Water Supply

Central Valley Project

Porterville Irrigation District has a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for 15,000 acre-feet of Class 1 water and 30,000 acre-feet of Class 2 water. (The difference between the types of water is merely the reliability of supply. Class 1 water is generally considered to be the contracted supply that can be managed through storage regulation and scheduled for delivery at the contractor’s convenience, whereas Class 2 is made available under wetter conditions and is not necessarily schedulable at the contractor’s convenience.)

The Central Valley Project (CVP) was constructed in the 1940s and 1950s to supply water from some of California’s hydrologically wetter regions to agricultural areas and communities with relatively less reliable surface water supplies by way of the Friant-Kern Canal (FKC). The FKC was completed in 1949. It is 153 miles long and carries water from Millerton Lake to the Tulare and Kern counties in the south, terminating in the Kern River about four miles west of Bakersfield.

PID’s USBR Contract:

PID_USBR_Contract_No.175r-4309D_122910

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Current USBR allocation for 2024-2025 water year has increased to 100% Class 1 (15,000 af), and 5% Class 2 (1,500 af) 
(updated 04/18/2024)

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PID 2024 WATER SUPPLY UPDATE… Initial 2024-25 Water Year Allocation (from customer email sent 04/04/24)

“PID Customers, Shareholders and/or Water Users… 

INITIAL 2024-2025 WATER YEAR ALLOCATION

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced the initial 2024-2025 Water Year allocations on February 21, 2024.  The initial Friant Division allocation that is pertinent to the Porterville Irrigation District includes 60% Class 1.  In the last couple of weeks, Reclamation has increased the allocation twice, the first to 65% Class 1 and the most recent coming this week to 95% Class 1.  Based on recent hydrology, we anticipate that Reclamation will provide another increase within the next couple of weeks, but given the increased allocation by Reclamation, the initial 2024-2025 District allocation to all eligible* landowners will be 1.02 acre-foot/acre, which can be used to meet in-District irrigation demand or be used for in-District recharge.  Water supply for Banking operations will NOT be available at this time.  The District will begin the 2024-2025 Water Year run on Monday, April 8, 2024.

*Eligible parcels are ALL assessed lands subject to the Supplemental rate, which typically means those parcels that are 5.0 acres or more, plus any smaller parcels that have an agreement in-place with the District to be included in the Supplemental billing rate.

2024-2025 WATER RATE

The initial water rate for the 2024-2025 Water Year will be reviewed by the Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, but is expected to be $145.00 per acre-foot.  As always, District Assessments and any other outstanding bills must be current in order to receive District supplies.

SHAREWATER

Data for the 2024 Sharewater rate is still being collected for the formula used to calculate the five-year rolling average. We will send a notice with that figure as soon as it is finalized. If you have Sharewater, we will use your Sharewater first unless you notify us to the contrary. If you lease Sharewater from someone else and your lease has expired, you need to obtain a new Sharewater Lease form. You may reply to this email or stop by and we will supply you with a blank form to obtain appropriate signatures to update those leases. (For Poplar Sharewater Leases or transfers, please contact LTRID at 559-686-4716.)

WATER ORDERING REMINDER

If you would like to order water, please place your orders before 9 a.m. the day before you wish to change flow, turn on/off, or before 3 p.m. on Friday for Sunday or Monday orders. As a reminder, we are able to accept your orders via email (aflower@ocsnet.net) as well as by phone. If you submit your orders by email, please be sure that you receive a confirmation of some sort from the office that your order was received. This allows you to submit your orders outside of business hours (this could be helpful for you night owls or early risers). Especially if you have numerous orders, it is wise to submit them well before the ordering deadline to allow staff to process them before our deadline as well as reply with your confirmation that the order is accepted or to answer any questions we may have. If you do NOT receive confirmation before the 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. deadline, it will be your responsibility to call the office before the deadline to make sure the order is accepted for the date you need it as there may be times when internet connectivity may not be reliable.

Please share this notice with others within your organization, family or neighbors that may be interested in the dates or information provided. To obtain notifications like this, please send your request to be added to our email distribution list to: portervilleid@ocsnet.net.”