Present Water sales are in the best interest of OID's constituents.
As your Director for the past 6 years I am very familiar with the constant demands from other Government agencies (EPA, ESA, Cal.-Fed, Pollution-Water quality- boards, USBR, FISH and GAME Dept. Dept. of Water Resources and ENVORONMENTAL GROUPS), They cannot be simply ignored. The present water sales to VAMP (Vernalis Adapted Management Plan) and USBR (United States Bureau of Reclamation) for "Fish and Habitat" and SEWD (Stockton East Water District) for groundwater recharge represent a very small part of our yearly usage of 300.000 Acre/feet. By joining the SJRGA (San Joaquin River Group Authority), we greatly solidified our position in the California water world for a long time with a small contribution of water for Fish and environmental purposes. It is ironic that none of the constituents of the other Districts (Turlock, Merced, Modesto, Los Banos and Manteca, our sister District) who are all part of the same agreement, have voiced any complaints? Six District Managers with 30 Directors behind them think this agreement is beneficial to all, except a few Oakdale landowners?
These agreements have built in protection for dry years were the deliveries are reduced as much as 70 %, depending on the yearly water supply. All total 12 different Government Agencies, including USBR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Cal. Dept. of Water Resources and Cal. Fish and Game also signed the agreement, which takes us out of the loop of the 4 year ongoing water rights hearings and eliminates the risk of ARBITRARY CONFISCATION OF WATER IN A DRY YEAR as it happened in Klamath Falls. OID is just a little speck in he water war -- powerless without enough resources to fight on its own to protect our farmers.
The duration of this contract is 9 more years. The water is sold at 10 times the price per acre foot then what our farmers are charged for and it brings in badly needed revenue (appr. $2.000.000.--) each year, to re build our 90 year old System, to conserve enough water leaving the district, to offset the transfer. Over $ 6.000.000.-- has already been expended for this purpose in the last 2 years, and a $ 10.000.000.-- reserve built up for future projects in the planning stage, besides lowering the 2002 irrigation taxes by $ 3.-- per acre and eliminating the Tax on the city lots. This is a win, win situation for OID, no matter what my adversaries have you believe. Without it, OID would have had to raise the taxes at least $ 15.-- to $ 20.-- per acres 2 - 3 years ago, just to cover operations and maintenance, with no capital improvements. What farmer could afford that in these rough times? I am proud of all the accomplishments during my tenure and will continue to work diligently to better the District in the future.
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