Westlands Water District
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Westlands Water District is a water district in southern California, formed in 1952. The Westlands Water District receives its water from the Central Valley Project, and provides water to farms in an area of approximately 600,000 acres in Fresno County and Kern County.
Westlands has been the focal point for many controversial water issues in California because of its size--it is the largest agricultural water district in the country. The Reclamation Act of 1902 required that farmers live on their land (Westlands had many absent landowners at the time of federal contracting) and only receive water for 160 acres (In 1968, 11% of the owners owned 84% of the land).
Instead of enforcing the Act, congress passed the Reclamation Reform Act in 1982, boosting allowable irrigated acreage to 960 acres and eliminating the provision that landowners remain near their lands. Furthermore, in building the San Luis Unit, the federal government agreed to build a drain as well, well aware the irrigation in parts of Westlands would saturate the rootzone. However, only the first part of the drain was ever completed, and this half-completed drain created Kesterson Wildlife Refuge. Further construction of the drain was halted by financial and NIMBY interests.
Because of the wildlife problems at Kesterson, Westlands was given a couple years to stop using it. In doing so, they have been forced to become one of the most efficient water users, something they are proud to advertise.
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