Northwest Farm & Ranch October 2021

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FALL 2021 A joint publication of the

How good is your earth?

WSU researchers use electric current produced by tiny microbes to find out / Page 2

2 | Saturday, October 2, 2021 |

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

| THE SCIENCE OF MICROBES |

Wheat stubble remains in a field near Alpowa in this photo taken in late September.

Washington State University researchers are looking into ways to assess the health of soil by measuring the electric current produced by its microbes.

Pete Caster/ Farm and Ranch

Assessing soil health WSU researchers use electric current produced by tiny microbes to make such determinations in real time A quarterly publication of

By Tina Hilding Washington State University Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture

PULLMAN — Washington State University researchers have developed a way to assess soil health by measuring the electric current produced by its tiniest microbes.

The team used a probe originally developed to measure the electrochemical signal of microbes in aquatic environments and tested it on

&

healthy and unhealthy soil samples to measure microbial metabolism and other indicators of soil health. This proof-of-concept research, published in the Journal of Electrochemical Society, could someday lead to a simple, real-time test for farmers to determine whether soil is productive.

“Soil underpins all the food we eat, and most of it is degraded worldwide,” said Maren Friesen, an associate professor in the Departments of Plant

On the cover

Pathology and Crop and Soil Sciences and a co-author on the study. “One of the biggest barriers to improving soils is not being able to have rapid, real-time measurement to develop appropriate management strategies for them. This sensor has the potential to be able to do real-time measurements not just of the structure of the soil, but how it’s actually functioning. It would be a huge advance in the field.”

“I believe this is one of our most sig-

Wheat and dust are kicked up as a combine turns after finishing harvesting a row of wheat south of Craigmont on Aug. 11. (Photo by Pete Caster of the Tribune)

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

nificant works and will have a high impact on soil health determination,” said Haluk Beyenal, professor in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and corresponding author on the paper.

Other co-authors on the study include postdoctoral research Friesen Beyenal Mohamed fellow Abdelrhman Mohamed and graduate students Eduardo Sanchez and Natalie Sanchez. these bacteria and fungi,” she said.

Soil health is critically importIn the new paper, the WSU ant to agriculture and crop success research team was able to measure worldwide, but measuring it is current through the soil to deternot straightforward. Farmers and mine microbial activity and distinresearchers use soil chemistry, nutriguish healthy and unhealthy soils. ent analysis, texture and pH meaThe researchers used a probe they surements to gain understanding of developed a few years ago to measure soil’s physical and chemical properthe electrochemical signal of microbes ties. While that information can be in aquatic environments. Similar to valuable, it doesn’t always reflect how humans eat and breathe, microhow productive the soil actually is. organisms take in food and then use That’s because a key to soil producelectrons liberated during metabolism tivity is how microbes function, Friesen for their energy. Finally, microbes give said. Billions of bacteria, fungi and these electrons to an acceptor molecule other organisms play critical roles in such as oxygen. The probe the team nutrient mobilization and provisiondeveloped replaces these acceptor ing, defense against pathogens and molecules with an electrode. Using plant growth. But, until now, there this electrode, they can then measure has been no simple, real-time way the electric current and get an idea of to measure the microbial activity. the magnitude of microbial activity.

“What makes a soil beneficial for a “We are able to measure metabolic plant is that it is alive and contains all rate of the microbes by capturing elec-

Let

trons that are released as a part of metabolism,” said Mohamed, a postdoctoral researcher in the Voiland School. “We’re watching the microbes breathe in the soil.”

The two soil samples the researchers used were collected from the R.J. Cook Agronomy Farm and looked nearly identical to each other in terms of their soil composition. They were both collected from plots that had not been tilled, were relatively high in organic matter and had the same pH and soil type. But, the researchers had data showing that one of the soils had been significantly more productive in its wheat yield than the other.

The researchers found that the more productive soil produced an electric current while the less productive soil produced almost no current — about 1 percent of the more productive soil.

“There was a really dramatic difference in the amount of current generated,” Friesen said.

They also found another difference between the two soils in the open circuit potential measured in the soil.

