62nd Annual
Almond Blossom Festival
w e d n e s day f e b rua ry 2 1 , 2 0 2 4 • Manteca • Ripon • Lathrop
Bulletin
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Almond Blossom Festival
The Bulletin-Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Ripon’s Almond Blossom Festival features carnival, street fair-style vendors, parade, food & much more By V I NCE REMBUL AT
The 62nd annual Ripon Almond Blossom Festival, top photos from left, features crafts, street fair vendors at Mistlin Park, and a downtown parade Saturday. There are also carnival rides (bottom photo) Thursday through Sunday.
The Bu lletin
Who will be crowned Miss Almond Blossom Queen 2024? That question will be answered on Thursday, Feb. 22, during the Coronation ceremony in the Ripon Community Center. T h e candidates for the 62nd annual Almond Blossom Festival consist of Brooklyn Ballard, Madeline Curtiss, Arabella Hoit, Tiffani Hunter, Kamalpreet Kaur, Emma O’Laughlin, Gabriella Torres, Joyce Wall, Abigail Wilson, and Ziana Zaklan. “All 10 of these bright young women have been working hard for the title of Miss Ripon and the opportunity to represent the Ripon Community,” said the Ripon Chamber of Commerce via social media. Miss Ripon – the winner of Almond Blossom Queen will also hold that title throughout the year – Ava Brocchini will be on hand at the 7 p.m. special crowning event to turn over the reign. Thus far, the queen candidates recently took part in the
speech contest and are gearing up for the upcoming fashion show. Serving as this year’s grand marshal is the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, selected for its 115 years of service to the area. The theme is: “Watering the Roots of Ripon since 1909.”
The Almond Blossom Festival schedule of events is as followed: ▶ Thursday, Feb. 22 – Bake Off, 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Ripon Community Center; Lion’s Club Spaghetti Dinner, 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m., Ripon Community Center; ABF Festival (Two Dollar Ride Night), 5
p.m.-10 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park. ▶ Friday, Feb. 23 – Craft & Bake Sale, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Ripon Senior Center; Festival Vender Booths Open, 2 p.m.-8 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park; ABF Festival, 4 p.m.-10 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park; Community Stage “Teen Night” (live
music), 4 p.m.-8 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park; Quarterback Club Golf Tournament. ▶ Saturday, Feb. 24 – Ripon Grange Pancake Breakfast, 6 a.m.-10 a.m., Ripon Grange Hall; American Legion Ladies Auxiliary 190 10th annual Burrito Breakfast, 7 a.m.-12 noon, American Legion Hall;
Fun Run, 8:30 a.m. (1 mile), 9 a.m. (8K), Mavis Stouffer Park; Craft & Bake Sale, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Ripon Senior Center; Immanuel CRC Bake Sale, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Festival Vendor Booths, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park; Diaper Derby, 10 a.m., Ripon High North Gym; ABF Carnival, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park; Community Stage (live music), 12 noon-8 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park, ABF Parade, 1 p.m., downtown Ripon (starting at Stockton Avenue); Quarterback Club Brats & Drinks, 1 p.m.-7 p.m., Ripon Community Center; Swiss Club Dance (must be 21 and over), 7 p.m., Swiss Club. ▶ Sunday, Feb. 25 – Festival Vendor Booths, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park; ABF Carnival, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park; Community Stage (live music), 12 noon-5 p.m., Mistlin Sports Park. For more information, contact the Ripon Chamber of Commerce at 209.599.7519 or email info@riponchamber.org.
