Raising Infrastructure Funds by Issuing a Bond: A Conversation With Matt Lukasiewicz
When a nonprofit group of three Reclamation and irrigation districts in central Nebraska needed project financing, it turned to bonds. In this interview, Irrigation Leader speaks with general manager Matt Lukasiewicz about the process of issuing a bond. [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Headline_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Irrigation Leader: Please introduce yourself and tell us how you came to be in your […]
How Irrigation Districts Should Develop Budgets and Raise Capital
Kipp Drummond has worked in finance in both the private and public sectors, including 6 years as the senior financial manager and comptroller for the Kennewick Irrigation District. In this interview, he brings his years of experience to bear to walk us through all the steps irrigation districts should go through to develop budgets and […]
Rick Reinders: Watertronics’ High-Quality Pump Systems and Controls for the Irrigation Market
Wisconsin-based Watertronics provides a wide variety of pump stations, control panels, and telemetry products for the agricultural, industrial/ municipal, landscape irrigation, and golf irrigation markets. In this interview, Watertronics Co-CEO Rick Reinders tells us about the company’s commitment to quality and service and its offerings for the irrigation market. [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Headline_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Irrigation Leader: Please tell […]
Congressman Dan Newhouse: Supporting Irrigated Ag in Central Washington State
The Yakima River basin is one of the most productive and intensively irrigated agricultural areas of the United States. Farmers there raise cattle and grow apples, cherries, grapes, pears, and hay. In this interview, Dan Newhouse, who represents Washington’s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, discusses the importance of irrigated ag to […]
Vicky Bloomer of DROP Consulting: Supporting Irrigated Agriculture in Hawke’s Bay
Vicky Bloomer, the owner and director of DROP Consulting, has long experience with irrigated agriculture. Her time at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, an irrigation company, and Irrigation New Zealand (IrrigationNZ) gave her a thorough understanding of the pressures affecting irrigated farmers, water suppliers, and regulators, which she brings to her consulting work. In this […]
Ed Gerak of the Irrigation and Electrical Districts Association of Arizona: The Coming Irrigation Electricity Crisis
The prolonged drought in the Colorado basin is affecting every aspect of the power equation in Arizona, simultaneously reducing hydropower production and increasing the cost of hydropower and alternate power sources. This situation, along with water supply constraints, is likely to create a perfect storm for many irrigation districts. In this interview, Ed Gerak, the […]
Professor Daniele Zaccaria: Applying Science-Based Solutions to Growing Water Concerns in the Central Valley
At the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), and the University of California Cooperative Extension, researchers help growers adopt advanced water management solutions in the face of recurring drought and dwindling water supplies. In this interview, Irrigation Leader speaks with Daniele Zaccaria, an associate professor at UC Davis and an agricultural water management specialist at […]
Jason Phillips of the Friant Water Authority: Tackling Drought, Subsidence, and Regulatory Issues
The Friant Division of the Central Valley Project (CVP) includes Friant Dam and Millerton Lake, the Madera Canal, and the Friant-Kern Canal, which collectively store and deliver water to more than a million acres of farmland and several cities on the east side of the southern San Joaquin Valley. The Friant Water Authority, a public […]
Oakdale Irrigation District’s Virtuous Cycle: Conserving Water and Selling It to Finance Modernization
Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) enjoys well-established water rights—from the Stanislaus River, deep wells, and water reclamation and drainage recovery systems—that allow it to provide abundant water to its growers even during times of drought. The district’s 2007 water resources plan mapped out a strategy for selling surplus water and investing the money into modernization and […]
Michelle Reimers: Equipping Turlock Irrigation District for the Challenges of an Unpredictable Future
Established in 1887 as the first irrigation district in California and with an irrigation system built in the early 1900s, Turlock Irrigation District (TID) has spent $60 million over the past 20 years maintaining aging infrastructure while modernizing to save water and meet future needs. It is also moving forward with existing initiatives such as […]