The MID Board of Directors has determined that the District’s available surface water supply is sufficient to meet all of the District’s Class I and Class II growers’ surface water needs for the 2017 irrigation season. The surface water is priced at $33 per acre-foot.Additionally, surface water has been made available this year to growers who generally rely upon groundwater as their primary source of water and are within MID’s sphere of influence and the Merced Groundwater Basin. The surface water is priced at $75 per acre-foot.
MID officials are encouraging all growers to take surface water this year provided from Lake McClure and turn off their groundwater wells.
“It is important that we take every possible step to protect our local groundwater, including turning off on-farm wells,” said MID General Manager John Sweigard. “We have surface water available from Lake McClure this year and we want growers to use it. Leaving water in the ground will make it available for future dry years when it’s most needed.”
The State of California is currently implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. In the coming years, individual groundwater pumping is expected to be curtailed in order to help ensure groundwater sustainability and prevent overdraft. Steps taken between now and the full implementation date will benefit groundwater in future dry years when growers must depend on it.
Water orders can be placed on the MID website by clicking here or visiting: http://mercedid.org/index.cfm/water/order-water/
For Phone Service:
MID Water Customers Service: (209) 722-2720
Automated ordering anytime: (866) 825-2475
MID office hours: M-F, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
744 W. 20th Street, Merced
Source: MID
