced runoff pipelines must have ability for within OID easements must be means less water running off the fields positive shut-off to field. pre-approved by OID. carrying less contaminants. Improved water control enhances irrigation • Ease of verification. ° Participant land must be compliant with OID easement criteria at the uniformity leading to greater production • Participant lands shall not employ end of the project. values to the farmer. Less water wasted any groundwater, surface water or or lost puts water back in storage for drain water substitution during • NRCS standards and specifications will apply to all work. drought resiliency, benefitting all enrollment in the program. constituents of an irrigation district. Approved Water Conservation • Participant land must be registered An often omitted value of such a with the Irrigated Lands Coalition. Practices program is the ability to bank all the • Pipelines that replace open ditches. • Tenants are responsible for non-consumptive use water not Includes all associated parts. obtaining all landowner approvals delivered to the field. For a number of for program participation. • Pipelines that replace old pipelines. management reasons, this is substantial. Includes all associated parts. • Any irrigation water, regardless of Eliminating water losses from delivery source, on the participant property inefficiencies for a field that sits idle for • Laser land leveling with sub-soiling during the Program Year of a year, and making that water available and reseeding. enrollment will result in lands to meet a broader range of constituent • Tail-water Recovery or Pump-back ineligibility for any payment. demands is a significant management systems. Includes pump and • OID to pay on submitted invoices tool. Whether that purpose is for electrical. after field verification that the work meeting water demands in a drought or for banking additional supplies for • Land conversions from high water has been completed and compliant use crops to lower water use crops. with NRCS standards. subsequent years, as carryover storage, are all value added benefits of this • Conversion to higher efficiency • OID will make water available the program.¤ irrigation systems. entire month of October to assist in establishment of re-vegetated fields. • Fifty percent of Conservation Program Interest Practice monies to small parcel may be applied to actual costs of OID began receiving Solicitation of Interest Forms for the program at its

20 USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 21 22 President’s Message (continued) meeting that I conducted during the Albuquerque (continued) Reno conference, I mentioned that start out with outlining the hopes and USCID is the U.S. representative to Committee. The Opening Plenary concerns that I see for USCID in the ICID (International Commission on Session on Tuesday afternoon will future. First, I will start with the hopes. Irrigation and Drainage — www.icid.org), feature presentations by “big picture” The drought in California persists and and being a member of USCID allows issues at the state, federal and there continue to be serious water issues you to participate with ICID on an international levels, and the Navajo throughout most of the western United international level by attending ICID Nation. Bureau of Reclamation States. These issues are making the front meetings or joining one of several Commissioner Estevan López has been page of newspapers (or online news working groups. I was surprised at the invited to make the Conference Keynote websites) and highlight the importance number of people who were not aware Address. Completing the Tuesday of an organization like USCID. In of this connection. I would also like to program will be the Annual Meeting of addition, every time I talk to a first time thank Michael Davidson for joining the Members, followed by the Opening attendee at a USCID conference, I ICID Working Group on Global Climate Reception and Exhibition. always hear the same thing: what a great Change and Agricultural Water A Wednesday morning Panel conference! I have heard a number of Management after the members meeting Discussion will address Contemporary first time conference attendees tell me in Reno! If you are interested in finding Issues on the Colorado River. that they had no idea that USCID out more about the ICID Working provided such useful information and On Wednesday afternoon, participants Groups, please go to will have the opportunity to engage in that they enjoy hearing about issues and www.icid.org/wbody_icid.html. concerns facing other irrigation districts discussions during a Technical Session