Irrigation leader October 2015

Celebrating Volume 6 Issue 9

October 2015

A Fresh Look at Water Delivery: An Interview With Jerry Dart of Deaver Irrigation District

5 Years and 50 Issues

By Kris Polly

ctober 2015 marks the fifth anniversary of Irrigation Leader and the 51st issue of the magazine. A great thank you is owed our readers, advertisers, and, most importantly, the many exceptional men and women in irrigated agriculture who have shared their time, solutions, and ideas to make Irrigation Leader successful.

Most of the credit for the idea of the magazine must be given to two individuals, Richard Lemargie, attorney for the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, and Mike Dwyer, executive director of the North Dakota Water Users Association. Richard phoned me a few months after the end of the Bush administration, when I finished serving as the deputy assistant secretary for water and science. Richard said, “I have been thinking about your skill set and your access to information. You have a country way of speaking, and people trust you. I think you should do a newsletter.” Richard then talked about a few newsletters to which he is a paid subscriber and provided them as examples. I appreciated his call and liked the idea, but I wasn’t sure how I could make the numbers work.

Some time after that, I attended a meeting of the Upper Missouri Water Users Association and sat at a table next to Mike Dwyer. Mike is also an attorney, as well as a farmer and an astute businessman. Mike talked about the magazine he established called North Dakota Water and said, “You know, Kris, if you ever want to do a magazine together, we can do that.” So we talked about the idea and about paid advertisers versus paid subscribers as a business plan. To this day, we use Mike’s company, Clear Water Communications, to format the magazine.

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The first issue took an entire summer to put together. Many people contributed their ideas and time in discussing article concepts for the magazine. For the first cover, I wanted a photo of a pivot corner system, because it looks like something from a Star Wars movie and is representative of modern irrigation methods and thinking.

Our first writer was John Chisholm, a former intern of mine at the National Water Resources Association during his college days. He had moved back to Virginia to attend law school at night, and he did an excellent job of writing the magazine for the first couple years before moving on to a great law-related opportunity. John Crotty, our in-house attorney, is our senior writer. He does an outstanding job writing the magazine as well as providing legal commentary from time to time.

From the beginning, the goal of the Irrigation Leader magazine has been to shine a light on those individuals whose ideas, solutions, and tremendous hard work provide irrigation to grow the needed food and fiber of our country. We thank you for your leadership and support, and we look forward to serving you for the next five years and 50 issues and beyond.

Kris Polly is editor-in-chief of Irrigation Leader magazine and 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.

The Water and Power Report www.WaterAndPowerReport.com The Water and Power Report is the one-stop aggregate news site for water and power issues in the 17 western states.

Sign up for the free “Daily” service to receive e-mail notice of the top headlines and press releases each business day.

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5 Years • 50 Issues

Irrigation Leader

OCTOBER 2015

C O N T E N T S 2 5 Years and 50 Issues

Volume 6

Issue 9

Irrigation Leader is published 10 times a year with combined issues for July/August and November/December by Water Strategies LLC 4 E Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 Staff: Kris Polly, Editor-in-Chief John Crotty, Senior Writer Robin Pursley, Graphic Designer Capital Copyediting LLC, Copyeditor SUBMISSIONS: Irrigation Leader welcomes manuscript, photography, and art submissions. However, the right to edit or deny publishing submissions is reserved. Submissions are returned only upon request.

ADVERTISING: Irrigation Leader accepts one-quarter, half-page, and full-page ads. For more information on rates and placement, please contact Kris Polly at (703) 517-3962 or Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

CIRCULATION: Irrigation Leader is distributed to irrigation district managers and boards of directors in the 17 western states, Bureau of Reclamation officials, members of Congress and committee staff, and advertising sponsors. For address corrections or additions, please contact our office at Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

Copyright © 2015 Water Strategies LLC. Irrigation Leader relies on the excellent contributions of a variety of natural resources professionals who provide content for the magazine. However, the views and opinions expressed by these contributors are solely those of the original contributor and do not necessarily represent or reflect the policies or positions of Irrigation Leader magazine, its editors, or Water Strategies LLC. The acceptance and use of advertisements in Irrigation Leader do not constitute a representation or warranty by Water Strategies LLC or Irrigation Leader magazine regarding the products, services, claims, or companies advertised.

COVER PHOTO: Jerry Dart, General Manager for the Deaver Irrigation District, at the D23 lateral, which emerges from a tunnel that diverts from the Deaver Canal.

Irrigation Leader

By Kris Polly

4 A Fresh Look at Water Delivery:

An Interview With Jerry Dart of Deaver Irrigation District

8 Untapped Potential:

Pricing Hydropower in Wyoming

By Bryant Startin

12 Wyoming Banks on Snow Banks

By Matt Hoobler

14 Wyoming’s Water Strategy

By Katie Talbott

Manager Profile

18 Securing Water for Wyoming:

A Conversation With Harry LaBonde of the Wyoming Water Development Office

District Profile

22 Goshen Irrigation District

By Rob Posten

Board Member Profile

24 Len Chamberlain Association Profile

28 Wyoming Water Association

By Bryant Startin

30 Four States Irrigation Association

By Brian Werner

THE Innovators

34 Better Water Management Through Real-Time Data

By Duane Woodward

38 Classified LISTINGS 5 Years • 50 Issues

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Jerry in front of the 680 acre-foot Deaver Reservoir, which is fed by the Frannie Canal perched above the Deaver Canal and Valley.

A Fresh Look at Water Delivery:

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An Interview With Jerry Dart of Deaver Irrigation District

he Deaver Irrigation District (DID) delivers water to 15,120 irrigable acres north of the Shoshone River near the Wyoming–Montana border. Since 1930, DID has operated and maintained the water infrastructure of the Frannie Division of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Shoshone Project. The Deaver Canal, which branches off from the Frannie Canal, provides all of DID’s water. The Deaver Canal has an initial capacity of 194 cubic feet per second and a length of about 24 miles.

DID strives to conserve and better allocate water throughout the project. It has established a conservation program to replace headgates and install measuring devices and telemetry sites to better track and control water its water. Leading a crew of five in this long-term program is General Manager Jerry Dart. While a native to north-central Wyoming, Mr. Dart is a relative newcomer to irrigation and water delivery. Prior to joining DID as general manager, he was an operations manager for a transportation company,

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and prior to that, he worked in law enforcement. Irrigation Leader’s editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, spoke with Mr. Dart about his district, learning on the job, and tackling aging infrastructure methodically and effectively.

Kris Polly: Please provide some historical background on the district.

Jerry Dart: The Frannie Division of the original Shoshone Project started in 1916; construction was underway by 1919. In 1926, DID entered into a contract with Reclamation; at the time it was the U.S. Reclamation Service. The Frannie Canal is the main artery of the division. DID does not receive any water other than what comes to us from the Shoshone Project. It feeds the Deaver Canal system below directly and with tail water.

Kris Polly: What and how do DID growers irrigate?

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Jerry Dart: Most of our farmers grow hay, alfalfa, and pasture ground. Row crops include barley, sugar beets, corn, and beans. It varies from year to year, and so does the water demand. When there are more beets, the water demand is really high. When the malt barley is in, the demand diminishes quickly, so we are done delivering water by the middle of July. Most of our barley growers sell to the Briess receiving station in Ralston.

There are probably less than 1,000 acres under centerpivot. Because of the topography, we have the ability to put in more of those systems. In fact, during this construction season, we are going to put in 8,900 feet of pressurized pipe to serve growers with existing centerpivot systems and those who plan to put those systems in.

The rest of the district is flood irrigation.

