District News

KCRA 3: Century-old Tracy Pump Station Faces critical Failures, Threatening Water Supply (VIDEO)

From KCRA 3:

TRACY, Calif. — A century-old pump station near Tracy, operated by the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District, is grappling with failing infrastructure and power challenges, jeopardizing water delivery to over 6,500 acres of farmland.

“This is an urgent need, and we’ve been working on this as quickly as we can. Unfortunately, we’re not working quickly enough. We have emergencies on top of emergencies right now,” said BBID General Manager Ed Pattison.

The Wicklund Cut Pump Station, built in 1918, plays a crucial role in pumping water from nearby canals to sustain agricultural operations.

However, many of its pumps, aged over 100 years, are no longer repairable because parts are obsolete. The pump failures are exacerbated by the breakdown of the facility’s primary power source, forcing operations to rely on diesel generators.

“We’re operating on diesel backup generators. This is not a normal operation,” Pattison said.

Watch the full story here: https://www.kcra.com/article/tracy-pump-station-failures-threatening-water-supply/64986297

June 9, 2025 in District News

Emergency Notification: PG&E Transformer Loss at Electrical Substation Serving BBID Pump Station

Byron, CA (May 17, 2025) ­– At approximately 4 p.m. on Friday, the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID or District) received a call from representatives of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) notifying BBID of the loss of a transformer at the PG&E West Side Electrical Substation. This substation serves as the primary power source for pumping water from the Wicklund Cut Pump Station that serves approximately 6,500 acres of irrigated farmland in the District’s West Side Service Area (WSSA) surrounding the City of Tracy, CA.

WAPA reported that one of the three single-phase transformers is exhibiting signs of internal gassing — a clear indication of a developing internal fault. PG&E is currently working on a contingency plan to perform diagnostics and necessary repairs. Based on preliminary assessments, this issue could result in a power outage affecting the WSSA for seven or more days.

BBID immediately expressed to both WAPA and PG&E the severity of this outage and the potential impacts it would have on BBID’s West Side Service Area growers, particularly given peak growing season when a variety of crops are at critical stages of growth. BBID staff recognizes a prolonged outage could have serious impacts on agricultural operations, and therefore, the following immediate steps are being taken to mitigate potential impacts to the greatest extent possible:

  1. Upper Main Canal (UMC): BBID is coordinating the use of available Central Valley Project (CVP) water supplies to support deliveries through the UMC. Additionally, the District is preparing to operate a standby generator, which will allow limited water deliveries to the upper pipeline portion of the UMC. Due to limited pumping capacity under generator power, these deliveries will need to be made on a restricted, rotational schedule, coordinated by operations staff.
  2. Lower Main Canal (LMC): The standby generator will also support limited operations in the LMC. As with the UMC, deliveries in this area will also be made on a restricted, rotation schedule to ensure fair and efficient distribution of available water.

Although this PG&E transformer failure is outside of BBID’s control, the District is actively exploring all feasible options to maintain water service to minimize disruption to farmers. BBID staff is also working closely with WAPA, PG&E, and regional partners, to evaluate both immediate and long-term strategies to enhance system reliability.

We will continue to provide timely updates as the situation evolves. Please contact water operations staff to schedule water deliveries or if you have any questions regarding the emergency response efforts.

May 17, 2025 in District News

BBID Seeks Emergency Funding Following Pump Station Failure Threatening Water Supplies

Byron, CA (April 30, 2025) ­– The Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) Board of Directors has declared an emergency following the failure of the aging Wicklund Cut Pump Station. The failure threatens water supply to thousands of acres of farmland.

Critical Infrastructure Failure

The main electrical system for century-old Wicklund Cut Pump Station failed, damaging critical pumps and controls.

Half of the pumping capacity is currently lost. With no replacement parts available for the 100-year-old pumps, water deliveries to 6,500 acres of farmland and over 100 growers in BBID’s West Side Service Area are at serious risk.

Temporary emergency measures are in place, including the use of a backup generator to power the remaining pumps.

“These emergency measures are merely a temporary fix. They keep water flowing for now, but they don’t address the root of the problem — we’re depending on a century-old facility to serve today’s needs,” said BBID General Manager Ed Pattison. “This crisis underscores the critical need for long-term investment in a fully modernized Wicklund Cut Pump Station — a project we remain committed to and continue actively pursuing funding to bring to life.”

Diesel generator powers operations until emergency repair is complete.

Economic Impact and Urgent Need

The affected farmland generates approximately $7 million annually from high-value crops and orchards, and supports numerous related industries. A complete failure of the remaining pumps could devastate the agricultural economy of the region during peak growing season.

The Wicklund Cut Pump Station is the sole source of water for BBID’s West Side Service Area and is being evaluated as a possible critical backup water supply for the City of Mountain House, which is under a state mandate to secure a secondary water source during periods of curtailment of BBID’s rights.

An aerial view of the Wicklund Cut Pump Station.

Call for Emergency Support

BBID is actively seeking emergency funding assistance from federal and state agencies to offset the cost of emergency repairs while expediting the development of a modern, reliable replacement facility.

