The Company was formed in 1906 and was called “The Redlands Company.”
In 1917 the original Rock Crib Diversion Dam was replaced and moved ¼ mile down river to the present dam location.
The Company has three water rights:
670 cfs Dated 1905
80 cfs Dated 1941
100 cfs Dated 1994
In 1931 construction started on our present plant and was completed in 1932.
The old plant we replaced housed two 500 kw turbines.
Our present generator was upgraded in 1982 taking it from 1400 kw to 1600 kw.
In 1925 the Company incorporated and in 1931 organized as a non-profit corporation with our present name.
The Company has ten full-time employees.
The Company owns three houses. Two of these houses are located at the Power Plant and are necessary because the plant operators are required to live on-site. The other house is at the dam and is needed because the dam tender must monitor the dam and power canal several times per day.
Redlands Water and Power Company generates an average of 1,000,000 kwh per month which is sold to Xcel Energy for an average of $200,000 annually.
Redlands Water and Power Company has a total of 13 pumps that pump to the various lifts. We pay Xcel Energy an average of $110,000 per season or an average of $600 per day (during irrigation season) to operate these pumps.
One share of Power Canal water is ½ miners inch or 5.8 gpm. One share of Lift Ditch water is 1/3 miners inch or 3.9 gpm.
Our irrigation season is from mid-April to mid-October, approximately 180 days. In that period of time, one share of water equals 1,010,880 gallons of water.
#1 Pumphouse costs approximately $18,000 per month to operate (wholesale price) this power is provided by our Hydro-electric Plant.
#2 Pumphouse costs approximately $10,000 per month to operate during the irrigation season.
#3 Hinderliter costs approximately $1,500 per month to operate during the irrigation season.
#4 Goat costs approximately $ 1,000 per month to operate during the irrigation season.
The Company paid off bonds in 2001. Previous to that we paid $220,000 per year to retire the bond debt. The bonds were issued for the major repair of the hydro-electric plant, dam, and power canal.