When they added sugar to stimulate metabolic activity, the researchers observed the electrochemical signals change in the healthy and unhealthy soil samples converging, which sug-

Saturday, October 2, 2021 | 3

gests the sugar addition stimulated the microbial activity in both soil types.

“We could see that in a couple of days, the microbes in the soil started to respire,” Mohamed said.

With just the two soil samples compared initially, the researchers say their idea is still just a proof of concept. They have many additional questions, such as what the creatures are doing to generate current and what specific microorganisms might be in the samples to create productive soil.

“We have two different signals, but what do they really tell in terms of the fundamental parameters of the soil?”

Mohamed said. “Both parameters tell slightly different things, and we need to work on their interpretation.”

They also want to test a lot more soils, including in actual farm fields rather than in the controlled setting of a laboratory. They hope to eventually develop a portable probe that could be inserted directly into the soil to provide real-time information.

“In terms of working towards a just society with sustainable global food production, I feel this has the potential to be a game-changing technology,” Friesen said.

Hilding is communications director at Washington State University’s Voiland College

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MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

| PRODUCTION |

Pete Caster/Farm and Ranch

At left is the newest Columbia Grain elevator in Craigmont, which has a capacity of 150,000 bushels. It went into use earlier this month. Columbia Grain is also building a new seed-handling building adjacent to the elevator.

Rising from the ashes in Craigmont Columbia Grain builds new facilities eight years after devastating fire

By Anthony Kuipers For Farm & Ranch

A devastating fire in 2013 marked the beginning of a eight-year-long struggle for Columbia Grain to reestablish its presence in the small Lorentz town of Craigmont, on the Camas Prairie.

On May 12, 2013, a fire that started in the Hinrichs Trading Co. grain elevator spread to the neighboring Columbia Grain elevators.

The three elevators and two maintenance buildings were destroyed. Because of the intensity of the heat and the tin outer covering of the Craigmont elevators, firefighters were forced to just watch it burn.

“For Columbia Grain, it basically took us out of the grain handling business in that community,” said Brian Lorentz, the company’s Pacific Northwest business execution manager.

Approximately 400,000 bushels of storage space were lost, and

longtime Columbia Grain customers had no choice but to go to the company’s competitors.

“To get that customer base back once it’s gone is tough,” said Stacey Lorentz, Columbia grain’s elevator manager and Brian’s brother.

The fire cost Columbia Grain $4.3 million, the Lewiston Tribune reported in 2015.

Shortly after the fire, in 2014, a new Craigmont-Winchester rural fire station was built next to the site of the blaze.

Columbia Grain wanted to start

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021 building a new facility of its own, but its efforts were hampered by a legal battle to decide whether it could get an insurance settlement. It filed a lawsuit against Hinrichs Trading Co. in 2014, alleging Hinrichs was responsible for the fire.

In 2015, a federal jury in Coeur d’Alene found Hinrichs was not at fault, and no money was paid out to Columbia Grain.

Columbia Grain decided it wanted to forge ahead, despite losing the case. Brian Lorentz said the company’s corporate office chose to invest money in a new Craigmont facility.

In 2019, Columbia grain decided to build a 150,000-bushel bin in Craigmont that is currently in use. This fall, a new seed handling building will also begin operating in an effort to turn Craigmont into a

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

seed distribution center on the Camas Prairie, Brian Lorentz said.

“It’s very, very satisfying,” Brian Lorentz said about the construction of the new buildings.

“It’s nice to see something standing there in Craigmont again, rather than a big empty lot” Both Brian and Stacey Lorentz said the company appreciates the community’s support through the past eight years as it worked to rebuild.

“Nothing ever comes easy, and it’s been a constant struggle to get everything in place,” Stacey Lorentz said.

At the end of that struggle, though, is something he said he believes benefits the community.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s been very rewarding,” he said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.

Tribune file photo

In this photo taken in May 2013, fire burns the Hinrichs Trading Co. elevator at the Columbia Grain plant at Craigmont.

