Butte County Water Commission given update on pending water transfers

From the Chico Enterprise-Record:

With water transfers in the pipeline in both Butte and Glenn counties, the Butte County Water Commission was given an update on those negotiations Tuesday.Ted Trimble, manager of Western Canal, explained that his water district, which provides surface water to primarily rice farmers, will be idling land.  Western Canal plans to sell up to 30,000 acre-feet of water to the State Water Project Contractors Authority, which includes about 10 agencies including Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles and districts on the Central Coast, and in Kern, Napa and San Bernardino counties.  That sale would idle up to 9,091 acres. The comment period ends March 18.  The buyer would “call” for the water April 15.

Demand for water has already decreased this year due to rain and snowfall.  Letters to growers went out Tuesday. Trimble said his expectations is fewer growers will decide to sign up for the water transfers due to high rice prices.

Farmers tend to idle between 2-10 percent of fields periodically to level ground and sprout weeds. Last year about 2 percent of Western Canal’s fields were dormant, Trimble said.

Another deal in the works include Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, which would transfer up to 80,000 acre-feet of water, plus 2,500 from groundwater. The sale would be to the San Luis Mendota Water Authority, which delivers water to users south of the delta who are part of the Central Valley Project.

The district is in Glenn and Colusa counties.  Again, those sales would be smaller if fewer growers choose the water transfer option vs. farming.

For the rest of the story from the Chico Enterprise-Record, click here.

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