The soil conditions in this part of the valley made it really difficult on the original farmers in this district. The soil is full of alkalides and bentonite clay. A lot of flood irrigation tends to bring these alkalide salts to the surface.

To address that problem, our farmers do not irrigate some of their lands, moving the water to other areas of the district. We are finding that farmers are putting in pivots because they don’t saturate the soil.

In addition, district topography is good for pressurized systems. In some areas of the district, there is 30 or 40 feet of fall on some of the laterals off the Deaver Canal. That is going to be the wave of the future for us.

Kris Polly: How many landowners do you serve?

Jerry Dart: We serve just under 200 individual landowners; half of them own 100 acres or less. What we are seeing is that as time goes by and the population of our area increases, people are not farming for a living like they did in the past. The original farm units are getting chopped up into subdivisions. People are still growing hay for their animals.

Most of our people are farming on these bigger units— they do it for a living. The larger farm units that demand the most water from us are the least problematic in terms of operations. They know water and they know how to use it. In the smaller subdivisions and units, they tend to want to run water all the time and need more service to do it.

Kris Polly: Describe your current pressurized pipe project and what it will mean for the district.

Jerry Dart: Sixty to 70 percent of the acreage in the district has a sublateral system, the D56 system. It is the third leg of our system, stretching east all the way from the town of Deaver to Cowley. It picks up all the remaining water that we put in the system. At the very top of the D56, where it leaves the Deaver Canal, a sublateral Irrigation Leader

runs off through the hills and fans out into four different sections. It just screams pressurized system.

We have a mile-long list of projects we do every year.

We are still in a five-year rehabilitation plan with the Wyoming Water Development Office (WWDO). This is one of our last projects with the money allocated to us about eight years ago.

Where they leave the D56 lateral, the plastic irrigation pipes will be 36 inches in diameter to the first distribution hub, where we will install electronic flow meters. From there, we will fan out the pipe in three different directions.

One will feed one farm unit with a 15‑inch pipe; one will travel below the hill with 1,000 feet of 12‑inch pipe; and the main pipe will reduce to 21‑inch pipe and split into 15‑inch pipe from there. We will eliminate a lot of the zigzagging that the old channel used to follow.

The Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) wanted to make sure we had all easement and right-of-way agreements in place. We tried to get that done first, so that cost us a little bit of time this summer.

We will be putting pipe into the ground by December 1.

Kris Polly: What kind of monitoring and telemetry capabilities does your system have?

Jerry Dart: Twenty percent of our system is in pipe right now. Much of what has been put in under pressure uses turnout boxes with weirs. We have very few flow meters on those systems. The new system that we are putting in this year will be the first real bona fide system with electronic measuring devices. Everything else is just in-flow meters—the propeller type.

Our SCADA system is getting a little dated. We have added it over the years with some grants from Reclamation. We only have different locations on the system with SCADA to measure and monitor canal flows.

Looking to the future, improving our SCADA system will be a strong possibility for us. But, right now, we are still trying to get out of the 1950s.

Kris Polly: How did the process for the development of your five-year plan work?

Jerry Dart: In the early 2000s, the WWDC paid for a level-two feasibility study for the district. DID hired a contractor to inventory our facilities, do an analysis, and provide us with GIS mapping of the district. From there, the contractor prioritized structures, laterals, and potential projects and gave us an engineering estimate of what the cost of construction would be. Once we completed the level-two process, the WWDO approached DID about undertaking a five-year plan.

Much of the rationale behind the plan has to do with

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the economics of the commission. The WWDC has to go to the state legislature every year to fund projects.

Knowing that DID is going to receive $1.2 million for five projects over a five-year span makes the WWDC’s budget process a lot easier.

When I arrived here two years ago, out of the $1.2 million that was given to us eight years ago, there was $600,000 left over. I went to the WWDC and asked for an extension and approval of some more projects. We have until 2017 to use the remainder of our projects, and in addition, the WWDO agreed to put in 10 farm turnouts.

The five-year plan will expire by the end of 2017. Any monies left over will revert back to the state.

The WWDO agreed to fund another level-one study to identify new projects and goals. So we are in the process of starting another five-year plan. We have been able to undertake our work through these five-year projects because we have not approached the state with multimillion-dollar projects. Long story short, without the WWDC money, we could not have full-time crews in the winter. Those funds cover about 50 percent of the cost of materials for our projects.

Kris Polly: What have been your biggest challenges as a manager thus far?

Jerry Dart: For me, and it is probably the same for other managers as well, it is time and money. We have to wait until the fall for the water to go out and do the work.

During that time, the water keeps flowing over our aging structures that erode over the years. When we don’t have enough money, we defer the maintenance. There are times when we don’t have the money to fix something right or the time to fix something right. We encounter that every day.

There are more actual structures in the district that need repair than there are ditches that need to be put in pipe. I’ve tried to impress on the board that we can’t defer maintenance of aging infrastructure. After taking care of that, we can focus on pipelines.

Operationally, we still have issues with personnel. The district offers a good, stable job with some benefits, but we are not as attractive to qualified people as some other positions. We do not have people knocking down our door every day because we have other industries in the area that have good benefits and pay very well. Fortunately, my board has been wonderful in terms of finding the right help. They have made this transition work.

Kris Polly: As a newer manager, and one who is relatively new to the water business, what advice would you have for someone just starting off in a district?

Jerry Dart: I talk to anyone who wants to share a story. I’ve talked with people at Reclamation. One of the first things I did was call up Bryant Startin at Shoshone Irrigation District and asked if I could spend the day with him. We got in the pickup, drove around, and talked about what we were seeing. School was in.

There is a long learning curve in this business. From day one, I have been reading everything I can get my hands on, getting out there, and getting muddy. You have to ask questions and keep your boots on the ground. What you see out there today won’t the same tomorrow.

Everything that I have learned, I have learned by doing the wrong thing. So I spend a lot of time getting my hands on something and seeing how it works. Once I do that, I can see the brilliance behind why something was done the way it was.

117 cubic feet per second of water running down the Deaver Canal ramp flume no. 1 shortly after diverting from the Frannie Canal.

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Untapped Potential: Pricing Hydropower in Wyoming

By Bryant Startin

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or 30 years, hydropower generation has supported the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Shoshone Irrigation District (SID) in northern Wyoming. Combined with funds from the Wyoming Water Development Commission, hydropower sales have helped keep the costs down for SID’s farmers. But in recent years, a crowded energy market populated with lower-cost fossils and improved renewable options has restricted hydropower’s growth and viability within the state.

SID’s Garland Canal Power Plant generates power from irrigation flows in its main canal. Putting 52 feet of head and 800 cubic feet per second of flow to work via a horizontal semi‑Kaplan turbine, the plant generates 2.9 kilowatts of power. Each irrigation season, SID generates an output of approximately 10 million kilowatthours. SID has been able to put $11 per acre into its O&M budget from power generation.

SID’s O&M costs are based on a per-acre assessment

according to the acreage identified in the water right.

From 1993 to 2011, SID had not raised its annual assessment due to the income derived from the operation of the Garland Canal Power Plant. The first assessment increase in 17 years occurred in 2011. In 2014, SID increased the per-acre assessment again to help keep up with the rising operations costs.

Rising Costs, Decreasing Revenues

In addition to rising O&M costs, SID has seen a decrease in purchase rates for hydropower. Until this year, SID and PacifiCorp, operating as Rocky Mountain Power—a western power utility, had been operating under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the purchase of power generated at the Garland Canal Power Plant. By the end of the term of the PPA, PacifiCorp was paying 6.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for the avoided cost of power generation. That translates to half of annual revenues from hydropower compared to last year.

