The South San Joaquin and Oakdale irrigation districts may sell upwards of 10,000 acre feet of water to the Banta-Carbona Irrigation District.

The district — wedged between the San Joaquin River and Tracy — irrigates 17,500 acres in South San Joaquin County.

Crops grown within the district include almonds, walnuts, cherries, grapes, alfalfa, corn, tomatoes, bean, and sunflowers.

Banta-Carbona’s primary source of water are rights tied to the San Joaquin  River as well as the Central Valley Project.

The process to consider a water transfer was started before the heavy precipitation this past winter  that is allowing the CVP to deliver 100 percent of its water allocations this year.

Even though the district now anticipates it will receive its full allocation, they may still want to move forward with some type of water transfer in order to recharge aquifers.

Such a water transfer, when supplies are available after meeting district needs, have been done in the past by SSJID to help those in need of water within the county or the Stanislaus River water basin.

In the past, SSJID has transferred water to Mountain House, East Stockton Irrigation District, and the Me-Wuk Indians reservation in Tuolumne County.

 Banta-Carbona Irrigation District was formed was February 24, 1921 to provide irrigation water to lands located a few miles southeast of Tracy and west of the San Joaquin River.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyattQ@mantecabulletin.com