Volume 9 Issue 5 May Washington Edition 2018
Creating reservoirs for irrigation and municipal water supplies was once a question of engineering and funding. Now, with competing environmental interests, reduced federal investment, and changing infrastructure priorities, water storage proponents must doggedly pursue permitting and funding. Additionally, educating local and regional groups about irrigation for political support is a new reality. This issue […]
The Role of Archaeology in the Development of One of the Last Reclamation Reservoirs
To say that the Animas-La Plata (A-LP) Project faced a multitude of political and regulatory challenges and setbacks throughout its planning and construction is an understatement. In the nearly 60 years from the A-LP’s planning authorization in 1956 to the completion of construction in 2013, Congress passed both the National Environmental Policy Act and the […]
Sheffield Reservoir
With the recent completion of the Sheffield Reservoir, Central Plains Water Limited (CPWL) is realizing the next stage of its water enhancement plan for a section of underserved lands in New Zealand’s Canterbury Plains. The newly constructed reservoir is a lynchpin of the Sheffield Scheme, which will introduce surface water irrigation to farmers in the […]
Expanding Storage to Sustain Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley
With rights dating back to the 1800s, Merced Irrigation District (MID) is a senior water rights holder on California’s Merced River, a tributary of the San Joaquin River. The irrigation district formed in 1919 and built Exchequer Dam, creating Lake McClure. MID completed the 490-foot New Exchequer Dam in 1967, impounding more than 1 million […]
Volume 9 Issue 5 May 2018
Creating reservoirs for irrigation and municipal water supplies was once a question of engineering and funding. Now, with competing environmental interests, reduced federal investment, and changing infrastructure priorities, water storage proponents must doggedly pursue permitting and funding. Additionally, educating local and regional groups about irrigation for political support is a new reality. This issue […]
Dave Koland
David Koland, known to friends as Dave, passed away on May 8, 2018, at the age of 75. Born in Oregon and raised in North Dakota, Dave attended the University of North Dakota, majoring in business. He put his skills to good use in many endeavors but ultimately directed them to his passion: water. Known […]
Irrigation Challenges in Australia
Irrigation districts in Australia face a variety of management and operational challenges not experienced by their American counterparts. Below is a small sampling of some of their more unique challenges. [siteorigin_widget class=”MetaSlider_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget]
Murrumbidgee Irrigation
In 1912, the Australian government formed Murrumbidgee Irrigation (MI) following the commissioning of Burrinjuck Dam in the Snowy Mountains. The intent of the project was to construct a system that would make inland Australia a drought-proof major food producer and that would create jobs for an expanding nation. Today, MI has done just that and […]
A Case Study in Extending Canal Life at the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District
With water being a vital component of agricultural life in the Columbia basin, the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District (QCBID) has lined its canals to help minimize water loss and deliver water to the farmlands that need it. [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Headline_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] QCBID is one of three irrigation districts operating the Columbia Basin Project, which brings water resources […]
Volume 9 Issue 4 April Washington Edition 2018
This issue of Irrigation Leader magazine is dedicated to our third international Irrigation Education Tour and our second trip to Australia. Many thanks are due to the wonderful participants who took time from their professional lives to join us and to our sponsors, Rubicon, Alligare, and International Water Screens, for making the tour possible. […]