A Cultural Exchange Between Washington State and New Zealand
One member of the Irrigation Leader tour in New Zealand was Phil Rigdon, the superintendent of the Yakama Nation’s Department of Natural Resources, which oversees 17 different programs that cover fisheries, water, forestry, and environmental protection. While New Zealand is half a world away from the Yakima Valley, it has many commonalities, from the need […]
Reflections on the Tour Experience
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Headline_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Brian Betcher: General Manager (Retired), Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District, Pinal County, Arizona Being recently retired from many years of irrigation district management, my focus was somewhat different for this trip. I took more note of big-picture comparisons between what I saw in New Zealand and the water world of Arizona. Upon my return […]
How Agri-Inject’s Fertigation Technology Can Prevent Nitrate Leaching
Agri-Inject is a pioneer in the chemigation field. Since the 1980s, the Yuma, Colorado–based company has been promoting the use of mobile irrigation systems to apply fertilizer and chemicals in liquid form. This method of application, known as fertigation, allows for the quick, lowvolume, and continuous application of fertilizer, “spoon-feeding” crops no more than they […]
Planning the Irrigation Leader Tour of New Zealand
Irrigation Leader’s recent tour of New Zealand was planned in part by Mel Brooks, the chief executive officer (CEO) of MHV Water, New Zealand’s largest irrigation scheme. MHV Water provides water to over 200 farmer-shareholders on the fertile Canterbury Plains area of New Zealand’s South Island. In this interview, Mel explains how she selected tour […]
The Water Education Foundation: Helping Professionals and the Public Understand Western Water
The Water Education Foundation has been educating water professionals and the general public in California and across the Colorado River basin for more than 40 years. Its tours, conferences, publications, and online resources make the complex world of western water more easily comprehensible while also highlighting the high stakes of the issues involved. In this […]
Removing Nitrates From Groundwater via Wood Chip Walls
Like many agricultural regions in the United States, New Zealand’s South Island deals with the contamination of its groundwater by nitrates. However, the situation is distinct in two respects. First, the alluvial gravel aquifers that underlie much of the intensively farmed land on New Zealand’s South Island are extremely permeable and are characterized by fast […]
The Voyager: An Affordable Response to Nitrate Contamination
Many rural agricultural areas across the United States have issues with nitrate contamination in their groundwater but lack the funds to build a large water treatment plant. That’s where Filtra-Systems steps in. The Oklahoma-based company has created the Voyager, a mobile water treatment station that is more affordable than a full-scale facility. Small communities can […]
Protecting Groundwater and Reversing Subsidence in the Coachella Valley
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is a 2014 California law intended to preserve and protect California’s precious groundwater resources. The law required all hydrological basins and subbasins across the state to be assessed for their priority and overdraft status and then to develop appropriate plans for the sustainable management of their groundwater. Coachella Valley […]
Nebraska’s Integrated Management Planning System
Nebraska is well known for its unique natural resources district (NRD) system, in which 23 local agencies handle a wide variety of environmental issues across the state, including groundwater quantity and quality, soil erosion, and flood prevention. While this system gives local bodies significant control, the NRDs also have to coordinate with the state. As […]
Central Platte NRD’s Successful Groundwater Management Program
Like many irrigated farming areas across the United States, the Central Platte Natural Resources District (NRD) faced problems with nitrate pollution in its groundwater. With the district’s shallow water table and widespread use of flood irrigation, fertilizer was leaching into the groundwater at levels that were detrimental to human health. Through education and regulation, Central […]