A Giant of Nebraska Water 

By Kris Polly

Over the course of his rich career, Lee Orton has been involved in a wide array of Nebraska irrigation and water organizations, including the natural resources district system, the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, the Nebraska State Irrigation Association, the Nebraska Water Well Drillers Association, and the Water Leaders Academy. In our cover story this month, we learn more about Mr. Orton’s experience and hear from him about how all these organizations have contributed to the state’s wise water management policies. 

The South Island of New Zealand is rich in irrigated agriculture, irrigated pasture, hydropower resources, beautiful views, and charming and resourceful people. Participants in a March 2024 tour organized by Irrigation Leader experienced all this and more, and this month, we bring you their thoughts and experiences. 

Next, we learn about challenges and solutions at three U.S. irrigation districts: Tualatin Valley Irrigation District in Oregon and the Kirwin and Webster Irrigation Districts in Kansas. While all are affected by drought and are working hard to maintain and modernize their water delivery systems despite funding challenges, the details of their challenges differ interestingly by location. 

There’s significant irrigation north of the border, too: We learn more about irrigated agriculture in Alberta in a conversation with Margo Jarvis Redelback, the executive director of the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association, and also preview the association’s February 2025 conference. 

Finally, we speak with Dani Quissell, the executive vice president of the North Dakota Water Users Association, who also serves as the executive director of the North Dakota Irrigation Association and the North Dakota Water Education Foundation. These statewide organizations advocate for adequate water funding and sound water policy, support irrigation development, and promote the education of future water resources professionals. 

Across many regions and nations, irrigated agriculture continues to grow strongly, while also working doggedly to confront the challenges posed by drought and the aging of infrastructure. I hope you find our interviews with the tenacious and determined professionals in our industry inspiring. 

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Irrigation Leader magazine and the president of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.