Irrigation Leader March 2017

Volume 8 Issue 3

March 2017

Sustaining Irrigation for Future Generations in Alberta: A Conversation With Terrence Lazarus of the St. Mary River Irrigation District

Looking at Irrigation North of the Border

By Kris Polly

T

he story of irrigation in Canada should be a familiar one to irrigators across the West: The combination of intrepid farmers, fertile prairie soil, and the diversion of limited water supplies led to the growth of farming communities and industries in once-remote areas. Today, despite its limited growing season and frigid winters, southern Alberta has a robust economy centered around irrigation. Food processing plants, equipment dealerships, and mills provide jobs and social stability.

In this issue of Irrigation Leader, we talk to three Canadian irrigation district managers about the role of irrigation in the Canadian economy and the leadership needed to sustain that economy for future generations. Our cover interview is with Terrence Lazarus of the St. Mary River Irrigation District. For Mr. Lazarus, irrigation is essential to the provincial economy.

“We have been fortunate to see consistent growth [in southern Alberta]; our farmers grow a diversity of crops and are not solely dependent on a single industry. Agriculture has provided economic stability to the region.”

Elsewhere in this issue, we look beyond our Canadian neighbors to the challenges here at home. We have a series of interviews addressing 2017 water allocations in California’s Central Valley Project (CVP). The abundance and diversity of crops grown in the Central Valley is extraordinary and accounts for one-fourth of America’s food supplies. The CVP, along with the State Water Project, is the lifeblood of the Central

Valley, and in a much-needed year of tremendous rainfall and snowpack, some irrigators are not receiving their full allocation.

We talk to farmer and irrigator Cannon Michael, Reclamation Mid-Pacific Acting Regional Director Pablo Arroyave, and Association of California Water Agencies Executive Director Tim Quinn to provide insight into allocation process and the need for more water storage in the state.

Irrigation drives economies and sustains communities.

Raymond Irrigation District Manager Gordon ZoBell could not state that sentiment any better when he talks about what he is most proud of in his work: “Farmers and the people that we work with. They make up this district and are hardworking, forward-thinking people who understand they are living on the land but are able to contribute to the community and make southern Alberta a wonderful place to raise a family and earn a living.”

Irrigation Leader magazine will host a tour of Alberta irrigation districts this summer. We hope you can join us to learn about irrigation north of the border. If you are interested please call or email me at the contact information below.

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 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at Kris.Polly@waterstrategies.com.

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MARCH 2017

C O N T E N T S 2 Looking at Irrigation North of the Border

VOLUME 8

ISSUE 3

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 Matthew Dermody, 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. For more information, please contact John Crotty at (202) 698-0690 or John.Crotty@waterstrategies.com.

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For address corrections or additions, please contact our office at Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

Copyright Š 2017 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.

Terrence Lazarus, General Manager of the St. Mary River Irrigation District.

Irrigation Leader

By Kris Polly

4 Sustaining Irrigation for Future

Generations in Alberta: A Conversation With Terrence Lazarus of the St. Mary River Irrigation District

10 Working for Water and Power in Arizona: A Conversation With Senator Jeff Flake

14 Three Views of Central Valley Project Water Allocations in 2017

The Farmer: Cannon Michael, President,

Bowles Farming The Water Provider: Pablo Arroyave, Acting Mid-Pacific Director, Bureau of Reclamation The Policymaker: Tim Quinn, Executive Director, Association of California Water Agencies

DISTRICT FOCUS

22 Expanding Into a Bright Future

at the South Saskatchewan River Irrigation District

By Brian Bartel

MANAGER'S PROFILE

28 Making a Pipedream a Reality: A

Conversation with Gordon ZoBell of the Raymond Irrigation District

BUSINESS LEADER

30 Bob Wietharn of Riverscreen INNOVATORS

34 Connecting Districts to Data 38 Classifieds 3

Sustaining Irrigation for Future Generations in Alberta: A Conversation With Terrence Lazarus of the St. Mary River Irrigation District

T

he climate and geography of the Canadian prairie in southern Alberta are both inviting and imposing for those who attempt to make a living from the land.

The vast size of the region, its aridness, and its interconnected river systems require an innovative and cooperative approach to addressing water issues. To that end, the St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) has succeeded by providing sustainable water supplies to irrigators across central Alberta, from Lethbridge east to Medicine Hat, facilitating the growth of a vibrant agricultural industry that brings more than 40 different types of crops to the market.

