The South San Joaquin Irrigation District board Tuesday is expected to take steps needed to protect water quality at Woodward Reservoir that stores water for urban users in Manteca, Lathrop, and Tracy as well as for agricultural customers.
At the same time, the district is putting the public on notice recreational services at the reservoir will be temporarily suspended on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 11:59 p.m.
The district board meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the district office.
A year ago, SSJID issued a termination notice to the Stanislaus County Parks & Recreation Department that is the current concessionaire of recreation facilities at the reservoir some 22 miles northeast of Manteca and to the northwest of Oakdale.
The board took steps to terminate the contract after raising concerns that include:
* Some facilities were at the end of their useful life including sewer and drinking water with no firm county plans for their repair or replacement.
* Certain upgrades the county identified are needed to improve accountability and make facilities more user friendly.
* Improvements needed to address traffic issues on 26-Mile Road during busy recreation weekends.
* The county lacked firm plans for ongoing maintenance and capital improvement of the recreational facilities at Woodward Reservoir.
*The county had been less than stellar in terms of their efforts to combat the invasive golden mussel to protecting the integrity of the water supply for the entire district.
Based on recommendations provided by the Stanislaus County Sheriff, SSJID proposes implementation of a layered security approach that includes:
*Physical barriers such as k-rails or water filled barriers in key locations.
*Security guards and/or service level agreement with Stanislaus County Sheriff for continuous coverage.
*Install security cameras with monitoring services at key locations.
*Install appropriate signage to notify the public of the closure and to prevent trespass.
SSJID staff is proposing to hire two temporary employees to provide general grounds and facilities maintenance at Woodward Reservoir until such time a new concessionaire has been secured.
A new Facilities and Grounds Supervisor will oversee the maintenance and operation of District-owned property and facilities at the reservoir. The supervisor would direct assigned staff and contractors; coordinate groundskeeping, facility maintenance, utilities, security, and regulatory compliance; inspect assets and prioritize repairs; and serve as the on-site liaison with District departments, emergency responders, vendors, and partner agencies.
To support the temporary maintenance staff, SSJID may purchase or provide equipment such as a mower, landscape maintenance tools, a spray unit for the Kubota, a 500-gallon water trailer for maintenance and fire suppression, handheld radios and headsets, personal protective and fire-safety equipment, locks, and basic refrigeration, ice, and drinking-water equipment among other items.
The other all cost of the temporary oversight is pegged at $239,750.
Water quality is
a major concern
The invasive golden mussels species rapidly multiply and have proven to be a threat to water deliveries as they gravitate to outtake pipes and such, effectively clogging or choking water flow.
Due to the county’s lack of response, SSJID ordered boat launches at Woodward be suspended in December of 2024 until the county developed and implemented a golden mussel prevention program acceptable to the district.
The district indicated a 30-day boat quarantine banding program that is used at other California reservoirs would be acceptable.
The county’s initial reaction was they would not implement such a program due to additional staff and costs to administer it.
After weighing concerns and determining the district could better offer recreational services, it was determined SSJID is in the best position to deliver both water and quality recreational experiences.
The board last year exercised a contractual clause informing Stanislaus County the agreement would formally end Oct. 14, 2026 after staff concluded the lack of a plan to re-invest Woodward-derived revenues necessary to support recreation meant the facilities will continue to deteriorate.
At the same time, they started negotiations with Stanislaus County that were expected to take a year to complete to transition recreation operations. The contract went into effect in December 1985 with stated termination in 2036.
Doing so activated a $2 million early termination “penalty” SSJID would have to pay the county.
It is on top of the prorated share of improvements to the upper intake the county participated in based on their remaining useful life. That cost is estimated to be $820,000.
SSJID examination of Woodward Reservoir’s recreation component indicated camping, day use, and concession food/beverage revenue would be $5.1 million in 2027 against direct expenses of $2.7 million.
Indirect expenses including $239,000 budgeted for repair and maintenance represented another $1 million.
Deducting $117,000 for insurance, that would leave $1,181,000 before taxes.
The modeling was done for five years to verify the preliminary cash flow under a new franchise agreement.
A 10 to 15 percent franchise fee based on overall revenue, would send at least $500,000 to the district.
Payment of the $2.8 million contract cancellation cost to the district would take place over eight to 12 years.
The goal is to bump up annual SSJID revenues from $1 to $500,000-plus a year while also getting facility upgrades in place to create a more pleasant experience for users.
There were 482,000 visitors to Woodward in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2024. That was up from the previous year when there were 447,000 visitors.
The 36,000 acre-foot reservoir a few miles northwest of Oakdale is the cornerstone of the SSJID water distribution system.
The SSJID provides irrigation service to 50,000 acres. It also supplies drinking water to 215,000 people in Manteca, Lathrop, and Tracy.
The reservoir was built in 1918.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
