Volume 4 Issue 10 November/December 2013
Water, like leadership, has no substitute. Solutions to water problems require leadership. With the exception of a timely rain, solutions to water problems do not happen on their own. This issue of Irrigation Leader magazine focuses on California, a state with arguably some of the most far-reaching and devastating water problems. Each article in […]
Volume 4 Issue 9 October 2013
I have known Jay Chamberlin, general manager of the Owyhee Irrigation District, for 20 years and was especially pleased when he agreed to be interviewed and be on the cover of the October issue of Irrigation Leader. Jay is an accomplished manager, and it was a given he would provide an interesting interview. His […]
Volume 4 Issue 8 September 2013
Several months ago, we began focusing each issue of the magazine on individual western states. We adopted this approach to provide a general theme for each issue and to help set some parameters for content. When a single irrigation district can easily provide newsworthy material for an entire magazine, you can appreciate the challenge […]
Volume 4 Issue 7 July/August 2013
Few jobs bring the amount and variety of responsibility that must be shouldered by irrigation district managers. They must lead and manage staff, maintain project infrastructure, deliver water to farmers, comply with state and federal regulations, and work with their respective boards of directors to stay within a limited budget. It is a 24/7 […]
Volume 4 Issue 6 June 2013
On May 23, the Texas House of Representatives passed S.J.R.1 to create the State Water Implementation Fund and the Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas. With voter approval in November, these funds will provide $2 billion to help implement the 2012 Texas State Water Plan, which recommends 562 water supply projects. According to the […]
Volume 4 Issue 5 May 2013
Chris Udall, executive director of the AgriBusiness Counsel of Arizona, does a great job, and I highly recommend attending his organization’s one-day Annual Business Meeting. It always has a strong agenda, and this year’s May 17 meeting was no exception. One of Chris’s speakers, Mr. Jim McCauley, a benefits consultant for Wells Fargo Insurance, […]
Volume 4 Issue 4 April 2013
This photo shows a recent early morning meeting on the Quincy Columbia Irrigation District’s main canal near Ephrata, Washington, between Quincy General Manager Darvin Fales, former Reclamation Commissioner Bob Johnson, and Columbia Basin Project Counsel Richard Lemargie. Listening to these men talk underscored for me that there is no substitute for experience in trying […]
Volume 4 Issue 3 March 2013
“Every facility we have is ready and in shape to be seen.” That was Desert Water Agency (DWA) General Manager Dave Luker’s response when I commented on the cleanliness and organization of a pumping plant I toured in Palm Springs, California. Dave went on to explain that DWA’s previous manager and his former boss, […]
Volume 4 Issue 2 February 2013
On January 23 and 24, Irrigation Leader magazine hosted a special meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, titled, the “Operations and Management Workshop.” The intention of the meeting was to provide a face-to-face opportunity for irrigation district managers and their respective board members to discuss issues directly pertaining to the operations and management of their districts. […]
Volume 4 Issue 1 January 2013
One of the missions of Irrigation Leader magazine is to help people in the irrigation and hydropower generation communities learn from the experiences and successes of others. This issue of Irrigation Leader magazine contains interviews with three interesting and accomplished people. Ms. Luana Buckner is a nononsense Texan who wears many hats. Her featured […]