Water district planning for 2024 operations with lots of banked water

Planning for 2024 operations is underway, and Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District expects to present information about water reserve account balances, recharge balances, Cummings basin allocations and voluntary banking availability at its next regular Board of Directors meeting on Feb. 21.

At the board’s Jan. 17 meeting, General Manager Tom Neisler provided a review of 2023 operations and said that even though the initial State Water Project allocation is only 10%, conditions are more favorable statewide than they were a year ago — even with the state’s snowpack less than average.

Water needs in the greater Tehachapi area are met with a combination of groundwater and imported surface water. Since November 1973, the district has imported water from Northern California via the California Aqueduct. The availability of that water varies.

Neisler noted that 2023 was an extraordinary year. The district began with a 5% allocation, which increased to 30% in January, 35% in February, 75% in March and finally to 100% in April.

By that time, it was clear that a record-breaking snowpack broke a drought that began in 2020.

But by then, the district had already passed a water priority ordinance, and for the second year in a row, one of its largest customers, Grimmway Farms, reduced planned acreage.

Last year, the district began importing water on March 15 and didn’t shut down its pumps until Nov. 22. A total of 9,556 acre-feet was imported, and additional water was banked in the San Joaquin Valley.

Neisler said he expects that the SWP allocation will be increased and presented calculations showing the district’s 2024 water situation with allocations ranging from 10% up to 50%.

“Anything above 50% meets most of our delivery requests and triggers searching for banking opportunities out of district,” he said.

In recent years the district board has approved a water priority ordinance in February but this year, Neisler said, the ordinance won’t be needed.

RETIREMENT

The board also passed a resolution honoring LaMinda Madenwald, who has retired. Madenwald had worked for the district since May 2, 2016, and was the business manager and treasurer.

During every year of her tenure, the district was recognized for excellence in financial reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association.

The district planned for Madenwald’s retirement and allowed time for training and transition. Crystal Sampson was hired as an accounting and finance specialist and is the new treasurer for the district.