This is what businesses do, he said. At the upper limit of 300 days per year, that could mean Boswell is pumping up to 140,000 acre feet a year. Vidovich isnt the only pumper in that area, his supporters note. Those figures dont include recent land purchases hes made in the Kern Delta Water District and Fresno Irrigation District both areas Sandridge is targeting for even more land purchases because of its solid rights to the Kern and San Joaquin rivers. Vidovich continues to run De Anza and in a surprisingly hands-on manner. At one point, he was moving nearly 30,000 acre feet a year, according to Angiolas records. Sandridge Partners, controlled by Vidovich, is building a 10-mile-long route on its properties to ship water from its wells in the north to its thirsty fields in the south. Contributed Developer, farmer and water trader John Vidovich plans to build a beef feedlot and processing plant near Lemoore according to a preliminary application filed with the county. He owns the land next to the aqueduct where the reservoir would be built and is the one who brought the floodwater project idea to Semitropic a few years ago. There, a company he controls, Sandridge Partners, grows . And the consequences of this could be far reaching. In a letter to the state last summer, Boswells vice president attorney Jeof Wyrick who chairs the El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency, accused Vidovich of moving groundwater out of the area via pipeline where it cannot be tracked. Once a river is at flood stage, that usually means all other rights have been filled and the overflow is free game. Right, smoke from local fires mutes the South San Joaquin Valley sky over I-5 and farms operated by . Previously, Hugues was a principal investment professional at GDF SUEZ, leading transaction in LNG, infrastructure and power projects globally. I dont believe we should be sending water to LA, he said. state water?) Page said Vidovich is a tough businessman but thats all. 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. Theres nothing hidden about how Sandridge moves water, he said. At Sunridge Partners, Hugues has also been CFO of a portfolio business. Legendary Valley Thoroughbred Elected to Racing Hall of Fame, Collision Ends Smyly Perfect Game Bid, Cubs Top Dodgers 13-0, Analysis Boswell Company, and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich, will be back in court March 23 where Judge Valerie Chrissakis will decide whether the Sandridge pipeline is subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Home | DMCA | SJV Content Use | Contact, Copyright 2022 SJV Water. The case is being heard in Kern County by Judge David Lampe. That could trigger intervention by the State Water Resources Control Board, SGMAs enforcement arm. For his part, Vidovich is ready for the water pinch. Something Vidovich declared is Really, really not cool, in an area that has already sunk more than 11 feet in the past 14 years because of groundwater extractions. They have the original 1881 homestead certificate signed by a secretary in the James Garfield administration for 80 acres southeast of Lemoore, where they still live and farm. For his part, Vidovich said the issue isnt about water transfers, its about over-pumping. About 25,000 acre feet of groundwater. He said he bought his first parcel here in 1994 when he invested in a foreclosed property in Kings County. After all, Vidovich, water and pipelines have a history in Kings County. Enter your email address to receive INSTANT ALERTS of new articles and to be added to SJV Waters WEEKLY NEWSLETTER. Posted on August 6, 2018 Bakersfield Californian. As for Angiolas involvement, Chrissakis found a Jan. 17 letter to Tulare Lake Canal Company, in which Angiola says it will use the pipeline and indemnify the canal company for any damage from the pipeline, highly relevant.. Kings County approved 1,238 new agricultural well permits between the start of the last drought in 2012 and 2021, according to county records. Between March and May of this year, 25 new sales were recorded in Kern alone, according to ParcelQuest, a web service that tracks real estate deals by county. Two giant Central Valley farming companies are slinging serious mud at one another over groundwater. The fight has spilled out in public comments on the Tulare Lake Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan, which covers most of Kings County. Its a decimal point, Vidovich said of state water amounts compared to what farmers use from rivers and groundwater. Meanwhile, Smith hopes his young children will one day take his place on the tractor. Both men saw Hurleys involvement in numerous local districts including Angiola, Deer Creek Storm Water District, Green Valley Water District and the Tri-County Water Authority, a newly formed GSA, as more Vidovich control. Theres a mythology out there that Angiola is stealing water, he said. 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. But, she said, her department cant really step in until it has reviewed groundwater plans submitted to the state in 2020. He does enough farming in the area to make it look like hes a farmer. The SDGs where we. Will Political Reality Shape a Mighty Morro Bay Wind? Boswell and Vidovich also find themselves on opposite sides of whether the Kings River is being fully utilized by all of its rights holders. Except when you plug John Vidovichs name into the equation. 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. 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. Now, hes involved in a project that could set him up as a water marketer on an extreme scale. At this point, he said, he uses about 30 percent of his land for farming and 70 percent for water. It has 61 wells capable of pumping a combined 240 cubic feet per second. Our farming company, Sandridge Partners, farms thousands of acres of almonds each year in the central region of California providing an ever-increasing supply of almonds. A skill his detractors say hes used to maneuver water away from its rightful place to his own benefit. She can be reached atlois.henry@sjvwater.org. Boswell and Sandridge are the two biggest kids on the block when it comes to farming and water in Kings County. People just dont want to face the music.. In one battle, the Kings River Water Association, where Boswell is a major rights holder, is suing Tulare Lake Reclamation District 761 and Sandridge Partners, run by Vidovich, for shipping its Kings River water to lands it owns in western Kings County. 