Tina Anderholt Shields

Engineering chick, water manager, agvocate, carnivore, bugman/farmer's wife, and mom - not necessarily in that order!

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

This Mother’s Day weekend couldn’t get much better than celebrating the @NAU graduation of my daughter Regan with a degree in Secondary Education English Literature (except for missing my eldest, who couldn’t make the trip out from @Harvard).

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

Mike and I are proud to support IV farmers, facilitate growers’ unparalleled conservation levels, ensure water deliveries to > 5,500 gates and advocate for our community’s water supply resilience. To be honored by @ICFarmBureau as a FOF is a🍒 on top of that collaboration!💧🚜 💧

[IID @IIDatWork]

🌾 Imperial County Farm Bureau Honors IID Water Managers

At the Imperial County Farm Bureau’s 2025 Annual Dinner: A Celebration of Agriculture, IID Water Department Manager Tina Shields and Water Operations Manager Mike Pacheco were recognized with the Betty Young Memorial Friend of the Farmers Award.

This annual award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional support for the local agricultural community. Shields and Pacheco were recognized for their ongoing collaboration with farmers and water users across the Imperial Valley, ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of the region’s water delivery system.

Their leadership reflects IID’s deep commitment to working hand-in-hand with growers to protect our shared water resources and strengthen the Valley’s agricultural future.

[Ian James @ByIanJames]

California turns on water to create new wetlands on the shore of the shrinking Salton Sea https://t.co/pYrtVEg3SQ

[PPIC Water @PPICWater]

CA has reduced its use of the Colorado River from more than 5 million acre-feet/year to its original 4.4 maf/year allocation. This was accomplished by improvements in irrigation efficiency, the lining of earthen canals, and water transfers. #cawater
https://t.co/mxrNn89nU2

[Irrigation Leader Magazine @IrrigationLeadr]

The February edition of Irrigation Leader is here! @IIDatWork

https://t.co/ZrpzjRq5SO

#IrrigationLeader #ColoradoRiver #CaliforniaIrrigation #CaliforniaWater #WaterConservation

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

@GotitaJB Let me amend this since they seem to have left this out, “…including over 350,000 AF of conservation from the Imperial Irrigation District over the last two years.”

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

Proud to have spent many a late night working on this! Now to move forward with implementing the conservation programs that will provide water supply resiliency to IID’s community and the rest of the Lower Basin, and working with local growers to add 10’ of water to Lake Mead.

[IID @IIDatWork]

NEWS RELEASE 9/26/2024: IID's Colorado River Agreement to Raise Lake Mead by 10+ Feet

Imperial Irrigation District inked a landmark conservation agreement Wednesday with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The agreement will conserve up to 700,000 acre-feet of water for the Colorado River and build 10-12 feet of elevation at Lake Mead — the nation’s largest reservoir and sole water supply for Imperial Valley.

The agreement also unlocks a full federal investment of $250 million in Salton Sea restoration, largely targeting an expansion of the State of California’s nearly 8,000-acre Species Conservation Habitat.

IID General Manager Jamie Asbury joined Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton and representatives from the Bard Water District, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and Arizona's Gila River Indian Community at a signing ceremony for five Colorado River water conservation agreements.

IID’s 2024-2026 conservation agreement represents the largest federal conservation agreement to date. Combined with a prior 2023 conservation agreement, IID’s total conservation will total up to 800,000 acre-feet.

“The sacrifices made by IID and the Imperial Valley in implementing this agreement set an example for the entire Basin to follow. There is no excuse for inaction anywhere on the river,” shared Jamie Asbury, IID General Manager.

“This agreement is not only a milestone for the Colorado River system but a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Imperial Valley farming community,” she continued. “Our farmers have made significant sacrifices, adopting sustainable farming practices that should serve as a model for water conservation efforts moving forward. Their commitment to safeguarding this vital resource inspires us all.”

Asbury also expressed deep gratitude to the IID Board of Directors, the San Diego County Water Authority, and The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for their longstanding partnership. “Together, we’ve turned collaboration into action, ensuring the long-term health of our water supply,” she said.

Commissioner Touton emphasized the critical nature of the agreements, “These agreements are key to the stability of the Colorado River system, which provides water to millions of people and sustains agriculture throughout the West.”

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

While IID will be implementing significant (not massive) programs generating up to 750,000 AFY of conservation for the next 3 years to support Colorado River resiliency, the other 76% of its entitlement - 2,350,000 AFY - will still be delivered to local communities and growers.

[Janet Wilson @janetwilson66]

Massive #ColoradoRiver cuts to Imperial Irrigation District begin, over enviro groups’ protests https://t.co/sHrBz4zDrt via @MyDesert

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

We’ve been a little busy these days…

[IID @IIDatWork]

Today, the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors approved a landmark conservation agreement with the federal government to leave up to 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026. Read more here: https://t.co/t81p7F7luB

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

That’s not just a load of hay you see rumbling by on Western highways during summer months. Those hay bales form the foundation of rural agriculture in many Western communities, not to mention a key input to cheese, steak, pizza, yogurt and ice cream! https://t.co/HxEEXYz0ue

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

Lots to brag about with regards to IID’s outstanding growers and their conservation efforts-and the end product is tasty too! “Once we got the hang of it…we can’t imagine ever having to go back and do it the old way.”

[IID @IIDatWork]

Happy National Ag Day! IID is proud to celebrate and support agriculture in our community. We have been delivering reliable and affordable water for over 100 years. Today, we're excited to share our new video "What's Growing On Imperial Valley? Episode 1: Jalapenos."

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

@JoeDelBosque @saladxyz @VII_MMXVII Let us know the next time you are in town if you are interested in a tour!

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

@JoeDelBosque Of IID’s 3.1 MAFY entitlement, about 500,00 AFY of conserved water is transferred to MWD, SDCWA and CVWD, with IID delivering the balance of about 2.5-2.6 MAFY to over 460,000 acres of farmland.

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

Every now and then you have to take off your policy hat and get your feet wet in the field, or the double-barreled 20’ diameter 500’ long All-American Canal siphon tubes over the New River. As an engineer I can tell you, they don’t make things the way they used too!

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

@JoeDelBosque At the heading the AAC capacity is over 15,500 cfs, but as water is diverted to CVWD and into IID’s main canals the canal gets smaller, until it eventually flows into the Westside Main Canal, I will have to follow-up regarding the AAC capacity near those two 20’ diameter siphons.

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

@JoeDelBosque Imperial Dam diverts IID’s CR supply into 6 desilting basins that eventually flow into the 82+ mile long All-American Canal (which in turn distributes water into 3 main canals that then flow into 1,600 miles of laterals and 5,500 field turnouts).

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

@JoeDelBosque Elevation I assume, we run a gravity flow system and the river is a huge drop.

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

@JoeDelBosque @saladxyz @VII_MMXVII This is the unique challenge Imperial Valley is experiencing. IID’s system improvements and the growers’ stellar efforts in the on-farm conservation program increase IID’s water use efficiencies, but every 1 AF of conservation is 1 AF of water no longer flowing to the SS.

[Tina Anderholt Shields @TinaAShields]

@JoeDelBosque @saladxyz @VII_MMXVII binational and expensive. Not to mention the decades it would take to be permitted, designed and constructed. Given this reality, and the ongoing CR drought and climate changes, there is only less water in the SS’s future.