A Voluntary Program to Preserve Precious Groundwater Resources

By Kris Polly

Irrigated farmers are often wary of programs to permanently halt irrigation on areas of land, especially when agriculture is seen as the enemy of a healthy environment. That is why the Ogallala Land and Water Conservancy’s model is so interesting: Its entirely voluntary program involves a several-year water right lease, based on a calculation of the fair value of the land and its groundwater, followed by the establishment of an easement that permanently restricts groundwater pumping on the property. The conservancy also works directly with landowners to transfer the land to nonirrigated use. Our detailed interview with Executive Director Ladona Clayton provides more information.

We also feature Natasha Rankin, the CEO of the Irrigation Association (IA). Ahead of the IA’s Irrigation Show event in December, Ms. Rankin tells us about the organization’s many activities across domains such as training and certification, standard-setting, technology adoption, workforce development, and advocacy.

Padinare Unnikrishna is the chief of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission’s Engineering Services Division. He tells us about the many significant projects underway to maintain and modernize the agency’s levees, dams, and other infrastructure along the U.S.‑Mexico border and to manage sediment in the Rio Grande.

Reclamation District 108 (RD108) in Northern California delivers water through a system of 400 miles of canals and drains, 80 miles of which are concrete lined. Facing water shortages and persistent issues with cracking in its concrete-lined canals, RD108 opted to try AquaLastic, a sealant product. So far, says Deputy Manager Jordon Navarrot, the results have been highly promising.

After that, we speak with Todd Feenstra, the president of the Michigan-based hydrogeologic consultancy Tritium. Having worked for numerous agricultural irrigators with high-capacity wells, Tritium created a coalition called Midwest Water Stewards to bring the irrigators together to monitor area groundwater and ensure that their water use is responsible and sustainable.

Last, we check in with two regional industry associations. Curtis Lutje, the president of the board of the California Agricultural Irrigation Association, tells us how the association connects and advocates for its manufacturer and dealer members. Cassidey Plum, the executive director of the Idaho Irrigation Equipment Association, tells us about the association’s similar support for product manufacturers and sellers and water managers in its area.

Irrigation districts, federal agencies, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, consultancies, regional coalitions, and industry groups—all are part of the mosaic of irrigated agriculture in the United States. We salute the hard work of all these sectors and invite you to read about them in this month’s issue.

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.