Thanks to OID’s staff and constituents for another successful irrigation season. Approximately 225,000 acre-feet was diverted from the Stanislaus River while only 1,400 acre-feet (less than 1% of total supply) was pumped from District groundwater wells to provide water supply to 65,000 irrigated acres this season. As we enter the non-irrigation season OID will shift its focus to construction and maintenance on District facilities.

The District operates and maintains 330 miles of laterals and pipelines along with 25 deep wells and appurtenant infrastructure. OID’s Water Resources Plan (WRP) established guidelines though stakeholder input for the District to best protect its water rights while developing affordable methods of financing the necessary improvements to continue to meet the needs of all its stakeholders. Over $100M in capital improvements have been funded and completed under the WRP since 2007.  Every five years, OID is required by the state to update its an Agricultural Water Management Plan (AWMP), with the next update due March 2026.  Development of the AWMP is utilized as an opportunity to evaluate ongoing water management practices with a focus on continued implementation of OID’s comprehensive WRP. To learn more visit www.oakdaleirrigation.com.

Constituents are encouraged to utilize these winter months to assess and perform maintenance/repairs on their private irrigation facilities and land too.  Funding assistance may be available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Learn more at www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives and, as always, remember to call 811 or visit www.call811.com two working days prior to digging.