Merced Irrigation District

Merced Irrigation District owns, operates and maintains the New Exchequer and McSwain dams, reservoirs, and hydroelectric facilities. The Districts Water System diverts water from the Merced River at two locations. The Northside Canal diversion serves about 10,000 acres of farm ground north of the Merced River. The Main Canal diversion has a capacity of 2,000 cfs, and is located 3 miles downstream of the McSwain Dam. The diversion is from a small reservoir created by the Crocker Huffman Diversion Dam, owned and operated by the District. The Diversion Dam also provides water to salmon and trout hatcheries and rearing facilities. Irrigation water for agricultural purposes has historically flowed from these two diversion points to some 88,000 acres of land irrigated in 2007 within Merced Irrigation District boundaries, encompassing 164,000 gross acres. In addition to surface water from the Merced River, the Merced Irrigation District owns, operates and maintains 239 deep irrig...