Berrenda Mesa Water District 

History

EMERGENCY CALL LIST

History - Major Events

a.       Formation

September 3, 1963 - District formed as a California Water District.

b.       First Bond Authorization

June 1966 - Landowners authorized the sale of $38,150,000 of bonds for District facilities construction.

c.       Water Supply Contract (Top)

March 1967 - Water supply contract was executed with Kern County Water Agency for 105,000 acre feet of maximum annual entitlement to State Project water.

d.       First Bond Sale and Initial Construction - Zone 1

June 1967 - District sold the first $7,990,000 in bonds to build the first phase distribution system into Zone 1.  The initial service area was about 30,000 acres.  

e.       First Water Delivery

February 1968 - First deliveries of State Project water to Berrenda Mesa Water District.

f.        Flood Disaster

January 1969 - Extensive flood damage occurred to the distribution facilities, requiring $350,000 in short term financing for repairs.

g.       Pumping Ability Increases

1969 - District and State pumping facilities were enlarged at a cost of about $4,000,000.  A portion of the cost was financed with short term financing.

h.       Water Supply Contract Amended

1971 - The water supply contract with Kern County Water Agency was amended to increase the maximum annual entitlement to 163,200 acre feet, including 8,100 acre feet of priority (1) surplus water. 

i.        Zone 2 Distribution System (Top)

1975 - Second phase of the distribution system was constructed for the Zone 2 service area with financing from State loans in the amount of $1,600,000.  The service area of Zone 2 was about 1,400 acres, with provisions for expansion to about 4,500 acres.  The total District service area increased to about 33,000 acres, and an additional 4,000 acres was served by landowners' facilities by 1976.

j.        Bond Authorization Increased

June 1976 - The landowners authorized an additional $17,500,000 bond issue for an amended Plan of Works.  The District has in excess of $30 million of unused bond authorization.

k.       Land Transfers, Mendiburu-Getty Project

1976 - Lands in Zone 5 and Zone 4 were exchanged for lower elevation lands.  The construction of a third phase distribution system (Mendiburu-Getty Project) to serve about 4,300 acres from the California Aqueduct was completed.  The cost of the third phase was about $2,700,000.  The total District service area increased to about 38,000 acres by 1977.

l.        Drought

1977 - The worst drought of record caused the District to idle 10,000 acres of land in the service area.  The District purchased Metropolitan Water District exchange water and along with a reduced State Water Project allocation, had about a 60% supply for the year (87,800 acre feet).  The District obtained financial relief during the 1977 drought from a $1,000,000 US Bureau of Reclamation loan; $1,567,000 Economic Development Administration loan; and $3,000,000 warrant sale.

m.      Zone 2 Final Phase Construction, System Purchase

1979 -The District purchased landowner constructed systems and constructed the final phase of the Zone 2 distribution system.  The cost of this expansion was about $3,600,000, bringing the total service area up to about 49,000 acres.  The balance of undeveloped lands in the District is about 6,000 acres.

n.       1983 Capacity Improvements (Top)

1983 - The District constructed improvements to the distribution system and canal to permit more flexibility in peak irrigation deliveries.  Improvements included a new pumping plant and pipeline system from the State’s Coastal Stub; raising of canal lining between Checks 5 and 6; and extension of the tie line pipeline and a connection to the Mendiburu-Getty system.  Total cost of improvements was about $4,150,000, including engineering, legal, and bond services.

o.       Major Delinquencies

The District began experiencing major delinquencies in standby charge payments by landowners in December, 1984.  By 1994 about 14,000 acres of land in the service area were delinquent in payment of District standby charges including about 12,000 acres actually deeded to the District for non-redemption.  Most delinquencies occurred on lands planted to cotton and other annual crops, although about 2,500 acres of permanent crops were also abandoned.

p.       1991 Water Emergency

In 1991 the District received no water from it's normal SWP contract supply.  Over $9 million in additional costs were incurred in the purchase of emergency supplies to serve permanent crops in the District.

q.       1997 - 2003 - Sale of Permanent Water Entitlement from delinquent lands.

Following twelve years of attempting to market a portion of the District’s SWP contract Water, a 
sale to Mojave Water Agency of 25,000 a.f. for $25 million was completed.  Additional sales
have been completed to Dublin San Ramon Water Services District for 7,000 acre-feet, Western Hills Water District / Kern County Water Agency for 8,000 acre-feet and west Kern Water District for 6,500 Acre-feet.  All Sales were completed for $1,000 per acre-foot.

Land Information (Top)

a.       Area

55,000 acres of which 49,000 acres are presently in the service area, although not all farmed.  About 6,000 acres has no water distribution system available.

b.       Topography

Gently sloping plain, ranging in elevation from about 480 feet to 1,000 feet above sea level.

c.       No usable groundwater in the area.  

d.       Good, deep soils with no foreseeable drainage problem.

e.       District policy is to detach or exempt from water cost, non-farmable lands due to rocks and other physical features.

Water Costs to Farmers  (Top)

a.       Standby Charge

Current (2004) Charge is $7.82 per acre, standby charge pays only costs associated with the construction of ground water costs associated with the banking facilities.

b.       Ad Valorem Tax

The tax rate is fixed at $6 per $100 assessed value, resulting in a $3 per acre tax levy to all lands in the District, regardless of whether receiving water or not.  Ad Valorem tax revenue, prior to Proposition 13, paid for administrative costs of the District.  Post Proposition 13, ad valorem tax revenue pays a portion of debt service (about $165,000 per year).

c.       Water Tolls (Top)

1.       Base Water Toll - A base water toll rate is established for each acre foot of water under landowner contract or reserved for lands not under contract, regardless of location in the District.  Base water toll revenue pays for all District costs other than power, and State water variable costs.  Current base water toll rate is $86.80 per acre foot. 

2.       Incremental Water Tolls - An incremental water toll is charged for each acre foot of water ordered each year and includes District power costs for pumping and State water variable costs.  These costs vary depending on the pumping plants serving an area, and the turnout location from State facilities.  District power costs range from $15 per acre foot up to $35 per acre foot.  State water variable costs in 1998 are about $7 per acre foot at the California Aqueduct turnout and about $11 per acre foot at the Coastal Aqueduct turnouts.   

In years when water supply is less than water orders (demand) all District expenses are placed on water tolls and no standby charges are assessed to land.

3.       Water Cost Summary - Water costs to farmers in 1999, including all increments of cost, ranges from about $110 per acre foot to $125 per acre foot.  This cost includes water tolls, standby charges and ad valorem taxes.

Water Use  (Top)

Water use has ranged from a low of about 52,094 acre feet in 1969 to a high of 139,640 acre feet in 1981.  Average per acre water use is about 2.77 acre feet per acre.  1999 water use was 92,070, with the balance being put into groundwater storage and long-term exchange for future supplies.

Crop Data  (Top)

The cropping pattern in the District has changed from row crops in 1968 to one of principally permanent crops at present.  High water costs have been one of the factors contributing to the present cropping pattern.

Listed below are the District crops grown in 2004:

Irrigation System Types

a.       Drip Fan Jet Irrigation - 24,000 acres

b.       Sprinkler - 4,000 acres

District Organization  (Top)

a.  Board of Directors (5)

b.  Staff

c.  Consultants

d. Major Landowners

(Top)

Copyright © 2004 Berrenda Mesa Water District. - Last modified: January 29, 2004
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