Watering the roots of Ripon since 1909
SSJID is honored to be the Grand Marshal for the 62nd Annual Almond Blossom Festival
Celebrating 115 years of responsible and reliable service
FIND US ON:
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Almond Blossom Festival
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The Bulletin-Wednesday, February 21, 2024
The South San Joaquin Irrigation District: ‘Watering the roots of Ripon since 1909’ Editor’s note: The South San Joaquin Irrigation Districts is being honored as the grand marshal of the Ripon Chamber of Commerce’s 62nd Annual Almond Blossom Festival Feb. 22 to Feb. 25 to mark SSJID’s 115th year. The South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) has a deep history in Ripon and southern San Joaquin C o u n t y. Governed by a fivem e m b e r, locally elected board of directors, SSJID has provided reliable and responsible service for nearly 115 years through innovation, persistence, and good old-fashioned grit. As SSJID prepares to celebrate its 115year anniversary on May 24, 2024, its primary mission to serve irrigation customers in Ripon, Escalon and Manteca has grown to include providing urban drinking water to cities and has included the pursuit of providing affordable retail electric service in and around the areas of Ripon, Escalon and Manteca. Many of SSJID’s over 100 employees live in the District, which remains a hallmark to staying connected to the issues that matter to our community. No matter how many years pass, SSJID continues to be innovative and committed to watering the roots of Ripon. History of the District In 1895, encouraged by prior attempts by others to irrigate southern San Joaquin County, H.W. Cowell and N.S. Harrold formed the Stanislaus and San Joaquin Water Company. It featured a system of ditches along
TOP PHOTO: Early SSJID ditch tenders. BOTTOM PHOTO: Reliable irrigation water has been flowing to farms in Ripon, Manteca, and Escalon for 115 years.
the Stanislaus River from Knights Ferry to Manteca. Called the “Tulloch System,” it spanned 47 miles and distributed water to 3,000 acres of land in Manteca and Oakdale. The water helped dairy farms flourish, increased fruit and vegetable yields, and enabled the introduction of new crops like alfalfa. The Wright Irrigation Law of 1887 allowed local residents to form irrigation districts under the same status as municipal water districts with the approval of a county board of supervisors. Realizing the potential growth and prosperity an established
irrigation district could bring to the Central Valley, P.E. Lunstrom, F.A. West and Joshua Cowell petitioned for the formation of the South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) in 1909. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved the petition for a public election and the measure passed by a vote of 396 to 67. Five board members were elected to run SSJID under the bond issue of $1,875,000. SSJID split the Tulloch System and water rights with the Oakdale Irrigation District (OID), which was formed about the same
time. In conjunction with OID, SSJID constructed a diversion dam above Knights Ferry in 1913 and named it after SSJID Board President Benjamin A. Goodwin. Irrigation enabled by the new dam began in the spring of 1914, ultimately using nearly 300 miles of ditches, tunnels and flumes constructed after completion of the dam to distribute water to area farms. In 1915, SSJID encountered a water shortage resulting from a lack of precipitation the previous winter. To minimize crop damage
from similar shortages in the future, SSJID constructed Woodward Reservoir near Oakdale. The reservoir — named after one of the District’s founding board members — was completed in 1916 and increased SSJID’s storage capacity by 36,000 acre feet. In 1923, SSJID wisely lined nearly all of its canals with cement to help prevent seepage and relieve drainage problems. This innovation resulted in a 48% water savings across the District. SSJID and OID, along with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and the San Fran-
cisco Electric Co., reached an agreement to construct Melones Reservoir in 1927, which held 110,000-acre feet of water and could irrigate 144,000 acres. Years later, the federal government took over the reservoir and greatly increased its capacity. The reservoir is now known as New Melones, and SSJID and OID have rights to the first 600,000 acre feet of water that flows into the reservoir each year. In 1955, the Tri-Dam organization was formed by SSJID and OID with two goals: to increase water storage to meet irrigation obligations and to add low-cost hydropower electrical production. The Tri-Dam reservoirs – Donnells, Beardsley and Tulloch — became operational in just two years and the project was dedicated on June 15, 1957. The system was built to hold 230,000 acre feet of water and made it possible to generate 125 megawatts of electricity with its spinning turbines. To access videos on the construction of Tri-Dam, visit SSJID’s YouTubew page at: https://www.youtube.com/@ SSJIDofficial/videos In 2005, SSJID added the Nick C. DeGroot Water Treatment Plant that serves approximately 215,000 residents and treats up to 24,000 acre feet annually (around 40,000 gallons per day). This plant is an especially important element of SSJID’s longterm strategy. Its membrane technology allows SSJID to provide low-cost domestic drinking water to the cities of Tracy, Lathrop and Manteca. Future expansion of the project will deliver water to Escalon as well. In 2009, as SSJID celebrated 100 years of providing SEE s s j i d PAGE 4
