[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":352},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fai-data-center-sues-iid-for-287m-gallons-valley-growers-eye-buy-and-dry":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":339,"dateModified":339,"description":340,"extension":13,"meta":341,"navigation":21,"path":342,"rawbody":343,"seo":344,"sitemap":345,"stem":346,"tags":347,"__hash__":351},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fai-data-center-sues-iid-for-287m-gallons-valley-growers-eye-buy-and-dry.md","AI data center sues IID for 287M gallons; Valley growers eye 'buy and dry'",false,"CVAI Agriculture Desk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":331},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,283,286,290,293,297,300,303,318,321,325],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"ai-data-center-sues-iid-for-287m-gallons-valley-growers-eye-buy-and-dry",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing sued the Imperial Irrigation District for 287 million gallons per year.",[254,258,259],{},"The requested volume equals about 880 acre‑feet, or roughly 0.028% of IID’s annual supply.",[254,261,262],{},"The 330 MW project was promised wastewater by cities that later declined to deliver.",[254,264,265],{},"Developers propose buying nearby farmland to transfer water allocations, raising job and fallowing concerns.",[66,267,268],{},"287 million gallons. That is what a proposed 330‑megawatt AI data center in the Imperial Valley says it needs each year for cooling, after two cities declined to provide reclaimed wastewater and the Imperial Irrigation District said no. If a court lets the developer shift on‑farm water to server halls, that template could travel fast to Valley districts where almonds and dairies already argue over every acre‑foot.",[66,270,271],{},"A small number on paper.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-the-lawsuit-says","What the lawsuit says",[66,277,278],{},"Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing has sued to gain access to Colorado River water for the project, positioned as California’s largest AI data center. The ask pencils out to about 750,000 gallons a day, roughly 880 acre‑feet a year, and the company points out IID controls around 3.1 million acre‑feet. The project’s attorney says the data center would match the water use of about 160 irrigated acres and wouldn’t require new river allocation because the company plans to buy farmland with water attached, then stop irrigating those fields.",[61,280,282],{"id":281},"why-the-valley-should-care","Why the Valley should care",[66,284,285],{},"\"Buy and dry\" is not a new phrase in water circles, but pairing it with AI‑scale power and cooling is new to California. If a judge blesses moving an agricultural allocation into an industrial meter, Westlands Water District and other San Joaquin Valley districts will get asked for similar deals sooner or later. Fresno County growers remember how fast fallowing spreads when one neighbor sells water or ground, then the huller or repair shop has fewer customers. The silage smell stuck in the July heat.",[61,287,289],{"id":288},"jobs-and-acreage-not-just-gallons","Jobs and acreage, not just gallons",[66,291,292],{},"The developer touts temporary construction work and a little over a hundred permanent jobs. IID and local voices counter that drying 160 acres here, 200 there, chips away at the labor tied to fields, ditch maintenance, equipment yards, and winter salad crops shipped through the same sheds. Even if 0.028% barely moves a canal gate, reallocating land and quota can thin out the regional job base that agriculture anchors. In plain terms, fewer cuts of hay, fewer rigs on the scales.",[61,294,296],{"id":295},"how-much-water-that-is","How much water that is",[66,298,299],{},"For Valley readers trying to size it, 880 acre‑feet equals the annual irrigation of a couple hundred acres depending on the crop and system. Almond growers talk in ranges from two to four acre‑feet per acre based on soil, district allocation, and whether they push yield at hull split. On a straight conversion, the data center’s cooling need falls in the same neighborhood as a midsize ranch or two efficient orchards, which is why the precedent looms larger than the daily draw.",[66,301,302],{},"The case now turns on whether a private buyer can pull water off fields and into chillers without widening the hole left behind in a farm town. Picture a quiet lateral, concrete still bright at noon, and a pad of transformers humming on the other side of the fence.",[66,304,305],{},[306,307,308,309,311,312,317],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,310,239],{}," team and developed by ",[313,314,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":315},[316],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[319,320],"hr",{},[61,322,324],{"id":323},"source","Source",[66,326,327],{},[313,328,329],{"href":329,"rel":330},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tomshardware.com\u002Ftech-industry\u002Fartificial-intelligence\u002Fcalifornias-largest-ai-data-center-project-suing-for-access-to-287-million-gallons-of-colorado-river-water-0-03-percent-of-imperial-valleys-supply-plaintiffs-claim-project-equivalent-to-160-acre-farm-amidst-about-jobs-and-reallocation-of-farmland",[316],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":332},[333,334,335,336,337,338],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":281,"depth":11,"text":282},{"id":288,"depth":11,"text":289},{"id":295,"depth":11,"text":296},{"id":323,"depth":11,"text":324},"2026-07-29","Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing wants Colorado River water to cool a 330 MW facility after cities refused wastewater. The case could shape whether on-farm allocations can shift to industry in Valley districts.