Ronald Leimgruber: Using FarmConnect in the Imperial Valley
Ronald Leimgruber is a third-generation farmer in California’s Imperial Valley who uses a variety of irrigation methods to grow his crops. He has been using Rubicon’s technology for over 10 years.
How Rubicon’s FarmConnect Solution Is Turning Flood and Furrow Irrigation Into an Efficient System
Rubicon Water’s technology helps manage 3.7 million acres of irrigated land. With thousands of miles of canals modernized and more than 35,000 automated control gates and meters sold, Rubicon’s innovative hardware and software is improving the efficiency and productivity of irrigated agriculture worldwide. One groundbreaking example is Rubicon’s FarmConnect solution, which leverages from technologies within Rubicon’s proven irrigation district solutions to provide individual farmers with precise, high-efficiency surface and furrow irrigation solutions. In this interview, Rubicon Business Development Manager Peter Moller tells us about the development and launch of the FarmConnect solution.
Kurt Miller of Northwest RiverPartners: Educating the Public and Policymakers About Hydropower and Irrigation
Dams have the potential to serve many of society’s needs: clean energy, transportation, irrigation, and flood control. But dams and hydropower can also generate controversy regarding conservation and river temperatures, which is often inflamed by misinformation. This often can hinder efforts to integrate hydropower into the renewable energy economy now being required by federal and state mandates. Northwest RiverPartners is a group dedicated to combating misinformation and educating the public about the comprehensive benefits hydropower can provide. In this interview, Northwest RiverPartners’ executive director, Kurt Miller, tells Irrigation Leader about the misconceptions the public often has about hydropower and dams, how dams can help further a clean energy economy in…
Chris Gargan and Joel Irving: Providing Global Screening Solutions at International Water Screens
One challenge that is common to irrigation districts and water users worldwide is the need to remove debris and other substances from water while also protecting fish and other wildlife. Screens that can filter out debris without harming fish are important tools for doing just that. International Water Screens (IWS) is a global leader in the design of fixed and moving screens. Its screens are custom built to customers’ needs, feature state-of-the-art features to filter out debris while preserving fish, and are designed to last. In this interview, IWS Vice President Chris Gargan and Sales Representative Joel Irving tell Irrigation Leader about IWS’s product line and how it is expanding…
Worthington’s Offerings for New Zealand
New Zealand’s Otago region produces top-quality fruit, wines, crops, and livestock, and to do that, it needs water. In recent years, there have been persistent disagreements between the central government, the regional council, environmental interests, and community members about how to manage water in the catchment. Points of contention include how to distribute stored water, how to pay for water infrastructure, and what levels of flow must be preserved in the rivers. Gary Kelliher has addressed these issues from many angles. Himself a farmer, he has also served as the chair of an irrigation scheme and the deputy chair of an independent, catchment-wide strategy group, and he is currently a…
Ecological Sustainability Should Be Our Goal By Scott J. Cameron
As legislative and administrative solutions to climate change are being debated in Washington, DC, I encourage Congress and the Biden administration to step back and consider the larger challenge so that we accurately define the problem and can intelligently craft solutions to achieve our goals. The big picture is our need for ecological sustainability, of which climate change is just one of four dimensions. The three other key legs of the ecological sustainability stool in the United States include controlling invasive species; managing range and forest lands; and striking the right balance between extensive and intensive food production. Addressing global temperature alone is not enough to achieve ecological sustainability. Unless…
Agri-Inject: A Pioneer in the Chemigation Field
Since the 1980s, Yuma, Colorado–based Agri-Inject has been advancing the use of mobile irrigation systems to apply fertilizer and chemicals in liquid form. This method of application, known as chemigation or fertigation, allows for the quick, low-volume, and continuous application of fertilizers and chemicals, thus spoon-feeding crops no more than they can absorb and preventing leaching and nitrate pollution. In this interview, Agri‑Inject CEO Erik Tribelhorn tells Irrigation Leader about the company’s role in developing chemigation from its beginnings and what the company is doing today.
Why Zanjeros Are Fundamental to the Imperial Irrigation District’s Operations
The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) serves half a million acres of highly productive farmland in the Imperial Valley of Southern California with Colorado River water. Its massive water distribution system includes major canals and check structures that are operated automatically and remotely, but also thousands of field-level turnouts that must be manipulated by hand by the district’s zanjeros, or ditch riders. In this interview, Jeff Dollente, a zanjero for IID, and Robert Schettler, IID’s public information officer, tell us about the essential job zanjeros perform to deliver water safely to the district’s customers.
Tom Davis: Preserving and Strengthening Arizona’s Desert Ag
The Yuma, Arizona, area produces the vast majority of North America’s winter produce, including leafy green vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and celery. The Yuma area also produces high-quality desert durum wheat, citrus, melons, cotton, and a variety of seed crops. Most of the irrigable acreage in the area is double or triple cropped. This production relies on Colorado River water delivered by entities such as the Yuma County Water Users Association (YCWUA). The water interests of the agricultural community in the area are defended by the local irrigation districts’ boards of directors and by organizations such as the Yuma County Agriculture Water Coalition (YCAWC) and the Agribusiness and Water Council…
Regional Councilor Gary Kelliher: Managing Water Use in the Otago Region
New Zealand’s Otago region produces top-quality fruit, wines, crops, and livestock, and to do that, it needs water. In recent years, there have been persistent disagreements between the central government, the regional council, environmental interests, and community members about how to manage water in the catchment. Points of contention include how to distribute stored water, how to pay for water infrastructure, and what levels of flow must be preserved in the rivers. Gary Kelliher has addressed these issues from many angles. Himself a farmer, he has also served as the chair of an irrigation scheme and the deputy chair of an independent, catchment-wide strategy group, and he is currently a…
