Tapping Opportunities at the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program Reduce Workload and Raise Funds

The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program includes a wide variety of funding opportunities for water efficiency, drought resilience, watershed management, and water reuse. Over the next 5 years, WaterSMART will disburse an additional $1.9 billion thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In this interview, Josh German, […]

How Kennewick Irrigation District’s Administrative Fees Reduce Workload and Raise Funds

Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) is located in the rapidly growing Tri-Cities area of Central Washington. In response to the ballooning of administrative tasks related to urbanization and property transfers, KID instituted several administrative fees and set up a web portal to supply relevant information to title companies. In this interview, KID Secretary and District Manager […]

Raising Infrastructure Funds by Issuing a Bond: A Conversation With Matt Lukasiewicz

When a nonprofit group of three Reclamation and irrigation districts in central Nebraska needed project financing, it turned to bonds. In this interview, Irrigation Leader speaks with general manager Matt Lukasiewicz about the process of issuing a bond.  [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Headline_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Irrigation Leader: Please introduce yourself and tell us how you came to be in your […]

How Irrigation Districts Should Develop Budgets and Raise Capital

Kipp Drummond has worked in finance in both the private and public sectors, including 6 years as the senior financial manager and comptroller for the Kennewick Irrigation District. In this interview, he brings his years of experience to bear to walk us through all the steps irrigation districts should go through to develop budgets and […]

Rick Reinders: Watertronics’ High-Quality Pump Systems and Controls for the Irrigation Market

Wisconsin-based Watertronics provides a wide variety of pump stations, control panels, and telemetry products for the agricultural, industrial/ municipal, landscape irrigation, and golf irrigation markets. In this interview, Watertronics Co-CEO Rick Reinders tells us about the company’s commitment to quality and service and its offerings for the irrigation market.  [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Headline_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Irrigation Leader: Please tell […]

Congressman Dan Newhouse: Supporting Irrigated Ag in Central Washington State

The Yakima River basin is one of the most productive and intensively irrigated agricultural areas of the United States. Farmers there raise cattle and grow apples, cherries, grapes, pears, and hay. In this interview, Dan Newhouse, who represents Washington’s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, discusses the importance of irrigated ag to […]

Vicky Bloomer of DROP Consulting: Supporting Irrigated Agriculture in Hawke’s Bay

Vicky Bloomer, the owner and director of DROP Consulting, has long experience with irrigated agriculture. Her time at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, an irrigation company, and Irrigation New Zealand (IrrigationNZ) gave her a thorough understanding of the pressures affecting irrigated farmers, water suppliers, and regulators, which she brings to her consulting work. In this […]

Professor Daniele Zaccaria: Applying Science-Based Solutions to Growing Water Concerns in the Central Valley

At the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), and the University of California Cooperative Extension, researchers help growers adopt advanced water management solutions in the face of recurring drought and dwindling water supplies. In this interview, Irrigation Leader speaks with Daniele Zaccaria, an associate professor at UC Davis and an agricultural water management specialist at […]