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. He specialised in product and growth strategy projects within the consumer and food space. Latest allegation in Boswell-Vidovich ditch bank battle: Environmental laws were willfully ignored . It will likely never be forgotten that Vidovich sold the rights to 14,000 acre feet of State Water Project water for $79 million in 2009 to the San Bernardino-based Mojave Water District. Im at a loss to understand why Angiola would execute a hold harmless agreement, putting its funds at risk and opening the district to liability, but then says the pipeline isnt on our property so its not our project, Chrissakis said during Fridays hearing. Philipp Saumweber is an experienced principal investor and operator in the agriculture sector, which he has worked in for over a decade and has deployed capital across the agricultural value chain in Europe, North America and Australasia. Exactly what groundwater would be moved? But its difficult when right next door theyre dropping [water levels] 60 to 100 feet, Russ Freeman, Westlands Deputy General Manager for water resources, said in a previous SJV Water article. Some farmers cant afford to do either, making the difficult decision to get out of agriculture all together. The land in and around the city of Corcoran has been subsiding for many years, the Southwest Kings GSA comment letter states. Groundwater and floodwater are two very different things. You may have never heard of John Vidovich, but his impact on the day-to-day life of the average southern San Joaquin Valley farmer is difficult to be understated. In fact, Vidovich frequently moves water by pipeline, Pace said, pointing to a massive line Vidovich installed that appears to take Angiola groundwater through his Dudley Ridge lands. Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP acts as the investment advisor for the Sunridge funds that invest in agribusinesses globally. My dad said it from day one, hed rather own all the water than all the gold in the ground, Smith said. Water, Latest The large, black pipe could be seen . It is an administrator, delivering supplies on direction of its landowners, such as Sandridge, said Sandridge attorney Marshall Whitney. Ultimately, he said, even if Boswell and Sandridge did move all their state water out of Kings County, its a fairly minor loss to the county. John Lewis plc, 171 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5NN. Vidovich would also get a cut of the floodwater and be allowed to use the facilities to move some groundwater, per the project contract. In aprevious story about the Tulare Lake Subbasin groundwater plan, SJV Water noted that it included only vague outlines for how it planned to manage the areas overdraft and most pumping reduction plans wouldnt kick in until 2035, five years before SGMAs deadline. It specifically set aside $2.7 billion for water storage projects. Number two, Angiola is trying to maintain the local aquifer by retiring land to limit pumping. Weather. Five key principles guide us in a unified approach across the food and agribusiness investment landscape: Safeguarding and improving the livelihoods and social wellbeing of individuals producing food and processing agricultural products, Conserving, protecting and enhancing our natural ecosystems, Instilling transparent governance within natural and human systems, Fostering holistic innovation and sustainable growth for all stakeholders. His strategy has always been to use about 30% of his land for farming and 70% for its water. It got to a point where the only way we could get an approval was to go to the voters, he told the Silicon Valley Business Journal hours after filing the initiative paperwork in April 2016. If the plans are rejected and local groundwater agencies refuse to make corrections, the state can refer the issue to the Water Resources Control Board, which could set pumping limits and issue fines but only after a lengthy process. The sale is still considered a blow to Kings water portfolio by other farmers. Since 2009, the company has transferred or sold 102,000 acre feet of its surface water out of the county, according to records from DWR, Tulare Lake Basin Storage District and the Kern County water agency. 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. SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Looking back, he said he wouldnt make that sale today. Vidovich says his quote was clipped and sewn back together to make it sound bad. Wyrick writes that it is believed Sandridge uses a canal/pipeline system to move groundwater from the Tule and Westside subbasins south and west for use in the Southwest Kings GSA as well as lands in the Kern Subbasin. But thats water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, not native Kings County water. })(); Ghana Business News Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved, Inside the News by Mpakoo All pieces appearing in this column are satire. Page had been a longtime board member of the Semitropic Water District and Vidovich wanted that kind of expertise. We listen to our customers, understand their needs and are never satisfied until they are. 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. Its unclear if Boswell is selling surface water on a regular basis, but according to invoices obtained by SJV Water, the company did sell 49,000 acre feet of its Kings River water out of the county for $47.5 million in 2015 and 2016 and another 35,000 acre feet of river water for an undisclosed amount in 2019. 