(Board of Supervisors Chairman has a suggestion)…It was announced at Tuesday’s Board meeting.

District 4 Supervisor Ryan Kelley said he has discussed the idea with Imperial Irrigation District Board President Eric Ortega. The idea is to recognize Residential and Municipal water conservation. Kelley said water conservation funds are currently only benefitting the IID and agricultural landowners. Communities were hit with mandatory water conservation by the state, and they have not been compensated for the sacrifice. Kelley said Imperial Valley’s parks, lawns, greenery, trees, and landscaping withered and dried up to comply with the executive order. Kelley said residential and municipal users should be a proportionate partner in the distribution of the water resource, and treated equally as it applies to conservation. Kelley said he was advocating for equal treatment and compensation for cities and towns who are not granted the freedom to voluntarily conserve yet are not compensated for their efforts and impacts. He said he is advocating for funding enhanced irrigation, landscaping, tree planting and other greening initiatives much needed to restore the quality of life and tree canopy lost during mandated residential and municipal conservation. The plan is going to be presented to the full IID Board.