Tulare Irrigation District

To obtain and deliver a surface water supply for the irrigation of farms in the District and for the recharge of the groundwater basin underlying the District. To operate and maintain a 330-mile canal and pipeline distribution system along with 1,110 acres of groundwater recharge/regulation basins.

The Tulare Irrigation District is a political subdivision of the State of California – an independent agency operating under the California Water Code. It is governed by a five-member Board of Directors.

The District delivers surface water to approximately 230 farms.
The exterior boundary encompasses an area of 77,000 acres (Including the City of Tulare which is not part of the District). District acreage is approximately 70,000 acres.

Continue to:
Rehabilitate and improve the distribution system
Expand groundwater recharge
Pursue water management opportunities with other entities and districts to maximize water supplies and reduce costs to landowners. Explore additional sources of water supplies.
Train personnel in the operation of the distribution system to minimize water losses and to provide optimal service to landowners.
Maximize energy generation at the Terminus Hydropower Plant.

The Tulare Irrigation District was organized September 21, 1889. The original proposal for the formation of an irrigation district covering 219,000 acres, extending from the Sierra Nevada foothills to Tulare Lake, was eventually reduced to 32,500 acres. The District continued in this status until January of 1948 when the so-called “Kaweah Lands” (approximately 11,000 acres) were annexed.

In October of 1948, approximately 31,000 acres, compromising the area served by the Packwood Canal Company were annexed to the District.

In the early days of the District’s history, $500,000 in bonds were issued. About half was expended for construction of diversion works on the St. Johns River, the main canal heading at the river (including a large flume over the river), together with the purchase of water rights of the Kaweah Canal and Irrigation Company, Rocky Ford Canal and Irrigation Company, and Settlers Ditch Company. The remainder was used for canal construction within the District. The financial difficulties of early 1890’s caused a setback, and attacks on the legality of the formation of the District, and the legality of the bonds made matters worse. By 1895, most of the landowners had begun to default in payment of District assessments. For a number of years, the District practically ceased operating, although water was kept running in the canals. During this period, the litigation over the bonds continued, and economic conditions in both Tulare and the surrounding country reached a low ebb.

After negations with the bondholder, it was found possible to retire the bonds at approximately $0.50 on the dollar, and an assessment of 36 percent of the valuation was made for this purpose. The debt was finally cleared by payment of $273,075 and the bonds were publicly burned on October 17, 1903. The District today has no bonded indebtedness. For many years after the retirement of the bonds, the District operated on a system of water tolls, but the annual levying of assessments was resumed in 1918.

A U.S. Bureau of Reclamation contract was signed in 1950 providing an annual supply of 30,000 acre-feet of Class 1 water, and up to 141,000 acre-feet of Class 2 water from the Friant-Kern Canal. After the annexations of the “Kaweah” and “Packwood” lands and the commencement of the diversion of the Central Valley Project water, the District proceeded with extensive improvements to the existing canal system, and the extension of the canal system to serve annexed areas. This work consisted of enlarging and/or relocating canals, constructing diversion structures, road crossings, checkgates, siphons, installing pipelines, etc. The majority of this work occurred between 1951 and 1964.

Since the completion of Terminus Dam in 1962, Kaweah River water rights owners have benefited by the regulation of the natural river flows – temporary storage of flood waters, uniform downstream releases, and options on the time and quantity of irrigation diversions.

The Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District (KDWCD) and the Tulare Irrigation District (TID) formed a joint-power authority in 1982 – the Kaweah River Power Authority (KRPA). The KRPA filed for a license to construct a 17MW hydroelectric plant at Terminus Dam and Lake Kaweah. KRPA proceeded with design and construction of the plant, and the plant went on-line in 1992 delivering power to Southern California Edison Company.

The District and KDWCD also have coordinated efforts to enhance the recharge of groundwater within the Kaweah Basin. During high flow times KDWCD may use the recharge basins within the District for recharge purposes. Further, KDWCD has historically provided for a financial incentive program through which the District sustains the level of groundwater recharge occurring within the Main Intake Canal, the primary artery delivering water from supply sources into the District. This historical program was recently reinstated by both districts in lieu of the District’s plans to concrete-line this canal to conserve the surface water .