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fai-data-center-sues-iid-for-287m-gallons-valley-growers-eye-buy-and-dry","---\nauthor: CVAI Agriculture Desk\ndate: '2026-07-29'\ndateModified: '2026-07-29'\ndescription: Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing wants Colorado River water to\n  cool a 330 MW facility after cities refused wastewater. The case could shape whether\n  on-farm allocations can shift to industry in Valley districts.\ntags:\n- agriculture\n- water\n- central valley\ntitle: AI data center sues IID for 287M gallons; Valley growers eye 'buy and dry'\n---\n\n# AI data center sues IID for 287M gallons; Valley growers eye 'buy and dry'\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing sued the Imperial Irrigation District for 287 million gallons per year.\n2. The requested volume equals about 880 acre‑feet, or roughly 0.028% of IID’s annual supply.\n3. The 330 MW project was promised wastewater by cities that later declined to deliver.\n4. Developers propose buying nearby farmland to transfer water allocations, raising job and fallowing concerns.\n\n287 million gallons. That is what a proposed 330‑megawatt AI data center in the Imperial Valley says it needs each year for cooling, after two cities declined to provide reclaimed wastewater and the Imperial Irrigation District said no. If a court lets the developer shift on‑farm water to server halls, that template could travel fast to Valley districts where almonds and dairies already argue over every acre‑foot.\n\nA small number on paper.\n\n## What the lawsuit says\n\nImperial Valley Computer Manufacturing has sued to gain access to Colorado River water for the project, positioned as California’s largest AI data center. The ask pencils out to about 750,000 gallons a day, roughly 880 acre‑feet a year, and the company points out IID controls around 3.1 million acre‑feet. The project’s attorney says the data center would match the water use of about 160 irrigated acres and wouldn’t require new river allocation because the company plans to buy farmland with water attached, then stop irrigating those fields.\n\n## Why the Valley should care\n\n\"Buy and dry\" is not a new phrase in water circles, but pairing it with AI‑scale power and cooling is new to California. If a judge blesses moving an agricultural allocation into an industrial meter, Westlands Water District and other San Joaquin Valley districts will get asked for similar deals sooner or later. Fresno County growers remember how fast fallowing spreads when one neighbor sells water or ground, then the huller or repair shop has fewer customers. The silage smell stuck in the July heat.\n\n## Jobs and acreage, not just gallons\n\nThe developer touts temporary construction work and a little over a hundred permanent jobs. IID and local voices counter that drying 160 acres here, 200 there, chips away at the labor tied to fields, ditch maintenance, equipment yards, and winter salad crops shipped through the same sheds. Even if 0.028% barely moves a canal gate, reallocating land and quota can thin out the regional job base that agriculture anchors. In plain terms, fewer cuts of hay, fewer rigs on the scales.\n\n## How much water that is\n\nFor Valley readers trying to size it, 880 acre‑feet equals the annual irrigation of a couple hundred acres depending on the crop and system. Almond growers talk in ranges from two to four acre‑feet per acre based on soil, district allocation, and whether they push yield at hull split. On a straight conversion, the data center’s cooling need falls in the same neighborhood as a midsize ranch or two efficient orchards, which is why the precedent looms larger than the daily draw.\n\nThe case now turns on whether a private buyer can pull water off fields and into chillers without widening the hole left behind in a farm town. Picture a quiet lateral, concrete still bright at noon, and a pad of transformers humming on the other side of the fence.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Agriculture Desk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.tomshardware.com\u002Ftech-industry\u002Fartificial-intelligence\u002Fcalifornias-largest-ai-data-center-project-suing-for-access-to-287-million-gallons-of-colorado-river-water-0-03-percent-of-imperial-valleys-supply-plaintiffs-claim-project-equivalent-to-160-acre-farm-amidst-about-jobs-and-reallocation-of-farmland\n",{"title":237,"description":340},{"loc":342},"news\u002Fai-data-center-sues-iid-for-287m-gallons-valley-growers-eye-buy-and-dry",[348,349,350],"agriculture","water","central valley","uolvZFgt0FKvxs-5rOZbICs-cqmfCsf4dLXVGZSbrMA",1785329341778]