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MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

| THE ENVIRONMENT |

In this July 7 photo, people watch from the parking lot at Airport Park in the Lewiston Orchards as smoke rises into the air from the Asotin Creek Fire southwest of Asotin. Sustained smoky conditions can affect wine grape growing.

IMPACT UNKNOWN Wildfire smoke can affect wine grapes, but determining when damage has occurred isn’t so easy, says winegrowers group executive

the skins that cause it are released during fermentation, so grapes hurt by it can look healthy and taste the Every summer and fall, winesame as undamaged fruit, she said. makers visit the vineyards where Soon the roughly half-dozen labfruit is ripening and walk through oratories that analyze wine grapes rows of vines with growers. were flooded with work, even “They will taste the cluster, though there is no stanand the winemaker will deterdardized test yet for smoke mine if that variety in that taint or consensus about location is ready for harvest,” what merits pulling grapes said Vicky Scharlau, executive from wine production. director of the Washington Test results weren’t Winegrowers Association. ready for months, instead Last year, the threat of of in the days or hours smoke taint in the West they were needed to help introduced new tension into Scharlau growers and winemakers that well-worn tradition. decide which grapes still No one, not even industry experts, had the potential to be fermented knew how much harm wildfires, into quality wine, Scharlau said. mostly in Oregon and California, In Washington state, grapes had done to grapes, Scharlau said. generally escaped harm, partSmoke taint can give wine a ly because the smoke was from burnt flavor, but the compounds in

By Elaine Williams For Farm & Ranch

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021 hundreds of miles away.

“The smoke was not fresh, and it was not close, so therefore (it caused) less impact, if any impact,” Scharlau said.

That reprieve did little to calm the industrywide worries about smoke taint that resulted in the formation of the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force in 2019.

The task force is combining a number of efforts, including those of scientists at some of the largest institutions in the world: Washington State University, Oregon State University, University of California, Davis, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Little is known about smoke taint, but generally there’s agreement that smoke from a greater distance does less damage, and grapes are less vulnerable if they are exposed earlier in the season when there is less skin surface, Scharlau said.

“The challenge is that it depends on what is burning, how close whatever is burning ... how long it burns next to the vineyard, which variety (of grape) it happens to be and how fresh the smoke is,” she said.

And there are even different kinds of smoke. Smoke from pine trees, for example, isn’t the same as smoke from sagebrush.

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

A number of solutions are being studied, such as barrier spray made from clay to limit fruit uptake of smoke’s volatile chemicals, according to an article from the WSU Insider.

The results with the spray have been mixed.

“One of the challenges with barrier sprays is that compounds from the spray might still be on the fruit and therefore in the wine,” according to the article. “This year (team members) plan to spray the fruit and remove the coating on the grapes before harvest.”

Other research is refining methods of quick, small-batch fermentation some growers have completed in vessels such as 5-gallon buckets and mason jars, Scharlau said. Scientists are looking at whether that type of fermentation can provide enough information to determine which grapes have enough smoke taint to affect the quality of the wine that comes from them.

Those efforts represent a small fraction of the work that is underway.

“There’s so much we don’t know,” Scharlau said. “We have to capture what the problems are before we can go about trying to get a solution to them.”

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@ lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

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MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

| RANCHING | RIGHT AND BELOW: Shane Presnell uses a self-propelled swather to harvest hay in a field at his family farm north of Craigmont earlier this summer.

Presnell, of Lewiston, noted that the 60 acres of alfalfa was much better than he anticipated. Dry conditions have been hampering some crops.

Pete Caster/ Farm and Ranch

Cattle prices appear strong but a lack of hay could get in the way Poor feed grain crop complicates forecast for beef industry

By Kathy Hedberg For Farm & Ranch

Cattle market prices have been steadily climbing from a year ago, but because of the poor hay crop this year, many producers fear that trajectory is likely to change.

Tyler Hoopes of the Lewiston Farm Bureau Crop Insurance Co. said he’s heard from several clients worried that a lack of feed for cattle this year is bound to have a negative effect on the market.

“Right now, cattle prices are really looking good; they’re pretty high,” Hoopes said. “A lot of cattlemen are worried prices are going to drop because the price of hay right now is between $250 to $300 a ton.”