Since becoming general manager of SMRID 2 years ago, Terrence Lazarus has set out to lead a staff of 65 to build on the district’s strengths and address its challenges. Mr. Lazarus brings a global perspective to water management and irrigated agriculture. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, he cut his teeth constructing irrigation systems in Malawi. Prior

to joining SMRID, Mr. Lazarus worked for the government of Alberta for 32 years, where he was the operations manager for onstream storage reservoirs in the southern part of the province.

Mr. Lazarus spoke with Irrigation Leader’s editorin-chief, Kris Polly, about how irrigation has benefitted Alberta, his efforts to incorporate a leadership approach that empowers district employees, and the importance of bringing all stakeholders together collaboratively to address water-related issues.

Kris Polly: Can you please give us an overview of your district?

Terrence Lazarus: We have the most irrigated acres of any district in Canada. The district is 350 kilometers [217.5 miles] long and runs along the western slopes of the prairies. This creates a dramatic difference in climate from one end to the other. The soil is sandy and grainy farther from the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, but it is heavy clay in other areas.

Our crop mix includes cereal and specialty crops—chickpeas, dill, hemp—and dry beans and potatoes are among the biggest markets in our district. We have almost 390,000 acre-feet of water from the river system, 1,800 kilometers [1,118.5 miles] of canals and pipeline, and a total infrastructure value of approximately C$1 billion, including the reservoirs.

Water is shared and connected through three river systems: the St. Mary, Waterton, and Belly Rivers. The government of Alberta owns the headwaters of our system and delivers water to the beginning of our canal.

Kris Polly: Can you tell us more about how irrigation has transformed that part of Canada?

Terrence Lazarus: We recently did an economic study and discovered that every dollar invested in our district adds three more to our GDP. Transportation, food processing, agriculture supply, and equipment companies

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Irrigation Leader

A pressurized turnout off the district’s main canal.

all benefit from investments in water infrastructure.

We now have three potato processors in the area: the FritoLay, McCain, and Cavendish food companies all have investments in the region. Bonduelle, a French company, is processing frozen peas. The resulting job growth has helped build up the region’s social infrastructure.

Many communities in northern Alberta rely heavily on oil and gas extraction to drive their economies. When there is a downturn, people lose jobs. We have been fortunate to see consistent growth; our farmers grow a diversity of crops and are not solely dependent on a single industry.

Agriculture has provided economic stability to the region.

Kris Polly: Can you discuss some of the challenges that the district faces?

Terrence Lazarus: The biggest challenge is the billiondollar infrastructure system. We are currently living off our capital depreciation. If we want this district to be viable for future generations, we have to start looking at the infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation that needs to be done. There is a lot to do, but very little of that is currently being done, and that is a concern. The irrigation industry receives approximately C$18 million from the provincial government to help maintain the canal systems and pipelines, but we are also embarking on our own rigorous infrastructure maintenance program.

Another challenge is an aging staff. Many of our people are highly dedicated to their jobs, especially those out in the fields. A lot of the skills needed to do this work are learned by experience, so it is important for those workers

McCain Foods Coaldale (outside of Lethbridge) plant produces french fries.

Irrigated agriculture is the economic engine for southern Alberta.

Irrigation Leader

5

coming up through the ranks now to get out into the field with veteran employees in order to learn what they need to know.

We are also working to be better able to design and manage assets in the 21st century. Water is a variable, finite, renewable resource, so efficiency is the way of the future. Growth has to always be measured by improvements in efficiency.

Through your magazine, we have reached out to a developer regarding software to help us design the path forward. The WaterMaster mobile app allows irrigators to place orders from their phones or mobile devices or online.

The requests will go straight to the water managers and ditch riders through the app and allow us to know what is happening in the district in real time.

Our size is also a liability; it takes several days to move water from one end of the district to the other. So we push our irrigators hard to plan their needs with us ahead of time.

Kris Polly: How does your board view infrastructure investment?

Terrence Lazarus: The board has been very supportive.

As such, we are investing in the system by moving toward new pipe wherever we can. We are somewhat limited by the size of some of our canals because some canals are too big to be replaced by pipe. The largest pipe we have put in was 60 inches in diameter, and that was part of a 5-year program.

We identified aging pipelines and canals that leak. The concrete-lined canals can be at higher risk of fracturing and heaving due to water getting into crevices and

Terrence Lazarus and Project Manager Travis Geremia overseeing the installation of 60-inch pipe as part of St. Mary River Irrigation District’s conservation program.

