Securing Idaho's Water Flow Brian Olmstead of Twin Falls Canal Company
Kris Polly: Please tell us about yourself and how you became general manager of the Twin Falls Canal Company. Brian Olmstead: I was born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho, on a family farm, and I received my bachelor of science
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degree in animal science from Utah State University in 1975. After graduating, I returned to the farm and married my wife, Stephanie, and we had three daughters. I farmed on the family farm south of Twin Falls for about 25 years until 2000, when I decided to try something different. We had reached a point at which we either had to grow the farm or choose a different profession because we were not making enough money to keep it profitable. We decided to lease the farm to a beet and potato grower, and we are still doing that. I applied for a job here at the Twin Falls Canal Company and was hired as a field supervisor. When I began, we were working hard on the total maximum daily load/water quality issues, safety violations, and some difficulties with the growth of subdivisions. I worked directly under the general manager at the time, Vince Alberti. From 2000 to 2008, I worked directly under him and with all the crews, which gave me a good view of the overall operation. I was hired as general manager after he retired, and this is now my 11th year as IRRIGATION LEADER
PHOTO BY DREW NASH OF TIMES-NEWS AND MAGICVALLEY.COM.
As in most parts of rural America, agriculture reigns supreme in southern Idaho. The area receives around 10 inches of rain and 19 inches of snow per year, but a substantial amount of water is required to ensure that traditional crops, such as corn, barley, potatoes, and beets, can flourish. Since 1903, the Twin Falls Canal Company has been providing water to the farmers, municipalities, and individuals who live in the more than 202,000 acres of land it services. Kris Polly, editor-in-chief of Irrigation Leader, spoke with Brian Olmstead, general manager for the Twin Falls Canal Company, about issues affecting the Twin Falls Canal Company today, the 2015 Idaho Groundwater Settlement, and how Mr. Olmstead will prepare the canal company for future growth.