PacifiCorp did not pick up an option under the PPA for a five-year renewal because rates had dropped to 3.5 cents.

Garland Canal Power Plant.

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Irrigation Leader

As a result of this decrease in revenues, SID has decided to focus its attention on infrastructure projects that are much smaller than those we have done in the past.

SID is a 100‑year-old project, so we will continue to keep fixing up what we can.

This problem is not limited to SID. The Wyoming Water Development Commission has funded a study of the development of hydropower plants in Wyoming irrigation districts. Unfortunately, most of those projects did not pencil out, because it is very difficult to get a decent PPA to help pay back the cost of the plant.

Finding Alternatives

SID has since entered into a 10-year PPA with TriState Generation and Transmission Association. This agreement marks the first hydropower facility in Wyoming to produce power for Tri-State. Under this new PPA, which began on the first of this year, the price will increase slowly over the life of the contract.

Horizontal turbine.

Banding Together

SID has joined the Renewable Energy Coalition, a coalition of similarly situated entities in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, to help with its efforts to generate better pricing structures with respective state public utilities commissions. Established in 2009, the coalition has 32 members that own and operate more than 50 nonintermittent small renewable energy generation qualifying facilities for the purposes of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The coalition’s members include irrigation districts, water districts, corporations, and individuals.

Recent events regarding Idaho’s public utilities commission serve as a model for our end game. With the support of our coalition and like-minded entities, the State of Idaho generated enough support to push the state public utilities commission to set reasonable power rates.

Here in Wyoming, the public utilities commission lacks the authority and the power to make the power companies pay more for hydropower. When the commission posted low avoided cost rates for the state, SID submitted comments in support of higher rates. We will now reach out to the governor, who supports the push for more hydropower in the state.

Direct coupled synchronous type generator with a rated capacity of 2.9 megawatts.

Bryant Startin is the general manager of the Shoshone Irrigation District. You can reach Mr. Startin at (307) 754‑5741 or shoshoneid@bresnan.net.

Power plant control panel.

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Wyoming Banks on Snow Banks

By Matt Hoobler

“L

et it snow” takes on a whole new meaning in Wyoming. From the blizzards on the mountains to the drifts on the plains, every snowflake yields an important resource to thirsty river basins: spring runoff. In Wyoming, water management is dictated by winter and spring snowpack. Water managers play a decisive role in gathering information about the snow to prepare for the summer ahead.

Downstream Deliveries

Three basins in Wyoming—the Green River, the Bear River, and the North Platte River—require water use reporting as part of interstate agreements, and thus, they rely heavily on snowpack data to maintain compliance.

On average, spring runoff from snowpack accounts for 80 percent of Wyoming’s water supply. This reliance on snowpack for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and residential water use exemplifies the continual and growing need for top-notch information on the winter snowpack as a water supply forecast.

In the North Platte River basin of Wyoming, the Modified North Platte River Decree plays a pivotal role in determining the allocation of water within the basin and with Wyoming’s downstream neighbor, Nebraska.

Under the modified decree, Wyoming must seek to deliver 1.1 million acre-feet during the runoff season to the Wyoming–Nebraska state line to meet the approximate irrigation demand. Allocation of this water is based on two factors: mountain snowpack and reservoir levels.

While the determination of reservoir levels is very well understood and obtainable, a precise volume of snowpack and its snow water equivalent is lesser known throughout the basin. By adopting improved snowpack data collection processes, the States of Wyoming and Nebraska can improve their understanding of potential water availability and modified decree administration.

On the other side of Wyoming, the Green River flows from the mountain ranges of Wyoming toward its confluence with the Colorado River. Information on water availability and usage in the Green River basin is equally imperative to comply with compact requirements. The Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948, which is a derivate of the greater Colorado River Compact of 1922, defines the water use in the upper basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Among these four states, upper basin–allocated water is split by percentage, with each state using snowpack data to

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Chad Pickett and Kevin Pantle conduct a manual snow survey on the Haskins Creek Snow Course in the Sierra Madre Mountains, Wyoming. Photo by Matt Hoobler.

forecast supply for determining in-state regulation and reservoir operations. The lower basin states (Arizona, California, and Nevada) rely on the snowpack of the upper basin states for their water supply as well. For example, forecasted spring runoff into Lake Powell in the lower basin is based on snowpack data in the upper basin.

Besides improving wintertime snowpack data collection, the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office (WySEO) implements and oversees a 10-station climate network to improve the information obtained on snowpack throughout the year. Climate conditions throughout the basin determine when snowmelt will occur in the spring, and this climate network predicts when conditions change and water becomes available. Anticipating the runoff helps water managers prepare for more efficient reservoir operations and flood preparedness.

Investing in Snow Data

The State of Wyoming strives to gather the best information on snowpack and is investigating new technological advancements in snow data collection, including airborne snow observation, ground penetrating

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Irrigation Leader

radar (GPR), and weather modification.

Effort is underway for WySEO to implement snowpack data collection on four Wyoming mountain ranges utilizing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL). NASA’s ASO was explained in detail in the February 2014 issue of Irrigation Leader by Dr. Thomas H. Painter, principal investigator with Jet Propulsion Laboratory. ASO uses an image spectrometer and scanning lidar system mounted in an aircraft to collect snow water equivalent and snow albedo (reflection of snow) data to determine the amount of snow and runoff potential for an entire mountain range.

WySEO is working to begin snow data collection during the 2016–2017 winter season, specifically in the river basins where interstate agreements exist.

WySEO is preparing to research multiple snow courses to compare data collected manually with a snow tube with data collected at the same site and time utilizing GPR. The use of GPR on snow was recently researched at the University of Wyoming through the Wyoming Center

In Wyoming and across the West, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), maintains a network of 856 SNOTEL (snow telemetry) sites and 1,112 manual snow courses. Snow surveys began in Wyoming in the late 1930s, and the state currently hosts 89 SNOTEL sites and 63 snow courses. The National Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program is administered by the National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) in Portland, Oregon.

SNOTEL sites and snow courses remain the backbone for snowpack data in Wyoming and throughout the West.

At a time when many states in the West are experiencing never-before-seen climate conditions, record droughts and wildfires, highly variable runoff scenarios, and a “big El Niño” headed our way, it is more critical than ever to have the precipitation, snowpack, and reservoir data reports from the NWCC. Yet as Mother Nature continues to increase her variability, the budget for the NWCC has decreased 15 percent over the last 5 years. Additionally, 40 percent of the NWCC’s staff positions remain vacant (9 out of 23 positions), including crucial positions like the national climatologist and senior forecast hydrologist. It remains paramount to fully fund and fully staff the NWCC so it can continue to provide the exceptional and professional services and data that are crucial to snow and water managers.

Irrigation Leader

Matt Hoobler and Rod Oliver of the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office conduct a manual snow survey on the New Fox Park Snow Course, Wyoming. Photo by Bryce Krueger, NRCS.

for Environmental Hydrology and Geophysics. University researchers found that snow densities from GPR data were consistent with snow cores of the area. Building on the work at the University of Wyoming, WySEO will include GPR as a complementary data set from the current manual snow course surveys with the hope of expanding the use of GPR into areas where no data collection is present.

The State of Wyoming recently concluded a study on weather modification for snow. The Wyoming Weather Modification Pilot Program established an orographic cloud seeding program that targeted three mountain ranges in the state to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of cloud seeding for the purpose of enhancing the snowpack and, thus, Wyoming’s water supply. Results from this study showed that ample supercooled liquid water existed at temperatures conducive to generating additional snow by silver iodide seeding and suggested a 5 to 15 percent increase in precipitation from seedable storms in a winter season.

