Westlands Water District
Encyclopedia
Westlands Water District is a water district
in central California
, formed in 1952.
The Westlands Water District receives its water from the Central Valley Project
, and provides water to farm
s in an area of approximately 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) in Fresno County
and Kings County
. Its headquarters are in Fresno.
Westlands has been the focal point for many controversial water issues in California because of its size--it is the largest agricultural water district in the United States. The Reclamation Act of 1902 required that farmers live on their land (Westlands had many absent landowners at the time of federal contracting) and only receive water for 160 acres (In 1968, 11% of the owners owned 84% of the land).
Farms within Westlands produce approximately $1 billion worth of food and fiber per year, more than 20 percent of the agricultural output of Fresno County. That averages out to about $1,700 of gross revenues per acre.
Instead of enforcing the Act, Congress passed the Reclamation Reform Act in 1982, boosting allowable irrigated land to 960 acres (3.9 km²) and eliminating the provision that landowners remain near their lands. Furthermore, in building the San Luis Unit, the federal government agreed to build a drain as well, well aware the irrigation in parts of Westlands would saturate the root zone. However, only the first part of the San Luis Drain was ever completed, and this half-completed drain created Kesterson Wildlife Refuge
. "Due to environmental concerns and budget constraints, the drain was never completed as originally planned." The drain was closed by court order in 1985 for violation of environmental laws due to high levels of heavy metals, such as selenium, in the drained water. The soil in the upslope regions of the district contains "extraordinarily elevated concentrations of selenium, boron, chromium, molybdenum, and extremely high concentrations of various salts that disrupt the normal ionic balance of the aquatic system."
Water district
A water district is a special district given the task of supplying water and sewer needs to a community....
in central California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, formed in 1952.
The Westlands Water District receives its water from the Central Valley Project
Central Valley Project
The Central Valley Project is a Bureau of Reclamation federal water project in the U.S. state of California. It was devised in 1933 in order to provide irrigation and municipal water to much of California's Central Valley—by regulating and storing water in reservoirs in the water-rich northern...
, and provides water to farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s in an area of approximately 600,000 acres (2,400 km²) in Fresno County
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
and Kings County
Kings County, California
Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is located in a rich agricultural region. Kings County is also home to NAS Lemoore, which is the U.S. Navy's newest and largest master jet air station. The county seat is Hanford...
. Its headquarters are in Fresno.
Westlands has been the focal point for many controversial water issues in California because of its size--it is the largest agricultural water district in the United States. The Reclamation Act of 1902 required that farmers live on their land (Westlands had many absent landowners at the time of federal contracting) and only receive water for 160 acres (In 1968, 11% of the owners owned 84% of the land).
Farms within Westlands produce approximately $1 billion worth of food and fiber per year, more than 20 percent of the agricultural output of Fresno County. That averages out to about $1,700 of gross revenues per acre.
Instead of enforcing the Act, Congress passed the Reclamation Reform Act in 1982, boosting allowable irrigated land to 960 acres (3.9 km²) and eliminating the provision that landowners remain near their lands. Furthermore, in building the San Luis Unit, the federal government agreed to build a drain as well, well aware the irrigation in parts of Westlands would saturate the root zone. However, only the first part of the San Luis Drain was ever completed, and this half-completed drain created Kesterson Wildlife Refuge
Kesterson wildlife refuge
The Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge is an artificial wetland environment, created using agricultural runoff from farmland in California's Central Valley....
. "Due to environmental concerns and budget constraints, the drain was never completed as originally planned." The drain was closed by court order in 1985 for violation of environmental laws due to high levels of heavy metals, such as selenium, in the drained water. The soil in the upslope regions of the district contains "extraordinarily elevated concentrations of selenium, boron, chromium, molybdenum, and extremely high concentrations of various salts that disrupt the normal ionic balance of the aquatic system."