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Late harvest may push irrigation end to Oct. 29
SSJID top
Water flows into a SSJID canal - photo by HIME ROMERO/The Bulletin

South Joaquin Irrigation District may end its irrigation season on Oct. 29.

That is what staff is recommending to the SSJID board when they meet Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the district office, 11011 East Highway 120.

The recommendation reflects a heavy water year, harvests that are being delayed two to three weeks due to spring storms, and forecasts leaning toward a wetter than normal new water year starting Oct. 1

And if the elected directors accept the recommendation, General Manager Peter Reitkerk — with the board president’s concurrence — could end it sooner if there is significant precipitation or extenuating circumstances happen before Oct. 29.

River flows south of Manteca at the Airport Way bridge in the San Joaquin River just past its confluence with the Stanislaus River underscores the comfort level of the SSJID recommendation.

As of Friday at noon, the water level was 10.79 feet compared to 7.19 feet a year ago when New Melones was holding roughly 50 percent less water.

The peak flow this past winter on the Stanislaus River at Airport Way was 29.75 feet on March 19.

Other points that district staff noted in making their recommendation of Oct. 29 to end the current irrigation season included:

* The end of the District’s normal  10-day rotation falls on Oct. 29.

*True natural flow calculated at Goodwin for the 2023 Water Year is projected to be over2,500,000 acre-feet by the end of September.

*New Melones Reservoir storage levels are slowly declining from 1.9 million acre feet with a November 1 top of conservation storage target of no more than 1.97 million acre feet.

*The joint New Melones Conservation Account SSJID holds with Oakdale Irrigation District will increase to 160,000 to 170,000 acre-feet for the 2024 water year.

*The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others are continuing to predict El Nino conditions and perhaps another above normal or wet 2024 water year.

*Woodward Reservoir is required to be at 205 feet of elevation on Nov. 1 as a condition of the State Division of Safety of Dams.
*Labor Day fell on Sept. 4, which is the last day for bodily contact in Woodward Reservoir.

*The Water Treatment Plan must comply with a 30-day no-bodily contact requirement before switching to the lower intake planned for Oct. 5).

*OID is planning for their last irrigation day to be Oct. 30.

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com