South San Joaquin ID's board approved up to $240,000 for security, staffing and other needs as public recreation at Woodward Reservoir is set to close October 16. The district aims to restore recreation through a concessionaire after resolving county property-access issues. Directors voted to return to 9:00 a.m. meetings after irrigation season and discussed a conceptual Don Pedro–New Melones intertie without committing funds.
The board approved ending the irrigation season on October 16, with a three-day will-call extension through October 19 for growers who missed the final run. A recovery agreement was approved for the Canyon Tunnel project to add specialized ground-support engineering, with up to one million dollars contributed by the district. Staff updated the board on a municipal services review with San Joaquin LAFCO tied to pending annexations.
The board approved a temporary emergency stormwater discharge agreement with Manteca, including reserving 16 acre-feet per year for the Tara Park school sites drainage needs. Lobbyists said wildfire liability reforms did not pass, and PG&E later said it would defer $2 billion in capital spending. AB 2026 was held again, and the governor may extend or issue an executive order for winter diversions.
Staff reported progress on reopening the canyon tunnel, with the engineering team leading active work on both portals. Terra Park drainage talks with MUSD and the City of Manteca are advanced and may reach the board within the next one or two meetings ahead of rainy season. The board adopted the encroachment policy (Res. 26-27-Y) and amended it to allow earth removal within district easements by permit rather than an outright ban.
Staff noted harvest season is causing schedule adjustments for irrigation delivery, and growers were asked for patience during this period. Board approved shotline mix ($791,404.38) plus up to $40,000 for a concrete pump rental, within the existing $1.86M pipelining budget (~20,000 ft). Multiple board members noted that irrigation water quality has been notably clean this season, crediting the spray department and division managers.
