IID directors meet with WCAB members about water plan

EL CENTRO — An IID board decision more than two weeks ago to reduce payment on uncontracted participation in its on-farm water conservation program from $285 an acre-foot to $125 an acre-foot, along other aspects of the program, is going to get another look from the board.

IID Directors Bruce Kuhn and James Hanks met with the Water Conservation Advisory Board on Thursday. The WCAB is comprised of members from Farm Bureau, Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association and IVH2O.

Before meeting with the WCAB, Kuhn met with IID staff on Monday to get information for the meeting.

While Kuhn would not go into detail on what was discussed Thursday with members from WACB, he said various scenarios were mentioned.

Any decision or change would have to be made by the five-member IID board.

The plan that was approved on July 9 was actually proposed by Hanks, but he acknowledged he came up with the formula without knowing exactly what had been budgeted for on-farm conservation and how much of that water was contracted.

“I just would like to share that the board is reviewing numbers as promised at the WCAB meeting,” Hanks said.

Kuhn said he intends to keep mum on the details of the discussions until he and Hanks have a chance to bring the rest of the IID board up to speed.

“Until we share this with the rest of the board it is not appropriate to share all the information,” he said, adding the last thing he would want to do is try to persuade the rest of the IID board or the WCAB.

Kuhn said, as of now, the plan the board approved is what the IID will be following, but that does not mean it won’t change if that is what the board decides to do.

Kuhn said the meeting with the WCAB went well, with both sides presenting different scenarios.

“We wanted to get their input,” he said, reiterating the information obtained will be brought back to the IID board.

“Nothing says they are going to change it (the plan),” Kuhn said. “They do not have to.”

As of press time, this item is not yet on the Aug. 6 IID board agenda, but Kuhn said he intends to have it added to the agenda.