Volume 12 Issue 2 February
Celebrating the Drop 5 Ribbon Cutting In 2017, after 75 years of receiving affordable project use power (PUP) from the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, the Kinsey Irrigation Company (KIC) and the Sidney Water Users Irrigation District (SWUID) of southeastern Montana were told that it had all been a mistake. The Bureau of Reclamation’s lawyers […]
Volume 12 Issue 1 January Washington State Edition
The Intricacies of the Water World Water resources agencies operate at the intersection of many legal fields, from water rights to environmental regulations to the everyday operating concerns of municipal entities. That means that being a water lawyer requires experience in and thorough knowledge of many areas of the law. In our cover story […]
Volume 12 Issue 1 January
Celebrating the Drop 5 Ribbon Cutting The May 2020 failure of the drop 5 structure in the St. Mary Unit of Montana’s Milk River Project was a catastrophic event. “To me, it looked like a bomb had been placed under the middle section of the drop structure,” said Milk River Joint Board of Control […]
Special Issue: Security
Efficiency and Modernization Safety and security are important concerns for any irrigation district manager. A manager must make sure that employees are safe on the job; ensure that operations are carried out in a way that keeps the public safe; and protect facilities from damage, vandalism, or theft. This requires responsible and forward-thinking management and […]
Volume 11 Issue 10 November/December 2020 Washington State Edition
The Importance of the OGWRP The Odessa Groundwater Replacement Project (OGWRP) is a crucially important effort to dramatically reduce reliance on the overstrained aquifer in the Odessa region of north-central Washington State by replacing pumped groundwater with surface water supplies from the Columbia River. This month, we have the honor of interviewing four Washington […]
Volume 11 Issue 10 November/December 2020
Efficiency and Modernization Irrigation district managers usually think of one thing when they hear efficiency: reducing water loss. Of course, the concept goes much further. Efficiency includes saving water, but it also means saving time, saving money, and making good decisions the first time around so that there is no need to reverse course. […]
Volume 11 Issue 9 October 2020 Washington State Edition
October 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Irrigation Leader and the 101st issue of the magazine. A great thank you is owed our readers, advertisers, and most importantly, the many exceptional men and women in irrigated agriculture who have shared their time, solutions, and ideas with Irrigation Leader and its readership. Most of the […]
Volume 11 Issue 9 October 2020
October 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Irrigation Leader and the 101st issue of the magazine. A great thank you is owed our readers, advertisers, and, most importantly, the many exceptional men and women in irrigated agriculture who have shared their time, solutions, and ideas with Irrigation Leader and its readership. Most of the […]
Volume 11 Issue 8 September 2020 Washington State Edition
What happens when lightning strikes a piece of critical infrastructure? Few irrigation district managers are eager to find out the answer to that question. Dave Solem of South Columbia Basin Irrigation District (SCBID), however, found out firsthand after one of his pump stations was hit by lightning on May 30. Thanks to hard work, […]
Volume 11 Issue 8 September 2020
Groundwater recharge and aquifer storage are techniques that hold promise for irrigation districts and water providers across the country. Groundwater recharge reverses the damage done by overdrafting local aquifers and can improve the health of groundwater-connected springs and rivers. In addition, putting water underground creates a store that can be drawn on in lean […]