SUMMER GODDARD / VALLEY JOURNAL
Mission Jocko Irrigation Commissioners Tim Orr and Gene Posivio discuss irrigation concerns during a Sept. 14 meeting in St. Ignatius.
Lack of irrigation water discussed at Mission Jocko meeting By Summer Goddard / Valley Journal
ST. IGNATIUS — A lack of water, particularly for livestock, was discussed during last week’s regularly scheduled meeting of the Mission Jocko Irrigation District commissioners. “It’s a big deal here for some of us, I’d love to go another month,” Joint Board Chairman Ray Swenson said. “I’m gonna have to start hauling water.” He added that there may be funds available for ranchers through the Farm Service Agency for hauling stock water. Commissioner Tim Orr reminded members and attendees that Mission and Jocko have stock water rights recorded with the Montana DNRC. “We have stock water rights, very good ones,” he said. “Flathead has smaller stock water rights.” Mismanagement, Orr says, is the cause of irrigation water shortages. “There’s water coming out of that mountain yet,” he said. “There’s 25 feet in K Canal … Big Knife’s running. You know all these creeks are still running. If they’re running it down the creeks and not bringing it to the farms, they’re 6 - September 22, 2021
failing us because they have responsibility to deliver as long as it’s there. So long as they can meet the instream flows… This project is mismanaging water for the irrigators. All year long. But there’s water out there. There’s no excuse why you folks don’t have stock water… This is getting ridiculous. It’s costing us $33 an acre and we are getting less and less and less service from this project.” Commissioner Tracy Gardner agreed. He said he and other irrigators on Jocko Road were told to shut their water off Aug. 15, “but they continue to run the water for two weeks beyond that down Jocko Road. Right on past.” Regarding delivery of stock water to the Jocko area, Commissioner Boone Cole read from an April 13 letter from Flathead Irrigation Project manager Larry Nelson: “After the 2021 irrigation water delivery is completed for the Jocko area, we will not be making any stock water deliveries of the Jocko division service area.” Though the letter states the reason is for rehabilitation see page 25
Valley Journal