Through the use of new technology, while relying on the firm foundation of automated and manual snow surveys, water managers in Wyoming continue to build on the snowpack data and improve its collection process for sound water administration.

Matt Hoobler is a river coordinator for the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He works with the Modified North Platte River Decree, the Laramie River Decree, and the Belle Fourche River Compact. He is a snow surveyor during the winter. You can reach Mr. Hoobler at (307) 777-7641 or matt.hoobler@wyo.gov.

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Wyoming’s Water Strategy

By Katie Talbott

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n January 15, 2015, Governor Matt Mead released Leading the Charge: Wyoming Water Strategy. The Water Strategy is a comprehensive call to action regarding water and water‑related issues affecting the state of Wyoming. Development of the Water Strategy included nine public meetings held across the state with thousands of comments submitted and considered. The final product presented four themes and 10 strategic initiatives encompassing water management, development, protection, conservation, and restoration.

Each of the four themes—water management, water development, water conservation and protection, and water and watershed restoration—contained initiatives that were meant to be developed with measurable progress in mind.

Included in the water management theme are the first, second, and third initiatives: 1. Credible Climate, Weather, and Stream Flow Data. This initiative will provide improved data availability and accessibility for water users, planners, and managers. Identifying data needs will also be an important aspect of this initiative.

This will be handled primarily by the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office.

2. Uniform Hydrographers Operations Manual. This will provide the state engineer’s field hydrographers and commissioners with a

consistent and uniform manual to assist in their management and regulation of Wyoming’s water.

The Draft Revised Hydrographer‑Commissioner Manual was available for public review in July 2015, is currently under review by the State Engineer’s Office, and will be distributed to field staff when completed.

3. Groundwater Analysis and Control Area Management Framework. Due to increasing and greater demands on our groundwater resources in populated areas, it is necessary to provide information and support for local stakeholders involved in the planning and management process. The implementation of this initiative will be the sole responsibility of the State Engineer’s Office.

The water development theme contains four initiatives: 4. Fontenelle Dam and Outworks Infrastructure Completion Project. This project aims to increase the usable storage capacity of the existing Fontenelle Reservoir. The dam currently lacks adequate rip-rap on the lower interior dam face. When complete, this project will provide up to an additional 80,000 acre-feet of usable storage. The Green River basin will benefit from the increased utilization of this reservoir. The Wyoming Water Development Office (WWDO) will lead the project.

Views of Fontenelle Reservoir in southwestern Wyoming.

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5. Glendo Reservoir Full Utilization Project. The project, much like the Fontenelle project, seeks to increase the usable capacity of the 763,000 acrefoot reservoir. A portion of the reservoir is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control purposes. The WWDO will seek federal approval to use a portion of the flood control space for other purposes, such as downstream irrigation.

6. 10 in 10 Project. One of the foremost issues to come out of the nine statewide public meetings was the need for increased water storage. The completion of a minimum of 10 small reservoirs, ranging in size from 2,000 to 20,000 acre-feet, in the next 10 years is the ultimate goal. The WWDO will lead this effort.

7. Collaborative Planning and Authorization Processes. Due to the breadth and depth of the Water Strategy and all the resource research conducted by multiple agencies, it is increasingly important for agencies to cooperate and collaborate to reduce redundancy and improve the accessibility and availability of existing information. The WWDO, in conjunction with the State Engineer’s Office, the Department of

Environmental Quality, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), and entities such as conservation districts are working to develop a framework for information sharing.

The third theme, water conservation and protection, includes the following initiative: 8. Water Quality Data Integrity Initiative. This initiative will improve current credible data collection in and for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. The focus will be to increase consistency and maintain the integrity needed to support regulatory decisionmaking.

The fourth and final theme, water and watershed restoration, contains the final two initiatives: 9. River Restoration. River restoration efforts are ongoing around the state; this initiative will ensure that those efforts continue with the needed resources, strategies, and financial support into the future. The WGFD will be lead agency for this initiative.

10. Collaborative Fish Passage Restoration.

With the WGFD taking the lead, and with assistance from the WWDO, this initiative seeks to continue to improve on the installation, replacement, and restoration of fish-friendly structures to further the management efforts of water and wildlife cooperatively.

Identified state agencies are working diligently to make progress with their designated initiatives. We are encouraged by the cooperation and collaboration of all the agencies involved in moving the Water Strategy forward.

In the words of Governor Matt Mead, “Water is tied to everything we do in Wyoming. It is tied to everything we have done, and it is tied to everything we will do.

The time for action is now; our strategy must be to move forward.”

Katie Talbott is a native of Wyoming and a graduate of the University of Wyoming. She currently serves as the outreach coordinator for the Wyoming Water Development Office. You can reach Katie at (307) 777‑7626 or katie.talbott@wyo.gov.

Glendo Reservoir Spillway on the North Platte River.

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Manager Profile

Securing Water for Wyoming:

A Conversation With Harry LaBonde of the Wyoming Water Development Office

W

yoming is at the forefront of water supply development in the West. With unappropriated water available under its existing compacts and a stable revenue stream from resource extraction industries, the Wyoming Water Development Program (WWDP) has facilitated the conservation, distribution, and storage of water within the state for more than 35 years.

The 10 members of the Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) set the procedures and policies for the program’s planning, selection, financing, construction, acquisition, and operation of water development projects. The Wyoming Water Development Office (WWDO) then implements the financing and planning approved by the WWDC. Mr. Harry LaBonde is the director of the WWDO. Appointed by Wyoming Governor Matt Mead in 2012, Mr. LaBonde oversees an office of 25 engineers and water professionals to implement the WWDP. Prior to his appointment, Mr. LaBonde spent nearly 40 years in the water infrastructure business in public and private capacities. He previously served as deputy state engineer for the State of Wyoming and as a public works director in two Wyoming communities, and he spent 15 years as an engineer for a national consulting firm. He is a registered professional engineer. Irrigation Leader’s senior writer, John Crotty, spoke with Mr. LaBonde about the WWDP, reservoir development in Wyoming, and value securing water for irrigation in the state.

John Crotty: Please provide a general overview of the history and purpose of the state water development program.

Harry LaBonde: The WWDP started in the mid-1970s, when the oil and gas industry was going gangbusters. The idea was to take a portion of the severance tax revenue from the extraction industries and put it into infrastructure, paying dividends into the future. In the case of water, it would allow Wyoming to use its existing water rights apportionments and develop those unused apportionments. Initially, the concept was heavily

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weighted toward building new reservoirs.

The financing program really got started in the early 1980s when a number of reservoir projects were put into development. The reality is that it was difficult to permit reservoir facilities, even in the ’80s.

After the [Clean Water Act] section 404 process, which generally requires an EIS [Environmental Impact Statement], reservoir development becomes a long‑duration project.

As a result of those challenges, the agency added an infrastructure development component to the financing program that focused on municipalities or irrigation districts. Today, the core mission of the water development program is the infrastructure financing program, in which we provide grants and loans to finance water development projects.

Over the years, water development has been defined by the types of projects that the commission funds and those that we do not. For example, enlarging or building a new transmission line to bring additional or new water resources into a municipality would qualify for funds; the same would be true for developing additional water storage. The commission does not fund water quality projects, such as water treatment plants. There are some other sources of revenue for those types of projects. However, given our in-house grant administration experience, the WWDO has been called on from time to time to manage grants for water treatment plants.

John Crotty: How do the mechanics of the financing program work?