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Almond Blossom Festival
The Bulletin-Wednesday, February 21, 2024
ssjid FROM PAGE 3 reliable service and meeting customer needs, we completed construction of the 1.4-megawatt Robert O. Schulz Solar Farm on a site adjacent to the Nick C. DeGroot Water Treatment Plant. The electricity generated is used to power the plant. In 2012, SSJID completed the Irrigation Enhancement Project that resulted in more efficient water use while providing area growers west of Ripon the use of micro, drip and sprinkler systems (pressure systems) with individualized, automated irrigation access through online and mobile technology. The unique system, servicing 3,800 acres of farmland and was constructed over a three-year period. Today, SSJID is actively pursuing the acquisition of PG&E’s electrical distribution network within our service area known as the Powered by Purpose campaign, with the goal of providing power to Escalon, Manteca and Ripon. This process began in 2004 when the SSJID Board of Directors unanimously voted to proceed with the purchase. This project remains a top priority for SSJID, and we anticipate additional court hearings in mid-2024 for eminent domain determinations and hopefully final direction on SSJID’s ability to take over the system from PG&E. If SSJID is successful, we are committed to bringing our customers 15% savings from
their PG&E bills. Our Commitment to Sustainability SSJID in partnership with OID has been responsible stewards of the Stanislaus River. We have conducted nearly 30 years of fisheries studies to learn more about the general health of the species that interact in the river, and how predators impact salmon’s ability to thrive during their departure and return to the system each year. SSJID is committed to groundwater sustainability. We have partnered with local cities, the county, and local water agencies to find solutions to improve our collective sustainability in our groundwater basin. The District maintains some of the oldest rights to the Stanislaus River, and as a benefit, the District is able to support our communities’ ability to reduce reliance on groundwater for domestic purposes. Our Commitment to our Agricultural Customers In 2023, SSJID finalized its first of its kind Water Master Plan totaling $191 million which sets the stage for system enhancements to ensure irrigation service reliability over the next 30 years by addressing aging infrastructure, implementing key modernization projects, and outlining financial strategies to pay for necessary upgrades. The plan and Capital Infrastructure Program identifies maintenance, rehabilitation and service improvement projects and priorities, including: ▶ Improved level of service to meet evolving on-farm irrigation needs (flood
conversion to sprinkler and drip/micro methods) ▶ Regulation and recirculation reservoirs to reduce operational spills and equalize service ▶ Automated flow control devices ▶ Canyon Tunnel and other upstream water supply improvements ▶ Variable rates of pipeline and canal replacement and/or rehabilitation ▶ Trenchless pipeline rehabilitation program The WMP will be reviewed at regular intervals to evaluate how strategies are being implemented and to update the plan for the next 30 years. This plan allowed us to go to our customers to increase rates, which had not been done for 20 years. SSJID is confident that it has a plan for rehabilitation of district assets to improve the overall reliability of service which our customers depend on. Our Commitment to Community SSJID values the voices in our communities. Whether you’re a customer or a business, we pride ourselves on listening to our community members to learn about the issues that are affecting you. SSJID is highly engaged in community events throughout the District and works to maintain critical relationships with locally elected officials to ensure we are working with our communities effectively. For more on SSJID, visit our website at SSJID.gov or visit us on FB or IG at @SSJID Official.
TOP LEFT PHOTO: Workers building the flume from Goodwin Dam to Woodward Reservoir pause for a photo. TP RIGHT PHOTO: The Goodwin Dam under construction in 1912. BOTTOM PHOTO: A SSJID canal in rural Ripon.
