gcse.type = 'text/javascript'; Were preparing for SGMA. The data show thats already happening. It specifically set aside $2.7 billion for water storage projects. The title Baron Sandridge was given to Churchill by James II in 1685, and was his first English peerage title (his earlier title, Baron Eyemouth, had been created in 1682 by James . It now retains about 132,000 acres in Kings as well as 3,700 acres in Tulare County and 23,000 acres in Kern County, according to ParcelQuest, a property information database. However, state and water district records indicate the Boswell and Sandridge water is largely staying in the valley. Four years ago, Dudley sold several thousand acre-feet of its annual State Water Project contract to. The SDGs where we believe Sunridge can have the greatest impact are: We are a proud signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment, the leading global proponent for incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles in investment activities. Your email address will not be published. The most recent Boswell-Vidovich beef joins at least two other ongoing legal battles over water. Bigger landowners hold contracts for most of the state water brought to Kings from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and they own large portions of the private ditch companies that divvy up the Kings River water and ferry it to farms. . Im a small guy over here and the big-time guys, well I thought they were big at 10,000 acres, even theyre selling out.. Now Eric Bischoff to Tell Story in Fresno. Two giant Central Valley farming companies are slinging serious mud at one another over groundwater. Kings County is small by San Joaquin Valley standards only 1,392 square miles, or just about the size of Rhode Island. Our team includes leading industry operators and executives as well as a seasoned board of advisors from across the food and agriculture industry. But the appellate court still found Vidovich liable and he could still have to pay out a major amount. The association contends that even though those lands are in the county, they are beyond whats considered the rivers service area. And river water cannot be taken outside that service area, according to the lawsuit. Yes, locals have a bad taste in their mouths from Vidovichs water moves, I was told by several people, many of whom said they were too afraid of retaliation to use their names. Under his leadership, Buena Vista has installed a pipeline system to reduce reliance on canals, which lose a lot of water to seepage and the district has become extremely active in buying up land for water banking. He made friends everywhere he went, John Vidovich told the Mercury News in 2007. It has 61 wells capable of pumping a combined 240 cubic feet per second. While the letter was improvident, attorney Whitney said, it certainly wasnt any kind of peak behind the curtain maintaining it wasnt an official indemnification by Angiola. He came on board full-time in 2011, give or take, he said. Resnick also has lands just south of the Kings/Kern county line in Lost Hills and many of Vidovichs detractors believe thats where a lot of that Angiola groundwater is going. Vidovich, meanwhile, is accusing Boswell-backed groundwater agencies of dragging their feet on pumping reductions to the point their actions could sink the small, rural town of Corcoran up to another 11 feet. Pace farmed in the valley and partnered with Vidovich for a while. California Applicants must be a UK resident aged . And Kings County doesnt have an ordinance against moving groundwater outside its borders. John Vidovich, ultimately, followed in his fathers footsteps after obtaining a law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. Hes a 61-year-old developer who grew up on a farm in Sunnyvale in the heart of what would become the Silicon Valley. Click here to read all the comment letters on groundwater sustainability plans submitted to the Department of Water Resources. . Often an equal amount of water splits south, wreaking havoc on farmland in the old Tulare Lake bottom, about 60 miles northwest of Bakersfield. But those numbers reflect full contracted allocations. The association contends that those lands arent in the rivers service area.. The project was ordered to remain in stasis until the issue comes back to court. And in 2017, the levees had to be raised another two feet at a cost of $14 million to residents, according to the letter. - John Vidovich, owner of Sandridge Partners. They point to three new pump stations along Angiolas main canal just north of the county line that have the ability to move 100,000 acre feet a year into pipes that head south and west. The agencys role is simply to review groundwater plans to see if theyre adequate. He demanded Sandridge provide more data to the other groundwater sustainability agencies. He does enough farming in the area to make it look like hes a farmer. He started buying consistently in Kern, Kings