It is an administrator, delivering supplies on direction of its landowners, such as Sandridge, said Sandridge attorney Marshall Whitney. Second, Im a farmer, Vidovich says. Welcome to Kings County, where water wars still rage both in and outside the courthouse and often have deeper currents than what appears in legal papers. Some of that state contracted water appears to have been used in multi-million dollar deals by Boswell, based on the few records that could be tracked, and some has gone to Sandridges own fields in other counties, according to the companys owner. We are driven by agribusiness experts, with hands-on sector specific investment, operations, and business development expertise. The comment letter from the Southwest Kings GSA, which Vidovich said he wrote the draft for, notes that subsidence from over pumping has been a large and ongoing problem in the Tulare Lake subbasin and the plan submitted to the state simply doesnt do enough to stem that downward trajectory. SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Its not true, he wants to farm.. That leaves smaller farmers with mostly groundwater, which Walker said has dropped 100 feet to 120 feet just this year. Resnick also has lands just south of the Kings/Kern county line in Lost Hills and many of Vidovichs detractors believe thats where a lot of that Angiola groundwater is going. We listen to our customers, understand their needs and are never satisfied until they are. John Vidovich - President for De Anza Building & Maintenance The company is run from its Pasadena offices by James W. Boswell, chairman, CEO and great-nephew of the founder. No way, according to Vidovich and his longtime associates. Every step would require environmental oversight, permitting and public hearings. For all its influence and power, Boswell is notoriously tight-lipped. Sandridge Partners plans new beef processing plant | John Lindt var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; But in terms of equity, yes, there is a problem.. Theres a mythology out there that Angiola is stealing water, he said. Michael is seasoned agribusiness investment and business development professional with more than a decade of experience. The little guy is gone, said Walker, the walnut farmer. Mavens Notebook is an excellent daily accounting of California water happenings statewide. It agreed to pay Pixley/Lower Tule $240,000 a year to bring in federal water to recharge the groundwater. To do that, the state requires each area to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to account for whats going in and coming out of the aquifer. The sale is still considered a blow to Kings' water portfolio by other farmers. The. The city sued. It was a permanent water loss for Kings County and put Vidovich under a lingering cloud of suspicion among area farmers and water managers. Avila, along with his wife and children, grows nearly 100 varieties of fruit trees on multiple small plots of land and sells the produce at dozens of farmers markets from Beverly Hills to San Luis Obispo. Whether the water is leaving Kings County for cash payments or to grow crops that will eventually be sold for profit, its all the same thing, said economist David Zetland, who lectures on the politics and economics of water at Leiden University College in the Netherlands. Putting a blockade on the canal banks was not a legitimate use of that easement, he said. 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. Will Political Reality Shape a Mighty Morro Bay Wind? Theres a lot of people who dont like me, but nobody didnt like my dad.. This is what businesses do, he said. 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. He became more involved with De Anza, working with his dad, whom he describes as bigger than life.. Related Story: Groundwater Plan Could Give Corcoran More of a Sinking Feeling. Hes a 61-year-old developer who grew up on a farm in Sunnyvale in the heart of what would become the Silicon Valley. In exchange, the state would get banking rights in Semitropic, said General Manager Jason Gianquinto. 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. Sandridge owns the property that the canal cuts through, he said. If we had water transfers that we know dont mesh with an approved groundwater sustainability plan, thats going to be a problem for DWRs continued approval of those transfers, Nemeth said, adding that the department will be reevaluating its transfer program to add greater oversight and transparency. Court reverses $73.4 million verdict in Kings County land, water sale SANCHEZ VS VIDOVICH ET AL - UniCourt Boswell farming company pumps there too. Its an unusual letter and I was surprised to see it, Chrissakis added. Its just smart business. Philipp began his career at Goldman Sachs, where he advised public and private companies in European real estate, lodging and gaming sectors on strategic and financial matters. They just do what they want and you have to sue to stop em, Mitchell said. Water, Latest Mavens Notebook is an excellent daily accounting of California water happenings statewide. Get inside access to SJV Water by becoming a member. Absolutely not. Numbers havent been set in stone just yet, but its looking like the Kings/Tulare farming areas will settle somewhere near allowing 1.5 acre feet of water to be pumped per acre. The case is being heard in Kern County by Judge David Lampe. Boswell and Sandridge are the two biggest kids on the block when it comes to farming and water in Kings County. SunnyGem is the one-stop-shop for your almond needs, packing and shipping California varieties worldwide. It wanted an operating agreement and hefty insurance coverage. Hugues holds a BEng in Applied Maths from the Universite Catholique de Louvain, an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London, a PhD in Operations Research from the Centre for Operations Research and Econometrics (UCL) / Columbia University and attended INSEADs General Management Program. It just doesnt look very good for us right now, Smith said. Water that he will take, critics fear, and eventually sell to Southern California cities. By locking up the land, he said, Vidovich will be able to deny