Special Issue Happy 70th Birthday, Commissioner Johnson!
By Kris Polly Commissioner, we wish you a very happy 70th birthday! Enclosed are well wishes from some of the many people you have worked with and helped over the years in so many important ways. All are proud to be your friend and grateful for what you have done for them. Serving as your deputy commissioner afforded me the opportunity to see you interact with people in countless meetings on numerous issues. The experience was like a boot camp training course on how to be a proper manager of people; how to be an effective problem solver; and, most importantly, how to treat others at all levels of the…
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers: Representing Eastern Washington on the Energy and Commerce Committee
Advocating for the interests of eastern Washington water and hydropower users has been a priority for Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers since she was elected to represent the state’s 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004. In January 2021, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers was chosen to serve as ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over many issues and agencies relating to water resources. As ranking member, she will lead the committee’s Republican members in pursuit of their legislative and oversight priorities. In this interview, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers spoke with Tom Myrum, executive director of the Washington State Water Resources Association (WSWRA), about her…
Speaker Rusty Bowers on Prospects for Water Management in Arizona
Russell “Rusty” Bowers has been the speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives since 2017. He also previously served in the Arizona Senate from 1997 to 2001 and in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1993 to 1997. In this interview with Irrigation Leader, Speaker Bowers tell us about water management in Arizona, the importance of finding new supplies for the growing Southwest, and the legislation he hopes moves forward this year.
Irrigated Agriculture in Russia and Ukraine
Bob Wietharn is the inventor and manufacturer of the Riverscreen, an innovative floating screen that can pump and filter out debris from running water as shallow as 4 inches. In August 2019, Mr. Wietharn traveled to Russia and Ukraine, where he visited Riverscreen customers and dealers and visited a number of farms. In this interview, Mr. Wietharn shares with Irrigation Leader his impressions of Russia and Ukraine, including details about farming, irrigation, and equipment.
The Impressive Product Line of Hose Solutions, Inc.
Hose Solutions, Inc., (HSI) provides specialized hoses designed to move water, wastewater, concrete slurries, fuels, and other liquids. Its products are durable, flexible, and noncorrosive, providing an alternative to rigid pipes made of traditional materials like steel or PVC. In this interview, Jim Lowry, HSI’s business development and operations manager, tells us about the distinctive qualities and advantages that make HSI’s products attractive to customers from Alaska to Antarctica.
Kevin Polak: The Designer Behind the NuCONTAINER
Kevin Polak brings over 35 years of experience in design and manufacturing to his position as mechanical design engineer at NuSTREEM. One of his triumphs has been the design of the NuCONTAINER, a modular powerhouse that fits one, two, or three turbines into a standard shipping container for ease of installation, transportation, and repair. In this interview, Mr. Polak tells Irrigation Leader about his background and his work at NuSTREEM.
NuSTREEM’s Portable, Flexible Turbine Container Design
NuSTREEM is a manufacturer of proven, modular small hydro installations that are suitable for irrigation districts or other water conveyance operators. To make its turbines more portable and easier to install, it has developed the NuCONTAINER, an integrated, modular package in which multiple turbines are transported and can be installed in a standard-size shipping container. In this interview, NuSTREEM General Manager Juliann Blanford tells Irrigation Leader about the advantages of this novel design.
Jack Russell and Sylvia Johnson: Advancing Groundwater Management at the Middle Republican Natural Resources District
The Middle Republican Natural Resources District (MRNRD) is one of Nebraska’s 23 natural resources districts (NRDs), watershed-based local agencies that handle a wide variety of environmental issues across the state, including groundwater quantity and quality, soil erosion, and flood prevention. One of the MRNRD’s main focuses today is on groundwater management. To further this goal, it has acquired a WaterSMART grant from the Bureau of Reclamation to put updated telemetry meters on all its wells. The end goal is to provide all its farmers with real-time information on their water use, soil moisture, and other useful information. In this interview, MRNRD Manager Jack Russell and Assistant Manager Sylvia Johnson update…
Products, Expertise, and Service: The SePRO Formula
SePRO has nearly three decades of experience in providing aquatic chemicals for the irrigation sector. In this interview, Sam Barrick, SePRO’s vice president of marketing, tells Irrigation Leader about the company’s work in the irrigation sector and the products and services it provides.
Restoring Aquifers and Dealing With Drought at the San Luis Valley Irrigation District
The San Luis Valley Irrigation District (SLVID) services 62,000 acres of agricultural land in south-central Colorado with water rights on the Rio Grande that date back as far as 1887. Today, the San Luis Valley and the Rio Grande as a whole have been experiencing a serious drought for close to 20 years. In response, farmers in the valley have collaborated to reduce water use and replenish local aquifers. In this interview, SLVID Superintendent Robert Phillips tells Irrigation Leader about how the district is responding to these challenges on the upper Rio Grande.
