To help navigate looming water cuts, Imperial Irrigation hires its longtime rival from LA

One of the West's top water kingpins is back, and in an unlikely new spot.

Jeffrey Kightlinger, retired general manager for the powerful Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, has been hired as a consultant by the Imperial Irrigation District, which in the past has been his bitter rival on Colorado River policy. The contract comes at a critical juncture, as seven states and federal officials ramp up negotiations over a long-term agreement to keep the massive but dwindling river and its reservoirs functional. IID holds the rights to by far the largest share of that water.

Kightlinger, 63, said of his new client, "It's an intriguing thing ... IID is obviously a big player, and I've been doing this for a long time, so I think it could work out well for both of us. "

The two agencies who dominate California's river supply have often battled, with IID officials and large area farmers decrying wasteful coastal customers who, as they see it, want to steal the fast-dwindling river supply they depend on to grow food and livestock feed.

But reaction from some area farmers and other states' water negotiators is enthusiastic so far.

Just four years ago, IID sued Metropolitan after Kightlinger pulled a fast one on them when they tried to stall a multi-state drought contingency plan that had already been hammered out to seek funding for the polluted, also dwindling, Salton Sea.

He quickly said that Metropolitan could handle all of California's cuts under the plan if necessary, a safe bet given the heavy snow pack and rainfall across the region that winter, and boxed out the desert district completely. IID officials howled in protest, as he also cost them the ability to store large amounts of water in Lake Mead to use in dry years.

But current IID board Vice President JB Hamby, who is also California's new Colorado River Board chairperson as of January, reached out to him in late spring and suggested lunch in neutral territory at a San Diego restaurant to discuss the possible consulting job.

"It seemed unlikely ... Metropolitan is often perceived by IID as someone that is out to get their water, and we've had our legal differences of opinion ... But it sounded interesting, and IID is a serious player on the Colorado River. So I said, 'sure, let's talk,'" Kightlinger said.

He gave IID fair warning: "Basically I said to them, 'are you sure you want to do this? You might get some flak, and I would probably give you different advice than you're used to getting from consultants you had in the past.'"

In a nutshell, he told IID officials to "get proactive and get in front of these issues." He thought they should no longer drag their feet on every multi-state or California water deal just because they're the biggest water contractor in the room. IID holds among the oldest and by far the largest legal rights to Colorado River water, including 3/4 of California's supply, and has often dug in its heels against proposals to share some of it with other agencies. It was first forced to share a bit of its supply in 1988 with Metropolitan, and has since seen its 3.1 million acre-foot allocation whittled by half a million acre-feet overall.

Hamby said of Kightlinger's blunt words, "That's exactly what we want. ... It felt good." IID board President Alex Cardenas and key staff agreed.

"We recognized that as the next century of the river’s future would be mapped out in the next few years, it’s better to set the terms ourselves rather than have them set for us by others," Hamby said.

As of June 15, Kightlinger, an attorney, now has a $25,000-a-month contract with IID for up to 50 hours of work, plus expenses. At a total of $300,000 a year, it's less than the $445,000 he last earned at MWD, but more than six times the $47,000 that IID's elected directors earn. But an official there said there's no one else like him.

"IID will greatly benefit from the counsel and strategic advice that only Mr. Kightlinger can provide with his notable resume," government affairs director Antonio Ortega said.

That resume includes nearly 25 years at Metropolitan, which provides water for 19 million people. During his 15-year tenure as general manager, he said he crafted a dozen agreements with other rural districts across the state to bolster urban supply. Kightlinger told The Desert Sun that each of those agreements required differently tailored approaches, and he would do the same type of detailed analyses for IID.

"Palo Verde (Irrigation District) is smaller; what works there isn't the answer for IID," he said.

A suite of solutions, including private market

Asked about the future of agriculture in the arid Imperial Valley, which relies completely on river water, Kightlinger said while he's just begun to get to know the internal politics and pressures there, a suite of measures will likely be required to rein in water use to sustainable levels.

He agrees with IID's concept of seasonal fallowing of crops during the hottest spells. That's part of its application to the Bureau of Reclamation to save 250,000 acre-feet more water a year through 2026 in exchange for more than half a billion dollars in federal payments. Federal officials are reviewing the proposal.