smaller farmers like him and Pace the water they need for their own operations. At the time, I was heavy with state water but the state water had low allocations and I had no other water source over there (Dudley Ridge land in western Kings County).. Get inside access to SJV Water by becoming a member. Kings County passes law to keep its groundwater from being sold beyond Ive learned that I have to be diversified in my water, Vidovich said. Previously, Hugues was a principal investment professional at GDF SUEZ, leading transaction in LNG, infrastructure and power projects globally. The giant J.G. Hurley, who also serves as general manager of Green Valley, said that basin, which is separate from the Tulare Lake basin, is actually in balance. Meet the water baron you (likely) haven't heard of - The San Joaquin It is also tasked with reviewing groundwater plans under the states Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), passed in 2014. For example, Westlands Water District, which borders Kings County, plans to gather water in heavy rainfall years and inject it into the aquifer to safeguard water levels. The SDGs where we. But that money enabled me to go into Angiola (a water district in Tulare County) and have other water sources.. 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. Thats fine for a farming operation the size of Sandridge or Boswell, but smaller growers cant afford to let that much ground go unplanted. Vidovich participates on several local water boards, even serving as chair on one. Previously, Lukas worked as a Strategy Manager at Teneo, focusing on strategic and organisational transformations as well as projects requiring advanced data analytics. But thats the way it is. Vidovich says his quote was clipped and sewn back together to make it sound bad. var cx = '013080029684751512081:kj7d0adj7da'; The data show thats already happening. Less surface water creates a greater need to pump from underground, which lowers the water table for all users. Our Top Picks He Toppled Vince McMahon. The difference, according to Vidovich, is Sandridge is letting some of its Kings County lands go fallow, while, he says, Boswell is pumping additional groundwater to continue farming its Kings County acreage. 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. If those seem like minute details for the head of a major development company to trouble with, hes even more hands-on with Sandridge Partners LP, the family business he formed for farming acquisitions. 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. And I want to keep farming.. His father, Stephen Vidovich, formed De Anza Properties and helped develop the valley. Tulare County judge orders landowner to stop pumping, exporting Though Boswell and Vidovich both have access to large shares of water, their relationship over this precious resource is downright antagonistic. Incorporate ESG considerations into our investment analysis and decision-making processes, Prioritize ESG issues in our ownership policies and practices, as active owners, Seek appropriate disclosure on ESG metrics within Sunridge investments, Promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry, Work with internal and external stakeholders to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles, Report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles, We invest in experienced management teams and companies to build and grow sustainable champions across the food and agribusiness value chain, Seeds, genetics, fertilizers, crop protection, equipment, services, Produce, plantations, aquaculture, specialty crops, Shipping, infrastructure, cold storage, distribution, Our focus is on member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), We have the ability to scale businesses globally beyond OECD countries. The district has already paid him $40 million for an easement, or right of way, on that land and signed an agreement with him for how the project would operate. He made friends everywhere he went, John Vidovich told the Mercury News in 2007. But hes also moved his State Water Project supplies south to lands he owns in Kern County. Boswell Company, and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich, filed a blizzard of court actions alleging the other was trespassing and seeking injunctions to . The Kings River Water Association, including the Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District, where Boswell is the majority landowner, are fighting the plan saying all available water is already being used. Though he doesnt seek out media attention, when asked about water under his control, he rarely refuses to talk. Water moves remembered It will likely never be forgotten that Vidovich sold the rights to 14,000 acre-feet of State. At one point, he was moving nearly 30,000 acre feet a year, according to Angiolas records. And, you know, at some point in time that water is in risk of going to an urban area. Though he also acknowledged that during the drought he sold some to fellow Dudley Ridge landowner Stewart Resnick, who owns the massive Wonderful Company. For his part, Vidovich said the issue isnt about water transfers, its about over-pumping. Sandridge Partners, L.P. Company Profile | Los Altos, CA | Competitors Vidovich, he said, is just the new water baron on the block, thats all. Our accomplished team, with decades of agricultural investing, development and operating expertise across the globe, helps companies achieve their fullest potential. Boswell has declined to answer questions about its water transfers as well as the amount of groundwater it pumps. transferred or sold large chunks of its surface water, Too little or too much, theres always controversy brewing over Kern River water, Kern River water heads north through flood channel but wont hit Tulare Lake yet, Kaweah River water managers prepare for more high water as the valley heats up, Vibration in Isabella Dam power plant causes temporary halt of Kern River outflows. Nor for the man who runs it, John Vidovich, nor for his current pipeline project that will move water from various places in Kings County to various other undisclosed locations. Muriel started her career in the