as well as how they came up with But the USCID Board can’t do this on Environmental Issues and solutions to their issues and concerns. alone. We need help from you! If you Addressing the Water-Energy Nexus;or These observations give me hope in the have any ideas on how to increase the attend a Workshop on Water Balances future of USCID, because USCID is membership of USCID, please feel free for Irrigation Districts organized by providing useful, quality and timely to contact me and share your ideas. I Albert J. Clemmens,WEST information to irrigation districts at a would love to hear from you. Feel free Consultants, Inc. time of great need. to call me at 480-345-2155 or email me The Thursday morning program features at [email protected]. In However, I also see several areas of two concurrent technical sessions — fact, for those of you attending the Irrigation System Reliability and concern with regards to the future of USCID Conference in Albuquerque, if USCID. First, as we discussed during Technological Advancements.The you pull me aside and share some ideas afternoon program will include a the members meeting at the spring with me, I will buy you a beer! This will conference in Reno, individual Workshop on Communications for also serve as a test to see how many SCADA, organized by Charles M. Burt; membership in USCID has been steadily people actually read the President’s dropping over the last 10 years and the and a Technical Session on Irrigation Message. I just checked my wallet and I District Management and History. number of irrigation district members am afraid that I will have to put a limit has remained stagnant. In addition, I on the free beers to the first 10 people An exhibition of commercial providers have observed that there are very few who share ideas with me. of technology and services will be a younger members attending USCID highlight of the Conference. Invited conferences or participating in the Brian Wahlin speakers will provide interesting organization. With the importance of the President, USCID¤ perspectives during lunch and dinner services that USCID provides, our presentations. membership should be increasing and A field tour on Tuesday morning will not decreasing. In addition, we should visit water resources facilities in the be trying to enable the younger Albuquerque area. A day-long tour on engineers out there who will soon Friday will include visits to Elephant become the future leaders of USCID. Butte Dam and Caballo Dam. So one of my visions for USCID during A final program, online registration, my presidency is to increase exhibitor and sponsorship reservations membership and attract younger and hotel information will be available members. Some of the reasons for the on the USCID website soon.¤ decrease in membership may be that we have not done a good job of letting people know the benefits of being a USCID member. Bryan Thoreson began addressing this issue by implementing the members meetings during the conferences. During the first members

USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 23 Election (continued) the door to water conservation programs Resources. He currently runs the for desert farmers. He teaches Tempe, Arizona, office of WEST Tony L. Wahl and Larry D. Stephens agriculture evening classes at the Consultants and has more than 18 years counted 118 ballots. Imperial Valley College to students of experience in irrigation, hydrology, Eduardo interested in soils, fertilizer and hydraulics, sedimentation, Bautista is a irrigation. He is a member of the geomorphology, flow measurement Research Imperial County Farm Bureau, techniques, and hydraulic laboratory Hydraulic Irrigation Association and American studies as a consultant, manager, Engineer, Society of Agricultural and Biological researcher, teacher and author. Before Agricultural Engineers. He has participated in coming to WEST, he spent 11 years Research several USCID conferences and was a with the U.S. Water Conservation Service, USDA, member of the Planning Committee for Laboratory in Phoenix, Arizona. During Maricopa, the USCID Conference held in this time, he was deeply involved in the Arizona. He Sacramento, and the 2012 Conference in Laboratory’s pioneering research in the received his Reno. area of automatic control of irrigation B.Sc. in Agronomy-Plant Science from Randy Hopkins is water delivery systems. Since joining the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Vice President and WEST, he has expanded his expertise Superiores de Monterrey Campus Principal into other areas besides irrigation; Querétaro, Mexico, and his M.Sc. and Engineer, Provost however, he still has a strong desire and Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from & Pritchard commitment to continue to work in the the University of California, Davis. He Consulting Group, irrigation arena. He chairs the ASCE/ Joined USDA-ARS in 1992 and has Clovis, California. EWRI Task Committee on Recent been working as a Research Hydraulic He received a B.S. Advances in Canal Automation.