On the Grassy Lake Main Canal, SMRID is installing several kilometers of 60-inch PVC pipe.Â

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Irrigation Leader

follow, wants to work with, and wants to believe in. They are given the ability to make decisions for themselves and are allowed to have a real voice in collaborative decisions.

When leaders look at their staff as human beings and treat them as such, people respond positively.

Kris Polly: What is your district’s relationship with the greater community around you? How are you channeling your philosophies into gaining acceptance and support from those communities?

expanding when it freezes. Over time, this can cause the canal to collapse. There are one or two projects each year where we replace canals or pipelines, usually as much as 10–20 kilometers annually, depending on the costs and how much funding we have.

Kris Polly: You have posted the values driving the district on your website. What are those values, and how do they inform your management style?

Terrence Lazarus: When I began this job, I wanted to know and understand what the district is really about. I quickly realized that we did not have any expressed values or mission statements to define ourselves. I gathered staff and board members together discuss who we are, where we are going, and how we are going to get there. I insisted that our values be spelled out in plain language, and I also implemented an annual performance evaluation process for my staff.

I try to take a leadership approach rather than a management one, which is much more difficult to do properly. My vision is to be a leader that the staff wants to Irrigation Leader

Terrence Lazarus: I have been pushing our board very hard to encourage a review of our social and community relations. One of my first acts as general manager was to conduct an annual tour of our district for all our local political leaders. We take them to the locations of our water users so they can demonstrate the products they are making with the water we provide, the amount of exports they are able to make, and how many people they employ in the process.

We do the same with the provincial and federal government officials, but our focus is very much on the local leaders. That way, people have a real understanding of what we do and why it matters. Our goal is to work cooperatively to resolve any issues before they escalate, and we have established a better rapport with our communities as a result.

For example, we are by far the largest user of water in the region, which can draw criticism, especially in dry years. So we work on a voluntary basis with the [provincial] government to keep water in the river. We have worldrenowned trout fisheries, and those fish do not do well when river levels are low and temperatures are high. We don’t mind keeping some water in the river when it is available. We are essentially heading off [our detractors] at the pass. We take their concerns seriously.

Kris Polly: What should every American irrigator know about what your district is doing?

Terrence Lazarus: The biggest difference between our district and those in the United States is that although many of our laws on water and the environment are similar, we have different ways of looking at them and applying them. Our stakeholders often take a collaborative approach to solve problems for mutual benefit, even if the law would allow them to prevail outright at the expense of another group.

We try very hard to not have lawyers involved in every water dispute, as that often is a barrier to collaboration and can create an adversarial environment. It has allowed us to reduce the need for litigation because there is a mutual commitment to working collaboratively.

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Working for Water and Power in Arizona:

A Conversation With Senator Jeff Flake

A

s a fifth-generation Arizonan, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) has a unique appreciation for the importance of water in the West, which began during his upbringing on a family ranch. Prior to being elected to the United States Senate in 2012, Senator Flake served as executive director of the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia and later as executive director of the Goldwater Institute. In 2000, he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served for 12 years. Senator Flake was recently named chairman of the Senate Water and Power Subcommittee. In this role, he will oversee many of the programs that matter most to western water users. Ian Lyle, executive vice president of the National Water Resources Association (NWRA) and guest interviewer for Irrigation Leader, recently talked with Chairman Flake about his perspective on water supply issues and what he hopes to accomplish as subcommittee chairman.

Ian Lyle: Water users in Arizona and much of the West are familiar with your work on water issues. For those who may not know you, would you tell us about yourself and how you became interested in public office and water policy?

Senator Flake: I was raised on a ranch in northern Arizona, where I moved many sections of irrigation pipe as a youth, and a number of my family members also served in water and irrigation districts, so I grew up caring about water.

Before I came to Congress, I worked in Africa as the executive director of the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia, and then at the Goldwater Institute in Arizona.

When I was elected to the House of Representatives, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) spearheaded water issues, and we were always grateful to him for leading the way on this issue. When I took his seat in the Senate, I felt it was important that Arizona continue to have a strong presence in water, and I tried to step up and fill that role. One of the first things I did when I came to the Senate was reach out to water users. We went on a listening tour for a year, met with various stakeholders in Arizona, and learned a lot.