Normal prices for hay are between $150 to $180 a ton.

And even if producers are willing to shell out those dollars, “(hay) is getting hard to find,”

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

Everybody wants to sell off their cows because they can’t feed them, and can’t find the hay to feed them.

— Tyler Hoopes, Lewiston Farm Bureau Crop Insurance

Hoopes added. “I’ve gotten a few “One thing that we see is maybe phone calls asking where hay is.” some higher culling rates of cows, but This year’s hay crop has been those cows still have to get through the one of the worst in decades, many processing chair and we’re still tight on hay producers have said. processing capacity,” Lickley Throughout the state, said. “Facilities are still having including eastern Washington, some challenges with labor, both on dry and irrigated and it definitely looks like fields, hay crops dropped 50 there’s pressure on cow prices.” percent or more in yields Although processing plants because of the drought. are few and far between In Idaho, alfalfa hay proin this area, Lickley said a duction was down about 7 new plant has recently been percent from last year and opened in Kuna, Idaho, and Hoopes other hay, such as timothy another one is under congrass, was down 38 percent, struction in Jerome, Idaho. according to the National Cows that cannot be proAgricultural Statistics Service. cessed locally are sometimes Washington alfalfa producsent to Fresno, Calif., or to tion was down 16 percent the Midwest where several from last year and down 1 processing businesses operate. percent for other hay crops.

“The bottom line, there’s Because of this shortprobably some chance that age, the Farm Bureau hamburger prices would hay report for September Lickley soften but only to the extent predicted hay prices to that enough cows can get remain strong into the fall. through the processing plant,” That situation is making Lickley said. “Right now it’s hard some producers think twice to get a cow through a plant. about reducing their herds.

“We still think (beef) is a good value, “Right now (cattle) prices are but (prices) are certainly higher than high and people are worried that what people are used to. Markets are they might crash,” Hoopes said. just going to have to level off with the “Everybody wants to sell off their supply of cows, but that’s a day-to-day cows because they can’t feed them, supply and demand thing that’s hard to and can’t find the hay to feed them.” guess. Typically, after you get through Bill Lickley, a cow-calf producer the summer, we would expect it to be a in Jerome, Idaho, and chairman of little cheaper. But there will be plenty the Idaho Beef Council, said all of available, I can promise you that.” this translates into higher prices for beef at the supermarket, and that Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@ gmail.com or (208) 983-2326. is expected to last for some time.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

| ORGANIC FARMING |

GETTING THE PLASTIC OUT WSU scientists seek more sustainable mulch to replace the more commonly used nonbiodegradable synthetic options

By Seth Truscott Washington State University

Scientists at Washington State University are working to introduce a better, more sustainable mulch and weed blocker for organic farmers.

Demand continues to grow for organic fruits and vegetables, which are raised without synthetic fertilizers and chemicals.

But many farmers who grow organic crops, such as blueberries, strawberries, onions and broccoli, still rely on traditional plastic mulch — long strips of plastic sheets — to block weeds, maintain a steady soil temperature and conserve moisture. All that plastic eventually ends up in the landfill, costing farmers and burdening the environment.

Worse, some plastic is burned or tilled into the soil.

“Organic farmers have limited options for mulches,” said Lisa DeVetter, associate professor and small fruits scientist at WSU’s Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center at Mount Vernon, Wash. DeVetter teamed with economist Suzette Galinato, assistant director of the WSU School of Economic Sciences Impact Center, in a national research effort to support sustainable practices.

DeVetter and Galinato are part of a newly launched, $1.3 million, USDA National

ABOVE: Strawberries grow on plastic mulch. WSU scientists like Lisa DeVetter, left, and Suzette Galinato, right, are studying how to help organic farmers replace traditional plastic with a more sustainable, economical option.

Washington State University photos

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021 Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded, North Dakota State University-led project, collaborating with scientists at Montana State University, Oregon State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.

“Plastic mulch has to be 100 percent removed in certified organic production,” DeVetter said.