¤ Engineer at the U.S. Water in Agricultural Conservation Laboratory and later the Engineering and U. S. Arid Land Agricultural Research M.S. in Water Engineering from Center, Maricopa, Arizona, since 1999. California Polytechnic State University, He conducts research on methods for San Luis Obispo, and is a licensed civil improving water management in engineer in both California and Arizona. irrigated agriculture and assessing its In the 13 years since he began with impact on the environment. He leads the Provost & Pritchard, he has worked USCID Newsletter ARS development team for WinSRFR, a primarily with irrigation districts in Advertisers, Spring 2015 software package for simulation, California’s Central Valley on a wide Cairo Canal Solutions ...... 25 evaluation and design of surface variety of projects including the CH2M Hill, Inc...... 22 irrigation systems. He is a member of planning and design of groundwater the American Society of Agricultural recharge and banking facilities, canals, DahlConsultants...... 21 and Biological Engineers and the pump stations, pipelines, system Davids Engineering, Inc...... 22 American Society of Civil Engineers. modernization and facility Franson Civil Engineers Inc...... 26 David E. rehabilitation. He has been an active GEIConsultants,Inc...... 3 Bradshaw is member of USCID since 2005, George Cairo Engineering, Inc. . . . 21 Assistant Water authoring papers and participating in ImperialIrrigationDistrict...... 22 Manager, Imperial conference planning committees. Instream Water Control Projects . . 13 Irrigation District, Brian T. Wahlin Imperial, Irrigation Training & Research is a Civil Engineer Center...... 26 California. He with WEST received a B.S. James Davey and Associates, Inc. . 26 Consultants, Inc., JMLord,Incorporated...... 21 Degree from Tempe, Arizona. MBK Engineers...... 25 California Poly- He received a technic State Bachelor of Science Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group...... 22 University. He is the Assistant Water in Mechanical Manager for the Imperial Irrigation Engineering from RubiconWater...... 11 District’s Agricultural Water Arizona State SageDesigns,Inc...... 16 Management Section. He works closely University, and SonTek...... 4 with Imperial Valley growers to M.S. and Ph.D. Stantec...... 10 conserve water. The QSA, a Degrees in Civil Engineering, also from multi-generation settlement agreement, Summers Engineering, Inc...... 3 ASU. He is a Diplomate, Water WESTConsultants,Inc...... 26 provides the framework for water Resources Engineer through the Worthington Products, Inc...... 27 transfers to the urban coast and opens American Academy of Water

24 Anna Brathwaite Brianna Rose Greenlaw James Randal Norris New Members Modesto Irrigation District California Polytechnic State Student 18412 Roslin Avenue University California State University, Chico Corporate Members Torrance, CA 90504 2040 Swazey Street 1811 Spruce Avenue, #5 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Eagle-Spec Sales Group E-mail: [email protected] Chico, CA 95926 Office: 530-524-5962 Office: 415-656-6300 Attn: Fred March David Carrier E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 10516 Spenceville Road Quantumflo, Incorporated Penn Valley, CA 95946 210 Springview Commerce Drive Owen E. Kubit Abhinaya Subedi Office: 800-648-4646 DeBary, FL 32713 Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group Colorado State University Fax: 866-432-5300 Office: 386-753-9702 2505 Alluvial Avenue 500 West Prospect Road, Apartment E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Clovis, CA 93704 27F Internet: www.eaglespec.com Office: 559-326-1100 Fort Collins, CO 80526 Sunnee Joan Crider Fax: 559-326-1090 Office: 970-286-8711 Quantumflo, California State University E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Incorporated 516 Middlefield Street Attn: Linda Edwards Bakersfield, CA 93309 Fred March Amandeep Vashisht 217 Springview Commerce Drive Office: 661-204-4804 President Colorado State University DeBary, FL 32713 E-mail: [email protected] Eagle-Spec Sales Group 775 West Lake Street, #C202 Office: 520-468-9743 33 Marbella Fort Collins, CO 80521 E-mail: [email protected] Forrest Cronia San Clemente, CA 92673 Office: 970-889-6545 Huesker, Inc. Internet: www.quantumflo.com Office: 949-350-0811 E-mail: amandeepvashisht56@ 5016 256th Avenue, NE Fax: 866-432-5300 gmail.com¤ Individual Members Redmond, WA 98053 E-mail: [email protected] Office: 704-588-5500 John Burdette Barker Fax: 704-588-5988 Lillian Marie Muir University of Nebraska, Lincoln E-mail: [email protected] California Polytechnic State 6032 Gladstone Street University Lincoln, NE 68507 87 Palamar Avenue E-mail: [email protected] San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 Office: 626-524-0244 E-mail: [email protected]

