Boswell has refused requests to answer questions about the companys water moves including how much it pumps. 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. Exporting large amounts of water from one farm region to another and aggressively pumping groundwater both negatively affect other landowners. Click here to read all the comment letters on groundwater sustainability plans submitted to the Department of Water Resources. When pressed, though, they acknowledged it could be done. What we do not agree with is the assessment that the (plan) is managing subsidence effectively. Its a $500 million project, of which Semitropic is hoping to get $250 million from Proposition 1 funding. It might be legal, but its not moral, Karen said of water leaving Kings. Sandridge Partners plans new beef processing plant | John Lindt Im actually not supposed to talk about it.. Its an unusual letter and I was surprised to see it, Chrissakis added. Our accomplished team, with decades of agricultural investing, development and operating expertise across the globe, helps companies achieve their fullest potential. Sandridge filed for a restraining order. Water fight between two of Valley's largest growers heads to court DAILY DIGEST, 2/28: Boswell-Vidovich ditch bank battle continues Board of Directors As the processing and sales branch of the organization, SunnyGem almonds are sorted, processed and sold to the wholesale ingredient industry. He recalled bidding on a construction project while studying for the bar exam. nor its destination. Weather. To get there, the pipeline has to cross under a Boswell-controlled canal. It agreed to pay Pixley/Lower Tule $240,000 a year to bring in federal water to recharge the groundwater. He made friends everywhere he went, John Vidovich told the Mercury News in 2007. A single walnut requires nearly five gallons of water to produce. Tulare County judge orders landowner to stop pumping, exporting At this point, he said, he uses about 30 percent of his land for farming and 70 percent for water. A strong, diverse farming sector is vital to the local economy and food security and it requires water. The line will transfer well water belonging to Sandridge Partners for irrigation purposes, Andrews declaration states. That shadow drove him to work hard in an effort to be useful to De Anza. He sold rights to more than 14,000 acre feet a year to the Mojave Water Agency in San Bernardino County for a headline-grabbing $73 million. 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. SANDRIDGE PARTNERS, L.P. :: California (US) :: OpenCorporates Hugues Marchand is an investment professional with more than 15 years of principal investing experience, primarily in the infrastructure sector across Europe, North America and Africa. Water is a key variable smaller farmers have little to no control over. Meet the water baron you (likely) haven't heard of - The San Joaquin The little guy is gone, said Walker, the walnut farmer. 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. In 2013, the Lower Tule River and Pixley irrigation districts sued Angiola Water District, whose largest landowner is Vidovich, for over pumping groundwater from a well field in Tulare County and moving it outside the county. The boundaries of that service area, however, have yet to be determined. Boswell Company and Sandridge Partners. Vidovich is, after all, a powerful landowner in the Central Valley. When contacted in December by SJV Water about this new pipeline, Vidovich wouldnt say what type of water it would carry (groundwater? Today, the company is run by 66-year-old John Vidovich, a former military intelligence officer and Santa Clara Law School graduate. 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 . In contrast, John Vidovich, who helms Sandridge, comes from a Silicon Valley farming-turned-developer family. 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. Though the project is billed as flood control, the agreement also allows Vidovich to move groundwater. Boswell has also transferred or sold large chunks of its surface water, both state and Kings River supplies out of the county, over the years. We lose innovation., Still, Zetland didnt fault Sandridge or Boswell. Are they in the wrong for moving water? Except when you plug John Vidovichs name into the equation. It is an administrator, delivering supplies on direction of its landowners, such as Sandridge, said Sandridge attorney Marshall Whitney. SunnyGem is the one-stop-shop for your almond needs, packing and shipping California varieties worldwide. You put 20 straws in it, it dont take very long.. Carol has been working with the Sunridge team since 2014. In the meantime, Boswell and Vidovich have brought their concerns to Californias DWR, which oversees transfers involving state water. Absolutely not. Sandridge Partners, controlled by Silicon Valley developer John Vidovich, is a relative newcomer to the region, making large land acquisitions in the last three decades. There, a company he controls, Sandridge Partners, grows . But that money enabled me to go into Angiola (a water district in Tulare County) and have other water sources.. A judge found this past March that the initiative was flawed because Vidovich used his own project description instead of the neutral description by the Cupertino city attorney. We listen to our customers, understand their needs and are never satisfied until they are. Both entities are large growers in Kern County as well. Ben holds a BComm in Economics and Finance with first class honours (Deans list) from the University of Melbourne and a BCompSc in Computer Science with first class honours from Monash University. Number three, water