and Tulare counties throughout the early and mid-2000s and continues to add properties sometimes at a blistering pace. A single walnut requires nearly five gallons of water to produce. On 06/28/2019 SANCHEZ filed a Labor - Wrongful Termination lawsuit against VIDOVICH. Local News, Business My dad said it from day one, hed rather own all the water than all the gold in the ground, Smith said. The plaintiffs, Kings County Ventures and Green. Boswell repeatedly declined requests for interviews on this story. Philipp was an investment professional at King Street Capital, a large hedge fund, where he led investments in real asset sectors throughout Europe. The state of California is at fault. Its an unusual letter and I was surprised to see it, Chrissakis added. California produces 99% of all domestic walnuts. Michael holds a BSE in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MSc with Distinction in Shipping, Trade, and Finance from Cass Business School. Michael began his career in commodities trading at Dominion Resources, one of the largest physical and financial traders of natural gas in the US. Page said Vidovich is a tough businessman but thats all. There is some uncertainty by El Rico GSA with regard to this request because of the hidden nature of Sandridges operations, Wyrick wrote in the June 2020 letter. He recalls that when he was growing up, the region was dotted with small dairies, orchards, rotating crops of corn, cotton and alfalfa, and open grazing land with sloughs that could absorb water in flood years. About 90% of its farms are considered family owned, according to the 2017 US Department of Agriculture farm census. That information also isnt contained in groundwater plans for the El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which covers Boswell lands almost exclusively. At the center of the controversy, a physical barrier stopping Sandridge Partners, the diversified farming and water giant owned by Santa Clara County native John Vidovich, from constructing a water pipeline in southern Kings County. Its principals and employees are rarely quoted in the media. Number one, the settlement agreement between Angiola and Lower Tule/Pixley irrigation districts wont allow Angiola or Sandridge to move the water out of Kings County. Vidovich, he said, is just the new water baron on the block, thats all. However, during testimony in the states Kings River proceeding, Boswell employee Mark Unruh said the company irrigates nearly year-round, from late October through the summer. Understanding water, water rights and the often complex structures of water districts has become a Vidovich hallmark. (Source: Sandridge Partners cross-complaint) This fight between Boswell and Sandridge is just the latest between the two farming giants, which own more than 230,000 acres in Kings County between them. If they pass a law saying I cant sell it, then I cant sell it. Our quality commitment does not stop there. When pressed, though, they acknowledged it could be done. Hurley, who also serves as general manager of Green Valley, said that basin, which is separate from the Tulare Lake basin, is actually in balance. Its a decimal point, Vidovich said of state water amounts compared to what farmers use from rivers and groundwater. Over the years, the farm has truly been a family operation with Karen keeping the books and their children helping to bring in the harvests. The land in and around the city of Corcoran has been subsiding for many years, the Southwest Kings GSA comment letter states. Indeed, as president of the board, Vidovich has a great deal of influence in directing much of the water districts business. Whether the water is leaving Kings County for cash payments or to grow crops that will eventually be sold for profit, its all the same thing, said economist David Zetland, who lectures on the politics and economics of water at Leiden University College in the Netherlands. Why work with Sunridge Partners. They are suing Angiola for what they say was Hurleys illegal takeover of the tiny Atwell Island Water District. And Vidovich has said if he had to do it over, he wouldnt make that sale. SANDRIDGE PARTNERS, L.P. Company Number 201005600010 Status Active Incorporation Date 4 February 2010 (about 13 years ago) Company Type Limited Partnership - CA Jurisdiction California (US) Registered Address 920 WEST FREMONT AVE SUNNYVALE CA 94087 United States Directors / Officers JOHN VIDOVICH, LLC, general partner Inactive Directors / Officers Vidovich says he uses that Angiola groundwater to farm in Dudley Ridge, so the groundwater isnt leaving its home basin. From 2002 to 2017, the most recent USDA farm census, the number of farms in Kings County declined 16.6%. Satellite images from NASA show the area around the well fields Angiola was pulling from is the epicenter for land subsidence in eastern Tulare County from overpumping. We pioneer innovative approaches to solve many of the headwinds facing modern