On September 17th, The Modesto Bee penned an editorial calling on the public to urge Governor Brown to sign Assembly Bill 313, water rights reform legislation supported by Byron-Bethany Irrigation District.
The Bee says, “AB313 is all about one thing – fairness.”
AB 313 passed in the Senate on the final day of the Legislative session and now awaits the Governor’s signature.
Sacramento, CA (September 16th, 2017) – In a resounding victory for fairness and good governance, lawmakers decisively passed a major water reform bill on the final day of the Legislative session. Assembly Bill 313, introduced by Adam Gray (D-Merced) and backed by Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID), makes critical changes to restore due process for the state’s water rights holders.
“We congratulate Assemblyman Gray for successfully championing this issue. The passage of this bill secures a victory for California’s communities that rely upon foundational water rights for the lifeline of reliable water,” said BBID GM Rick Gilmore. “AB 313 received strong, bipartisan support from the get-go, a clear sign this issue stretched across party lines. Thanks to Assemblyman Gray’s leadership, AB 313 is one signature away from becoming law.”
BBID provided technical support in crafting the bill, which removes built-in conflicts of interest by establishing a new water rights management structure. AB 313 requires unbiased, administrative law judges to hear all water rights matters in a newly-created Water Rights Division in the Office of Administrative Hearings. The shift ensures these often complicated, controversial matters are heard by a neutral body.
Currently, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) exercises near-comprehensive control over California’s water rights. The SWRCB writes regulations, initiates enforcement actions, and conducts hearings in its own courtroom in which Board staff act as the prosecution and Board members act as judge and jury.
In a statement posted on his website, Assemblyman Gray said, “The region I represent is the target of a massive water grab from the State Water Resources Control Board. A water grab of this size would cost the local economy hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite receiving thousands of comments refuting the faulty science contained in their report, and repeated requests from community leaders to fully consider the impact of jeopardizing the drinking water supply of thousands of people, the water board is poised to dismiss our concerns and adopt the report. If there is any lesson this fight has taught me, it is that the Legislature has handed far too much power over to bureaucrats who simply do not care about the people I represent.”
Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced) represents the 21st Assembly District, encompassing all of Merced County and portions of Stanislaus County.
“Throughout my time in the legislature, I have been working to restore fairness and create checks on the power of unelected bureaucrats on the State Water Board,” continued Gray. “The passage of AB 313 is a step in the right direction. This bill levels the playing field by ensuring that water rights holders receive the same due process and objectivity that our justice system promises everyone – nothing more, nothing less.”
AB 313’s productive transfer of power eliminates any potential duplicative efforts for any similar hearings and responsibility to fall under the SWRCB.
The bill now heads to Governor Brown’s desk for his signature.
WATCH: With harvest in full swing in California Agriculture, Byron-Bethany Irrigation District’s growers are busy picking, harvesting, and packing.
In this video featuring several of BBID’s growers and workers, get a glimpse at how California farm fresh fruits and vegetables get to your local grocery store.
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Byron, CA (September 6, 2017) – Demonstrating our close-knit community, Crown Nut Company, one of BBID’s growers, helped prevent service interruptions when a pipeline failed over Memorial Day weekend.
BBID GM Rick Gilmore issued the following letter, thanking Crown Nut Company for its role in keeping water flowing during growing season.
Crown Nut LetterByron, CA (August 31, 2017) – Emergency repairs are underway to restore water service to Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) growers, after an irrigation line was struck early Thursday morning.
A contractor with Contra Costa County was working to modify the intersection of Camino Diablo and Byron Highway when the pipe was struck, interrupting service to several BBID growers.
BBID crews are excavating the damaged pipe, and are working to make repairs.
Service is expected to be restored by the end of the day.
UPDATE: Repairs are complete. The backfill operation will occur Friday morning, and water deliveries will resume at 9 a.m.
The Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency, released the below report following a year-long review of California’s special districts. There are more than 2,000 independent special districts in the state, providing 29 types of vital services ranging from fire protection to water delivery, healthcare and more.
The Commission makes a series of recommendations aimed at improving special district oversight, public engagement, and transparency.
Little Hoover Commission Report (2)Background: The bill, SB 623 by Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), addresses the very serious problem of ensuring safe drinking water for disadvantaged communities. ACWA’s Board of Directors and members have made it a high priority to support bond funds and other drinking water funding to address this serious social and public health issue, but a new tax on water is not the right approach. ACWA is actively opposing this bill.
WATCH: Byron-Bethany Irrigation District, which is currently managing the West Side Irrigation District, proactively partnered with the Cal Poly’s Irrigation Training & Research Center to test WSID pumping accuracy.
Cal Poly’s Irrigation Turnout Calibration Unit helps irrigation districts ensure they are complying with strict state regulations and provides independent calibration of irrigation turnouts. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region.
Byron, CA (August 21, 2017) – On Monday, the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) announced it will present a charitable donation to help fund a new online initiative to bring California water together, the California Water Library. The new website will be a one-stop shop for thousands of water industry reports, articles, research and much more. BBID’s $5,000 donation will help with the site’s development as it nears its launch. The project is the brainchild of Chris Austin, founder of Maven’s Notebook, the widely-read water industry blog.
“The California Water Library will provide easy, organized access to information about California water, including industry reports, journal articles, scientific research, legal rulings, maps, images, and more so that scientists, policy makers, and managers working in the California’s water industry can access the information needed to make informed decisions about the state’s most precious natural resource,” Austin said. “The California Water Library fills an unmet need within the California water community by consolidating a broad set of content in one, easy-to-use website.”
“It’s an honor to support such a worthwhile project that will change the way we talk about California water,” BBID GM Rick Gilmore said. “In today’s fast-paced water world, having one place to go for the latest reports and research will make an instantaneous impact in keeping us all better-informed. This is a game changer.”
BBID GM Rick Gilmore, left, visits with Chris Austin of Maven’s Notebook, center, and her son Noah, at District Headquarters.
As part of winning the 2017 Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Excellence in Water Leadership Award, BBID was honored to award a $5,000 charitable donation to a non-profit organization of the District’s choosing that works toward the enhancement and protection of California’s water resources. The donation is furnished by the Black & Veatch Corporation.
BBID was chosen for the award in recognition of its victorious, high-stakes stand to protect some of the oldest water rights in California. According to ACWA, the prestigious annual award recognizes those who make a “remarkable and visible contribution to the enhancement, protection or development of water resources in California.”
The California Water Library (www.cawaterlibrary.net) is expected to launch in the coming weeks.