Judge won’t block irrigation water

Farmers on the west side of the Mid-Valley can breath a little easier – for now.

A federal judge made a ruling Friday that effectively allows irrigation diversions at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam to continue until at least the first of August.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Jeff Sutton, the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority’s general manager. “But, we definitely dodged a bullet and we’re elated to be able to provide water to the $250 million worth of crops in our service area.”

In April, U. S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger set a June hearing to discuss the possibility of further water diversion cutbacks to farms and cities to protect endangered fish populations.

To further protect endangered fish populations, plaintiffs in the case made a special request during the hearing for an emergency closure of several state water projects, including the dam. The request asked the gates be immediately raised until July 15 to protect spring-run Chinook salmon.

Wanger on Friday ruled that spring-run salmon would not significantly benefit from an immediate closure and denied the request. However, Wanger’s hearing on the status of the species will resume Tuesday and Sutton said the issue of the dam’s operations might be re-visited.

“The judge could still rule to open the gates from Aug. 1 to September,” Sutton said. He said the judge’s ruling on Friday and the minimal impact on fish during August have given officials a new confidence. “We feel strongly that we will be able to meet water supply demands for this year’s crops.”

Glenn County Supervisor Keith Hansen said the ruling was good news for farmers. Hansen uses Canal Authority water to irrigate several of his own crops.

“I’m happy because if it went the other way, it would have been a total disaster for the farm community and the region,” Hansen said. “Water is already in short supply and that would have made it much, much worse.”

Canal Authority water users also face threats to their irrigation delivery from the city of Red Bluff.

A $160 million pump project that would effectively replace the dam is in the final stages of environmental review after the Canal Authority filed a "notice of determination" on June 4. By law, if Red Bluff wants to formally challenge the project's environmental impact report; the city council must do so this week.

Red Bluff City Manager Martin Nichols said the council would consider action during a closed session on Tuesday.

The Red Bluff Diversion Dam feeds one of the main lifelines for agriculture in four counties, and it creates Lake Red Bluff on the city's southern flank. Officials estimate the city benefits about $4 million in recreation activities each year.

However, the dam also impedes endangered fish species from migrating up the Sacramento River. The pump project was designed to address both problems, but would eliminate or at least reduce the occurrence of Lake Red Bluff.

Red Bluff officials say the city wants some financially tangible to replace the financial benefit the city would lose when the lake goes away permanently.

However, officials have acknowledged the city has never paid to help cover the cost of operations. Mid-Valley farmers pay about $300,000 to operate the dam each year. According to the authority, the water supports a variety of crops that contribute more than $1 billion to the regional economy each year.

Red Bluff officials have argued for years to keep the lake and have never asked for any specific mitigation, according to Nichols But, that could change after Tuesday.

Sutton said the Canal Authority would continue to work together with the city to attempt to address their mitigation concerns.

Contact Rob Parsons at 934-6800 or rparsons@tcnpress.com.