agriculture and always put environmental, social and governance considerations at the heart of our investments and operations. After Vidovich sold his Dudley Ridge state water, Pace said he drilled several wells in Green Valley, built a pipeline across I-5 and took the valleys groundwater to keep his Dudley Ridge trees alive. Regardless of Thursdays ruling, onlookers can expect it wont be the end of this issue. Thats partly due to drought but also greater use. At one point, he was moving nearly 30,000 acre feet a year, according to Angiolas records. Farming runs deep in the blood of growers like Jeff and Karen Gilcrease. The case status is Disposed - Dismissed. Enter your email address to receive INSTANT ALERTS of new articles and to be added to SJV Waters WEEKLY NEWSLETTER. News In 2016, the levees had to be built up another four feet. Meanwhile, the complaint against Sandridge by Tulare Lake Canal Company is still pending. He asks DWR to demand a full accounting of how much water Sandridge moves, where it comes from and where it ends up. And the company maintains positions on just about every ag and water related board and commission in Kings, giving it considerable political heft. To do that, the state requires each area to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to account for whats going in and coming out of the aquifer. And, you know, at some point in time that water is in risk of going to an urban area. So, it went old school and blocked the pipeline with bulldozers, trucks and excavators. But farmers Jack Mitchell and Milt Pace are upfront about their distaste for Vidovich and especially Hurley. Copyright 2023 SunnyGem. But that money enabled me to go into Angiola (a water district in Tulare County) and have other water sources.. Welcome to Kings County, where water wars still rage both in and outside the courthouse and often have deeper currents than what appears in legal papers. Though he doesnt seek out media attention, when asked about water under his control, he rarely refuses to talk. Many Kings County farmers, who have watched water leaving their region, wonder if its being sold to Los Angeles. The canal company sued but couldnt immediately stop the project. Number two, Angiola is trying to maintain the local aquifer by retiring land to limit pumping. And, importantly, Angiola promised not to take the groundwater outside of Tulare or Kings counties or allow any of its landowners to do so. Sandridge owns the property that the canal cuts through, he said. Semitropic Water Storage District in Kern County has applied for the flood water which it plans to store on land owned by Vidovich near Kettleman City, between the Blakeley Canal and California Aqueduct. Boswell and Vidovich also find themselves on opposite sides of whether the Kings River is being fully utilized by all of its rights holders. Proposition 1 is a $7 billion bond passed in 2014 that would pay for a host of projects from flood control to water quality. The Water Board began holding hearings on the issue this past summer. He sold rights to more than 14,000 acre feet a year to the Mojave Water Agency in San Bernardino County for a headline-grabbing $73 million. Thats true of the entire San Joaquin Valley, where he said farmings footprint is retracting because of pumping restrictions looming under the states new groundwater law. The little guy is gone, said Walker, the walnut farmer. The case is being heard in Kern County by Judge David Lampe. We are driven by agribusiness experts, with hands-on sector specific investment, operations, and business development expertise. Water is our blood, he said, and theyre stealing it.. At the time, I was heavy with state water but the state water had low allocations and I had no other water source over there (Dudley Ridge land in western Kings County).. Will this pipeline move water out of Kings County to farmers in Kern County? Posted on August 6, 2018 Bakersfield Californian. Boswell has employed generations of Kings County families, mostly in the small town of Corcoran where a high school stadium and park bear the Boswell name. Both letters, andone submitted by the Angiola Water District, also controlled by Vidovich, stop short of asking DWR to find the plan inadequate. We partner with exceptional agriculture and food companies to guide them through rapid yet sustainable growth, to become clear industry leaders. Not a chance. But the service area boundaries have yet to be determined. Zakaria: These Revolutions May Help India Really Take off at Last, Future of California at Risk if CEQA Environmental Law Remains Unchanged, NBA Playoffs: Star-Studded Round 2 Has Big Names, Intense Rivalries. Right, smoke from local fires mutes the South San Joaquin Valley sky over I-5 and farms operated by . The entire San Joaquin Valley, including Kings County, is critically over drafted. Or even to the great water bogeyman that haunts so many valley farmers Los Angeles? As water drops, growers engage in