I still have a lot to learn, but thankfully, Senator Kyl has remained engaged on a number of levels, as has Senator McCain. Water is a high priority for anyone who holds public office in Arizona.

Ian Lyle: You were recently selected to serve as the chairman of the Senate Water and Power Subcommittee, where many of the key water issues affecting the West are 10

discussed. As chairman, what are some of your goals and top priorities?

Senator Flake: I was very pleased to work with my colleagues to become chairman, and I believe they will be good partners as we work on legislation going forward.

We want to revisit my drought bill that was passed out of committee in the last Congress and contains the priorities of a number of western states.

I also want to work on the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, which is important for the entire lower basin. If we get that done, it will help address the issue of Lake Mead and voluntary storage, but if we do not, we will at least need to get the same assurance from the new administration as we had from the previous one regarding who owns the water that is voluntarily stored there.

Oversight of the U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty is another Irrigation Leader

important issue we hope to address.

We also want to emphasize the link between healthy forests and water supply, which is something we understand in Arizona.

It is important to treat the watershed well and ensure that every drop is used responsibly.

But forests are choked with too much fuel; we end up with large wildfires that foul water supplies. Ongoing oversight of the Western Area Power Authority is another priority for the subcommittee, so we can protect rural communities and water users to ensure they have access to affordable power.

Ian Lyle: You mentioned the importance of water to the West. How important is reliable water infrastructure to western communities and their economies?

Senator Flake: Living in Arizona, all you have to do is fly over the valley to see all the water infrastructure that is vital to our state, including Apache Lake, Canyon Lake, the Salt River Project dams, and the Central Arizona Project canals, just to name a few. We have to continue to keep up our water infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner. We must make sure that whatever infrastructure work we do is within the budget constraints we have, which is not always easy.

Ian Lyle: Are there things that you believe the federal government can do to help facilitate the development of water infrastructure?

Senator Flake: Absolutely. One aspect involves the Native American water rights settlements that need to be completed. That will provide certainty, which will allow stakeholders to move forward and make necessary investments and improvements. We want to provide people with as much certainty as we can going forward.

Ian Lyle: Are there options for regulatory reform and permit streamlining that could improve water supply infrastructure processes?

Senator Flake: Yes, there are. We in Congress have allowed the federal agencies to move ahead pretty much unchecked because we have not gone through regular order in a long time. So we have a lot of cleanup work to do in terms of having a regulatory structure that will facilitate necessary infrastructure investments and improvements.

The administration is moving ahead on new rulemakings to that effect in addition to not defending some enjoined regulations in court.

Irrigation Leader

The Central Arizona Project canal snakes 336 miles across the desert to deliver water to three counties in the heart of the state.

Ian Lyle: You touched on certainty in water supply going forward. What are your thoughts on the appropriate relationship between the federal government and the states when it comes to state-allocated water rights?

Senator Flake: We only want to get involved at the federal level when we have to. Otherwise, we defer to the state and the water rights that have been established and honored at the state level, as well as any voluntary intrastate or interstate agreements that states enter into.

It is best when those closest to the issue and the resource are the ones driving the process.

Ian Lyle: Some folks may not know this, but when you go on vacation and unplug, you really unplug. In recent years, you have tested your survival skills several times by spending vacation time on deserted islands in the Pacific Ocean. How to you account for critical things like water supply when planning these trips?

Senator Flake: [Laughs.] Yes, I’ve taken several trips. I took one by myself; a trip with two of my sons; and, most recently, a trip with Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM). Water was a key consideration during these trips. On the first two trips, I took a small hand desalination pump. On the trip with Senator Heinrich, we didn’t take the desalination pump and at one point had to crawl through the jungle to search out water that pooled in leaves. I can tell you this: When you are focused on something as important as finding water, partisan issues go by the wayside. The experience helped reinforce the importance of water.

This interview was previously published in the National Water Resources Association Blog.

11

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Three Views of Central Valley Project Water Allocations in 2017

C

alifornia’s Central Valley is one of the most important farming regions in the United States, accounting for a quarter of the nation’s food supply. Water from the Central Valley Project (CVP) helps to make agricultural production possible in the arid valley.

After years of drought and much to the joy of farmers in the valley, prodigious amounts of rain and snow blessed the state, and more importantly, the Sierra Nevada, this past fall and winter. On March 22nd, the Bureau of Reclamation announced its water allocations for CVP contractors.