In 2023, BBID and the City of Mountain House began planning to replace the century-old pump station with a modernized facility to serve the area for generations to come. BBID is seeking grant funding to help pay for the $45 million pump station replacement project. In the meantime, the District remains committed to securing an immediate solution to prevent the interruption of water deliveries to growers this summer.

“We’re racing against time,” Pattison added. “We need our partners at all levels of government to recognize the urgency of this situation and join us in taking action.”

WATCH: Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Wicklund Cut Pump Station Replacement Project (May 2024)

April 30, 2025 in District News

Reclamation Announces Initial CVP Allocation, “Maximizing Water Supplies”

Sacramento, CA (February 25) – The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR or Reclamation) announced on Tuesday increased water supply allocations for the Central Valley Project (CVP).

Reclamation issued an initial water supply allocation of 35% for South-of-Delta CVP contractors, including the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID), and an initial 75% allocation for its South-of-Delta Municipal and Industry (M&I) contractors, including those in the BBID’s service area.

The 35% South-of-Delta allocation is up from last year’s 15% allocation, with similar hydrological conditions. BBID is encouraged by the USBR’s initial action this year, but recognizes much remains to be done to properly balance the needs of California’s people, farms and the environment – and maximize the state’s ability to capture, store and distribute water supplies.

Below is a portion of Reclamation’s announcement, which can be read in full on its website:

The initial allocation to be provided to California farmers on the west side of the Central Valley south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta is more than twice what the initial allocation was in 2024, a year with similar hydrology. In addition, the Trump administration is investing more than $315.5 million to create new water storage at the future Sites Reservoir and at the existing San Luis Reservoir.

Reclamation, as directed through President Trump’s Executive Order 14181, has worked to maximize water supply, particularly for south-of-Delta contracts. Reclamation continues its dedicated efforts to deliver more water and produce more hydropower as a commitment to California farmers and communities. Reclamation will continue to maintain full pumping whenever possible at the Jones Pumping Plant to move water to parts of California where it is needed most and provides the greatest economic value to the entire country.

Water supply allocations are based on an estimate of water available for delivery and reflect current reservoir storage, precipitation, and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, as well as contractor-rescheduled water from the last water year.

“Recent atmospheric rivers and the good condition of most of our reservoirs going into this water year have benefited our water supply outlook; however, the San Joaquin Basin has experienced critically dry conditions this winter,”said California-Great Basin Regional Director Karl Stock. “Initial allocations reflect this significant variation across the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.”

Read more here: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/5107.

February 26, 2025 in District News

WATCH: Using Every Drop (VIDEO)

WATCH: In partnership with its growers, Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) is modernizing its century-old water delivery system and implementing new methods to grow more food with less water. At the same time, BBID’s service area is evolving due to the pressures of urbanization.

In this video, see how the District plans to explore water transfers as a means to fund critically necessary upgrades to its aging infrastructure, securing the future of water reliability for farmers, ranchers and rapidly-developing communities.

December 11, 2024 in District News, District Videos

VIDEO: BBID Dedicates District HQ in Honor of Beloved Former GM

WATCH: In a touching ceremony, Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) Directors, staff and local community members formally dedicated the District Headquarters building in honor of former General Manager Rick Gilmore.

Gilmore led the District for nearly 25 years before his untimely passing in May 2023.

In this video, some of those who knew him best remember his dedication, loyalty and service to BBID.

July 17, 2024 in District News

WATCH: BBID Kicks Off First Phase of Project to Modernize Century-Old Pump Station

WATCH: A project that will serve growers for generations to come is underway. At last month’s regular board meeting, Byron-Bethany Irrigation District’s (BBID) Board of Directors held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the century-old Wicklund Cut Pump Station. The District plans to modernize the pump station to secure water reliability for the future.

The District recently completed a new building on the property to support its dedicated staff.

June 3, 2024 in District News, District Videos

BBID to Dedicate HQ in Honor of Former GM

Byron, CA (May 7, 2024) – The Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) has announced it will dedicate its District Headquarters in honor of former General Manager Rick Gilmore.

A ceremony in Mr. Gilmore’s honor is scheduled for Thursday, June 13th at BBID.

Mr. Gilmore was a beloved leader of the District and a titan of California’s water industry. He passed away last May at the age of 61. His steadfast tenacity and devotion to protect agriculture and multi-generational farmers made a significant, lasting impact not only in the Tracy area, but across the state.

In 1983, Rick joined the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) as a ditch tender. Over the years, he rose through the ranks and in 1999 he became BBID’s General Manager. Rick served dutifully in that capacity until March 2022, when he went on a medical leave of absence.

Details for the dedication ceremony are below.

GilmoreBuildingDedication_Final
May 7, 2024 in District News

BBID Announces Opportunity to Join Leadership Team

Byron, CA (January 2, 2024) – The Byron-Bethany Irrigation District has announced it is seeking qualified candidates for its vacant Assistant General Manager position.
This candidate will be a member of the District’s high functioning management team and will have management responsibility over the District to ensure safe work practices along with ensuring overall service quality and accuracy.
The District is seeking a working executive who will roll up their sleeves and assist with carrying out policy and the day-to-day operations of the District.
The successful candidate will be a seasoned professional with proven judgement, management skills, and integrity working within the California water industry.
January 5, 2024 in District News