a well-digging arms race. He paid em three times what anyone else wouldve for their land and now theyre all gettin water because of his policies, Page said. The. What is indisputable is that over the past 20-plus years, Vidovich has quietly amassed more than 100,000 acres in the Central Valley, gaining footholds on numerous water boards, which has given him control over vast amounts of groundwater the valleys lifeblood. Though he also acknowledged that during the drought he sold some to fellow Dudley Ridge landowner Stewart Resnick, who owns the massive Wonderful Company. The Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by JG Boswell Company, moved the equipment onto the canal banks in late January to block trenching for a pipeline by Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich. But the purpose of the 48-inch Sandridge pipeline has been the subject of intense curiosity since last November when farmers first noticed excavators gouging a giant trench into the earth from north of Lemoore meandering 12 miles south to Stratford and, presumably, ending in the Blakeley Canal. Work with nature; dont fight it, Avila said repeatedly. We are one of the largest vertically integrated almond suppliers in the world. Get inside access to SJV Water by becoming a member. Philipp holds a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.. SJV Water is a nonprofit, independent online news publication covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Ben holds a BComm in Economics and Finance with first class honours (Deans list) from the University of Melbourne and a BCompSc in Computer Science with first class honours from Monash University. The 5th District Court of Appeal in Fresno has overturned a $73.4 million verdict against McCarthy Family Farms and Bay Area developer John Vidovich and Sandridge Partners involving a land. His letter states that if all the groundwater being pumped out of the Tulare Lake subbasin isnt fully accounted for, that could harm other GSAs in the subbasin. Groundwater and floodwater are two very different things. So, if i cant make money on that water farming, I will sell it eventually to an urban area and thats a right I have. Nor for the man who runs it, John Vidovich, nor for his current pipeline project that will move water from various places in Kings County to various other undisclosed locations. Boswell and Vidovich are also on opposite sides of whether Kings River flood water is being fully utilized by its rights holders. Angiola also doesnt own any water. Avila, along with his wife and children, grows nearly 100 varieties of fruit trees on multiple small plots of land and sells the produce at dozens of farmers markets from Beverly Hills to San Luis Obispo. By comparison, its closest neighbors, Kern, Fresno and Tulare sit at 8,000, 6,000 and 4,800 square miles, respectively. However, Vidovichs comments do not address whether all the river and groundwater is being used in Kings County or sent elsewhere a question that has become nearly impossible to answer. We have an exceptional and experienced customer service and quality control team that supports our efforts and assist our customers with any questions they may have about our products. Water from Angiola Water District will also be moved in the line, according to a declaration by Angiola General Manager Mark Grewal. I dont believe we should be sending water to LA, he said. Boswell has declined to answer questions about its water transfers as well as the amount of groundwater it pumps. Heavy equipment blockading a pipeline project from cutting through a canal was ordered removed on Friday and the pipeline project was halted temporarily by a Kings County Superior Court judge. I did sell water out of Kings County to an urban user and people didnt like it, Vidovich said. Page had been a longtime board member of the Semitropic Water District and Vidovich wanted that kind of expertise. When asked if he applies the skills he learned in his military intelligence training to his life today, he answers that we all use the things we learn through life. The trenching was blocked in late January by heavy equipment bearing the diamond B Boswell logo after negotiations between Sandridge and Tulare Lake Canal Company stalled over an operating agreement. Through Sandridge, Vidovich owns about 130,000 acres with 38,500 acres in Kern, 82,000 acres in Kings, 9,500 acres in Tulare and 300 acres in Fresno county, per ParcelQuest. Last month, the Tulare Lake Canal Company sued Sandridge Partners, the farming and water giant owned by Santa Clara County native John Vidovich, over the construction of a water pipeline in southern Kings County. For example, Westlands Water District, which borders Kings County, plans to gather water in heavy rainfall years and inject it into the aquifer to safeguard water levels. People just dont want to face the music.. Related Story: Its Farmers vs.
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