IID’s system conservation implementation agreement raises concerns at county level
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors is expected Tuesday to approve a letter to express its concerns about the Imperial Irrigation District’s 2024-2026 System Conservation Implementation Agreement. … The IID Board of Directors approved a significant conservation agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to leave up to 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead, by conserving up to 300,000 acre-feet of water a year through 2026. In exchange for the conservation agreement, the IID will receive millions in federal funding for the implementation of conservation programs … This agreement also unlocks the balance of other funding for Salton Sea mitigation efforts; however, the County is concerned that due to the lack of direct engagement and consultation from the IID during the negotiations process with USBR, other potential health and economics impacts related to agricultural water conservation were not considered nor addressed in the agreement or with the associated funding.