Ed Mitchell: Operations Manager of Benton Irrigation District
Benton Irrigation District serves over 4,500 acres of urban and agricultural land around Benton County in southeastern Washington. Over the last decade, BID undertook a $35 million project to convert its open-ditch system into a fully pressurized, completely pipe-based system. This technological leap has resulted in significant advances in water conservation. Kris Polly, editor-in-chief of […]
Returning Control
For many families, farmers, businesses, and municipalities throughout the country, a connection to sources of groundwater is essential to ensuring a reliable source of drinking water. Traditionally, a tap would be drilled hundreds of feet to the aquifer and lined with pipe installed in increments. Although this method of tapping into groundwater still works well, […]
Assessing Idaho’s Groundwater Settlement
The Eastern Snake Plane aquifer in southern Idaho supports nearly 2 million acres of farmland, dozens of cities, and various industries across the region. In 2015, after years of contentious litigation and a declining water supply, groundwater users and surface water users in the region entered into a settlement to end the conflict over the […]
Improving Water Delivery and Efficiency for Farmers
In summer 2018, Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) of Perris, California, received a $210,000 grant from the Bureau of Reclamation to support increased water use efficiencies among its agricultural customers. The grant funding is part of the Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency program, a joint program between Reclamation and the National Resources Conservation Service. EMWD […]
Springing Into Action
Idaho, like many states throughout the western United States, is dependent on irrigation for its agriculture economy. The state’s two main crops, potatoes and sugar beets, require 32 inches of water a year to thrive. With agriculture being the backbone of the state’s economy, efficient and sustainable use of irrigation water supplies is paramount for […]
New Leadership at Columbia Irrigation District
Colombia Irrigation District (CID), located in southeastern Washington, delivers water to approximately 10,000 acres on close to 7,000 parcels of land. CID holds one of the oldest water rights in the Yakima River basin, with the district having officially formed in 1917. The CID system begins at the Wanawish Dam along the Yakima River and […]
Securing Idaho’s Water Flow
As in most parts of rural America, agriculture reigns supreme in southern Idaho. The area receives around 10 inches of rain and 19 inches of snow per year, but a substantial amount of water is required to ensure that traditional crops, such as corn, barley, potatoes, and beets, can flourish. Since 1903, the Twin Falls […]
Forecasting Temperature, Precipitation, and Evapotranspiration
R ain and snow are prized by irrigation districts, and when districts depend on them to ensure water deliveries, accurate weather forecasts become a necessity. This is the very challenge CustomWeather, Inc., has set out to meet for its customers. Since 2000, CustomWeather has been providing decisionmakers with accurate weather forecast data with which to […]
Economic Development in North-Central Montana
C reated in 1969 as an economic development district, Bear Paw Development Corporation has been shaping the economic landscape of north-central Montana for nearly 50 years. Since its inception, a dedicated team of specialists have been managing economic development projects, assisting local governments in planning public works, and coordinating investments to further advance the local […]
The Use of Federal Water for Growing Hemp
A lthough the Agricultural Act of 2014 includes provisions for the growth of industrial hemp for research purposes under state-approved programs, the use of federal water had been in question given hemp’s classification under the Controlled Substances Act. However, in late May 2018, the Bureau of Reclamation’s Montana Area Office issued the first permit for […]