Harry LaBonde: Wyoming collects a tax on oil, gas, and minerals as they are severed from the ground. As those revenues come in, they are deposited in a severance tax distribution account, which is capped at $155 million. Water development gets a portion of the distribution account via three accounts: new infrastructure at 12.4 percent of the account, rehabilitation at 2.1 percent, and reservoir development at 0.5 percent.

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Irrigation Leader

Keith Clarey, Andrea Odell, and Brian Smith (left to right) of the Wyoming Water Development Office at High Savery Dam.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, the office worked within the new infrastructure and rehabilitation categories.

In 2005, the legislature and governor acknowledged the need to place a greater emphasis on reservoir development.

They created reservoir development accounts to construct dams and reservoirs. This account applies to bodies 1,000 acre-feet or larger for enlargements, or 2,000 acrefeet or larger for new reservoir construction.

Each account is managed as a stand-alone account.

The state treasurer invests any unspent balances, with investment proceeds deposited into the accounts. Likewise, if we loan dollars to an entity, then those principal and interest payments come back into those respective accounts.

The commission has set the criteria for grant and loan funding. By statute, we can offer grants up to 75 percent of the value of a project. However, our funding resources are limited. So currently, the WWDO will fund up to 67 percent of a project. The remaining 33 percent could then be covered by a loan from the WWDO. Reservoir funding is the exception, because the WWDO is able to exceed that 75 percent limitation up to the full amount of the cost of reservoir.

There is balance between having enough revenue to fund all our projects versus demand for projects. If the demand for dollars grows in the future, the WWDC may want to look at reducing that grant amount to stretch its dollars further.

Irrigation Leader

John Crotty: Reservoir development is critical to sustaining Wyoming’s water supplies. Are the reservoirs developed or rehabilitated under this account used for new irrigation projects?

Harry LaBonde: In Wyoming, we are not really seeing a demand for irrigation of new lands. The purpose and need for a vast majority of reservoir development is lateseason supplemental irrigation. The WWDC has also funded some projects that have a municipal component.

And while our authorizing statutes would allow us to fund flood control improvements or river restoration, due to funding limitations our focus has been on addressing irrigation and potable water system needs.

With reservoirs, it is best to focus on a single purpose; otherwise, the NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] process gets very extensive. Generally, however, there are environmental components built into each reservoir project. So of the reservoirs we are currently planning, each has a recreational or environmental component. That often means minimum releases out of the reservoir to keep the downstream aquatic features whole.

John Crotty: What are some examples of reservoirs that have provided supplemental irrigation benefits?

Harry LaBonde: Completed in 2002, the 22,500-acrefoot High Savery Reservoir primarily provides irrigation

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water for downstream irrigators in need of late-season water when supplies are short. The reservoir does have a minimum recreation pool, as well as an environmental and municipal account. For the scenario in which stream flows are very low, the municipality can contract and call for municipal water from the reservoir.

We currently are working on a project to modify the operations of Glendo Reservoir. The reservoir is a Bureau of Reclamation facility in eastern Wyoming with a fairly large flood pool. This project will look at repurposing water in the flood pool. Whenever water enters the flood pool, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes control of the reservoir. As soon as the flood risk diminishes, it draws that flood pool down as rapidly as possible. The project is designed to enable the Corps to keep some of that flood pool water in the reservoir longer and release it in line with downstream irrigation demand as opposed to releasing it all as soon as the flood is over.

Fontenelle Reservoir was constructed primarily as a large irrigation diversion dam. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Reclamation was planning to develop a large irrigation development downstream of the reservoir.

For various reasons, that did not happen. We now have a reservoir with rip-rap on the upper portion of the dam, but not the lower portion. We plan to fund an investigation into rip-rapping the lower portion so that we can fully utilize the reservoir.

John Crotty: How has the WWDP addressed aging water infrastructure projects?

Harry LaBonde: We work a lot with irrigation districts to make sure they continue to function. We also work on the efficiency side; we are more than happy to pipe or line canals to help reduce seepage loss out of the canals. The water development component is being able to deliver additional water to the fields that would otherwise be lost to seepage.

The districts have really stepped up and aggressively used WWDP funding to make those kinds of improvements in the field. The districts really like a

variation of the traditional 67‑33 funding mechanism. In lieu of the traditional funding mechanism, the WWDC will fully fund 100 percent of the material cost of an irrigation rehab project. The district then provides all the labor, equipment, and administration for the installation.

Generally, that means that at the end of the irrigation season, the districts turn their ditchriders into construction crews. We’ve lined a lot of canals and laterals this way. It has helped stabilize district workforces.

John Crotty: Earlier this year, Governor Matt Mead released 10 major water development initiatives in Leading the Charge: Wyoming Water Strategy. How does the WWDO and reservoir development fit into the state water strategy?

Harry LaBonde: One of those initiatives is the 10 in 10 Project, which sets the goal of building 10 new reservoirs over the next 10 years. It is ambitious, but we have had a head start. Over the last 10 years, we have been bringing a number of projects along through a deliberate planning effort in which we do all the modeling and environmental work ahead of the NEPA process. The WWDP is now ready to tee up those projects. Right now, we have 15 reservoir projects in the planning stage. Five have been advanced to the design and permitting phase, and it is my hope that in the next three years, we will have five projects under construction.

John Crotty: What is the one thing that leaders outside Wyoming should know about the WWDP? Harry LaBonde: I would start with the reliable revenue stream that comes into our state’s water development program. We do not have to go in front of the legislature every year to compete with other agencies for funding, creating stability and reliability in the program over the last 30 years.

It is an exciting time to be in water development in Wyoming, and I am optimistic that we will accomplish great things in the next five years.

Leavitt Reservoir in north-central Wyoming.

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Irrigation Leader

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District Focus

In fall 2014, GID replaced 369 yards of concrete on the tunnel floor.

Goshen Irrigation District

By Rob Posten

Goshen Irrigation District (GID) delivers water that originates in the North Platte River to nearly 430 farms across 52,484 acres in the high plains of southeastern Wyoming. Farmers in the district grow corn, sugar beets, dry beans, alfalfa, and wheat. Irrigation season officially runs from May 1 to September 30, but typically, the season runs from the middle of May to the middle of September. GID operates and maintains the 85 miles of the Fort Laramie Canal from Whalen Dam to the Nebraska state line, as well as 300 miles of laterals and 200 miles of drains.

With a reliable water source and a dedicated program of system maintenance, GID has supported the agricultural communities of eastern Wyoming for generations.

The U.S. Reclamation Service started construction of the Fort Laramie Canal in 1915.

In 1926, GID formed to enter into a contract with the United States to obtain water from the North Platte River. GID, along with the Pathfinder and Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation Districts, operates and maintains Whalen Diversion on the North Platte River. GID is the operating agency of Whalen Dam. Each district contributes its share of the cost to the operation of Whalen on a per-acre basis.

Working Across State Lines

At the Wyoming–Nebraska state line, Fort Laramie-Gering Irrigation District takes over the maintenance and operation of the Fort Laramie Canal. Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District receives 51 percent of the water diverted from the North Platte River via the Whalen Diversion and GID receives 49 percent. This year’s diversion, 49,000 acre-feet, was less than average because of all the moisture, but in a regular year, it would be around 60,000 acre-feet.

We talk to our Nebraska counterparts every morning. Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District’s water has to travel 85 miles—taking four

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Irrigation Leader

days—through our district, so everything we do affects them. For most of the summer, we need to have 600 cubic feet per second running through the weir at the state line.