Even when the sheets are pulled from the soil, however, they usually leave behind plastic fragments that pollute and can harm soil health. Recycling these plastic sheets is difficult because of soil and plant residues that remain stuck to the mulch.

Farmers already have access to soil-biodegradable mulches, which are made from cellulose and a blend of polymers that come from plant-based and synthetic sources. But existing products don’t meet the federal National Organic Program’s requirements for organic farming. None are fully bio-based, and their ingredients often come

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

Saturday, October 2, 2021 | 11

will study how it performs in blocking weeds, saving moisture and maintaining soil health in Northwest strawberry and blueberry fields as well as crops in the Midwest and High Plains.

“We will also account for the expected benefits and costs of hydromulch and compare with standard practices,” Galinato said. “It’s important to assess the net profitability of alternative mulch practices, Same benefits, so we will provide growers fewer negatives an interactive tool that will help them evaluate if using Current biodegradable hydromulch is profitable mulches are applied using a machine that lays down for their enterprise.” plastic sheets. One alternative, Northwest WashingtonWSU News hydromulch, is applied as a Tomatoes are transplanted in biodegradable mulch test plots based WSU scientists have spray with a mix of fibers and growing under a high tunnel. been investigating the water. The research team challenge of sustainable mulch will test the best technologies generally performs the same as “Using hydromulch in the for more than 20 years. to apply their new organic fields can potentially generate standard plastic, and growers “I am very excited to mulch and will also examine may save money by switching. savings for the grower-operator, work with new materials its economic feasibility in such as labor costs for mulch “Part of our work is and developing technologies strawberries, blueberries removal and disposal costs.” to evaluate the economic that could help sustainability and other crops. They The new organic mulch feasibility of adopting grow organic, specialty plan to work with organic has shown promise in testing hydromulch in organic crops in an economical farmers and other scientists on carrot fields in North production systems, such as way, while reducing plastic throughout the project.

Dakota. The research team in blueberries,” Galinato said.

Soil-biodegradable mulch waste,” DeVetter said.

from genetically modified organisms and are made using nonorganic methods.

The WSU research team is testing a new solution: biodegradable mulches that are made with fully organicapproved ingredients.

“We’re designing products that can give organic growers more options to get the benefits of mulching, while reducing plastic waste. Many crops could benefit,” DeVetter said.

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

| TECHNOLOGY |

Artificial intelligence to the rescue WSU-led consortium aims to develop AI tools to address agricultural issues

By William L. Spence For Farm & Ranch

Robert Hubner/WSU

Washington State University post-doctoral fellow Abhilash Chandel, left, explains to an AgAID Institute team how a drone’s sensing technology collects multispectral and thermal imagery data from a “smart farm” in Yakima County, Wash.

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It requires a lot of skill to decide which limbs to remove from a fruit tree, he said.

Part of this initiative is to understand what However, it may be possible to develop a phone-based humans are good at and what AI is good AI app that allows lowerat, so we can create a partnership. skilled workers to take a photo of the tree and get a — Ananth Kalyanaraman, WSU engineering professor recommendation on where to trim. That not only enables them to get the job done, it helps them learn proper Kansas State University. at specialty crops like apples, huge part of this research technique as they go along.

Private industry partners cherries, mint or almonds. is about how to develop “It would help close include IBM Research The reason for that, robust tools that take into the skill level gap,” and innov8.ag.

Kalyanaraman said, is that account uncertainties.”

Kalyanaraman said.

During its first specialty crops involve a Writing software programs Researchers also plan year of operation, the mix of complex decisions. and refining the tools will be to create “learning circles” institute will emphasize They provide a broad range the focus of the second and with ag producers, possibly stakeholder interaction, of problems and conditions, third years of the grant, he as early as this month.

Kalyanaraman said. The so tools developed for those said. Pilot projects testing That will give growers an goal is to create software environments should be the new technology will begin opportunity to offer their applications and other flexible enough to help other in years three and four. own ideas and suggestions AI tools that have a high agricultural producers.

