Turlock, California would be a dry lake of dirt if it was not for irrigation.  On Feb. 25 at the Turlock Community Theatre, Turlock Irrigation District customers had the opportunity to view “The Irrigationist,” a historical documentary film funded by TID in celebration of turning 125 this year.
“The Irrigationist” was produced by Michael Everett and directed by Dustin Veneman of The Creation Lab.   The film gives the history of TID stretching back from the naturally parched landscape, to the inception of the first California irrigation district and the trials and triumphs which followed. 
The film began with a flurry of snow fall and a quote from Leonardo da Vinci.  “Water is the driving force of all nature.”  Indeed, the need for water was the driving force behind the history of TID.  
Fluid imagery drifted before viewers’ eyes with picturesque scenery of snowcapped mountains and the Tuolumne River flowing through the lush Yosemite high country.
The story told was one of strength, sacrifice and perseverance.  The creation of an irrigation system was an expensive undertaking for these pioneering individuals. 
“This wasn’t a company who was looking for a profit,” Veneman said. “These were people who lived here who really got the thing going by themselves. It was kind of a grassroots movement: they wanted irrigation so they were going to have to organize and build it themselves.”
The film credited the success of TID to ordinary individuals who had vision and took initiative.  When financial troubles struck funding, retired Judge Waymire, helped finish funding canals connecting La Grange dam water to the Central Valley in the 1890s with his own money until his finances were depleted. He was instrumental in keeping the project and TID alive while other areas of the nation were hurting. 
The need for a larger dam resulted in building the tallest dam in the world in 1923 with the partnership of Modesto Irrigation District.  The original Don Pedro dam was engineered by TID’s own Roy Meikle. 
Don Pedro dam was a milestone in TID history as it vastly expanded its ability to provide water for TID and MID customers and also provided electricity, making TID the first irrigation district in the state to provide power to its customers.
“The Irrigationist” is a wealth of information documenting the historical change to a naturally dry land.
“I thought it was good to see the history and how peoples’ visions became reality and how it took a lot of people willing to take a stand and to commit to something even though it wasn’t popular,” said Mark Virtue of Denair. “And if they hadn’t done that, where would we be today?”
“The Irrigationist “ will be available on DVD for $5 and Blu-Ray for $15 at TID offices starting Mar. 1.