Agricultural contractors south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin

delta were allocated 65 percent of their yearly allotment. This year’s allocation for south-of-delta contractors also comes after years of drought and little to no allocations: 5 percent in 2016; 0 percent in 2015; and 0 percent in 2014. The last time south-of-delta contractors received a full allocation was 2006.

Irrigation Leader editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, spoke to three California water leaders about the allocation process, what it will take to get south-of-delta farmers back to a 100 percent allocation, and how Reclamation works with its CVP contractors to get farmers the water they need for crop production.

The Farmer: Cannon Michael, President, Bowles Farming

T

he Bowles family understands the importance of water to the Central Valley, having farmed in California for six generations. Cannon Michael, who is a Bowles on his mother’s side, runs Bowles Farming Company, which produces a wide variety of vegetable crops in the San Joaquin Valley. Bowles relies on annual water allocations from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project, timely communicated to the irrigation districts contracted to disburse that water, to maximize crop production each year.

Mr. Michael spoke with Kris Polly on the importance of sufficient, on-time allocations; the effect of the 2017 allocation of only 65 percent despite above-average rainfall and snowpack; and how Reclamation can improve its processes going forward to benefit all water users.

Kris Polly: How long have you been associated with the organization?

Cannon Michael: I am the president and CEO of Bowles Farming Company, which is our family farm located outside of Los Banos, California. I am a sixth-generation farmer; I became involved with the farm in 1998 and assumed my current role at the beginning of 2014. We have a diverse portfolio of crops, including processed and fresh tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelons, onions, carrots, corn, alfalfa, almonds, pistachios, garbanzo beans, and cotton.

We use both conventional and organic farming practices.

Annual vegetable crops are our primary focus.

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Kris Polly: When did your family first move to California and begin farming?

Cannon Michael: Henry Miller, my great-great-great grandfather, came to California in the 1850s and started a cattle ranch and butchering operation in 1858. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, we transitioned away from cattle and into vegetable and crop farming.

Kris Polly: Where in California do you farm?

Cannon Michael: We primarily farm on land from one of the exchange contractor districts, the San Luis Canal Company, which is located between Los Banos and Merced. We are located between Fresno and Modesto on the west side of the valley. We also farm in a federal contractor district called the San Luis Water District, where we have some trees.

Kris Polly: What can you tell us about the current water situation?

Cannon Michael: Things are definitely better hydrologically in California than they have been, as we have emerged from a serious drought. The snowpack was below average last year, even though 2016 saw an increased amount of rainfall. However, 2017 has been above average for both snowpack and rainfall so far, which has improved the outlook for much of the state and provided opportunities for groundwater recharge. But this Irrigation Leader

situation raises some big concerns when large areas are receiving less than 100 percent water allocations despite record hydrological conditions. If farmers cannot get a full allocation in a year like this, people begin to wonder if there will ever be 100 percent allocations again.

We are happy to have an allocation greater than 0 percent, but receiving an allocation of only 65 percent for an area of over 1 million acres and receiving it late is troubling and speaks to the long-term concerns relating to water insecurity. Our land is very productive, but the allocation system and its regulatory regime need to be addressed to allow us to take advantage of favorable hydrology when we encounter it.

Kris Polly: As a farmer, when do you need to know what your allocation will be to best make your plans for the year?

Cannon Michael: We start thinking about next year’s plans right after we finish harvest, usually from November through December. Allocations usually come out in January or February, particularly in nondrought years. The beginning of the year is the time when many farmers are finalizing plans, securing financing, and purchasing seeds to put into greenhouses before transplanting into the fields.

It is difficult to tell employees or suppliers what your plans are without a water allocation. Some fields also require irrigation prior to planting, and the decision needs to be made early in the year. Making those decisions is much easier when we have an allocation that is announced on time.

Kris Polly: Was the allocation information released later than it had been in the past?

Cannon Michael: Yes. Traditionally, allocations were announced at Reclamation’s annual Mid-Pacific Water Users meeting in Reno, Nevada, in either late January or early February. During drought years, the announcements would understandably be delayed due to uncertainty.

However, 2017 presented a much clearer and more positive picture, so it would seem that the allocation decisions could have been made earlier than late March.

Irrigation Leader

Kris Polly: Does your farm use well water?

Cannon Michael: We use some, but we try to limit that as much as possible. A few wells were added during the drought, but we primarily rely on surface water.

Kris Polly: Does your farm or your irrigation district have the ability to perform groundwater recharge?

