How the Yakama Nation Is Working to Restore Fish Populations in the Upper Yakima Basin
A century ago, upwards of a million salmon and other anadromous fish species returned each year to spawn and rear in the rivers and lakes of the upper Yakima basin. However, early storage efforts involving wooden crib dams, followed by the Bureau of Reclamation’s construction of concrete dams in the 1910s and 1930s, rendered many […]
Volume 11 Issue 9 October 2020 Washington State Edition
October 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Irrigation Leader and the 101st issue of the magazine. A great thank you is owed our readers, advertisers, and most importantly, the many exceptional men and women in irrigated agriculture who have shared their time, solutions, and ideas with Irrigation Leader and its readership. Most of the […]
From Wood to Fiberglass and Lined Concrete: The Naches-Selah Irrigation District’s Infrastructure Updates
The Naches-Selah Irrigation District (NSID) serves around 11,000 acres in the foothills of the eastern slope of the Cascades. Its history dates back to the late 19th century—and in some cases, so does its infrastructure. Up until a few years ago, the NSID had extensive stretches of wood-stave pipes and wood-trestle flumes in its system. […]
Irrigation in Portugal and in Europe as a Whole
José Nuncio plays an important role in irrigation both in Portugal and on the wider European level. Within Portugal, he is the president of the Sorraia Valley Irrigators and Water Users Association (Associação de Regantes e Beneficiários do Vale do Sorraia, ARBVS) as well as the president of the National Federation of Portuguese Irrigators (Federação […]
How the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation and Other River Basin Authorities Manage Spain’s Water Resources
The territory of Spain is divided among nine river basin authorities known as hydrographic confederations (HCs), which control and manage major water infrastructure, water-related public property, and hydrological planning within their respective areas. The HCs control and operate large state-owned reservoirs and canals that deliver water to local irrigation communities (districts) and other users. One […]
How the Spanish Government Funds Irrigation Modernization
The State Society for Agricultural Infrastructure (Sociedad Estatal de Infraestructuras Agrarias, SEIASA) is the agency that funds irrigation modernization projects across Spain. The agency is mandated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food to help finance various modernization projects in irrigation communities (which are similar to U.S. irrigation districts) across Spain that have been […]
Adolfo Nieto of the Orellana Canal Irrigation Community: Modernizing a Spanish Irrigation District
The Orellana Canal Irrigation Community (Comunidad de Regantes del Canal de Orellana, CRCO) is a sizable irrigation district in the arid central-western Spanish region of Extremadura. Over the past few years, it has used funds from Spain’s State Society for Agricultural Infrastructure (Sociedad Estatal de Infraestructuras Agrarias, SEIASA) to install new flow meters and automated […]
Volume 11 Issue 9 October 2020
October 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Irrigation Leader and the 101st issue of the magazine. A great thank you is owed our readers, advertisers, and, most importantly, the many exceptional men and women in irrigated agriculture who have shared their time, solutions, and ideas with Irrigation Leader and its readership. Most of the […]
Dave Solem: Responding to a Pump Station Lightning Strike
On Saturday, May 30, a major pump station in South Columbia Basin Irrigation District (SCBID) was struck by lightning, disintegrating a bus conductor and knocking out the facility. Within hours, SCBID Manager Dave Solem was on the scene with engineers, electricians, manufacturers, and other relevant personnel. Luckily, the damage to the station was not as […]
Volume 11 Issue 8 September 2020 Washington State Edition
What happens when lightning strikes a piece of critical infrastructure? Few irrigation district managers are eager to find out the answer to that question. Dave Solem of South Columbia Basin Irrigation District (SCBID), however, found out firsthand after one of his pump stations was hit by lightning on May 30. Thanks to hard work, […]