Merced Irrigation District

The Merced Irrigation District office is currently located at 744 W. 20th Street in Merced, CA. It operates two major dams in Merced County, New Exchequer and McSwain, and related reservoirs, hydroelectric facilities, canals, as well as 239 deep water wells. It was established in 1919 after a years long campaign to store water and improve agricultural conditions in Merced County.

The Merced Irrigation District (MID) formed in 1919 after a years long campaign to store water and improve agricultural conditions in Merced County. In order to create MID, under California law, the campaign committee established territorial boundaries that benefited landowners most in need of drainage and storage and made sure that the majority of landowners in the proposed district signed a petition. Finally, a general vote determined its creation and with the backing of engineers and others, the MID was formed as "a public corporation that operates under standing laws providing for its organization and management, and empowering it to issue bonds and levy taxes, or to apply for Federal aid, with the object of obtaining funds for the purchase or construction, and for the maintenance of irrigation works, and for carrying on a drainage service for lands within its territory standing in need thereof" (1). According to the Merced Irrigation District's website, it serves 2,200 farms by operating the "New Exchequer and McSwain dams, reservoirs, and hydroelectric facilities" (2).

1. Merced Irrigation District Campaign Committee. The Irrigation Situation in Merced County, Calisphere. October, 1914. Accessed July 13th 2022. https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/86071/d2tn1n/.
2. Merced Irrigation District. Accessed July 13th 2022. http://mercedid.org.