US as a personal assistant and then, 14 years was an Executive Assistant working with a large team at Eurostar International. Vidovich continues to run De Anza and in a surprisingly hands-on manner. Click here to read all the comment letters on groundwater sustainability plans submitted to the Department of Water Resources. Michael holds a BSE in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MSc with Distinction in Shipping, Trade, and Finance from Cass Business School. Pace farmed in the valley and partnered with Vidovich for a while. Vidovich fires back: Kings Co. water pipeline battle picks up steam Nor the end of the clash of Kings Countys most powerful water titans. None of that has been discussed yet, he stressed. Exactly what groundwater would be moved? For his part, Vidovich is ready for the water pinch. Trucks and heavy equipment emblazoned with the distinctive diamond B logo parked on the banks of the Tulare Lake Canal late last month werent sending a subtle message. Whether those pipes end on Vidovich lands or Resnicks is hard to know. But a portion of the Sandridge pipeline has been laid on land owned by Stratford PUD, Chrissakis noted. 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. First off, Hurley said, hes not Vidovichs henchman. It specifically set aside $2.7 billion for water storage projects. 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. Like its neighbors, Kings is intensively farmed. Founded in 1966, with legacies dating back more than 100 years; our highly trained staff provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, and financing services to clients across the . Once a river is at flood stage, that usually means all other rights have been filled and the overflow is free game. This is all being driven by the JG Boswell Company out of animus, not out of practicality, Whitney told the judge. In an interview, Vidovich denied sending groundwater out of Kings County. Applicants must be a UK resident aged . Besides, Pace and others say, overreaching is another Vidovich hallmark. After all, Vidovich, water and pipelines have a history in Kings County. No, he said. Vidovich dismissed the Boswell letter as throwing rocks to distract from the larger issue over-pumping. Boswell has refused requests to answer questions about the companys water moves including how much it pumps. The association contends that those lands arent in the rivers service area.. The fight between the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the J.G. Enter your email address to receive INSTANT ALERTS of new articles and to be added to SJV Waters WEEKLY NEWSLETTER. Our quality commitment does not stop there. If the State Water Resources Control Board determines that the Kings River Water Association isnt fully using its water rights, it could give those rights away. Water from Angiola Water District will also be moved in the line, according to a declaration by Angiola General Manager Mark Grewal. Large water pipeline in Kings County raising questions, concerns The boundaries of that service area, however, have yet to be determined. Quay Valley, California - Wikipedia A single walnut requires nearly five gallons of water to produce. Page met Vidovich in 2005 when Page was farming 400 acres out near Wasco. Or even to the great water bogeyman that haunts so many valley farmers Los Angeles? SANDRIDGE PARTNERS | LinkedIn The judge made a partial ruling in June that long standing river agreements do allow river owners to move water within the service area. The fight has spilled out in public comments on the Tulare Lake Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan, which covers most of Kings County. And in 2017, the levees had to be raised another two feet at a cost of $14 million to residents, according to the letter. Your email address will not be published. Its unclear, though, if thats the litigation Wyrick is referring to as he did not return numerous phone calls and emails from SJV Water seeking comment. Construction on a controversial water pipeline in Kings County has, once again, halted. Avila says corporations are gobbling up the land to plant more permanent crops and draining the countys water in the process. Mortgage Fees Increase Today. And one Kern County water district could be the linchpin to it all. 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. In 2017, he made news again for his part in a plan to take Kings River flood water out of the county an effort thats still ongoing. About 25,000 acre feet of groundwater. 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). At this point, he said, he uses about 30 percent of his land for farming and 70 percent for water. You know so I could say, Well, I didnt pass because I was so busy with this project.. Though he did sell a chunk of water rights to southern California in 2009, Vidovich scoffed at the idea that hes currently selling water to the southland. Because the urban places would pay a hell of a lot of money for it. Though Vidovich didnt feel state water movement would substantially impact Kings County farming, he still predicted farming will shrink there. Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP acts as the investment advisor for the Sunridge funds that invest in agribusinesses globally. In terms of special enforcement to shut things down, thats not what SGMA provides to the department, she said. The GSAs are supposed to set pumping limits to stop overdraft. gcse.src = 'https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=' + cx; Boswell Company and Sandridge Partners. Legendary Valley Thoroughbred Elected to Racing Hall of Fame, Collision Ends Smyly Perfect Game Bid, Cubs Top Dodgers 13-0, Analysis But, she said, her department cant really step in until it has reviewed groundwater plans submitted to the state in 2020. His operation is extensive and very smart.. The companies are also at odds over groundwater. A skill his detractors say hes used to maneuver water away from its rightful place to his own benefit. In 2016, the levees had to be built up another four feet. ECG tells public to buy enough power ahead of Christmas break, African countries urged to review double taxation agreements.