Friant Water Authority Adds Members, New Board Officers Take Positions

For Immediate Release:

January 26, 2017

Lindsay, Calif. – During its first Board of Directors meeting of the year today, the Friant Water Authority (FWA) approved the addition of two member districts, and welcomed three new officers to positions on the Board.

During the meeting, the Board approved membership agreements for Madera Irrigation District and Hills Valley Irrigation District. Both districts were previously members of FWA. Madera Irrigation District left the organization in 2015 during a period when the Friant Division was challenged by two consecutive years without a contract water supply allocation from the Bureau of Reclamation. With both districts rejoining, FWA now represents the largest portion of the Friant Division of any organization, both in terms of acreage and Central Valley Project contract water supplies. Madera Irrigation District includes 131,000 acres and 271,000 acre-feet of contract supply, and Hills Valley Irrigation District has 1,250 acre-feet of contract supply.

“Today’s Friant Water Authority is a very different organization from the one Madera Irrigation District voted to leave in 2015,” said James Erickson, Madera Irrigation District Board President. “Guided by Chief Executive Officer Jason Phillips, the Friant Water Authority Board and staff have made some tremendous improvements in how they conduct business, build relationships, and get results that benefit both our growers and the entire Friant Division. This was directly related to our decision to rejoin Friant.”

“We believe that Friant Water Authority has proved itself to be a good value for its members and the farmers and communities they represent, which is why our Board voted to come back,” said Loren Booth, Hills Valley Irrigation District Board President. In addition to the two districts rejoining, three Board members participated in the first meeting of 2017 in new leadership roles to which they were nominated during the Board’s December 9, 2016, meeting. Kent Stephens, of Kern-Tulare Water District, assumed the position of Chairman. Kent served as Vice Chairman in 2016. Chris Tantau, of Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, now serves as Vice Chairman. Georgeanne White, of the City of Fresno and the designated alternate for Mayor Lee Brand, now serves as Secretary/Treasurer. These officers will hold their positions through the end of 2018.

“Last year, Friant Water Authority changed how we operated and worked to better integrate Friant Division farmers in oversight and decision-making,” said Kent Stephens, FWA Board Chair. “I’m honored by the confidence my fellow Board members and the Friant community have placed in me, and I’m excited about our plans for 2017 to build upon the successes of last year.”

Contact:
Alexandra Biering
916-628-0431
abiering@friantwater.org

FWA is a joint-powers authority formed in 2004 by a majority of the water agencies receiving water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. Its primary purposes are to operate and maintain the Friant-Kern Canal and to serve the information and representation needs of its member agencies.

Friant Water Authority Names Douglas DeFlitch as Chief Operating Officer

For Immediate Release:

December 20, 2016

Lindsay, Calif. – The Friant Water Authority (FWA) has selected Douglas DeFlitch to serve as its first Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Lindsay, California, where he will oversee the FWA operations and maintenance work, budgets, and administration. DeFlitch will assume his new position on January 16, 2017. 

DeFlitch has spent the last 10 years as a Hydrologist and Manager for the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). Since 2013 his assignments included four Reclamation projects in central and western Oregon. Some of the major programs he has managed include the Rogue River Project Biological Opinion implementation, the Deschutes Habitat Conservation Plan development, and the Scoggins Dam Safety of Dams project. From 2006 to 2013, DeFlitch served as a Supervisory Hydrologist for Reclamation at the South-Central California Area Office in Fresno, and as lead operator at Friant Dam. He has also performed several temporary assignments including Chief Hydrologist for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and Deputy Area Manager for the South-Central California Area Office. Before his federal career, he was a Water Resources Specialist for the Friant Water Users Authority (predecessor to FWA) and Geologist for ENSR Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA. DeFlitch holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Geology from the University of Pittsburgh and California State University, Fresno, respectively. He is also a graduate of the USDA Graduate School Executive Leadership Program. 

“This is an ideal time to welcome Doug back to the Friant family,” said Jason Phillips, Friant Water Authority’s Chief Executive Officer. “Doug’s experience with Reclamation, his understanding of the Friant Division and the critical issues facing our water users, and his experience leading and managing teams is exactly what FWA needs. Anyone who’s met Doug knows the energy and enthusiasm he’ll bring to this role, which was something our Board also recognized in Doug.” 

“I'm excited to be back in the Valley, representing great people who do amazing work,” said DeFlitch. “Family farms, businesses, and cities depend on a reliable supply from Friant for their livelihood. The confidence the FWA Board and CEO have in my ability to succeed means a lot to me and will be important to our overall success.”

Contact:
Alexandra Biering
916-628-0431
abiering@friantwater.org

FWA is a joint-powers authority formed in 2004 by a majority of the water agencies receiving water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. Its primary purposes are to operate and maintain the Friant-Kern Canal and to serve the information and representation needs of its member agencies.

Statement on Passage of the WIIN Act

For Immediate Release:

December 10, 2016

Lindsay, Calif. –

The Friant Water Authority (FWA) and Friant North Authority (FNA) jointly released the following statement on passage by Congress of California drought relief provisions as part of the larger Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act (WIIN) (S. 612):

Jason Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of the Friant Water Authority:

“Passage of the WIIN Act represents critical and timely step toward addressing the acute water problems facing us locally in the droughtstricken areas of California, and important movement toward modernizing our water infrastructure nationally. Although more must be done on this issue, under the circumstances we consider the actions mandated in the WIIN Act an important beginning in our efforts to develop a comprehensive, long‐term solution to address some of California’s persistent water challenges.

We greatly appreciate the efforts of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senator Dianne Feinstein and the Members of the Central Valley Delegation and their staffs, all of whom have worked tirelessly over the past three years to improve the flexibility and operations of our water system during this extreme drought. There is still more to be done, but the provisions approved by Congress will ensure that we’ll be able to capture desperately needed water from the coming winter storms. And facing a fifth year of drought, the communities and farms of the San Joaquin Valley are truly desperate for water. We in the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project offer our gratitude and congratulations to the Members of the California delegation who have worked so hard to respond to the needs of their constituents and all Californians. We look forward to working with them, the new Administration, and the incoming Members in 2017 to develop comprehensive, long‐term solutions to this persistent challenge and to finish the job we began this year.”

David Orth, Executive Officer of the Friant North Authority:

“The California water provisions of the WIIN Act are the product of hard‐fought bipartisan effort. We spent nearly three years working with Members in both houses, officials in both State and Federal administrations, and the White House to develop effective compromise legislation that would be broadly acceptable to all. In the process, we each gave up ground but came to an agreement that, though modest, will truly help us in the short term this winter.

Contrary to many claims, the legislative language will not amend or damage the Endangered Species Act. All actions authorized will be carried out only if they do not harm sensitive species. The legislation also includes some very important requirements for use of best available science in agency decision‐making, and increased transparency for the forthcoming consultation with agencies on long‐term federal andstate water operations.”

Contact:
Alexandra Biering
916-628-0431
abiering@friantwater.org

FWA is a joint-powers authority formed in 2004 by a majority of the water agencies receiving water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. Its primary purposes are to operate and maintain the Friant-Kern Canal and to serve the information and representation needs of its member agencies.