WATCH: Taking advantage of recent rains, Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) crews took action to “smoke out” leaks in the Byron Sanitary District sewer collection system. Watch the full video below!
WATCH: Taking advantage of recent rains, Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) crews took action to “smoke out” leaks in the Byron Sanitary District sewer collection system. Watch the full video below!
The Byron-Bethany Irrigation District issued the following letter, urging support for backfill funding for Paradise Irrigation District (PID). The one-time appropriation is necessary to keep PID operating while Paradise recovers and rebuilds from the November 2018 Camp Fire.
Byron, CA (February 20, 2019) – BBID General Manager Rick Gilmore issued the following statement, after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) on Wednesday issued an initial 35% allocation for South-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors, including BBID:
“Reclamation’s initial allocation tells an all-too-familiar story. Despite above-average water supplies, CVP water deliveries are being restricted by outdated science and failed regulations, forcing growers to make do with less water.
This month, California has seen 18 trillion gallons of precipitation – enough to fill Lake Shasta 12 times. Our snowpack is well above normal. Runoff into many of the state’s main reservoirs this year is projected to be as much as 1.1 million-acre-feet higherthan at this time in 2012. Mother Nature is doing her part.
These overly conservative, low initial allocations unfairly burden the District’s growers and ranchers. They struggle to make informed planning decisions in the face of an uncertain water supply. BBID continues to work for constructive, collaborative reviews of existing regulations, and to ensure that the latest science is put to use for water allocations that impact BBID and the entire state.”
–Rick Gilmore, GM
Today, the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) joined other local water agencies, calling on newly-elected U.S. Representative Josh Harder (D-Turlock) to pursue a seat on the House Committee on Natural Resources.
The full letter is below.
Byron, CA (December 18, 2018) – At its regular board meeting Tuesday, the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) announced the District has issued $5 million in revenue bonds. The bonds will be used to fund significant capital improvement projects, securing the ongoing reliability of BBID’s water deliveries for years to come.
The District’s financial consultants delivered a presentation to the Board, describing the financial details laid out in the report below.
2018-10-31 Byron Bethany JT Powers Series 2018 Enterprise Rev Bonds Overview ReportFRESNO, CA – Today the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources announced a series of agreements to resolve water conflicts that have vexed the State for decades and to reaffirm the collaborative partnership between the Federal and State governments to develop long-term solutions to California’s major water problems.
The Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) joined other water agencies in supporting the historic agreement.
Read the full release below.
VA Joint Contractor Press Release_FINALMartinez, CA (December 7, 2018) – For the first time in the 100-plus year history of the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID), a District election was decided by the roll of a die. Larry Enos, Jr., was reelected as BBID Division I Director following a highly unusual election tiebreaking procedure.
BBID Division I Director Larry Enos Jr., left, and challenger Pete Petrovich, right (seated), moments before the election tiebreaker.
The vote between Enos, Jr. and his challenge Pete Petrovich was tied, 51-51, after all of the votes were counted following last month’s election. On Friday, the two candidates joined elections officials at the Contra Costa County Elections Department in Martinez. Enos, Jr. and Petrovich were directed to roll a 20-sided die three times, with the highest combined score as the winner. Enos, Jr. won by a count of 51-45, giving him the deciding margin for his reelection.
The 20-sided die used to break the election tie.
The roll of the die was performed pursuant to California Elections Code 15651, which states in part: “If at any election … two or more persons receive an equal and the highest number of votes for an office to be voted for in more than one county, the Secretary of State shall forthwith summon the candidates who have received the tie votes … [and] shall at that time and place determine the tie by lot [lottery].”
The final tally of the election tiebreaker, giving the victory to Larry Enos, Jr.
Elections officials said they could not recall another time in the history of Contra Costa County that a tied special district election had been resolved with the roll of a die.
Enos, Jr. has served on the BBID board for the last seven years, representing Division I in Contra Costa County. As a result of today’s tiebreaker, he will serve another four-year term.
Meanwhile, in BBID Division III in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, BBID Board Vice President Tim Maggiore ran unopposed and was reelected for another four-year term.
Los Banos, CA (December 6, 2018) – The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (Water Authority) Board of Directors voted today to approve an employment contract for Federico Barajas to fill the position of its Executive Director, replacing Assistant Executive Director Frances Mizuno who has been serving on an interim basis since June 1.
Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) is a member agency of the Water Authority.
Read the full release below!
San Luis Release 12.6.18On Monday, crews removed water hyacinth from the canal near the West Side Irrigation District (WSID) pump house. WSID is currently being managed by the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District. Watch the drone footage below!
Sacramento, CA (December 3, 2018) – In a significant step toward maintaining local control over sustainable groundwater management in East Contra Costa County, the State tentatively approved a boundary modification request of the Tracy Subbasin. The request was made on behalf of eight local water providers, including the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID). Late last week, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) issued a draft decision to approve it.
“Groundwater management will help shape the future of our region,” said BBID GM Rick Gilmore. “These decisions are best made by those on the local level, on behalf of water users in East Contra Costa County.”
In 2014, Governor Brown signed into law the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). It requires local agencies to cooperatively form long-term plans for groundwater management. However, the way the law was initially written could potentially allow water users in Tracy and San Joaquin County to have undue influence over how groundwater is managed in East Contra Costa County. Local agencies, including BBID, sought to have the Tracy Subbasin subdivided along the Contra Costa and San Joaquin County line.
The City of Brentwood filed the boundary modification request on behalf of the City of Antioch, BBID, Contra Costa County, Contra Costa Water District, Diablo Water District, Discovery Bay Community Services District, and East Contra Costa Irrigation District. The coalition of agencies also distributed a letter to water users, soliciting input and explaining the reasoning behind the request.
Once the state’s draft approval decision becomes final, BBID’s service area will overlap two subbasins: the new East Contra Costa County Subbasin, and the remaining Tracy Subbasin. There, BBID is partnering with the West Side Irrigation District, Banta Carbona Irrigation District, the City of Tracy, and the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority to develop a plan for sustainable groundwater management.
BBID continues to work to meet upcoming SGMA requirements, including the development of a groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) in basins and subbasins classified by the state as medium or high priority. GSPs must be completed by January of 2022. The District previously acted to become a groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) following a public hearing in March 2017, ensuring the District will play an active role in groundwater management in its service area the surrounding region. Click here to learn more about SGMA.