Representative Clients
Turlock Irrigation District
Founded in 1887, the Turlock Irrigation District is the oldest irrigation district in California. TID diverts an average of 600,000 acre-feet of water per year from the lower Tuolumne River for delivery within its 308 square mile irrigation service area. TID owns pre-1914 and post-1914 water rights on the Tuolumne River. TID is also a vertically integrated electric utility with hydroelectric, natural gas, coal, and geothermal generation resources, transmission, and retail distribution to electric customers within a 662-square mile service area, primarily within Stanislaus and Merced Counties. In 2005, TID became an autonomous electric service control area within the expansive Western Interconnection territory governed by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. TID is the 68.46% owner and project manager of the FERC-licensed Don Pedro Project (FERC Project No. 2299). Don Pedro Reservoir, with a maximum storage capacity of 2,030,00 acre-feet, is the sixth largest reservoir in the State of California and the largest reservoir in the State not owned by the Federal or State government. TID also owns and/or operates nine small hydroelectric power plants. Within our role as TID’s General Counsel, the firm advises TID on water rights, fish and wildlife, and environmental issues on the Tuolumne River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Our firm has been TID’s attorney since late 1976.
On December 8, 2003, TID successfully closed its purchase from Pacific Gas & Electric Company of 225 square miles of retail electric distribution service area, including electric distribution and subtransmission facilities, within Western Stanislaus County, including the City of Patterson and the community of Crows Landing, and of 12 squares miles of undeveloped territory located south of Don Pedro Reservoir within a portion of Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. TID’s retail electric service area now extends to the Santa Clara County line. Roger Masuda was on the TID negotiating team and was a primary drafter of the transactional documents.
Don Pedro Recreation Agency
Don Pedro Reservoir, with a maximum storage capacity of 2,030,00 acre-feet, is the sixth largest reservoir in the State of California. The reservoir has three recreation areas, 550 campsites, and two marinas that are managed by the Don Pedro Recreation Agency, a department of the Turlock Irrigation District. Management oversight is provided by the Board of Control consisting of representatives from Turlock Irrigation District, Modesto Irrigation District, and the City and County of San Francisco - the three agencies responsible for DPRA's costs. Sara Lima is the attorney for the DPRA and the Board of Control.
County of Butte
Butte County has extensive groundwater resources. Lake Oroville, the second largest reservoir in the State of California, is located entirely within the county. Under a 1996 voter-approved initiative, Butte County regulates groundwater substitute pumping and the export of groundwater. Butte County is also a State Water Project contractor. Since March 1991, we have been special water counsel to the County advising the County on groundwater management, water resources, and State Water Contract issues. From 2000 to 2005, Roger Masuda served as Butte County’s Relicensing Coordinator for the relicensing by the California Department of Water Resources of the Oroville Facilities (FERC Project No. 2100) pursuant to FERC’s Alternative Licensing Procedures.
La Grange Domestic Water System
The Turlock Irrigation District manages and operates the La Grange Domestic Water System by treating and distributing surface water to the Town of La Grange located in Eastern Stanislaus County. Sara Lima advises TID on legal matters relating to the water system.
Merquin County Water District
The Merquin County Water District is located in the Stevinson area of Merced County at the confluence of the Merced and San Joaquin Rivers, hence the name. The District delivers irrigation water to customers located on about 6,000 acres of farm land. The District’s water supply is primarily surface water, although it owns and operates 20 groundwater wells to supplement its surface water supply. The firm has been MCWD’s attorney since October 1988.
Turlock Mosquito Abatement District
The Turlock Mosquito Abatement District was formed in 1946. Today the District controls mosquitoes within an area of 966 square miles. The District’s eight-member Board of Trustees consists of five members appointed by the cities of Turlock, Hughson, Ceres, Patterson, and Newman and three members representing the unincorporated areas of Stanislaus County within the District’s service area. The firm has been TMAD’s attorney since 2006.
Tuolumne Wind Project Authority
The Tuolumne Wind Project Authority, a joint powers agency, was formed in 2008 by the Turlock Irrigation District and Walnut Energy Center Authority for the purpose of acquiring a wind farm comprised of 62 wind turbines with an approximately 137 megawatt nameplate capacity located in Klickitat County, Washington. The Turlock Irrigation District would purchase all of the capacity and energy from the wind farm. The firm is TWPA’s General Counsel.
Utica Power Authority
The Utica Power Authority, a joint powers agency in Eastern Calaveras County, was formed in 1995 by the City of Angels, the Union Public Utility District, and Calaveras County Water District. In 2004, CCWD withdrew completely from UPA. UPA owns senior pre-1914 water rights on the North Fork Stanislaus River, Mills Creek, Angels Creek, and French Gulch, the Utica canal system, and two Green Power hydroelectric projects, the Utica Project (FERC Project No. 2019) and the Angels Project (FERC Project No. 2699). UPA delivers untreated surface water to the City of Angels (better known as Angels Camp, the home of Mark Twain’s jumping frog), to the UPUD, which includes the Town of Murphys, and to UPA’s own irrigation customers. The firm is Special Water Counsel to UPA.
Walnut Energy Center Authority
The Walnut Energy Center Authority, a joint powers agency, was formed in 2003 by the Turlock Irrigation District and the Merced Irrigation District for the purposes of developing and operating the Walnut Energy Center, which is a 250 MW natural gas-fired, combustion-turbine based, combined-cycle generating plant. The plant went into commercial operation in February 2006. The firm is WECA’s General Counsel.
Western Hills Water District
Western Hills Water District, a California water district, provides water, sewer, and storm drainage services to the Diablo Grande golf resort development near the City of Patterson, California. Diablo Grande is a master-planned community within some 33,000 acres. WHWD has a June 5, 2000 water supply contract with the Kern County Water Agency wherein WHWD purchased 8,000 acre-feet per year of water in KCWA’s groundwater banks, which water will be exchanged with KCWA’s State Water Project Table A water so that water from the California Aqueduct will be delivered to WHWD at WHWD’s aqueduct turnout. Because of the phased development of Diablo Grande, the water supply is phased in and reaches 8,000 acre-feet in 2013. The 2009 water entitlement is 5,900 acre-feet, which can be reduced depending upon the final 2009 SWP water delivery allocation. The firm is WHWD’s General Counsel.
Westside Power Authority
The Westside Power Authority, a joint powers agency, was formed in August 2000, by the Turlock Irrigation District and the Patterson Irrigation District to explore the acquisition of Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s electric distribution and subtransmission facilities on the Westside of Stanislaus County. During the process of acquiring those facilities from PG&E, PID agreed that it would be more cost effective and in the best interests of the Westside electric customers for TID to directly acquire those facilities, which acquisition closed on December 8, 2003. The WPA continues as a joint planning agency on power and water issues. The firm is WPA’s General Counsel.