Cannon Michael: We do not have the ability to do that in the majority of our area. One of the reasons we do not have large amounts of tree crops is because we have a high-perched water table. Groundwater recharge works in areas with deeper soil and drainage deeper than 20 feet.

We do not have that and therefore are not well suited to groundwater use or recharge. But those areas that are would have benefitted from a 100 percent allocation because they could have taken some of that extra water and placed it back into the ground to recharge the aquifers.

Kris Polly: What would your message be to Congress and the Bureau of Reclamation about these issues?

Cannon Michael: I believe that Reclamation could have stood more firmly on allocations. I understand that there was concern from the National Marine Fisheries Service about enough cold water being available for winter-run salmon, which contributed to the delay, but given how much water was in the system this year, it would have been nice for Reclamation to be more adamant about running the system to the maximum level possible and on time.

As farmers, we certainly want to see the environment be healthy and fish populations to recover, but we are not seeing growth in fish populations despite allocating more cold water flows to them. Reclamation and the fish agencies [the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service] need to use a more holistic approach that recognizes all the other stressors on the fish, rather than just worrying about water flow. Both the fish and large numbers of people are losing under the current management system, and we need more constructive solutions going forward.

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The Water Provider: Pablo Arroyave, Acting Director,

Mid-Pacific Region, Bureau of Reclamation

T

he Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region Office works with irrigators to determine how much water will be allocated from the CVP at regular intervals; those allocations are a key consideration for farmers and irrigators planning their crops for the year. Pablo Arroyave, Reclamation’s acting director for the Mid-Pacific Region, coordinates the allocation process. He has been with Reclamation since 1996 and also serves as deputy regional director for the CVP. Mr. Arroyave spoke with Kris Polly about the process for determining allocations, the ways in which allocations can be modified based on changes in hydrologic conditions, and how the decisionmaking process can be improved to benefit all CVP water users.

Kris Polly: How would you describe the current water situation?

Pablo Arroyave: We are currently seeing hydrologic conditions unlike anything that anyone could have imagined.

The CVP region is within reach of having its wettest year ever. It may now be possible to fill the New Melones Reservoir. We have high snowpack levels in the American River and the Upper San Joaquin River basins. For example, some forecasts predict as much as 3 million acre-feet of runoff in the Upper San Joaquin watershed from April through July.

Kris Polly: Reclamation recently came out with a 65 percent allocation. Can you explain how the allocation process works and what information is used to make those determinations?

Pablo Arroyave: Each monthly allocation is based on the official forecast from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). For the March allocation, we used the March 1 forecast, which we received on March 7 or 8. In analyzing that forecast, we looked the 90 percent exceedence forecast, the most conservative hydrology, and the 50 percent exceedence forecast, which is a more liberal allocation. During the early part of the year, Reclamation uses the 90 percent exceedence forecast while taking into account any significant precipitation events that have occurred between the time of the forecast and when the allocation is issued. We also look at projected reservoir elevations for the rest of the water year and current storage levels throughout the CVP area.

Kris Polly: Given that it has been such an exceptional water year, is it possible that the current 65 percent allocation could increase?

Pablo Arroyave: It is very possible, and the San Joaquin snowpack could be a significant factor in whether or not it increases. The more exchange contractor and refuge demands 16

are met by San Joaquin River flood releases, the higher the allocation will go, because we are not relying on pumping through the exports [from Northern California through the Sacramento delta] to meet those most senior water rights and legal requirements.

Using flood flows on the San Joaquin could possibly lead to higher river flows well into June and possibly July. If that happens, the allocation number will definitely go up.

There is also another 300,000 acre-feet of previously acquired water sitting in the San Luis [Reservoir] and held in the name of the south-of-delta water service contractor districts.

They will have access to that carryover water in addition to the allocation.

Kris Polly: Could the allocation reach 100 percent?

Pablo Arroyave: It is not impossible, but it may be a bit of a stretch. The timing of the snowmelt is the biggest factor.

A quick snowmelt means we would capture less of that water.

But if the snowmelt is more gradual and those conditions extend into the summer, we could approach 100 percent allocation levels.

Kris Polly: What is your schedule for future updates and allocation decisions?

Pablo Arroyave: We will get our April forecast from DWR around April 10, look at that information as quickly as possible, and announce a change in the allocation if we feel we can justify it at that time. It is possible we could have some late-season storm events in April or May, which could change our forecast on a timeline not exactly matching the April 1 time frame. But generally, we may need to change the forecast around April 20, May 20, or possibly into June. The project allocation is generally not final until the end of June.

