Irrigation Rules
PESCADERO RECLAMATION DISTRICT NO. 2058: Irrigation Rules
Updated July 15, 2022
1. Application for Water. As long as water supply is sufficient, irrigation applications can be taken. Water for irrigation must be ordered in advance at the District Office or by phone (messages accepted). Placing the order by phone does not relieve the ordering party of the requirement to pre-pay for water. The District Office is located at 3650 W Canal Blvd., Tracy Ca., Telephone: 209 835 2293
Irrigation applications must specify the pump number, the legal property name (i.e. assessor’s parcel number or APN), the number of acres, and crop needing irrigation. Water orders should be placed no more than 72 hours in advance of when the water will be applied (see exception below for off-season irrigation). If water is available when the office is closed, requests can be made to the District ditchtender but the irrigating party should leave a message with the office answering system. Otherwise, water is not to be ordered through Ditchtender.
2. Priority of Water Deliveries. Water orders are given priority based on the order in which they are received, subject to system constraints and account payment status. Advance orders (orders more than 72 hours prior to when water is needed) will not be accepted to establish priority.
3. Payment for Water. Water must be paid for at the time the order is placed and in advance of delivery. The District reserves the right to refuse service to any Landowners or tenants with delinquent irrigation and assessment charges. If water is ordered when the office is closed payment should be placed in the drop box at the office or paid online using a credit card or AHC payment. Reclamation assessments must also be current for irrigation applications to be accepted.
4. Water Charges. The District’s water rates effective July 18, 2022 are $25.00 per acre per irrigation for flood irrigation and $59.50 per acre foot for drip irrigation. There will be a minimum charge of $100.00 for any water order. Delinquent water charges are assessed a delinquency charge of 1.5% per month. Charges are deemed delinquent if not paid prior to delivery. The irrigation charge is in addition to the annual assessment, which must be current at time an irrigation water order is placed. Landowners who lease their land will be responsible for all unpaid assessment and irrigation charges.
5. Overtime. Water users may not continue to use water longer than their original order with the District unless approved by District staff and the use will not injure another water user in the District. Landowners or tenants should contact the office as soon as overtime use is anticipated to request overtime use and pay for the extra water use. Requests for overtime water use will receive priority based on the order in which they are received relative to other application orders.
6. Wheeling Policy. The District may allow the use of its facilities by Landowners for the purpose of transfering water from one property to another within the District. Such use is only allowed with the express permission of the District’s Board and upon payment of a fee which will compensate the District for the actual operation and maintenance costs of the District’s system relative to the total diversions through the system in a given year. Such fee will be determined on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration various factors, including but not limited to, the costs incurred by the District to transfer the water, the distance the water will be transferred, the timing of the transfer, the availability of capacity within the District’s system, the location of the facilities to be used in the transfer, etc. Any water introduced to the District’s system must be of sufficent quality and should be free of contamination from pesticides and herbicides.
7. Irrigation Season. The normal irrigation season is March 15th to October 15th, subject to adjustment based on weather and demand.
8. Off Season Irrigation: From Oct 16th – March 14th, the District is in repair and maintenance mode. The District will try to accommodate off-season requests for water in conjunction with its repair and maintenance schedule. Off-season requests should be made at least 30 days before water is needed. During this time, the District has the right to refuse irrigation water if it interferes with any maintenance or repair needed to District Irrigation or Reclamation facilities.
9. Subdivided property: When property is subdivided, it is the landowners’ responsibility to install and maintain facilities to ensure that all parcels are able to receive irrigation water and discharge drainage water from the District. The District will not install new facilities to accommodate changes in property configurations.
10. Filling Water Trucks. The District charges $100.00 per start of a pump to fill a water truck.
11. Quality and Quantity of Water. The Distict does not warrant or guarantee the quantity or quality of water available from the District or the timing of deliveries. During the irrigation year the farmer shall make water applications for the actual acreage he/she intends to irrigate and for that time, his/her allowance will be based thereon and not on the entire acreage in the farm. The District shall limit the amount of water furnished to the lands in the District during each irrigation as follows: For all irrigations, thirty (30) mintues per acre at full head. For the purpose of these rules, the amount of water supplied by 100 two-inch siphons or less shall be considered one-half (1/2) head.
