VALLEY WEST SIDE

Oakdale District OKs Water Sale

Oakdale Irrigation District directors plan to to sell water to help West Side farmers for one year.
The district will sell 40,000 acre-feet of its Stanislaus River water to the San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority, which delivers Central Valley Project water to users along the Delta-Mendota Canal, and the California Department of Water Resources.
The water, combined with an equal amount approved by the South San Joaquin Irrigation District board, will help several West Side districts deal with a sharp cutback in federal deliveries because of drought and fish protections.
Sending the water down the Stanislaus will also increase spring flows for young salmon heading out to sea.
West side districts will pay $100 per acre-foot.
“It’s one of those situations that will collectively benefit fish flows and in-stream uses at a critical time but will also benefit water users as well,” said Dan Nelson, SL&DMWA Executive Director.