Honoring Orman Johnson

By Kris Polly

In 2025, the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) broke ground on the new Orman Johnson Pumping Plant, which forms part of the larger Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP). Its name honors Orman Johnson, a farsighted leader who worked to bring OGWRP to fruition. We interview ECBID Secretary-Manager Craig Simpson; ECBID Board Member Kevin Lyle; and Gavin Johnson, Orman Johnson’s brother, to learn more about Orman Johnson’s vision.

Next, we learn about an ambitious proposal with huge potential benefits: the raising of Pine Flat Dam, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility on the Kings River in Central California. David Merritt, the general manager of the Kings River Conservation District, tells us about the many services his agency provides, including flood control below the dam and power production at the dam, and about the benefits that would result from the long-mooted project. A dam raise would improve flood control and increase surface water storage, thereby reducing reliance on groundwater. What is needed now, says Mr. Merritt, is buy-in from Army Corps leadership in Washington to move forward with the feasibility process.

After that, we profile the United Irrigation District, a Rio Grande Valley agency headquartered in Mission, Texas. A new reservoir—the district’s first—will help it manage drought and keep the orchard and vegetable crops in its service area growing strong.

Matthew Murdock’s father is a watermaster, his brother works for a canal company, and he himself works as a ditch rider. That means that when he decided to create a software program to help irrigation districts manage their water deliveries, he knew their needs and peculiarities inside out. In our interview, Mr. Murdock tells us about his software platform, Water Routes, and its capabilities, including managing water orders, creating comprehensive district maps, handling communications, and performing analytics.

Then, we talk with Aspen Kenyon, the western territory manager at ClearChannelVM, an aquatic weed and algae control services provider that specializes in irrigation canals. She tells us more about the company’s specialized and custom-designed services.

Finally, we speak with Walter Wang Jr., the executive vice president of sales, marketing, human resources, and information technology at JM Eagle, one of the world’s leading plastic pipe manufacturers. JM Eagle has a new modular irrigation system, AgriLoc, designed specifically for farmers. Easy to assemble, disassemble, move, and repair, it promises major savings of money and time.

By improving existing facilities, adding new infrastructure, adopting new technologies, and opting for custom-designed solutions, irrigation water providers across the country can improve their operations and better serve their customers. This month’s stories highlight how this is happening on all sides of the industry—at irrigation districts, water management agencies, and technology and service providers.

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.