Volume 11 Issue 7 July/August 2020 Washington State Edition
This month, Irrigation Leader has the pleasure of featuring an interview with Congressman Dan Newhouse, who represents central Washington’s 4th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Newhouse speaks with us about a number of highly timely topics, including title transfer and the possibility of including funding for irrigation districts in a post-COVID‑19 […]
Volume 11 Issue 7 July/August 2020
On May 17, the long-feared happened—the catastrophic failure of drop structure 5 in the St. Mary unit of Montana’s Milk River Project. Unless and until the St. Mary unit is repaired, it will not be possible to replenish the project’s storage, threatening the agricultural producers and municipalities that rely on its water. Much of […]
Special Issue June 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic that hit the United States in mid-March has disrupted countless aspects of daily life. Across the nation, many of us have been working from home; some people have lost their jobs or been furloughed; and all of us are wondering if and when things will go back to normal. Agriculture, of […]
Volume 11 Issue 6 June 2020 Washington State Edition
Washington’s AgForestry Leadership program provides invaluable training, networking, and learning opportunities to state’s rising generation of water leaders. The 18-month course includes seminars across Washington State; a visit to Washington, DC; and an international trip—this year, to Cambodia and Vietnam. In this issue, we interview four members of Class 41, this year’s graduating class, […]
Volume 11 Issue 6 June 2020
Irrigation is a story of humans harnessing nature. We collect, measure, and move water—sometimes across a field, sometimes across a state or a mountain range— and make crops grow out of what was once barren ground. The elemental power of irrigation is very much on display in our interview with General Manager Brad Wind […]
Volume 11 Issue 5 May 2020 Washington State Edition
Our cover interview with Mark Wagoner reveals the unusual challenges that the Gardena Farms Irrigation District in Touchet, Washington, faces. To put it simply, the district lacks any significant supply of water from July 1 to October 1, if not later. Nevertheless, the district’s farmers have identified appropriate crops for their situation and are […]
Volume 11 Issue 5 May 2020
Give the plant everything it needs, but not one drop more.” This was said to me in a conversation with a representative of an Israeli company that traced its roots to the development of drip irrigation over 50 years ago. That quote has stuck with me because of the practical mindset it represents; use […]
Volume 11 Issue 4 April 2020 Washington State Edition
New Zealand is a country of gracious people, amazing scenery, and highly productive irrigated agriculture. New Zealanders, or Kiwis, face many of the same irrigation challenges that Americans do, though in some cases they have come up with new and innovative solutions that Americans can learn from. All this was on display during Irrigation […]
Volume 11 Issue 4 April 2020
New Zealand is a country of gracious people, amazing scenery, and highly productive irrigated agriculture. New Zealanders, or Kiwis, face many of the same irrigation challenges that Americans do, though in some cases they have come up with new and innovative solutions that Americans can learn from. All this was on display during Irrigation […]
Volume 11 Issue 3 March2020
In our cover story this month, Jay O’Brien of the Oroville- Tonasket Irrigation District tell us about how his district is putting its unused water in trust and using it to gain revenue while also helping water users in need downstream. It is a promising setup that will be of interest to other Washington […]