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Almond Blossom Festival
The Bulletin-Wednesday, February 21, 2024
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Almonds require 1/3 less water to grow than in 2002; effort is underway to cut water another 20% by 2025 By DENNIS WYATT The Bulletin
Almonds — like everything else we eat — requires water to grow. During the last drought almonds became the target of ire from those who believe agriculture wantonly wastes water with almonds being the No. 1 culprit given almond growers account for 8 percent of California’s irrigated water. Almonds are planted in the largest acreage in the state and as such they are a highly visible target compared to a number of other crops planted in lesser numbers of acres that are ranked lower in food value per gallon of water used. California is the leading world producer — and exporter — of almonds. Almonds ranked as the No.4 crop in dollar value behind dairy, grapes as well as cattle and calves in 2022 coming in at $3.52 billion out of a statewide farm production valued at $41 billion. Almonds are the state’s leading farm export topping $4.6 billion in 2021. The 2 billion tons of almonds exported made their way to more than 100 countries with India leading the way at 362 million pounds. India is the first country outside of the United States to consume more than 300 million pounds of almonds a year. Almonds are highly valued in other lands for being
a healthy and nutrient dense food source. That includes high levels of protein and vitamins as well as antioxidants. Two studies conducted during the last California drought that ended in 2018 tried to put water use of various crops in context. Research by the Journal of Ecological Indicators in 2017 was the subject of a published report by the Food Revolution Network on 43 crops grown in California. Almonds came in 43rd out of the 43 crops examined in terms of consuming the most water to grow. That use of water was offset by studies that showed the nutritional value of the food created — in this case almonds — was the third highest among the 43 crops. Heavy water users that ranked near the almond such as pistachios, walnuts, and cashews were also among the crops with high nutrient value. Those crops that were also high in nutrients like the almond but lower in water use were spinach, raspberries, broccoli, artichokes, and kiwi fruit. Another study by Earth Sciences notes the water it took to grow typical crops. The list started with 13.8 gallons to grow an orange. It then dropped down to 5.9 gallons for a head of broccoli, 4.9 gallons for a walnut, 3.3 gallons for a tomato, 1.1 gallon for an almond, 0.75 gallons for a pistachio, and
0.4 gallons for a strawberry. Research by the University of California verified water use to grow an almond is a third less today than it was 20 years ago. Water use for all irrigated crops have dropped during the time frame but none as substantial as that needed to grow nuts including almonds. The Almond Board of California — an umbrella group of almond growers — is committed to reducing the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 20 percent by the end of 2025. So far California — one of only five places on earth with a Mediterranean climate suited to grow almonds as well as being the top producer by far — has 82 percent of its almond orchards employing efficient microirrigation methods. That’s the reason behind the 33 percent reduction in water use. The Almond Board has funded 239 water research projects so far. The projects focus on how much, when and where water should be used on almond trees. New remote sensing technology can quantify how much water almonds need in real time. They function as Fitbits for trees. As such they are able to tell growers precisely when they need to irrigate to optimize tree yields, maximize tree health and minimize water
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use. As such it also reduces costs given water — whether it is obtained from an irrigating district or pumped from the ground using expensive PG&E electricity — has a major negative impact in a farm’s bottom line. On the flip side, there are now concerns that the shift from flood irrigation and even sprinkler irrigation to precise drip irrigation may have a significant impact on the ability to recharge aquifers that other farms, rural residents, and even cities depend on. It is why there are studies being done to see whether deliberately flooding orchards with excess storm runoff in during the rainy season can effectively replenish groundwater without hurting the health of trees or negatively impacting yields. Where the water is placed
in proximity to roots is also part of the equation of reducing water use. The drive to reduce water consumption for every almond grown is part of an overall sustainability effort that in the long haul helps reduce grower costs. Other efforts include whole orchard recycling where entire trees at the end of their productive lives are grounded up and incorporated into the soil, sugar and antioxidant extraction from almond shells for use in nutraceutical bars and dietary supplements, and shells being added to postconsumer recycled plastics for strength, heat stability and color. Research also focuses on food values of almonds. An eight-week study of 73 college students at the University of California at Merced demonstrates that
incorporating almond snacks into the daily diets of those that tend to skip breakfasts resulted in a smaller decline in good cholesterol levels and resulted in lower insulin resistance. The consumption of almonds was compared with eating crackers. Of the 16 primary California counties that grow almonds, San Joaquin County ranks sixth behind Fresno in the No. 1 spot followed by Kern, Stanislaus, Madera, and Merced.. There are 7,600 almond farms in California with 90 percent of them family owned. Many are owned by third and fourth generation farmers. Almost 70 percent of California’s almond farms consist of 100 acres or less. To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabullerin.com
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Almond Blossom Festival
The Bulletin-Wednesday, February 21, 2024
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