LONG-TERM WATER ASSETS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Long-term water assets consist of water and water contracts held for future use or sale. The water is held at cost, which includes the price paid for the water and the cost to pump and deliver the water from the California aqueduct into the water bank. Water is currently held in a water bank on Company land in southern Kern County and by TCWD in Kern Water Banks.

The Company has secured State Water Project, or SWP, entitlements under long-term SWP water contracts within the Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District and the Dudley-Ridge Water District, totaling 3,444 acre-feet of SWP entitlement annually, subject to SWP allocations. These contracts extend through 2035 and have been transferred to AVEK for the Company's use in the Antelope Valley. In 2013, the Company acquired a contract to purchase water that obligates the Company to purchase 6,693 acre-feet of water each year from the Nickel Family, LLC, or Nickel, a California limited liability company that is located in Kern County.

The initial term of the water purchase agreement with Nickel runs to 2044 and includes a Company option to extend the contract for an additional 35 years. The purchase cost of water in 2022 was $861 per acre-foot. The purchase cost is subject to annual cost increases based on the greater of the consumer price index or 3%.

The water purchased above will ultimately be used in the development of the Company’s land for commercial/industrial real estate development, resort/residential real estate development, and farming. Interim uses may include the sale of portions of this water to third party users on an annual basis until this water is fully allocated to Company uses, as just described.

Water revenues and cost of sales were as follows as of December 31:


($ in thousands)	2022		2021		2020

Acre-Feet Sold	10,400		13,651		5,022

Revenues	$	14,658	$	15,523	$	5,909
Cost of sales	9,549		10,669		3,663
Profit	$	5,109	$	4,854	$	2,246

Costs assigned to water assets held for future use were as follows ($ in thousands):


	December 31, 2022		December 31, 2021
Banked water and water for future delivery	$	23,855	$	25,020
Transferable water	1,455		2,879
Total water held for future use at cost	$	25,310	$	27,899

Intangible Water Assets

The Company's carrying amounts of its purchased water contracts were as follows ($ in thousands):


	December 31, 2022				December 31, 2021
	Costs		Accumulated Depreciation		Costs		Accumulated Depreciation
Dudley-Ridge water rights	$	11,581	$	(5,790)	$	11,581	$	(5,307)
Nickel water rights	18,740		(5,890)		18,740		(5,247)
Tulare Lake Basin water rights	6,479		(3,385)		6,479		(3,148)
	$	36,800	$	(15,065)	$	36,800	$	(13,702)
Net cost of purchased water contracts	21,735				23,098
Total cost water held for future use	25,310				27,899
Net investments in water assets	$	47,045			$	50,997

Water contracts with the Wheeler Ridge Maricopa Water Storage District, or WRMWSD, and the Tejon-Castac Water District, or TCWD, are also in place, but were entered into with each district at inception of the contract and not purchased later from third parties, and do not have a related financial value on the books of the Company. Therefore, there is no amortization expense related to these contracts. Total water resources, including both recurring and one-time usage are:


(in acre feet, unaudited)	December 31, 2022	December 31, 2021
Water held for future use
TCWD - Banked water owned by the Company	52,554	56,189
Company water bank	50,349	50,349
Transferable water	2,548	4,203
Total water held for future use	105,451	110,741
Purchased water contracts
Water Contracts (Dudley-Ridge, Nickel and Tulare)	10,137	10,137
WRMWSD - Contracts with Company	15,547	15,547
TCWD - Contracts with Company	5,749	5,749
Total purchased water contracts	31,433	31,433
Total water held for future use and purchased water contracts	136,884	142,174

Tejon Ranchcorp, or Ranchcorp, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tejon Ranch Co., entered into a Water Supply Agreement with PEF in 2015. PEF is the current lessee under the power plant lease. Pursuant to the Water Supply Agreement, PEF may purchase from Ranchcorp up to 3,500 acre-feet of water per year from January 1, 2017 through July 31, 2030, with an option to extend the term. PEF is under no obligation to purchase water from Ranchcorp in any year, but is required to pay Ranchcorp an annual option payment equal to 30% of the maximum annual payment. The price of the water under the Water Supply Agreement for 2022 was $1,224 per acre-foot of annual water, subject to 3% annual increases over the life of the contract. The Water Supply Agreement contains other customary terms and conditions, including representations and warranties, which are typical for agreements of this type. The Company's commitments to sell water can be met through current water assets.