Volume 10 Issue 7 August Washington Edition 2019
For a century, the Wapato Irrigation District (WIP) has been delivering water to the diverse and productive agriculture of Washington’s Yakama Nation reservation. While some of WIP’s engineering and operating activities are handled by the Yakama Nation, it is a federally owned project operated primarily by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In our cover interview, Stuart […]
Volume 10 Issue 7 August 2019
Arizona agriculture is a marvel. Despite its blazing hot summers and its desert climate, the state produces significant agricultural output, including most of the lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli eaten in the United States and Canada during the winter. To make this happen, water suppliers and irrigators distribute hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water each […]
Volume 10 Issue 6 July Washington Edition 2019
Irrigation Leader’s cover story this month features Washington State Senator Jim Honeyford, who has long championed water management and infrastructure bills that benefit irrigation districts and water users across his state. Senator Honeyford tells us about the legislation he has supported in the past and his priorities for the future and gives his advice […]
Volume 10 Issue 6 July 2019
Water infrastructure projects generally involve huge amounts of concrete, miles of canal lining or pipe, or large capital installations. As a result, it is no surprise that they cost large sums of money and are often difficult to plan and pay for. In this issue of Irrigation Leader, we bring you conversations with an […]
Volume 10 Issue 5 May/June 2019
Public outreach is a must for irrigation districts. By getting to know ratepayers and community members, educating them, and solving their problems, an irrigation district can save time and money, gain goodwill, and even find new employees. In this month’s Irrigation Leader, we talk with managers, public relations staff, scientists, and communications professionals about […]
Volume 10 Issue 5 May/June Washington Edition 2019
The Yakima Basin Integrated Plan (YBIP) is an impressive feat of coordination and cooperation. Its basic aim is simple—to guarantee enough water for people, fish, and agriculture—but behind that simple summary there are many parties, many interests, and a lot of history. With the leadership of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Washington Department […]
Volume 10 Issue 4 April Washington Edition 2019
D avid Brown of the City of Yakima’s Water/Irrigation Division knows that straightforward improvements can have dramatic results. In 1998, the city replaced 32 miles of wood-stave pipes with PVC and polyethylene and, in so doing, reduced its diversion from 23 cubic feet per second to 9. Today, the division is taking the same […]
Volume 10 Issue 4 April 2019
C hile is a country of 18 million people, stretching 2,600 miles north-to-south along the Pacific Coast of South America. Its dramatic landscape includes mountains, deserts, fjords, and fertile valleys. In February, I led an Irrigation Leader tour to this amazing country. We saw how farmers, water managers, and civil servants are working to […]
Volume 10 Issue 3 March Washington Edition 2019
T he readers of Irrigation Leader know that our field is always advancing—whether because of decades-long conservation and infrastructure projects or because of technological leaps that improve the equipment in the field. In our cover story this month, we talk with Lori Brady, the manager of Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District, which has embarked on […]
Volume 10 Issue 3 March 2019
Advances in Center-Pivot Technology W hen I told a friend that the newest issue of Irrigation Leader was about new advances in center-pivot technology, he said with a smile, “Are there any of those?” To answer in a word: Yes! From the development of new monitoring and man . The novel application of well-known […]