Byron, CA (June 28, 2016) – Leaders with Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) announced Tuesday they are partnering with water experts in California and Israel, in an international effort to find new ways to save water in California and abroad. BBID will attend, and sponsor, the Israel California Water (ICWater) Conference, a joint effort between the two water sectors to collaborate and become more sustainable.
Event organizers say the ICWater Conference will center around smart water technology and practical business, regulatory and financing solutions to help solve California’s water crisis. In addition to featuring business leaders, researchers, policy leaders, technology experts from California, the conference will also include representatives from more than twenty Israeli water technology firms.
“It’s no secret California’s water community faces considerable challenges in the months and years ahead,” said BBID GM Rick Gilmore. “We need practical solutions. BBID welcomes fruitful global partnerships like this one, that encourage collaboration and provide new ways of thinking about solving our age-old water issues here in California.”
The event is part of an ongoing collaboration between California and Israel, born from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Governor Brown and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2014. It strengthens a partnership that already has seen California companies partner with Israeli firms for smart water research and implementation in multiple facets of the water world.
The ICWater Conference was held on Wednesday, June 29th, at the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles, and on June 30th, 2016 at the Leichtag Commons in San Diego.
Byron, CA (June 7, 2016) – Byron-Bethany Irrigation District General Manager Rick Gilmore issued the following statement in response to the State Water Resources Control Board’s Curtailment Notice of June 12, 2015:
“In addition to the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) suffering back to back years of “zero water supply” from the Bureau of Reclamation for BBID’s Central Valley Project Service Area, the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) curtailment notice received today will have a devastating impact on the remaining customers of BBID, which holds water rights dating from over a century ago. As a steward of our great state’s resources, we understand the seriousness of the historic drought that is affecting California. However, this curtailment order will be extremely destructive to the customers we serve including nearly 160 farmers, 15,000 residents of the Mountain House community, and the energy projects in the area, all of which are essential to our community’s vitality.
The additional loss of water will destroy thousands of acres of crops and eliminate thousands of jobs, which will likely result in the irreparable loss of vibrant communities. Without water, our area will lose nearly 10,000 acres of almonds, cherries, sweet corn, grapes, tomatoes, walnuts, alfalfa and more. By this action, the SWRCB is taking away our ability to provide our customers with a safe, reliable water supply – a resource essential to life; particularly to the agricultural communities we serve.
In order to protect our customers and the crops in our service area, we will pursue relief from the SWRCB’s curtailment notice in Superior Court. We will vigorously defend our rights and will insist on due process and full consideration of factors that have not been adequately taken into account. We are optimistic that the Court will uphold our Constitutional rights, and the restriction on our diversion of water will be lifted before it has had a shattering impact on the communities we serve.”
Byron, CA (June 7, 2016) – Byron-Bethany Irrigation District General Manager Rick Gilmore issued the following statement following the State Water Resources Control Board’s vote to dismiss its administrative civil liability complaint against the District:
“Byron Bethany Irrigation District commends the State Water Resources Control Board’s decision to dismiss its enforcement action against the District and the farmers and ranchers it serves. The State Board’s decision displayed commendable objectivity in its comprehensive analysis of the matter. While this was not an easy process for any of the parties involved, the Board’s decision represents an important step toward a future of collaboration and cooperation in the management of the state’s water issues.”
“Much work remains to be done to bring clarity to the extent and nature of the Board’s authority over California’s oldest water rights and water use. We hear the Board’s call for stakeholder engagement, and look forward to working together with the SWRCB in a collaborative process to improve water availability analysis and enhance the state’s future water reliability.”
