Hermiston Irrigation District

HERMISTON IRRIGATION DISTRICT

2010

Spring Water News

ANNUAL MEETING

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 6:00pm

In the HID Shop Building

This years’ annual meeting will be held February 24, 2010, at 6:00pm in the Hermiston Irrigation District shop building on the corner of Hurlburt Ave. and 4^th St . The meeting will include our usual beef and bean dinner followed by a presentation from Oregon Water Resources Department on the Integrated Water Resources Strategy, peak and ecological flows and the potential effect it could have on HID followed by a brief report on maintenance activities this past season. This will also provide an opportunity to meet your new ditch riders and other District employees.

Since we will be serving a meal we ask that you please RSVP by Friday, February 19, 2010, either by returning the attached form at the bottom of this newsletter, emailing us at hid@eoni.com or calling our office at 541-567-3024. We look forward to seeing you and your spouse at the annual meeting.

2009 was a good year for water and we are waiting to see how 2010 stacks up. From the Board’s perspective 2009 was a fairly quiet year.

We have not made any progress with the Exchange Contract but hold onto the hope that personnel changes in the Bureau of Reclamation will result in some movement on their part. The other big issue for us is negotiating our water right with the State of Oregon Water Resources Department. Both OWRD and BOR seem to be ready to work on this project. Neither of these projects affect our ability to provide water to our patrons at this time.

We have been working diligently for the last few years at completing piping projects to enable us to conserve water. This year our crew has been working on the largest of these projects and plan to have the “I”-Line piped and ready for the irrigation season. These piping projects have been funded through a variety of grants with matching funds being our labor and equipment costs. It will be necessary to update our Conservation Plan in the near future to reflect the improvements we have made and to identify new needs.

At last we have been able to garner enough grant money to allow us to move forward on replacing the “I”-Line canal with a pipeline. Planning and preparation have been taking place for over three years now, but finally the actual work has started. Our first task was to remove the old cement lining that was in much of the canal and clear any trees and brush that was within the easement to allow for the new pipeline. At this point, approximately two-thirds of that task is done and we have started laying pipe. As we lay pipe we are installing new hook-ups for existing pumps as well as access for those who will be installing pumps. There are several locations where laterals take off of the mainline that will be stubbed out and then completed when all of the mainline is finished.

The great cooperation that we have experienced from property owners along the easement for the pipeline has certainly made the task more enjoyable. Even though this easement and pipeline parallel Lloyd Road for about 2000 feet and driveways and front yards must be excavated through the cooperation of property owners has been exceptional. A huge Thank-you goes out to the property owners along Lloyd Road. Fortunately the remaining path of the “I”-Line is not parallel to a roadway and is much less congested.

Once completed we will have a 3.1 mile mainline and .46 mile of delivery system which will provide reliable delivery to water users in that area. At the same time we will achieve water conservation and public safety. With this conservation it will help us to extend our water delivery season for benefit to all water users.

As spring rapidly heads our way we will be out getting the delivery system ready for the 2010 season. Please remove all obstacles within the ditch and pipeline easements; we can work much more efficiently if we do not have to work around or remove obstacles you have left for us. If you are having a problem with a screen or head gates please let us know so we can get these problems fixed. Don’t wait until two weeks before the water season begins to notify us, that’s to late and the chance of getting the repair done is minimal at best. If you have a drain ditch running through your property please spend some time getting that channel ready for water. Get your flood ditches cleaned and ready for your water. Sprinkler nozzles should be checked, as sand will wear them. If you find they are worn, replacement will insure efficient coverage of your irrigated lands.

Gates and fences are only allowed with the District’s approval. Most easements and rights-of-way are shared between the Hermiston Irrigation District and the Bureau of Reclamation. It is extremely important to contact us first if you are planning to put a fence close to an irrigation ditch. Other obstacles such as camp trailers, cars and boats need to remain off the irrigation easement. Most of these easements have been attached to your land for over a hundred years and they were set a side specifically to ensure that all of our water users can get their water deliveries and the facilities can be maintained. Please call the office if you have any questions.

It is very important that you only irrigate land with a water right. Example: If you have 10 acres of land with 5 acres of water right, a map filed with the State shows where on the 10 acres you can irrigate. You must beneficially irrigate your land at least once every five years to maintain this right. The State of Oregon Water Resource Department and the District are watching this beneficial use closely. Again, if you have questions please call the District office.

Please call your ditch rider 12 hours in advance if you will not be using your flood water at your scheduled time. Also if you have an emergency and have to shut off early notify the ditch rider as soon as possible so that adjustments may be made to prevent unwanted flooding down stream. Please remember that if you have water leaving your property you are not making efficient use of it. Also, if you receive your water through a pipeline and have a pump of 5Hp or more you need to notify your ditch rider before you start up or shut down. Your use or non-use along with others may require adjustments of the canal that feeds the pipeline. As we strive to be good stewards of this precious resource your cooperation is necessary.

Assessments are mailed out in February and are due by March 1^st. The Board of Directors has resolved to allow assessments in two payments without penalty. Under this payment arrangement the first half of the assessment is due March 1^st however, the second half may be paid by June 30^th without any penalties or interest.

Any assessments not paid in full by July 31^st are considered delinquent and are subject to collection procedures as follows:

March 31 HID will begin charging interest plus a $2 per month statement fee on all accounts that do not have at least the first half of the assessment paid.

July 31 HID will begin charging interest plus a $2 per month statement fee on the balance of the account.

August HID will send out Fair Debt Act Notices. Any patron in dispute must submit their dispute in writing within 30 days or the debt will be considered valid as presented.

September A Notice of Claim of Lien is filed with the Umatilla County Court. A $180 lien fee and a $15 certified letter fee is added to the account, plus any other incurred expenses.

December Accounts are forwarded to the District’s attorney for foreclosure proceedings as directed by the Board

Accounts sent to the District’s Attorney for collections or foreclosure will be charged as follows: A $200 initial attorney contact charge, $325 for Title Search Request Fees, and all actual costs incurred by the District. Delinquent statement charges and interest will be added accordingly.

If you are unable to pay the assessment in the timeline given, PLEASE call the Business Manager and make acceptable payment arrangements. We do not want to see anyone have to go to collections. It is costly for yourself and the District.