Oroville-Wyandotte Irrigation District Retires
(by Michael Glaze, General Manager)
After about a year of planning and evaluation, the OWID Board of Directors took action at its meeting in May to change the District’s name to South Feather Water and Power Agency. The Board’s decision to change the name was based upon a number of reasons. Especially important to directors was to have the name more accurately describe both the District’s purpose and the area it serves.
Although Oroville-Wyandotte Irrigation District provides domestic and irrigation water to portions of southeast Butte County that are close to the City of Oroville, California Water Service is the utility that delivers water to the residents and businesses of Oroville. While OWID serves a few customers who are now within the cities boundaries, its primary service area involves the communities of Kelly Ridge, Palermo, Bangor, Wyandotte, and points in between. While Wyandotte was a distinct and separate community in the early 20th century, it only has geographic identifiability to those who have been in the Oroville area for some time, but not to most of the agencies and companies outside the area with whom the District does business. Neither “Oroville” or "Wyandotte" help to identify the District’s large service area any longer.
From a legal perspective, the District will continue to operate under the California’s Irrigation Code. Nevertheless, notwithstanding the title of the law by which the District was formed, it primarily functions – as permitted by that law – as a domestic water retailer and a hydropower generator. While irrigation water is and will continue to be an important part of the services provided, it is not the principal function of the District.
Because the District’s hydropower project is licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Agency and is under the authority of many other state and federal environmental regulatory agencies, it is important that these agencies understand the District’s source of water and location of operation. The Feather River is the District’s source of water and it has geographic identifiability for those in the regulatory business. Further, the name "South Feather" ensures that the District is identified as being above the confluence of the forks of the river; that is, above Lake Oroville. This ensures that regulators and others will understand that the District’s water rights and facilities are above and not a part of the State’s Lake Oroville project and associated down-river issues.
The Board also wanted a name that would reflect the historical heritage of the District, appreciating that its roots extend back to the California gold rush. The ditch system utilized for irrigation water by the District today is a modification and expansion of the ditch network constructed by early miners who diverted water from the Feather River to their mining claims. In the late 19th century, as mining gave way to agriculture, the South Feather Land and Water Company acquired many of the miners’ ditches. Then, in 1919, Oroville-Wyandotte Irrigation District was formed and assumed responsibility for the South Feather Land and Water Company’s water distribution system. Thus, the name “South Feather” provides and maintains a historical link with the District's progenitor.
Although many OWID customers are not aware that it is a producer of hydro-electricity, power has been a major component of the District’s operations since the 1960s. Adding “Power” to the District’s name would more completely describe who it is.
Finally, the District is beginning the required process of applying to FERC for another license for its hydropower project. Before the end of the year, the Notice of Intent will be filed with FERC that will formally initiate the relicensing process. The Board decided that the District’s name should be changed before relicensing commences to eliminate possible confusion.