Ben works across all aspects of the firm from business development to portfolio company operations. Sandridge - Wikipedia Water is a key variable smaller farmers have little to no control over. But out in the Buena Vista Water Storage District where Vidovich chairs the board, his original detractors all love him, Page said. Quay Valley, California - Wikipedia Yeah, hes got a lot of money and hes been buying up land, makes some people nervous, Page said. 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. Zakaria: These Revolutions May Help India Really Take off at Last, Future of California at Risk if CEQA Environmental Law Remains Unchanged, NBA Playoffs: Star-Studded Round 2 Has Big Names, Intense Rivalries. Michael is seasoned agribusiness investment and business development professional with more than a decade of experience. No, he said. SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. He paid em three times what anyone else wouldve for their land and now theyre all gettin water because of his policies, Page said. 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. Fight over Kings County pipeline just the latest clash between water The case is being heard in Kern County by Judge David Lampe. Less surface water forces growers to pay for deeper wells or additional water supplies particularly expensive during one of the worst droughts in recent state history. Sandridge filed a restraining order to have the excavators, bulldozers and trucks removed but Kings County Superior Court Judge Valerie Chrissakis denied that request on Thursday. There is some uncertainty by El Rico GSA with regard to this request because of the hidden nature of Sandridges operations. The entire San Joaquin Valley, including Kings County, is critically over drafted. A judge is set to consider the restraining order at a hearing Thursday. Even if he has access to the California Aqueduct, Vidovich would have to jump through a lot of state hoops to move water independently of Semitropic. I did sell water out of Kings County to an urban user and people didnt like it, Vidovich said. Sandridge Partners, L.P. in Sunnyvale CA - Company Profile More recently, he filed a voter initiative in 2016 to allow a 48-foot-tall hotel after the Cupertino City Council shot down a De Anza proposal for building a 105-foot-tall hotel in the western Santa Clara Valley town. Secretary - John Vidovich, Sandridge Partners Director - G. Patrick O'Dowd, representing Irvine Ranch Water District Director - Bernard Puget, Wonderful Orchards Management General Manager - Mark A. Gilkey Assistant Manager-Engineer - Dale K. Melville, PE, Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group The Boswell comments are ina letter sent from the El Rico GSA, while Vidovichs concerns are outlined ina letter from the Southwest Kings GSA. 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. As water drops, growers engage in a well-digging arms race. Click here to read all the comment letters on groundwater sustainability plans submitted to the Department of Water Resources. He said Sandridge is controlled by developer John Vidovich of Los Altos Hills and others. The purpose of the pipeline is irrelevant, said Sandridge Attorney Marshall Whitney. You may have never heard of John Vidovich, but his impact on the day-to-day life of the average southern San Joaquin Valley farmer is difficult to be understated. Not according to Jeoff Wyrick, Chairman of the El Rico GSA, the largest GSA in the Tulare Lake Subbasin. As the processing and sales branch of the organization, SunnyGem almonds are sorted, processed and sold to the wholesale ingredient industry. (Source: Sandridge Partners cross-complaint) This fight between Boswell and Sandridge is just the latest between the two farming giants, which own more than 230,000 acres in Kings County between them. And Vidovich has said if he had to do it over, he wouldnt make that sale. Sandridge was one of the earlier homes of the great English general, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his infamous wife, Sarah, a favourite of Queen Anne. Attorneys for the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the giant J.G. SANDRIDGE PARTNERS | LinkedIn Floodwater is considered a nuisance, a menace even. 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. Large water pipeline in Kings County raising questions, concerns Carol has been working with the Sunridge team since 2014. In addition to inshell and raw . 