When we order water from Guernsey Reservoir, it takes four hours to reach Whalen Diversion. Because of this, we talk with Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District a few days prior to a water order. And we have to keep a certain amount in the canal at the tail end. Our boards have to work together, and they do a great job of it.

Bringing the System Into the 21st Century

Our biggest challenge is repairing infrastructure.

GID’s system is 100 years old. We work closely with the Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC), which provides the funding for materials for infrastructure repairs. With the financial help of the WWDC, GID has done one big infrastructure project a year.

As long as you are working to conserve water for your district, the WWDC is generally supportive. The WWDC’s water development program promotes water development by providing planning, selection, financing, construction, acquisition, and operation services for water conservation, storage, and distribution projects. A district applies for the money, goes to Casper to speak to the WWDC’s board about the project, and seeks approval.

If the WWDC board approves the application, it takes it to the Wyoming legislature. Funds distributed via the Wyoming Water Development Program are provided through Wyoming’s coal and minerals severance tax. The last time GID went before the WWDC, we asked for and received $1.4 million to be spent within five years.

GID is in the process of automating all our big check structures on the Fort Laramie Canal. Right now, we use check boards, which require a lot of manual labor. We have automated one check with a Langemann® gate from Aqua Systems 2000 and will automate another with a gate from Watch Technologies. We can run those gates from the office through our SCADA system, so we do not have to put crew members out on those two checks to put in boards. Automation also allows us to tell at what level to hold water in the canal. Overall, GID has 18 check structures, and we are automating 1 per year.

Since 1996, GID has put 50 miles of open ditch under ground. We have used PVC exclusively for putting those laterals into pipe, most of which has been supplied by Diamond Plastics. GID has installed 12‑ to 48‑inch pipe.

Last year, GID installed a 2,500‑foot pipeline. Three years ago, GID installed 7 miles of pipe—the head of the pipe was 48 inches and the tail narrowed to 18 inches.

We prefer putting those laterals into pipe instead of using concrete conveyances. Some of our smaller laterals were concrete lined. Weather here on the high plains can bring extreme temperatures, so in winter, the ground

Irrigation Leader

In spring 2015, GID’s construction crew installed 2,150 feet of 30inch Diamond Plastic PVC pipe.

would freeze and damage the concrete. We would have to tear it out, put it back to grade, and repour. For us, concrete means more maintenance.

Our crew does all the work on all our projects, and they do a fantastic job; we have a great group of guys.

They work in tough conditions. Although GID has a short window of time, October 1 to April 1, to complete projects, the crew always gets the work done.

GID will keep improving its system. We are in the process of using our long-reach excavators to reshape the banks of the Fort Laramie Canal. Over the years, the banks of the canal have been eroding. Last year, we reshaped 8 miles, creating a 2‑to‑1 slope on the banks.

As we work down the entire canal, we will restore lost capacity and ultimately provide better service to our growers.

Rob Posten has been the general manager of the Goshen Irrigation District for 3 years and been with the district for 20 years. You can reach him at (307) 532‑7031 or goshenirr@embarqmail.com.

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B O A R D

M E M B E R

P R O F I L E:

Len Chamberlain

C

asper-Alcova Irrigation District (CAID) irrigates 24,700 acres of land in east-central Wyoming, west of Casper. With water from Alcova Reservoir along the North Platte River, the CAID system diverts 73,000 acre-feet annually through 62 miles of canals and 180 miles of laterals. The irrigation season runs from May 1 through September 30.

Len Chamberlain has been an active part of Wyoming’s ranching and irrigation community for more than 30 years.

Raised on a ranch in Douglas, Wyoming, east of Casper, he settled in Casper after college and bought some farm ground outside of town. He irrigated 700 acres of alfalfa and small grains within CAID. His children and grandchildren work the land now.

Mr. Chamberlain has been an instrumental figure within the district, serving on CAID’s board of directors from 1997 through 2011. He also represented CAID and the state of Wyoming on the Four States Irrigation Council. He currently sits on the board of the council as past president.

Irrigation Leader’s senior writer, John Crotty, talked to Mr. Chamberlain about his irrigation experience, the history of CAID, and the role of a good board of directors.

John Crotty: Please provide some background on CAID. Len Chamberlain: Back around the turn of the last century, Wyoming state senators starting looking ahead to a time after the oil fields stopped being productive. They decided that an irrigation project would be able to provide jobs for the oil workers. At the same time, they applied for permits to build Alcova Reservoir.

There wasn’t a big push to complete the project until 1933, when Congress authorized the Kendrick Project.

Pathfinder stores about 1.1 million acre-feet of water to supply the Kendrick Project north and west of Casper. From 1933 to 1940, Reclamation worked on the reservoir, 52 miles of canal, and 7 tunnels. World War II put the construction on hold, so the project wasn’t complete until 1952. The original intention was to develop 60,000 acres, but some of the ground was not suitable for irrigation. The project could only supply water to 24,000 acres, which is what it serves today. The Bureau of Reclamation took care of project operations until 1960, when it turned it over to the district.

John Crotty: How did you get involved with the board of directors?

Len Chamberlain: In 1997, I was interested in seeing some changes and some fairness in my particular area, so 24

I ran for a board position. I was elected, and then I was elected to the position of secretary-treasurer. I did that until 2011.

John Crotty: What are you most proud of during your tenure on the board?

Len Chamberlain: We partnered with the City of Casper to put in concrete ditches. The City was seeking some guarantee on water and CAID received some steady income from the project. We also automated our internal management. The district switched from paper recordkeeping to a computer system, which made it easier to schedule deliveries. We also undertook a GPS mapping program. I enjoyed the process of balancing a proactive approach with being cost effective so that the district did not raise costs per acre-foot of water.

John Crotty: What were some of the biggest changes in the district during your tenure on the board?

Len Chamberlain: One of biggest changes, which started before my time on the board, was urbanization.

When the district first started, it was strictly farms and ranches. Much of the production from the farmers was used for cattle feed. However, people from Casper started to

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Irrigation Leader

move out of town onto small acreage plots chopped up from larger ones. Those plots retained their water rights. The district had to address ditch management issues with people who wanted to turn on their water for the weekend.

John Crotty: What makes for a successful relationship between a board and a district manager?

Len Chamberlain: The board and the manager need to be able to talk about tough district issues on an adult basis.

It helps to have a manager who not only listens to his board but also is capable of communicating district needs. You don’t want a manager who doesn’t bring ideas to the table.

On the other hand, a board shouldn’t micromanage.

If it does, you might as well save your money on hiring a manager.

John Crotty: What would you like the district to do for the next generation of farmers, such as your children?

Len Chamberlain: CAID has very good people on the board—they have a good business sense and fairness of mind. I think the board is on the right track for water delivery and use. While Casper is not like Colorado’s Front Range, which is growing dramatically, there is reasonable growth. So I don’t think that track will change significantly.

John Crotty: When did you become involved with Four States Irrigation Council?

Len Chamberlain: My second year on CAID’s board.

The district always sent a few people down to the annual meeting in Fort Collins in January to visit with other irrigators and projects. I became the Wyoming representative for two years. Then I moved up the chain to secretary, vice president, and president.

If you were looking for a manager, you heard about who might be looking for a job and had a good résumé behind them. Our billing and scheduling system came from a firm that I was able to visit with at the annual meeting. You can talk with engineers or chemical suppliers one-on-one about

services and products.

The group talks about a lot of issues beyond irrigating: how to get money for your project from your state and the federal government or how to work with Reclamation. At the annual meeting, the council sets aside a day for members to meet with regional and area Reclamation managers. The farmers and district folks had time to talk with them, rub shoulders with them, have meals with them, and see them as the genuine people that they were. There is a real value there.