USCID Newsletter • Fall 2008 25 26 USCID Newsletter • Spring 2015 27 USCID Notes add value for Conference participants: USCID Meetings two half-day Workshops will provide by Larry D. Stephens, November 17-20, Albuquerque, Executive Vice President in-depth reviews of current technical issues. The Workshops will give New Mexico. Emerging Issues in Sincere thanks to Bryan Thoreson, Conference participants options to Water Management Governance. Davids Engineering, for his leadership concurrent sessions that are more USCID Fall Conference. as President of USCID, during the past focused on policy and "big picture" Spring 2016, San Diego, California. two years. Bryan was an outstanding issues. USCID Spring Conference. President of your Society. And, thanks USCID annually presents awards to to Brian Wahlin for "accepting the ICID Meetings gavel" to serve as the next President. recognize contributions by individuals USCID is certainly fortunate to have and organizations to the irrigation and October 11-16, 2015, 66th IEC capable and dedicated water resources drainage profession. Nominations for Meeting and 26th European professionals to serve on the Board of the USCID Service to the Profession Regional Conference, Montpellier, Directors and as officers. Award and for the USCID Merriam France. Improved Irrigation Award are currently April 26-28 2016, 4th African We are currently between 2015 USCID being accepted. Please review these Regional Conference, Cairo, Egypt. Conferences — a most successful return awards and make a nomination to a to Reno during June and looking deserving colleague. Details at November 6-12, 2016, 67th IEC forward to going back to Albuquerque, www.uscid.org/awardnom.html.The Meeting and 2nd World Water New Mexico, in November. Please visit deadline for 2015 award nominations is Forum, Chiang Mai, Thailand. the Albuquerque Conference website September 9. March 2017, 13th International (www.uscid.org/15nmconf.html) and Drainage Workshop, Ahvaz City, review the Program. The Conference USCID fall conferences also provide Iran. General Chair, Jerry Gibbens and opportunities for student involvement. Co-Chairs David Gensler and Blair The 2015 USCID/Summers Engineering October 8-14, 2017, 23rd Congress Stringam, supported by a excellent Scholarship will be awarded to a USCID and 68th IEC Meeting, Mexico City, Planning Committee, have developed an Student Member during the Mexico. outstanding program. Estevan López, Albuquerque Conference. The scholarship includes $1,000, plus travel the Commissioner of the Bureau of activities — an excellent educational to Albuquerque, hotel room in the Reclamation, has been invited to give and networking opportunity! The first Conference Hotel and a full Conference the Keynote Address, Colorado State six USCID student members who submit Registration. The Scholarship winner Engineer Dick Wolfe, will be among a brief abstract of a Poster Presentation will make a Poster Session presentation several water leaders speaking during for the Conference Poster Session on featuring their academic program. the Opening Plenary Session. And, with Thursday, November 19, will receive the Application information at the leadership of Reed Murray, a panel Conference Registrations. To www.uscid.org/scholapp.html.The discussion titled Contemporary Issues participate, send a 250 word summary of deadline for applications is October 2. on the Colorado River will be offered the proposed presentation by e-mail to on Wednesday morning. Panel members And, six college or university students [email protected]. The abstract should will come from several organizations will receive a free registration and an include the title of the presentation and involved with the management of the opportunity to present their work contact information for the author and Colorado River. during the Conference. The free co-authors. registrations, funded by USCID’s The Albuquerque Conference will also I hope to see you in Albuquerque!¤ feature an innovative new approach for endowment from the American Water Foundation, includes all Conference