“WSU will build a for ways AI applications likelihood of being adopted AI needs a lot of data, demonstration farm where can help the industry. and used in the field. he said. But for tools to be we can test the technology “It will help us find To improve the chances practical in the field, they’ll and collect data in a field other places where AI of that happening, he said, need to be able to handle setting,” Kalyanaraman can have a quick impact,” researchers will work closely a variety of data sources. said. “We’ll also use it for Kalyanaraman said. “We’ll be with growers to develop “Some data might education and training.” learning from growers about the new technology. be ‘noisy,’ some might As an example of the what matters most to them.”

And rather than focus on be unreliable, some type of problems AI tools commodity crops like wheat, might be incomplete,” might be able to address, Spence may be contacted at bspence@ the institute intends to look lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.

Kalyanaraman said. “So a he pointed to tree pruning.

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Ananth Kalyanaraman, who holds the Boeing Chair at WSU’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is the lead principal investigator for the institute.

Kalyanaraman said the agricultural industry has “tremendous potential” to benefit from AI applications.

However, researchers still need to learn how best to marry the technology with the human ability to make complex decisions.

“What AI is really good at is looking at past actions and consequences and learning from them,” he said. “But the reasoning part — that’s hard to do. Part of this initiative is to understand what humans are good at and what AI is good at, so we can create a partnership.”

Other participants in the AgAID Institute include Oregon State University, the University of CaliforniaMerced, University of Virginia, Carnegie Mellon University, Heritage University, Wenatchee Valley College and

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

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Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

| THE POLITICS OF WATER |

Associated Press

Phil Fine watches a combine harvest carrot seeds Aug. 31 in the North Unit Irrigation District near Madras, Ore.

Drought haves and have-nots test how to share water are written on the land. As drought ravages the West, the districts with century-old water claims are first MADRAS, Ore. — Phil Fine stands in line for the scarce resource while others nearby with more recent in a parched field and watches a claims have already run out. harvester gnaw through his carrot “It’s like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ ... seed crop, spitting clouds of dust It’s shocking the difference,” said in its wake. Cracked dirt lines Matt Lisignoli, a farmer who got empty irrigation canals, and dust nearly five times more water on devils and tumbleweeds punctuate his land in one irrigation district a landscape in shades of brown. than on fields in another.

Across an invisible line separating “I’ve learned more about water Fine’s irrigation district from the in the last two months than I have next, it’s another world. Automated in the last 20 years, because it’s sprinklers hiss as they douse crops, cattle munch on green grass and water always been here,” he said. “You don’t know until you get in a bind.” bubbles through verdant farmland.

The stark contrast between the In this swath of central Oregon, haves and have-nots two hours where six irrigation districts rely on the Deschutes River, the consequences southeast of Portland has brought new urgency to efforts to share of the strict hierarchy dictated by water. Proposals to create “water the American West’s arcane water banks” or “water markets” would law — “first in time, first in right” —

By Gillian Flaccus and Brittany Peterson Associated Press

Northwest Farm and Ranch | FALL 2021 allow farmers with excess supply to lease it to those in need. The idea is part of a discussion about letting the free market play a bigger role in water conservation as human-caused climate change fuels drought and farmers run out of options.

Yet the concept is fraught with risks and resistance.

Larger-scale efforts to spread water more equitably have been uneven. Along the Deschutes River, where every drop is accounted for, many farmers worry that if they lease their water rights, even temporarily, they may not get them back.

“Whether it’s feasible or not is a very local question,” said Brett Bovee of WestWater Research, a consulting firm for water market research.

Many Western water markets compensate farmers for diverting water to wildlife and cities instead of fields.

Far fewer avenues get water to farmers, and the biggest challenge is moving it between irrigation districts, said Scott Revell, manager of the Roza Irrigation District in

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE |

Kate Fitzpatrick, executive director of the Deschutes River Conservancy, poses for a photo Aug. 31 along the banks of the middle Deschutes River in Bend, Ore. Associated Press

Washington’s Yakima Valley.

The districts oversee water deliveries to customers and often operate as fiefdoms, each with water claims and history.

Outdated infrastructure and bureaucracy — often compounded by rigid state

laws — make water transfers difficult even between cooperating districts.

