Volume 5 Issue 10 November/December 2014
This issue of Irrigation Leader magazine brings together several interesting and accomplished individuals involved in irrigated agriculture. In preparing for the interview with Jay Hill, I had the great opportunity to spend some time with Jay and his father on their farm near Las Cruces, New Mexico. That is beautiful farm country, and the […]
Volume 5 Issue 9 October 2014
The history of Utah is intertwined with the development of irrigation. Native Americans irrigated crops in the region for centuries. Beginning with the settlement of Salt Lake City in 1847, irrigation was developed on a much larger scale. According to the Utah Division of State History, by 1865 the Mormons had dug over 1,000 […]
Volume 5 Issue 8 September 2014
Irrigation projects, like well-paved highways, are important infrastructure that provides benefits for the long term. However, just like highways, irrigation projects need to be maintained and upgraded from time to time for continued service. District managers and their respective boards of directors understand this and are constantly thinking about where their limited resources will […]
Volume 5 Issue 7 July/August 2014
Two common qualities among irrigation districts, water managers, and farmers are resilience and innovation. One must be tougher than the problem to survive and innovative to prosper. Such American qualities are prevalent along the Rio Grande, arguably one of the most challenging river systems. This issue of Irrigation Leader magazine focuses on the Rio […]
Volume 5 Issue 6 June 2014
Since our debut issue of Irrigation Leader magazine in October 2010, we have followed a simple rule with regard to advertising: We only advertise those products and services that are already being used by an irrigation district or water-providing entity. This simple rule assures our readers that our advertisers offer quality products and services […]
Volume 5 Issue 5 May 2014
“About two months” was the answer given to a question I recently asked of Nate Jenkins, assistant manager of the Upper Republican Natural Resources District. My question to Nate was, “How much time elapsed from when it was learned the Lincoln County land was for sale until the three Republican Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) […]
Volume 5 Issue 4 April 2014
When one speaks with Mr. Tom Birmingham, two things are very clear. The first is you are talking with a highly intelligent individual who has the rare ability to speak like a gifted writer writes. The second is the nearly unbelievable challenges faced by his farmers. The creativity, resilience, and sheer toughness they have […]
Volume 5 Issue 3 March 2014
The group photo on the cover of this issue of marks a departure from our regular covers that feature a single manager of an irrigation district. Several months ago, I asked Mike Murphy, executive director of the Montana Water Resources Association (MWRA), and Jim Foster, manager of the Helena Valley Irrigation District, both of […]
Volume 5 Issue 2 February 2014
Irrigation Leader magazine hosted its second annual Operations and Management Workshop in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 12–13, 2014. Around 80 people attended the workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to create a venue for irrigation district managers, board members, and vendors to share information and learn from each other. All topics and speaker panels for […]
Volume 5 Issue 1 January 2014
Ron Bishop, former manager of the Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) in Grand Island, Nebraska, passed away on January 13. Ron served as manager of the CPNRD since its creation in 1972 until he retired this past year. He was instrumental in the development of Nebraska’s natural resources districts system. Always an innovator, […]