NEWS RELEASE
Bill Stretch, General Manager Office: (559) 233-7161 Email: info@fresnoirrigation.com Website: www.fresnoirrigation.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2020
The Fresno Irrigation District (FID) Board of Directors made the decision at their regularly scheduled meeting on March 17 to begin water deliveries to agricultural customers on Friday, May 1. FID has already began filling canals and basins with water in preparation for the season.
It is too early to tell how long the irrigation season will last; however, FID is confident that it will be able to deliver water for at least three months. FID may be able to extend the season further, but that will depend on the weather, hydrology and runoff over the next month. FID will have a better estimate on the length of the irrigation season by late spring and will provide updates to agricultural customers as soon as they become available.
FID’s Kings River entitlement depends upon each day’s natural river runoff. Currently, the Kings River watershed is projected to have a snowmelt runoff (April through July) that is approximately 60 percent of average. While FID receives most of its surface water supplies from the Kings River, FID also receives San Joaquin River supplies via the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project. The Bureau announced on April 21 a 55% Class 1 allocation and 0% Class 2 allocation. The City of Fresno has a Class I contract for 60,000 acre-feet that FID manages, and FID has a Class II contract of 75,000 acre-feet.
“Despite experiencing the second driest February on record and below-average Sierra Nevada snowpack, storms in early April brought much-needed snow to the watershed. We are excited to begin agricultural water deliveries and look forward to helping support our growers during the upcoming farming season,” said Bill Stretch, FID’s General Manager.
FID urges agricultural customers to work with their Water System Operators (WSO) for all scheduling questions and concerns. For information on the WSO that serves each area, visit the “Growers/Customers” page on our updated website at www.fresnoirrigation.com. Questions may also be directed to the District office by phone at (559) 233-7161 or email at info@fresnoirrigation.com. Additionally, FID’s response to COVID-19 can be found here.
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Since 1920, the Fresno Irrigation District has proudly delivered water to agricultural and urban communities within Fresno County. Today, the District encompasses over 250,000 acres of prime farmland and municipal areas, including the cities of Fresno and Clovis. As the premier irrigation district in the Central Valley, the Fresno Irrigation District is extensively involved in a host of local, state and federal water issues.