In central Oregon, for example, Lisignoli wanted to take irrigation from his farmland in a district with senior water rights and

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transfer it to parched crops he grows in a neighboring district with lesser rights.

Lisignoli’s application had to be approved by both districts and Oregon’s water agency, which required an 11-day public

notice period, he said.

Desperate, he purchased emergency water from a vineyard for $2,700, but water in that district ran out last month. He hasn’t watered 16 acres of pumpkins in weeks and hopes they will survive for Halloween sales.

“It was a futile effort,” he said. “But I’m hoping that it shows the flaws in the system.”

California, meanwhile, has one of the most flexible water markets in the West, allowing irrigation districts to move water where it’s most needed. After a major drought in the 1970s, lawmakers made transfers easier and emphasized that See DROUGHT, Page 16

16 | Saturday, October 2, 2021 |

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS / LEWISTON TRIBUNE

Drought from Page 15 leasing water wouldn’t jeopardize rights, said Ellen Hanak, director of the Water Policy Center at the Public Policy Institute of California.

Once a farmer has a transfer approved, renewing it is expedited and in many cases, water can follow demand without a lengthy environmental review, Hanak said.

In central Oregon, watersharing is a charged topic.

The 960 farmers in the North Unit Irrigation District, which has the area’s lowest-ranking water rights, grow 60 percent of the world’s carrot seed, bound for carrot farmers or seed packets.

Districts with senior rights, meanwhile, tend toward hobby farms with llamas and alpacas, cattle pastures and hay fields.

Those farmers have had to cut back for the first time but are still receiving 55 percent of their water.

The water disparity is compounded by efforts to preserve the federally protected Oregon spotted frog. A habitat conservation plan requires the North Unit district to release water for the frog from its storage reservoir over three decades.

That reservoir, which is filled by the Deschutes River, is almost empty, with once-submerged tree stumps jutting from cracked mudflats.

Other irrigation districts also gave up water for the frog, but “North Unit definitely got the short end of the stick,” general manager Josh Bailey said. “It made our situation being the junior water rights holder ... even worse.”

The nonprofit Deschutes River Conservancy and the Central Oregon Irrigation District, which has senior water rights, are studying a water bank. It would provide financial incentives for farmers with extra water to lease it to needy irrigation districts or return it to the river to bolster its flows.

The coalition could launch a pilot project next year. A recent study says about 164,000 acre-feet of water may be freed up by using price incentives, said Kate Fitzpatrick, conservancy executive director.

An acre-foot of water is enough to cover a football field a foot deep.

Everyone wants to avoid a crisis like in the Klamath River Basin, a region on the OregonCalifornia border locked in a decadeslong fight over water where household wells are running dry.

“We’re trying to figure out ways for water to move around more flexibly,” Fitzpatrick said. “If we can find those win-win solutions, I believe that the Deschutes can be a model for the West as the West faces increasing drought and scarcity and population growth.”

Some water customers are eager to try it; others are wary.

Oregon law requires a water rights holder to use their share every five years or lose it. Some worry that without safeguards, investors could snatch up those rights or they could lose them if they join a water bank.

The state loosened some rules this summer amid a drought emergency, but many say more reforms are necessary to make sharing easier and expand the ways to maintain water rights.

An informal call this summer about helping those with less water, for example, fizzled when only a handful of senior water rights holders stepped forward, said Shon Rae, Central Oregon Irrigation District’s deputy managing director.

“Bottom line, the paperwork and cost and time it took to do it just wasn’t going to work,” she said.

“People would be interested in doing it if it were easier. Rules and laws are one of the biggest barriers.”

Those championing water markets acknowledge the idea can’t be the only answer, and more incentives are needed to reduce water use and upgrade aging infrastructure.

Along the Deschutes River, plans include replacing irrigation canals with pipes to reduce leaks and pumping water from a massive lake to struggling farmers — both long-term projects.

“What we’re trying to do is put in these big projects and be drought resilient. But the water marketing and leasing is ... something we can do now,” said Fine, the carrot seed farmer. “And if we don’t do something soon, we can’t keep going on like this. People will go broke.”

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