NEWS RELEASE
Bill Stretch, General Manager
Office: (559) 233-7161
Email: info@fresnoirrigation.com
Website: www.fresnoirrigation.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2020
The Fresno Irrigation District (FID) Board of Directors made the decision at their regularly scheduled meeting on July 21 to end deliveries to most agricultural customers on Friday, July 31. Deliveries to FID’s Eastside will be extended to Saturday, August 15.
“It’s been a drier than normal year, with only half the run-off compared to average. We typically hope for at least a five-month irrigation season. While we would have liked to extend deliveries districtwide into August, there is simply not enough supply to go around. The minimal allocation we have left will be delivered to the District’s Eastside which benefits all of FID because it’s upgradient of the rest of the District, including the cities of Fresno and Clovis,” said Bill Stretch, FID’s General Manager.
The District will continue to convey water to the cities of Fresno and Clovis throughout the year to their three surface water treatment plants, which keeps most of their wells turned off and benefits groundwater tables.
This year’s runoff on the Kings River is approximately 53 percent of average, which by year-end should equate to approximately 370,000 acre-feet delivered within the District. FID began deliveries to its agricultural customers on May 1. By contrast, 2019 was a 170 percent year, and FID delivered 618,000 acre-feet with an eight-and-a-half-month irrigation season, which is considered the longest irrigation season on record for FID.
FID urges agricultural customers on the Eastside (Areas 101, 102 and 106) 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.
District crews will use the off-season shutdown to conduct maintenance, repair and construction projects that will enhance the water system’s infrastructure for the 2021 season.
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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.