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. The Kings River Water Association, where Boswell is a major rights holder, is suing Tulare Lake Reclamation District 761, controlled by Vidovich, for shipping its Kings River water to Dudley Ridge. It doesnt make economic sense. That information also isnt contained in groundwater plans for the El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which covers Boswell lands almost exclusively. Vidovich shrugged it off, saying the flaw amounted to putting the descriptions on the wrong pages and quickly appealed. John Vidovich, ultimately, followed in his fathers footsteps after obtaining a law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. They went to law school together and joined the same program in the Navy reserves. You know so I could say, Well, I didnt pass because I was so busy with this project.. First off, Hurley said, hes not Vidovichs henchman. Now, hes involved in a project that could set him up as a water marketer on an extreme scale. Court Says Boswell's Heavy Equipment Can Block Pipeline Project for Now Related Story: Westlands Again Is Eyeing San Joaquin River Water. Kings County passes law to keep its groundwater from being sold beyond When asked if he applies the skills he learned in his military intelligence training to his life today, he answers that we all use the things we learn through life. His pumping and movement of groundwater out of its home district has also landed him in a dubious spotlight, according to media reports. 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. What Will Become of Fallowed Valley Farmland? Meanwhile, the complaint against Sandridge by Tulare Lake Canal Company is still pending. Mavens Notebook is an excellent daily accounting of California water happenings statewide. Theyve (Vidovich and Hurley) been way out front on SGMA, Mitchell said. Angiola also doesnt own any water. Vidovich dismissed the Boswell letter as throwing rocks to distract from the larger issue over-pumping. Hes now the president of that powerful panel. Attorneys for Sandridge and Angiola argued the pipeline isnt an Angiola project as it lies outside the districts boundaries. No way, according to Vidovich and his longtime associates. Now, in the grip of yet another devastating drought, Kings County farmers like Walker want to know: Where is the water going? Water moves remembered It will likely never be forgotten that Vidovich sold the rights to 14,000 acre-feet of State. Vidovich is gobbling up all the parcels he can so he can keep on pumping, Mitchell said. Judge: Kings Co. water pipeline blockade can continue At one point, he was moving nearly 30,000 acre feet a year, according to Angiolas records. Why work with Sunridge Partners. Boswell bulldozers allowed to stay put, blocking Kings County pipeline The Blakeley runs southwest next to Highway 41 down to Kettleman City, conveniently near to the California Aqueduct. Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP (FRN: 821518) is an Appointed Representative of Kroll Securities Limited, (FRN: 466588) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Philipp holds a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.. But this much he knows certain groundwater wells in the county are running practically year round, even in wet years. But its just a cover for taking water out, Pace said. Im at a loss to understand why Angiola would execute a hold harmless agreement, putting its funds at risk and opening the district to liability, but then says the pipeline isnt on our property so its not our project, Chrissakis said during Fridays hearing. And its that groundwater part of Semitropics agreement with Vidovich that is raising hackles along with eyebrows. She also found that Tulare Lake Canal Company did not have the right under its easement to block the pipeline with heavy equipment and ordered the tractors off the canal banks. 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. Vidovich made an offer on the land and Page took it. 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. Whether those pipes end on Vidovich lands or Resnicks is hard to know. Controversial Kings Co. water pipeline faces familiar foe in legal 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. And, importantly, Angiola promised not to take the groundwater outside of Tulare or Kings counties or allow any of its landowners to do so. And I want to keep farming.. Crime 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 . Both GSAs, along with three others in the Tulare Lake subbasin, submitted a single joint groundwater plan. Partnership Credit Card accounts: John Lewis plc is a credit broker and not a lender, introducing the Partnership Credit Card under exclusive arrangements with the lender NewDay Ltd. We are a specialist agribusiness investment group, with deep industry expertise and hands-on operating experience, helping mid-sized food and agriculture companies grow to become clear industry leaders. We are one of the largest vertically integrated almond suppliers in the world. According to news reports, he owns Sandridge Partners, LP, a farmland investment firm that has accumulated more than 100,000 acres of Valley farmland in recent years. 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. He came on board full-time in 2011, give or take, he said. We listen to our customers, understand their needs and are never satisfied until they are. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); (function() { Number three, water from Angiola cant physically get to Semitropics proposed storage cells. Theres nothing hidden about how Sandridge moves water, he said. But everybody talks about it, and were all concerned.. Doug Verboon, a Kings County farmer and member of the county board of supervisors, sounds weary when he talks about Kings Countys water. Under his leadership, Buena Vista has installed a pipeline system to reduce reliance on canals, which lose a lot of water to seepage and the district has become extremely active in buying up land for water banking. Kings and Tulare farmers and water managers want to know. Ive learned that I have to be diversified in my water, Vidovich said. In that story, Wyrick commented that a major shortcoming of all the GSAs within the area is a lack of information. And thats the deeper current here. The line will transfer well water belonging to Sandridge Partners for irrigation purposes, Andrews declaration states. The large, black pipe could be seen . But a pipeline, which Vidovich is allowed to build under the Semitropic agreement, could span that distance. If their fears come true, the Los Angeles water grab in Owens Valley would pale in comparison. Though Boswell and Vidovich both have access to large shares of water, their relationship over this precious resource is downright antagonistic. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Trenching for the pipeline was slated to cut under the Tulare Lake Canal in late January but the canal company, which is controlled by Boswell, made several demands. river water? Satellite images from NASA show the area around the well fields Angiola was pulling from is the epicenter for land subsidence in eastern Tulare County from overpumping. You put 20 straws in it, it dont take very long.. Construction of the pipeline, on land owned by Sandridge Partners, is causing concern among Kings County farmers and others. Five key principles guide us in a unified approach across the food and agribusiness investment landscape: Safeguarding and improving the livelihoods and social wellbeing of individuals producing food and processing agricultural products, Conserving, protecting and enhancing our natural ecosystems, Instilling transparent governance within natural and human systems, Fostering holistic innovation and sustainable growth for all stakeholders. Hes serious about taking water out of this valley, Pace said. I understand the fear, but its not based on reason.. He said he bought his first parcel here in 1994 when he invested in a foreclosed property in Kings County. Is John Vidovich Planning to Sell Off the Valley's Lifeblood? The Fresno Bee reported the verdict against McCarthy Family Farms and San Francisco Bay Area developer John Vidovich and Sandridge Partners. Last month, the Tulare Lake Canal Company sued Sandridge Partners, the farming and water giant owned by Santa Clara County native John Vidovich, over the construction of a water pipeline in southern Kings County. And, you know, at some point in time that water is in risk of going to an urban area. But a portion of the Sandridge pipeline has been laid on land owned by Stratford PUD, Chrissakis noted. Jury awards $128.6M to failed solar town developer - Visalia Times-Delta Those plans were posted online and the public comment period recently closed. John Lewis plc, 171 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5NN. The SDGs where we. That water would then be moved south through the aqueduct and banked in Semitropic. Levees were built in 1983 to protect Corcoran from Kings River floodwater. What we do not agree with is the assessment that the (plan) is managing subsidence effectively. 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. That was the last straw for Pixley, which sued in 2013. Vidovich is the owner of Sandridge Partners, LP - a farmland investment firm that has undertaken more than 100,000 acres of Valley farmland. Sandridge filed for a restraining order. The difference, Vidovich has charged, is that Boswell continues to farm using groundwater. ECG tells public to buy enough power ahead of Christmas break, African countries urged to review double taxation agreements. 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. And thats the biggest issue. If the State Water Resources Control Board decides not, it could give those rights away. Its happened before, he said, up in Green Valley, which is west of Interstate 5 and a few miles north of the Kern County line. After all, Vidovich, water and pipelines have a history in Kings County. The Tulare Lake Subbasin groundwater plan references the subsidence and recognizes its a problem, Southwest Kings GSAs letter states. EDMUND JOHN VIDOVICH Lake Havasu City, Arizona Trinitas Partners LLC Investment Management . What is indisputable is that over the past 20-plus years, Vidovich has quietly amassed more than 100,000 acres in the Central Valley, gaining footholds on numerous water boards, which has given him control over vast amounts of groundwater the valleys lifeblood. This article published earlier by our partners Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ) is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), California Health Report, CCIJ, Circle of Blue, Colorado Public Radio, Columbia Insight, The Counter, High Country News, New Mexico In Depth and SJV Water. This case was filed in Kern County Superior Courts, Kern County Metropolitan Division located in Kern, California.
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