Kightlinger said some subsidies "with strategic and regional benefits" make sense, but he thinks the Biden Administration's injection of billions of dollars across the seven-state river basin is a "nice short-term solution," not a permanent fix for the huge problems facing the river system. Its flow has long been overused, and climate change is unleashing ever longer droughts, shrinking river flow. Federal officials want the seven states in the basin to cut a combined two to four million acre-feet a year. One acre-foot is enough to provide two to four households with water for a year.

"We're going to have to find solutions that are sustainable, that doesn't require constant grants from the federal taxpayer, whether it's the private market or something else," he said.

Private sale of water outside Imperial County has long been banned, but Kightlinger said private investors may want to fund conservation, growth of certain crops or other measures, so the water or the savings could be sold elsewhere. "We're going to have to look at everything, because this is unprecedented — this is a huge amount of water we're going to have to reduce."

Local farmers, other states welcome appointment

Despite longstanding distrust of "Met," as it is known in the valley, some large farmers say having Kightlinger abord is a big win as tough negotiations over the future of water allocations gain steam. Although his appointment was done quietly, IID briefed key farmers after word leaked out.

"I'm OK with it," Larry Cox, who farms 4,000 acres in Brawley, said in a text message, adding that he feels fine about it as long as Kightlinger doesn't work with other clients on Colorado River issues. Kigthlinger said he has no plans to do so.

Cox said valley growers have "been very vocal that the IID board needs to have a first-rate, high-powered team of advisors ... to counsel (them) on Colorado river issues. Jeff definitely fits into that category."

Cox added, "There is a verse in the Old Testament, Proverbs 15:22 'Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors will succeed.'" He urged IID board and staff to include valley agricultural leaders in the strategic planning process for keeping adequate elevation levels in Lake Mead, too.

"I think it's a great move!" texted Mark McBroom, one of the Imperial Valley's largest farmers, who heads IID's Agricultural Water Advisory Committee. "It's like getting Michael Jordan on his comeback! He's a water expert on all things Colorado River and California water agencies."

Kigthlinger, who proudly bills himself as an eighth-generation Californian who is a descendant of a Spanish land grant cattle rancher on what is today Culver City, said he is more of a diehard fan of the LA Dodgers fan than of basketball. He has moved south to San Diego, to be closer to grandchildren and to halve his occasional drive to Imperial County. He said going from running Metropolitan to consulting for IID is like going from "being on the field as a player" for the Dodgers to being a coach for the San Diego Padres, "but it is satisfying."

Like IID, Met has seen a changing of the guard on its board in recent years. Kightlinger said he sensed his effectiveness there was waning, and didn't want to overstay his welcome. He retired in 2021, and served as interim manager of Pasadena's water district prior to founding his consulting firm. He said when he first re-appeared at Colorado River Lower Basin negotiation meetings, and on behalf of IID, "there was some amusement at the irony." He said that he has been warmly welcomed, however.

Kightlinger told The Desert Sun in an earlier interview that more than anywhere else he's worked, reaching multi-state agreement on tough river issues comes down to relationships as much as hard facts. In the past, IID's representatives sometimes pounded the table mightily and refused to budge for long stretches. But that appears to be changing.

"There is a new paradigm at IID, and the district is looking to resume our historic leadership on the river — Jeff clearly, and without question, is the right choice to help us do that," Hamby said.  "The district looks forward to working with him not only for the benefit of IID, but for California and the entire Colorado River Basin more broadly."

Top negotiators for Arizona and Nevada, who also have regularly battled with IID, said in emails that they welcomed the news. "From my perspective, Jeff Kightlinger is a welcome addition to fruitful discussions among the basin states for management of the Colorado River," said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, echoed that, saying, “Jeff is one of the most knowledge and experienced water professionals on Colorado River matters. His expertise will provide valuable contributions in solving the river’s complex issues, and his involvement will enhance coordination between Colorado River water users.”

Kigthlinger expressed optimism in the face of daunting challenges to shore up the fast-dwindling Colorado River, noting the states have a broad array of both Republican and Democratic U.S. senators and members of Congress, and first-class infrastructure that could never be built today.

"But we all know we need to reduce, and frankly it's going to be incredibly difficult. … there is no silver bullet there."

Janet Wilson is senior environment reporter for The Desert Sun and a media fellow at Stanford's Lane Center for the American West.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: IID hires longtime rival Jeffrey Kightlinger for Colorado River talks