12. Condition of Ditches, Pipelines and Equipment: All private ditches shall be kept free from weeds and other obstructions and have sufficient capacity to care for a reasonable head of wter. In cases where ditches are not in proper condition to receive water, the ditchtenders shall order the ditches cleaned, and failure to do so will be sufficient cause for the refusal of water into the ditch.
13. Right of Ways: No fences, ditches, trees, vines, equipment, pipelines or obstructions shall be placed upon, across or along any right of way belonging to the District without the written permission of the District. The District shall have the right to remove all obstructions, including plantings on District rights of way that are contrary to this provision.
14. Control Gates. The District shall have absolute control of all delivery gates, check gates, and other structures in the system. Irrigators making any delivery gate or system changes will do so only with the full knowledge and direction of the Ditchtender or the General Manager. District employees have full authority to close gates/structures as soon as the requisite amount of water has been delivered or on account of any violation of these rules. Gates and structures may be equipped with locks and the keys thereto shall be in control of the Ditchtender.
15. Placing Debris and Drainage in District Canals. No tree or vine prunings, rubbish, refuse or other materials or substances that will affect the quality of water or obstruct the flow water, shall be placed in or allowed to be emptied into, or placed so as to roll, slide or flow into any canal or ditch of the District or any canal used for the distribution of water by the District. The District will not allow any drainage into District canals except in the case of an emergency and permission has already been provided by the Board of Directors in writing. All persons found guilty of violating this rule will be prosectued for maintaining a nuisance. All employees of the District shall promptly report any violation of this rule.
16. Rodent Abatement. The District’s responsibility for rodent abatement extends only to the levees within its jurisdiction Landowners are responsible for rodent abatement on their own property.
17. Accesss to Land. Authorized agents of the District shall have free access at all times to any and all lands that contain District facilities for the purpose of operating and maintaining the District’s canals and ditches, monitoring the flow of water therein, and to verify crop acreage irrigated.
18. Liability of the District. Every irrigator shall be responsible to the District for all damage caused by willful neglect or careless acts and upon his or her failure to repair such damage, at his or her own expense, after notification by the Ditchtender. In case of breaks, the irrigator must immediately notify the Ditchtender. The irrigator shall be responsible for the proper care of the water until the Ditchtender has been notified and the water has been shut off or brought under control by the District. Irrigators will be liable for damages to the canals and property of others caused by the turning of water back into the canal without the permission of Ditchtenders.
19. Filing with Office. At the beginning of each year, each prospective irrigator shall file with District at the office, a form identifying the pump number, the property to be irrigated, the type of crop grown, the number of acres, and such other information as may be desirable. The Ditchtender shall verify the information provided and report back to the District Secretary.
20. Leasing Land. At the beginning of each year, Lanowners who lease their property shall inform the District at the office. The District should be informed whether the Landowner or the tenant will be responsible for paying the Reclamation assessment. If the Landowner pays the assessment, it is important that payments be kept current or water could be refused to tenant.
21. Enforcement of Rules. Refusal to comply with these rules or interference with District water deliveries is cause for the District to shut off water deliveries or refuse future deliveries. Water will not again be furnished until the irrigator and/or Landowner is in full compliance with all District rules and regulations. The District recognizes that special circumstances may exist in the District which may make it unfair to strictly envorce the foregoing ruiles. If any landowner feels he is unfairly dealt with he may request a hearing before the Board of Trustees for special consideration.
Chronology of Revisions
- Adopted by the Board of Trustees on November 16, 2011
- Amended on December 5, 2018 to update Water Charges for 2019
- Amended on April 3, 2019 to include Wheeling Policy
- Amended on September 4, 2019 to include $100.00 Minimum Charge for Water Orders
- Amended on April 15, 2021 to update Water Charges effective May 15, 2021
- Amended on July 7, 2021 to Add Rodent Abatement provision
- Amended on August 4, 2021 to update/clarify Access to Land provision
- Updated on December 2, 2021 to include Water Charges effective January 1, 2022
- Updated on July 15, 2022 to revise Water Charge increase effective July 18, 2022