Imperial Irrigation District celebrates Zanjeros Appreciation Week

HOLTVILLE, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is celebrating its Zanjero Appreciation Week.

Zanjeros, which in English translates to ditch-riders, are the people who monitor and deliver water to the Imperial Valley.

Robert Schettler, the IID Public Infomation Officer said, "The water flows 24/7, so it's the job of a Zanjero to manage that water, make sure that the water gets to where it's going at the necessary time it needs to be there, and our agriculture community, especially, relies on this."

We spoke with James Boerner, a Zanjero at IID for almost 10 years who shared, "We essentially control the flow of water through a gravity-fed canal system and I have to adjust manual checks to maintain pressure on delivery gates."

According to IID, this vast delivery system has over 5,000 delivery gates and takes 129 Zanjeros to manage.

Schettler added, "A system that's all linked together from the dam all the way to the delivery gate and the drain and things like that, it takes a lot of coordination on a daily basis."

Boerner stated, "Whether it's 115 degrees outside or you have a storm and it's raining, farmers still want their water or they want it to go off."

However, IID is utilizing new technologies that improve efficiency and increase conservation.

Boerner added, "The district, we're saving more and more water, and the more technology comes it's only going to get better."

They're allowing zanjeros to do their job from their laptops.

Boerner stated, "That's when my laptop really comes in, I can monitor my pond levels, my waters in the ditch I'm good, when I go back up and do my re-ride, my re-ride is just checking all my delivery gates making sure they're all in order, that laptop really is a lifesaver."

James tells us that he enjoys his job and that being a Zanjero is a great career.

Schettler stated, "Zanjero Appreciation Week is an opportunity to recognize the key role these people play and that the delivery of water does take a big effort."

The IID said that as long as there is water there will be a need for Zanjeros and that water conservation is their top priority.