By Kris Polly To build and maintain large networks of canals, laterals, and pipelines spanning many miles of territory, irrigation districts rely on fleets of vehicles and heavy equipment, which they must successfully and cost-effectively acquire, maintain, keep track of, and retire. This month, we focus on those assets.  First, we bring you a profile of John Stuhlmiller, who brings extensive experience in the Washington legislature and the Farm Bureau to his new position as executive director of the Washington State Water Resources Association.  Turning to equipment, we speak with Bryce Evans, the co-owner of Missouri-based Evans Equipment, which acquires good-quality late-model heavy equipment from around the world, strips it…

By Kris Polly Irrigation districts are not usually awash in cash, yet they face high capital expenses for the construction and maintenance of major infrastructure projects. In this issue, we take a look at the different budgeting methods and funding mechanisms that can help them fulfill their missions.  In this month’s cover feature, we interview Congressman Dan Newhouse about his support for Washington agriculture and his role in moving forward title transfer, including the recent title transfer obtained by the Kennewick Irrigation District (KID). We also interview Rick Reinders, the co-CEO of Watertronics, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of a wide variety of pump stations, control panels, and telemetry products for the…

By Kris Polly When we discuss irrigation, we often think of reservoirs, canals, siphons, and other large-scale infrastructure. But of course, all that is in place to serve producers. This month, we talk to the Sheehan family of central Washington, who run their dairy and crop farm efficiently by reusing water and making use of technologies like efficient sprinklers, satellite imagery, and variable-rate application.  The rest of this month’s issue focuses on California’s Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. Established in 1887, Turlock Irrigation District was the first irrigation district in California. General Manager Michelle Reimers tells us about how today, it is actively…

By Kris Polly For this month’s cover story, we speak with Norman Semanko, who brings more than 30 years of experience with water resources and regulatory issues to his work as the water law practice group leader in the Pacific Northwest Region for Parsons Behle & Latimer. He tells us about his work and the trends affecting irrigated agriculture, irrigation districts, and canal companies today.  We also learn about several new developments in horticulture. First, we speak with Mathias Levarek, the CEO of Agrotonomy, which manufactures aeroponic tower farms that drizzle plant roots with nutrients and water. Next, we speak with Dr. Trentee Bush, Jill Heemstra, and Richard M. Wright…

By Kris Polly The success and flourishing of an irrigation district depend on many things—weather, funding, upkeep, modernization, and planning, for instance—but perhaps no factor counts as much as does a good manager. A manager must know their district’s distinctive characteristics and challenges, their employees, and their board. And they must have a clear vision of the future and what it will take to bring their district success.  This month, we bring you our first Managers Issue since January 2020. In this issue, we interview 21 managers, hailing from across the western United States and even across the world, about their top issues, their training and safety programs, the lessons…