During my tenure on the board leadership, we had a super Wyoming-area manager in John Lawson. He cared about the agricultural user, the recreational user, and the towns and cities. He always had time to listen.

This year, the council is going to have a joint meeting with the Ditch and Reservoir Users Association of Colorado.

We are all in it for the same thing: to learn how to better use our water, manage our water, and provide a voice for more storage. There is no water to waste in the West.

John Crotty: Wyoming has been very supportive of water development.

Len Chamberlain: I can’t say enough about our state leaders, who over the years have recognized the importance of water to the agricultural community, as well as to recreation and wildlife. If you put a project in right, everyone benefits.

John Crotty: Based on your years of experience on both boards, what advice would you impart to new irrigation district board members?

Len Chamberlain: Keep an open mind. Whether you are a big or small water user, look for a way to meet your individual needs while meeting the needs of the whole.

Treat other water users like you would like to be treated.

If your intent is to try and best represent your interest and the district’s interest, I think you do come up with the best possible solution.

Inlet of tunnel no. 5 on the main canal from Alcova Dam.

Irrigation Leader

5 Years • 50 Issues

25

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Association Profile

Wyoming Water Association

By Bryant Startin

F

ounded in 1933, the Wyoming Water Association (WWA) is the state’s only water resources association. The WWA is an education-focused association that promotes water and water development in the state. The WWA provides information, data, and policy guidance on all things water to Wyoming state legislators and state agencies officials. The WWA also provides educational opportunities through publications, conferences, courses, and tours.

The WWA is a voluntary, nonprofit organization of private citizens, elected officials, and representatives of business, government agencies, industry, and water user groups and districts. The board of directors is diverse, representing a variety of entities in the state, with at least four members from each of the following sectors: agriculture; industry, business, and education; recreation and conservation; labor and civic; and local government.

Several of Wyoming’s irrigation districts are members.

Fish Department. There is also one day of continuing education for lawyers and engineers. We review the WWA resolutions every year, removing those that are not relevant and adding those that become relevant. We talk about these at the board meeting and present them to the members at the annual meeting.

We have a winter board meeting during the legislative session. We talk about any bills related to water or water issues. We pass information about prospective bills on for the board’s knowledge that hopefully helps them make their decisions.

The WWA holds a summer tour every year, and it is always great. We go to places in the state that are related to important issues in water that you would never otherwise see. This past year, we went to Torrington, Wyoming. The local irrigation districts showed us their facilities and reservoirs, and we toured the water treatment plant.

Meetings

The WWA annual meeting brings a good mix of people together. One of the bonuses of being part of the association is the opportunity to interact at conferences with people who are dealing with the same issues as you. I have been able to establish relationships that I would not have been able to otherwise were it not for the association.

We bring in a variety of speakers on water issues to learn about the needs and expectations of other entities, such as municipalities and the Wyoming Game and Presentations at the 2013 annual meeting.

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Irrigation Leader

Key Issues

First and foremost, we try to promote the activities of the Wyoming Water Development Commission to our state legislators. We have tried to promote continued funding for the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, which has proven valuable for water users. You can now access a variety of data sets, such as stream flow and reservoir levels, on the Internet. We also try to promote the University of Wyoming’s water research programs.

University representatives come to our annual meeting and put on some great demonstrations on everything from snowpack measurements to glacier diminishment. Last year, there was a lot of focus on the governor’s water plan.

Governor Matt Mead spoke to us, and we had a great turn out.

Scholarship

The WWA awards three scholarships annually to high-school seniors or college students for their use while attending a Wyoming community college or the University of Wyoming. The WWA’s Scholarship Committee determines the distribution of $4,500, with no one scholarship exceeding $1,500. Eligibility is limited to family members of WWA members. To participate, entrants must complete the scholarship application form and submit a required essay.

Bryant Startin has been on the Wyoming Water Association’s board of directors for 18 years and is the current president.

He is the general manager of the Shoshone Irrigation District. For more information on the WWA, you can reach Mr. Startin at (307) 754‑5741 or shoshoneid@bresnan.net.

WWA summer tours.

Irrigation Leader

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Association Profile

Four States Irrigation Council:

Keeping the Irrigator in Mind

2013 summer tour near Durango, Colorado.

By Brian Werner

T

he Four States Irrigation Council serves first and foremost as a forum for irrigators to exchange ideas and information and to discuss specific irrigation-related problems and solutions. It also provides a means for members to learn about federal legislation and guidelines affecting the agricultural community.

The member states are Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Geographic proximity and system similarity unite the four states.

The council was organized in 1952. Originally, the Bureau of Reclamation coordinated the council’s annual meeting, which served as an opportunity for Reclamation to bring together many of its project districts in one location. The meeting was held in January in Denver in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show, which was also a draw for farmers to attend.

While Reclamation no longer coordinates and drives the council, it still is a key participant in the annual meetings and summer tours. Many of the council’s members today are not affiliated with a Reclamation project. Today, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Northern Water) handles many of the administrative functions along with a part-time conference coordinator.

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Long-time coordinator Jennifer Brown and newly hired Dana Russell both have kept the organization functioning while handling the lion’s share of putting both the annual meeting and tour agendas together.

The council’s board is made up of four state directors, two at-large directors (one from Reclamation and one from Northern Water), a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. The past president also serves on the board.

A unique thing about the organization is that there is no membership fee or annual dues. If you attend an annual meeting or a summer tour or ask to be put on the mailing list, you become a member.

Annual Meeting

The annual meeting is held each year in January, generally in Fort Collins, Colorado. The purpose of the annual meeting is to bring people together to discuss common issues and to listen to presentations on a variety of current issues. Many of those who attend are involved in the day-to-day delivery of water to ditch companies, canals, and farmers. The council tries to make its workshops hands-on with relevant information for the ditchrider of the 21st century.

Commercial exhibitors play a big role. They display their wares, offer workshops on the latest technical

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Irrigation Leader

advances, and provide council members with up-todate information on new products and services. Each year, 20 to 30 exhibitors participate, representing pipe companies, canal automation devices, insurance companies, and consulting firms.

The council has always maintained low registration fees. The board has kept costs low to encourage attendance from ditch and reservoir companies and individual farmers. The annual meeting is held in January, which is a better time for irrigators to participate; it is difficult for the average farmer to attend conferences once the planting season is underway. There is a significant agricultural operations component to what the council discusses, which is another reason the organization has stayed around and relevant for so long.

The council generally does not get involved in political issues by passing resolutions. By and large, the organization is about the operation of irrigation projects, such as canals; the maintenance of headgates and infrastructure; and the implementation of new technology that can help in managing infrastructure. However, with ever-changing rules, regulations, and legislation, the council cannot ignore these issues altogether.

Irrigation Leader

Spring Tour

Many in the water business can think of nothing better than getting out on the ground and seeing what others are doing to manage their projects. As such, the council holds a tour every other year in one of the four member states. This past August, council members took a two-day tour in Wyoming. With Casper, home to Reclamation’s Wyoming-area office, as the base of operations, participants toured facilities of the Casper-Alcova Irrigation District, the Pathfinder Irrigation District, and Goshen Irrigation District. Participants were able to view facilities and ask questions of the operators.

The council brings together a great group of people who are are in one way or another involved in providing water and growing food.

Brian Werner is the public information officer at Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. He coordinated the annual meetings for many years and has served on the Four States Irrigation Council’s board of directors for 30 years.

He is currently the council’s treasurer. You can reach Mr. Werner at (970) 622‑2229 or bwerner@northernwater.org.

