MEETING NOTES: Copper wire thieves vex Corcoran Irrigation District; Tri-County to look into subsidence source and spread
- Editor’s note: Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowship initiative.
Wire thieves
Corcoran Irrigation District’s General Manager Devin Eagle informed the board that wire thieves continue to hit farms, ranches and even the Corcoran office, taking wire from wells and equipment. Some damage is extensive.
The bandits usually cut through the district’s fence to nab wire from extra equipment on the property, Eagle said during the district’s Dec. 10 board meeting.
Other districts such as Tulare Irrigation District are also seeing metal thieves.
“I know TID has been hit too,” Eagle said. “So, we’re working on ideas, workshopping stuff to keep them out.”
Board member Erik Hanson said he invested in motion-sensing devices, placing them around his property. The devices ping his phone if movement occurs. Motion-activated lights are also used by others in the area who have experienced thefts.
Recharge construction
Construction was expected to begin the week of Dec. 9 for the district’s recharge basin project. Wood Brothers Inc., an excavating contractor based in Lemoore, was hired for the job.
The total cost of the project is $900,000, Eagle said. The district has spent $129,765 since January.
Funded by the El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), the project is estimated to be completed in three years.
Subsidence plans and studies
The board agreed to spend $199,200 to hire Thomas Harder & Co, a groundwater consulting firm, to perform a land subsidence analysis within a portion of the southern Tule subbasin, within groundwater sustainability agencies including Delano-Earlimart, Pixley, Eastern Tule, and Kern-Tulare.
The purpose is to determine where subsidence, land sinking, is originating from, Executive Director Deanna Jackson said. Delano-Earlimart claims subsidence from outside its boundaries has impacted its pipeline system. With a start date of Dec. 18, the consultant estimates the analysis to be completed by the end of August 2025.
The board will also look at a revised subsidence management plan for its input and suggestions at its January monthly meeting. The plan aims to minimize and avoid subsidence by monitoring areas and implementing corrective actions.
How to attend:
Corcoran ID meets at 9 a.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at its district office, 1150 6-½ Ave.
CLICK HERE
Tri-County meets at 1 p.m. on the 1st Thursday of the month at its office, 944 Whitley Ave, or online on Zoom. The Zoom information changes monthly and can be found at the top of the agenda.
Agenda and meeting packet: CLICK HERE
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