Message from General Manager, Kristin Sicke
May 2025
It is wonderful to be in the full swing of another unallocated irrigation season.
Thank you for signing up your fields for irrigation service. Of the 82,700 acres signed up, the chart below illustrates the top 20 crops.
The largest acreage changes from 2024 to 2025 are seen in the increase in wheat (+3,100 acres), rice (+2,500 acres), hay/oats/barley/triticale (+1,100 acres), and pistachios (+1,100 acres), and the decrease in safflower (-2,000 acres), almonds (-920 acres), and sunflower seeds (-850 acres).
The District is currently releasing water from Indian Valley Reservoir while also generating maximum hydropower at the facility (3 MW) and supplementing releases from Clear Lake via Cache Creek Dam. Storage hydrographs for Indian Valley Reservoir and Clear Lake are shown below.
Budget Update
At the May 6 Board meeting, the Directors reviewed the adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 24/25 Budget and adopted the proposed FY 25/26 Budget. Below is a summary table that compares the FY 24/25 Budget to the FY 25/26 Budget.
In FY 2024/2025, the District completed approximately $3.45M in capital jobs as illustrated in the summary below. The adopted FY 2025/2026 Budget includes approximately $3.65M in capital expenditures.
FY 24/25 Capital Jobs Completed
The District completed the Capay Dam Bladder Replacement project last fall, and staff are learning the slightly new dynamic between upstream reservoir releases and Capay Dam pond and spill levels.
Additionally, this spring, an automated escalator trash rack / screen cleaner was installed in the upper reach of the Winters Canal, and the District is ready to operate the self-cleaning trash rack if aquatic weeds are observed in Cache Creek.
In coordination with interested customers in prioritized locations, District staff installed 17 automated trash screens at individual turnouts during FY 24/25. More are planned for FY 25/26. Also, the District upgraded the inlet to Chapman Reservoir, the 200 AF regulating reservoir that services the Willow, University, and Fairfield Canals in addition to upgrading seven critical culverts.
Spillway Repairs at Indian Valley Reservoir
On February 6, the District began to release water from the spillway to maintain space in the reservoir and accommodate inflow from rainstorms. The impact of these releases resulted in a small abnormality in the pattern of the water flow, commonly called a ‘rooster tail’. The District immediately reported the issue to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), DWR’s Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). On February 10, the District completed a repair to the section of concrete that was creating the rooster tail; however, several other spots previously identified as defective need to be repaired before October 2025. Optimized irrigation releases from Indian Valley Reservoir are planned to achieve the reservoir elevation that will cease spillway gate leakage and
Groundwater Update
As illustrated in the updated average groundwater levels hydrograph above, Spring 2025 groundwater levels are about one foot higher than Spring 2024. The 2025 Yolo Subbasin Annual Report is now available for review on the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency (YSGA) website: https://www.yologroundwater.org/. The next YSGA Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for May 19 at 3 p.m., which will consist primarily of an update on grant projects.
Water UI
Have you created your Water UI account yet? The District has rolled out a new web-based software platform, Water UI, which allows water customers to login and complete water orders online. In addition, Water UI lets customers to see their turnout location and names, water account balances, parcel information, and so much more! Please contact the office if you’d like to learn more about how to sign up for Water UI.
Staffing Changes
The District recently hired a new Administrative Assistant, Elise Nunez, and we encourage you to stop by the office and meet her!
Ways to Get Involved
The District hosted four Farmers’ Council meetings in FY 24/25 to provide timely updates to customers and enhance feedback from customers to management and the Board of Directors. We anticipate hosting a Farmers’ Council meeting at the end of June – please join us!
Regular District Board of Directors meetings are now scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. and are held at the District offices: 34274 State Highway 16 in Woodland. You can review previous agendas on our website at the following link: https://ycfcwcd.org/agendas-meeting-minutes/.
We really appreciate the opportunity to serve you and maintain Yolo County agriculture.
Please reach out to me with any questions, suggestions, or concerns: 530.723.3467.
Thank you,