from Angiola cant physically get to Semitropics proposed storage cells. SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Kings Officials Unhappy About Water Proposal, Local Water Guys Eyeing Kings River Flood Water. On April 1, 2014, a Kings County jury awarded a $128.6 million verdict in favor of Kings County Ventures and GROW and against McCarthy Family Farms for breach of contract involving the sale of the water rights and against developer John Vidovich and Sandridge Partners for intentional interference of two contracts involving water for the Quay . Theres a mythology out there that Angiola is stealing water, he said. Our goal is to supply the highest quality almonds, at competitive prices, to customers worldwide. A new groundwater ordinance approved Nov. 29 by the Kings County Board of Supervisors could put the county in the middle of a water war being waged by its two largest farming entities, the J.G. Related Story: Groundwater Plan Could Give Corcoran More of a Sinking Feeling. News, Politics Copyright 2023 SunnyGem. Vidovich says his quote was clipped and sewn back together to make it sound bad. Boswell farming company pumps there too. The Kings is as erratic a river as the Kern so floodwaters are unpredictable. The Blakeley runs southwest next to Highway 41 down to Kettleman City, conveniently near to the California Aqueduct. Work with nature; dont fight it, Avila said repeatedly. SJV Water is a nonprofit, independent online news publication covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Anything that has water on it, youre going to contend with big money. That includes land with river rights, state water contracts or even just groundwater. Ghana Business News - The first place for your business news. Karen isnt the only one who feels this way. Vidovich has been buying land in the Central Valley for more than 20 years. Its a decimal point, Vidovich said of state water amounts compared to what farmers use from rivers and groundwater. Its not true, he wants to farm.. Page had been a longtime board member of the Semitropic Water District and Vidovich wanted that kind of expertise. Water War New Money Vs. Old Power in Parched California Posted on August 6, 2018 Bakersfield Californian. All the rest of that stuff its just jealousy and innuendo, jealousy and innuendo, jealousy and innuendo.. 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. A skill his detractors say hes used to maneuver water away from its rightful place to his own benefit. Im a small guy over here and the big-time guys, well I thought they were big at 10,000 acres, even theyre selling out.. Judge Chrissakis found the potential involvement of two public entities, the Stratford Public Utilities District and Angiola Water District, could take the line out of the private realm and require a study of potential environmental impacts. Lois Henry is the CEO/editor of SJV Water. Kings County judge orders both sides to neutral corners in Boswell Boswell and Sandridge are the two biggest kids on the block when it comes to farming and water in Kings County. environmental, ethical and socially responsible principles and work with you to achieve the best possible outcomes for all stakeholders during the whole lifetime of our ownership, Promoting food and agribusiness products and systems that contribute to improved health and well-being, We have also made a commitment to meaningfully contribute to and find solutions in our investments to the SDGs. 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His pumping and movement of groundwater out of its home district has also landed him in a dubious spotlight, according to media reports. From 2002 to 2017, the most recent USDA farm census, the number of farms in Kings County declined 16.6%. Putting a blockade on the canal banks was not a legitimate use of that easement, he said. Our stewardship and value creation track-record is unparalleled and our investing, operations and business . Vidovich would also get a cut of the floodwater and be allowed to use the facilities to move some groundwater, per the project contract. Ag Giants Boswell, Vidovich Sling Mud at Each Other 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). Though Vidovich didnt feel state water movement would substantially impact Kings County farming, he still predicted farming will shrink there. In terms of special enforcement to shut things down, thats not what SGMA provides to the department, she said. Now, in the grip of yet another devastating drought, Kings County farmers like Walker want to know: Where is the water going? Avila says corporations are gobbling up the land to plant more permanent crops and draining the countys water in the process. Water from Angiola Water District will also be moved in the line, according to a declaration by Angiola General Manager Mark Grewal. That leaves smaller farmers with mostly groundwater, which Walker said has dropped 100 feet to 120 feet just this year. As water drops, growers engage in a well-digging arms race. We partner with exceptional agriculture and food companies to guide them through rapid yet sustainable growth, to become clear industry leaders. Vidovich isnt the only pumper in that area, his supporters note. Local Then there was the nail in the coffin for folks like Pace and Mitchell when Vidovich appeared in a National Geographic film called Water and Power: A California Heist, which ran in mid-March and again on June 25. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking and consumer hire activity (FRN 724309). The SDGs where we. If they pass a law saying I cant sell it, then I cant sell it. The Tulare Lake Subbasin groundwater plan references the subsidence and recognizes its a problem, Southwest Kings GSAs letter states. Michael is seasoned agribusiness investment and business development professional with more than a decade of experience. Construction on a controversial water pipeline in Kings County has, once again, halted. Boswell Farming Company and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich. We lose entrepreneurs. SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. 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. Sandridge Partners, L.P. in Sunnyvale CA - Company Profile We further understand that Mr. Vidovich has caused both surface and pumped groundwater to be physically moved via pipeline and canals from and to lands controlled by him, thereby crossing boundaries of counties, GSAs, water districts, subbasins, defined places of use, and perhaps areas that are otherwise regulated.. He was in military intelligence and had a top secret clearance that involved gathering data and evaluating products they made, he said. Water that he will take, critics fear, and eventually sell to Southern California cities. ECG tells public to buy enough power ahead of Christmas break, African countries urged to review double taxation agreements. 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. In any event, Vidovich fallowed his Angiola land and took its groundwater about 25 miles west to his Dudley Ridge lands. Groundwater and floodwater are two very different things. And, importantly, Angiola promised not to take the groundwater outside of Tulare or Kings counties or allow any of its landowners to do so. Water is our blood, he said, and theyre stealing it.. 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. Floodwater is considered a nuisance, a menace even. He said he bought his first parcel here in 1994 when he invested in a foreclosed property in Kings County. Vidovich later made an offer for Page to come work for him as a consultant or, as Page says in his slow drawl, his firemancause I put out fires.. Second, Im a farmer, Vidovich says. 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. SANDRIDGE PARTNERS, L.P. Company Number 201005600010 Status Active Incorporation Date 4 February 2010 (about 13 years ago) Company Type Limited Partnership - CA Jurisdiction California (US) Registered Address 920 WEST FREMONT AVE SUNNYVALE CA 94087 United States Directors / Officers JOHN VIDOVICH, LLC, general partner Inactive Directors / Officers The website iswww.sjvwater.org. Vidovich used the $73 million in 2010 to buy nearly 75 percent of the land in the Angiola Water District. Angiola was ordered to stop pumping and eventually the districts came to a settlement. 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. 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. If the State Water Resources Control Board decides not, it could give those rights away. 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. Vidovich participates on several local water boards, even serving as chair on one. Angiola also doesnt own any water. Vidovich and a co-defendant were found guilty in 2014 of conspiracy to breach a land sale contract and ordered to pay nearly $130 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Vidovich has said he only moves local groundwater to other lands he farms in Kings County. Regardless of Thursdays ruling, onlookers can expect it wont be the end of this issue. Other water districts contended it was much more. 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. Whether those pipes end on Vidovich lands or Resnicks is hard to know. No, he said. Both letters, andone submitted by the Angiola Water District, also controlled by Vidovich, stop short of asking DWR to find the plan inadequate. But farmers Jack Mitchell and Milt Pace are upfront about their distaste for Vidovich and especially Hurley. var gcse = document.createElement('script'); 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).. News, Latest That information also isnt contained in groundwater plans for the El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which covers Boswell lands almost exclusively. Philipp was an investment professional at King Street Capital, a large hedge fund, where he led investments in real asset sectors throughout Europe. Sandridge filed a restraining order to have the excavators, bulldozers and trucks removed, but Kings County Superior Court Quay Valley, California - Wikipedia The giant JG Boswell Company has little love for Sandridge Partners. Boswell repeatedly declined requests for interviews on this story. Everyone else is leaving.. In an interview, Vidovich denied sending groundwater out of Kings County. Farmers in the heart of Californias agricultural belt Kings County sense something is awry with their water supplies. 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. When you have a bowl and only three straws, it takes longer to empty, Walker said. Related Story: Westlands Again Is Eyeing San Joaquin River Water. For the portions that can be tracked through state and other water district records, the water is mostly flowing south to Kern County, much of it from Kings Countys two largest and most powerful farming operations J.G. The project would consist of a small reservoir, more like short-term storage cells, along the California Aqueduct just north of Kettleman City where floodwater off the south fork of the Kings River would be captured. When you first meet John Vidovich, everything from his ball cap to his dirty boots tells you hes a farmer. 2023 www.visaliatimesdelta.com. Michael was a business development director for one of Sunridge Partners' portfolio companies.
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