The Modesto Irrigation District (MID) is a

special-purpose district Special districts (also known as special service districts, special district governments, limited purpose entities, or special-purpose districts) are independent, special-purpose governmental units that exist separately from local governments such ...

that provides irrigation and drinking water, and electrical service, to customers in the

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...

within

Stanislaus County, California , image_skyline = , image_caption = Images, from top down, left to right: Modesto Arch, Knights Ferry's General Store, a view of the Tuolumne River from Waterford , image_flag = , i ...

. It was the second established

irrigation district In the United States an irrigation district is a cooperative, self-governing public corporation set up as a subdivision of the State government, with definite geographic boundaries, organized, and having taxing power to obtain and distribute water f ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, using the resources of the

Tuolumne River The Tuolumne River ( Yokutsan: ''Tawalimnu'') flows for through Central California, from the high Sierra Nevada to join the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley. Originating at over above sea level in Yosemite National Park, the Tuolumne ...

. The district now supplies irrigation water to 3,100 agricultural customers, electrical service to over 120,000 customers, and drinking water to the city of

Modesto Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...

History

The Modesto Irrigation District was the second irrigation district to be established in

, in July 1887, under the

Wright Act of 1887 The Wright Act of 1887 is a state law of California passed by the legislature on March 7, 1887, that allowed farming regions to form and bond irrigation districts which allowed small farm owners to band together, pool resources, and get water to whe ...

, which allowed the formation of special-purpose districts throughout California. The voters within the district's proposed boundaries were overwhelmingly in favor of the formation, but a determined opposition to the district's formation and taxing authority carried on a legal battle with the district until the US Supreme Court sided with the district in 1898. Anti-irrigationists continued to prevent the collection of taxes until 1901. The district initially sought to divert water from the

Stanislaus River The Stanislaus River is a tributary of the San Joaquin River in north-central California in the United States. The main stem of the river is long, and measured to its furthest headwaters it is about long. Originating as three forks in the high ...

, but ultimately decided that the

was a better source of water. In 1893, the La Grange Dam was completed, enclosing La Grange Reservoir. This small dam provided a diversion point for water delivered to the

Turlock Irrigation District Turlock is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. Its estimated 2019 population of 73,631 made it the second-largest city in Stanislaus County after Modesto. History Founded on December 22, 1871, by prominent grain farmer Jo ...

, which provided 2/3 of the building cost. After a long delay caused by legal battles, the district finally started providing irrigation water in 1903. Between 1904 and 1913 the Modesto Irrigation District, Turlock Irrigation District, and the city of

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

were embroiled in a dispute over the use of the Tuolumne River. San Francisco needed more drinking water, and the two districts wanted to continue exclusive use of the river. Despite opposition from

John Muir John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, a ...

and the

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...

, San Francisco ultimately prevailed with the passing of the

Raker Act The Raker Act was an act of the United States Congress that permitted building of the O'Shaughnessy Dam and flooding of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. It is named for John E. Raker, its chief sponsor. The Act, passed by ...

, which authorized construction of the O'Shaughnessy Dam on the Tuolumne River, and eventually turned the

Hetch Hetchy Valley Hetch Hetchy is a valley, a reservoir, and a water system in California in the United States. The glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River. For thousands of years bef ...

into the

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Hetch Hetchy is a valley, a reservoir, and a water system in California in the United States. The glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River. For thousands of years bef ...

. By 1940, San Francisco and the two districts had become allies to protect and develop the Tuolumne River watershed. In 1911, the Modesto Dam was completed, enclosing the

Modesto Reservoir Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...

. The first

Don Pedro Dam The Don Pedro Dam, since 1971 also known as the Old Don Pedro Dam, was a dam across the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne County, California. The structure still exists and is flooded underneath Don Pedro Reservoir, which is formed by the New Don Pedro ...

was completed in 1923, enclosing

Don Pedro Reservoir Don Pedro Reservoir, also known as Lake Don Pedro, is a reservoir formed by the construction of the New Don Pedro Dam across the Tuolumne River in Tuolumne County, California, United States. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard As ...

. The dam construction costs were divided between the district and the Turlock Irrigation district. In 1971, the second

was completed, enlarging the reservoir from 290,000 acre feet to 2,030,000 acre feet. Electrical service started in 1923, after the Don Pedro Powerhouse connected with the Don Pedro Dam was completed. In 1978, the district merged with the Waterford Irrigation District. In 1994, the district started drinking water service to

after the Modesto Regional Water Treatment Plant was completed.

Reservoirs and dams

There are three reservoirs operated by the Modesto Irrigation District: *

(

New Don Pedro Dam New Don Pedro Dam, often known simply as Don Pedro Dam, is an earthen embankment dam across the Tuolumne River, about northeast of La Grange, in Tuolumne County, California. The dam was completed in 1971, after four years of construction, to ...

) - 2,030,000 acre feet *

( Modesto Dam) - 29,000 acre feet * La Grange Reservoir ( La Grange Dam) - 500 acre feet

Other facilities

The district operates several major facilities: * Don Pedro Powerhouse - Electricity Generation * McClure Generation Station - Electricity Generation * Ripon Generation Station - Electricity Generation * Woodland Generation Stations - Electricity Generation * Stone Drop Generation Station - Electricity Generation * New Hogan Powerhouse - Electricity Generation * Modesto Regional Water Treatment Plant - Water Treatment

Governance and management

The Modesto Irrigation District is governed by a

Board of Directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

. The Board of Directors consists of five members, one from each geographical division of the district. A Board President and Vice President are selected yearly by the board. Daily management is provided by a General Manager and four Assistant General Managers (AGMs) The Board of Directors has the following members as of 5 Dec 2013: *Larry Byrd (Division 1) *John Mensinger (Division 2) *Paul Campbell (Division 3) *Stu Gilman (Division 4) *Nick Blom (Division 5) The General Management consists of: *Scott Furgerson (General Manager) *Greg Salyer (Senior Assistant General Manager Electric Operations) *James McFall (Assistant General Manager Electric Operations) *Scott Van Vuren (Assistant General Manager Finance/Treasurer) *Ed Franciosa (Assistant General Manager Transmission & Distribution) *John Davids (Assistant General Manager Water Operations)

References

External links

* {{Coord, 37.6436, -121.0026, type:landmark_region:US-CA, display=title Irrigation Districts of the United States Government of Stanislaus County, California Agriculture in California Energy infrastructure in California Water in California Modesto, California San Joaquin Valley Special districts of California Tuolumne River 1887 establishments in California Organizations established in 1887