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. Farmers in Giant Game of SGMA Dodgeball. The plaintiffs, Kings County Ventures and Green Renewable Organic and Water Holdings, sued after the deal fell through in 2009 for their Quay Valley project. var cx = '013080029684751512081:kj7d0adj7da'; They argued that McCarthy Farms breached a contract when they sold the land and water rights to Vidovich and Sandridge Partners, which included members of Vidovichs family. Related Story: Westlands Again Is Eyeing San Joaquin River Water. Theres so many canals and ways it can move; its hard to track, he said. The canal company sued but couldnt immediately stop the project. The GSAs are supposed to set pumping limits to stop overdraft. People complain all the time about whats happening with our water, but no one wants to do anything, he said. Validated processes that pasteurize the almonds are performed in-house. Partnership Credit Card accounts: John Lewis plc is a credit broker and not a lender, introducing the Partnership Credit Card under exclusive arrangements with the lender NewDay Ltd. Both entities are large growers in Kern County as well. So far, the 48-inch pipeline has been trenched and laid out from somewhere north of Lemoore more than 10 miles south near the community of Stratford on private land with no public notice or oversight. The judge on Thursday may find in Sandridges favor as she already issued a tentative ruling last week which noted that, The use of the heavy equipment to stop the pipe project is not a protected tactic under the law.. Attorneys for the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the giant J.G. Local All rights reserved. Smith, Walker and others fear that if large amounts of water continue to move out of Kings with little to no oversight from the state most smaller farmers will be driven out of a part of California they have called home for generations. Their concern is where Vidovich is taking the groundwater. Boswell Company and Sandridge Partners. His pumping and movement of groundwater out of its home district has also landed him in a dubious spotlight, according to media reports. And he served two terms on the Santa Clara County Planning Commission, appointed once in 1990 and he again in 2010, igniting controversy among activists concerned about sprawl. He has let large swaths of his 100,000+ acres in Kings County go fallow in order to move groundwater to more productive land, typically fields he owns in the Dudley Ridge Water District, in western Kings County. Those are just some of the indirect costs attached to moving large amounts of water out of a region, Zetland said. We are a specialist agribusiness investment group, with deep industry expertise and hands-on operating experience, helping mid-sized food and agriculture companies grow to become clear industry leaders. . But, in the last five or 10 years, only corporate guys have been coming in. Other water districts contended it was much more. In that story, Wyrick commented that a major shortcoming of all the GSAs within the area is a lack of information. But water pipelines arent permitted or monitored by Kings County, according to the county Public Works Director, so its impossible to know if they stop at the county line. From our farming company, growing partners, and all of our employees we pay attention to every detail of our almonds, from the orchards to the finished product. It might be legal, but its not moral, Karen said of water leaving Kings. If the State Water Resources Control Board decides not, it could give those rights away. Pace gave a nod to Vidovich on that count. Kings and Tulare farmers and water managers want to know. Vidovich says he uses that Angiola groundwater to farm in Dudley Ridge, so the groundwater isnt leaving its home basin. Based in Los Altos, California, De Anza Properties is a collaborative, nationwide firm owned and operated by its Principals. Philipp was an investment professional at King Street Capital, a large hedge fund, where he led investments in real asset sectors throughout Europe. Lukas works across all aspects of the firm from business development to portfolio company operations. But everybody talks about it, and were all concerned.. For all its influence and power, Boswell is notoriously tight-lipped. Latest Everyone else is leaving.. The city sued. He ran, unsuccessfully for city council in his hometown of Los Altos Hills in 2006. He became more involved with De Anza, working with his dad, whom he describes as bigger than life.. News, Latest That said, she explained the department would be looking closely at groundwater pumping and water transfers from Kings County, because it appears this is a hot spot where the math doesnt work.. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking and consumer hire activity (FRN 724309). A large water pipeline being built near Lemoore in Kings County is raising eyebrows as much for its possible uses as for the name associated with its construction John Vidovich. True, Angiolas canal stops about 23 miles southeast of the project. Though Vidovich describes them as simply having known each other at school, others in Tulare and Kings water circles say Hurley is Vidovichs right-hand man some say henchman. Though the Gilcreases expanded to 700 acres at one point, they had to sell off part of their land because they didnt have the water to keep farming it. Many Kings County farmers, who have watched water leaving their region, wonder if its being sold to Los Angeles. All rights reserved. Digging a new well can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and as each farmer chases water deeper into the earth, it not only pushes others to go deeper, it undermines expensive efforts to recharge the aquifer. Angiola also doesnt own any water. That was the last straw for Pixley, which sued in 2013. Typically, irrigation pipelines taking water from one portion of a farmers land to another dont require permitting. hattie elizabeth bilson, fear gripped him what figure of speech is it,