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The Innovators 34

Better Water Management Through Real-Time Data

By Duane Woodward

I

n 2013, Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) began a telemetry pilot program to develop and collect real-time data associated with water availability and use. The installation of telemetry meters onto the water delivery system and selected irrigated lands has enabled CPNRD, and participating producers, to view real-time water usage and soil moisture data.

The program originated from sustainability discussions in the Nebraska legislature. A number of state senators were looking at ways to conserve water and identified metering and information collection as ways to achieve that conservation. CPNRD does not require meters on the groundwater wells within the district, so the district began to focus on the types of data we needed to improve system efficiencies.

CPNRD decided to develop the metering information necessary to improve its water modeling analysis and its budgeting approach to managing water.

To make those improvements, CPNRD started

talking with McCrometer to explore the technology available. McCrometer’s CONNECT® system offers a wireless remote monitoring and control system that seemed as though it would fit well with what we were trying to do. So, together with our local McCrometer dealer, Seim Ag Technologies, CPNRD put together a memorandum of agreement to obtain the telemetry equipment. From there, the district reached out to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which was interested in using a similar type of telemetry.

That first year, CPNRD budgeted $60,000 for the program. CPNRD is planning the same level of funding and data collection over the next four years, with the goal of enhancing and expanding the program. During the 2013 irrigation season, CPNRD installed 11 meters in 7 of the district’s 24 groundwater management areas. And to date, there are 79 data collection sites established in all 24 groundwater management areas that collect water pumped, rainfall, system pressure, and, at some of the locations, soil moisture.

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Dean Krull, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln extension specialist who works in CPNRD’s office, has reached out to producers interested in the areas targeted in the pilot program. Dean put the program together for the agricultural producers, enabling CPNRD to get a good mix of center-pivot, subsurface drip, and gravity system information. The feedback from farmers has been very positive. Once we showed producers how they could access and use the information generated from the telemetry system, they were anxious to put it to use.

While the automated data collection system is set up through the CONNECT® system, the software is addVANTAGE Pro. Producer can use their smartphone or tablet to log in to addVANTAGE Pro and see information such as pumping rates, system pressure, precipitation, and soil moisture.

Last year, McCrometer installed a weather station at the Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, Nebraska.

With that technology, we now have integrated weather data from a few sites into our CONNECT® system. So, we are able to take that weather data and calculate the evapotranspiration for different crops. This has been a valuable tool for our producers and the district for Irrigation Leader

comparing crop water use to rainfall and irrigation water applied.

We are in our third year of data collection. At our last spring meeting, we talked about the initial results of the telemetry program. One thing that we have learned is that pivots are far more efficient than we thought, reaching upward of 90 percent water use efficiency as compared with the 80 or 85 percent we projected. We are also seeing distinct differences in water use efficiencies among gravity, pivot, and subsurface drip systems.

It will be interesting to see in another year how things progress. While access to these new data sets has yet to change our water management practices, it has helped CPNRD update its modeling for its cooperative hydrology study.

Duane Woodward is the hydrologist for Central Platte Natural Resources District. He has been with the district since 1992. You can reach Mr. Woodward at (308) 385‑6282 or woodward@cpnrd.org.

5 Years • 50 Issues

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Irrigation Leader

4th ANNUAL

IRRIGATION LEADER OPERATIONS and MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP Sponsored by Irrigation Leader Magazine

Phoenix, Arizona — January 27-28, 2016

IRRIGATION LEADER magazine is sponsoring the 4th Annual Operations and Management Workshop with a theme of “Security: Protecting Personnel, Water, and the Bottom Line.” The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for General Managers and Directors of irrigation districts to discuss and exchange information on a variety of district operational and management-related issues, build out-of-state working relationships, and learn from their peers. The issues and topics will be selected by general managers and board directors and will pertain directly to the management and improvement of irrigation districts. Discussions will feature case studies with general managers sharing their experiences alongside product or service vendors who were directly involved.

TENTATIVE AGENDA WEDNESDAY, January 27

Morning Training Sessions 8:30-10:00 am 10:00 am 10:30-12:00 pm Afternoon Program 1:00 pm

2:00 pm

3:00 pm 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 5:15 pm 5:30 pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28

8:00 am

9:00 am

10:00 am

10:30 am

11:30 pm

12:00 pm

1:30 pm

3:00 pm

3:30 pm

4:00 pm

4:30 pm

5:30 pm

Firearm Familiarization and Basic Defense Break Managing Crisis with a Media Plan Basic Security for Irrigation Districts and Water Agencies Active Shooter Plans Break Managing Stress and Conflict Resolution Being an Effective Board Member The English Language: An Entertaining Perspective on Cultural Differences Hosted reception How Drip Irrigation Transformed Israel and Modern Irrigation How Australia Survived Its Drought/Australian Trade Mission Break Public Outreach: Delivering Your Message with Radio and TV Public Outreach: Hiring Teachers During Summer Break Lunch provided Financing Hydro Development Break Preventing Debris While Pumping Out of Rivers and Canals Saving Water By Combining Pivot Mobility with Drip Efficiency Open Forum Topics Include: • Working with/training bilingual workforce • Acquiring easements/rights-of-way • Retaining workers • Union negotiations Hosted reception

ONLINE REGISTRATION: Registration for the Operations and Management Workshop is located at www.

WaterStrategies.com. Please complete and submit the online form as soon as possible as space will be limited.

Should you have a particular topic you would like discussed during the Open Forum at the meeting, please add it to the registration form in the space provided. Should you have other ideas for the workshop, please share those as well. Updates of the agenda will be provided as registrations are received.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS: We have reserved a block of rooms at the Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport Hotel located at 4300 East Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85034. The hotel has availability at $139.00 per night plus tax.

Your reservation includes a complimentary full “Express” breakfast, complimentary 24 hour airport shuttle service, complimentary wireless Internet service, and complimentary Valet parking for registered guests with in and out privileges. To make or confirm your reservations at the special Irrigation Leader rate, please call 1-855-586-8475 and identify yourself with the Irrigation Leader group no later than Sunday, December 27.

Please tell the agent that you are attending the Irrigation Leader Workshop to obtain this special rate.

QUESTIONS: Please contact Kris Polly by phoning (703) 517-3962 or by e-mailing Kris.Polly@WaterStrategies.com.

Thank you for your time. We hope to see you in Phoenix.

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Texas Water Conservation Association, Fall Meeting, San Antonio, TX Columbia Basin Development League, Conference and Annual Meeting, Moses Lake, WA Utah Water Users Association, Utah Water Summit Conference, Provo, UT WESTCAS, Fall Conference, Tucson, AZ Wyoming Water Association, Annual Meeting and Education Seminar, Evanston, WY National Water Resources Association, Annual Conference, Denver, CO United States Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, Emerging Issues in Water Management Governance, Albuquerque, NM Idaho Water Users Association, 32nd Annual Water Law Seminar, Boise, ID Nebraska Water Resources Association & Nebraska State Irrigation Association, Joint Convention, Kearney, NE Association of California Water Agencies, Fall Conference & Exhibition, Indian Wells, CA Oregon Water Resources Congress, Annual Conference, Hood River, OR Washington State Water Resources Association, Annual Conference, Spokane, WA North Dakota Joint Water Convention & Irrigation Workshop, Bismarck, ND Colorado River Water Users Association, Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV Irrigation Leader Operations and Management Workshop, Phoenix, AZ

For more information on advertising in Irrigation Leader magazine, or if you would like a water event listed here, please phone (703) 517-3962 or e-mail Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

Submissions are due the first of each month preceding the next issue.

Past issues of Irrigation Leader are archived at

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