Kris Polly: Is Reclamation currently working with irrigators on plans for groundwater recharge efforts in any area?

Pablo Arroyave: Our contractors are taking advantage of surplus water conditions under section 215 of the Reclamation Reform Act. There is groundwater recharge taking place in parts of the CVP as a result of available excess.

We are working with irrigators to make additional water Irrigation Leader

available, and we understand that a large area of need for that extra water is groundwater recharge. A water year like this is a prime opportunity for our irrigation districts to access additional surface water and reduce their use of groundwater so that the aquifers can recharge themselves.

important, so this is an area in which we can make more progress.

Kris Polly: Do you believe there are any opportunities for improvement in the allocation process to get information and decisions to irrigators more quickly?

Pablo Arroyave: It was only by working closely with our irrigation community partners that we were able to get through the difficult drought years of 2014–2016. It was challenging, and it took not only every idea and asset at Reclamation’s disposal, but also the leadership of the irrigation community to make some very difficult decisions to get us through that time. The carryover water in San Luis is a monument to that cooperation. But even in a plentiful year like this one, we still need our irrigators to help us manage large supplies of water. Genuine collaboration and listening to all points of view will allow us to make better decisions and address the concerns of all stakeholders.

Pablo Arroyave: I think that improvements are always possible. There is room for improvement in the way we chart and measure snowpack. Reclamation and some of our contractors are working closely with NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] on some new technology to give us better insight into what the snowpack looks like throughout the basin as opposed to just particular monitored sites. Understanding the full runoff pattern is very

Kris Polly: What would your message be to irrigators about the allocation process?

The Policymaker: Tim Quinn, Executive Director,

Association of California Water Agencies

W

ater agencies in California face numerous challenges to bring safe, clean, reliable, and affordable water to agricultural and municipal users. Mr. Timothy Quinn understands these challenges well. He worked for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for 22 years, before spending the last 10 years as executive director for the Association of California Water Agencies. As executive director, Mr. Quinn has worked to represent the association’s 430 public water agencies through improved water policy and regulatory processes. Yet, new challenges continue to emerge.

Mr. Quinn spoke with Irrigation Leader’s editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, about the latest water allocations in California; the problems with the current processes used to determine allocation levels from both the state and federal water projects; and possible reforms that should be pursued to protect vital infrastructure, the environment, and water users.

Kris Polly: How would you describe the current water situation in California?

Timothy Quinn: We currently have a lot of water in the system. This is one of the wettest years on record in California, and outflows are among the highest we have seen in many years. Nevertheless, the State Water Project’s allocation to its customers is currently only 60 percent of their full contract amounts. The Central Valley Project [agricultural] service contractors [south of the Sacramento– San Joaquin delta] are receiving a 65 percent supply, although other Central Vally Project (CVP) water users north of the delta, the Exchange Contractors [who have senior water rights], and refuges are receiving a full supply. You really have to wonder what it takes to get full deliveries for all water

Irrigation Leader

users. Allocations under this year’s circumstances would have been 100 percent a decade ago, but environmental regulations and subsidence issues in the system prevent them from getting to that level today. We also need to invest in new infrastructure in California to increase deliveries during wet periods.

In the month of March, we experienced large delta outflows, but the pumping plants were not operating at capacity because there was no place to put the water. The San Luis Reservoir actually filled up this year, but once that happened we watched outflow go past the pumps, even though the environmental rules would have allowed us to pump the water.

Kris Polly: What could be a possible solution for situations like San Luis that would allow projects to take advantage of the surplus water?

Timothy Quinn: We need to invest in new surface storage facilities that I like to call parking lots for water.

These facilities could capture high flow water when San Luis fills and park the water only long enough to get it into a groundwater basin. You would empty out the surface storage facility as soon as you could so that it could refill during the next storm event to repeat the cycle.

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Kris Polly: Can you describe how the allocation process is conducted now compared to how it was done in the past?

Timothy Quinn: Allocations used to occur earlier in the year than they did this year, particularly for the federal CVP, and were almost always 100 percent for the CVP. The State Water Project announces its initial allocation on December 1, but those initial allocations have shrunk considerably because of regulatory uncertainties regarding future deliveries. For water managers these days, annual plans for water delivery are increasingly a guessing game. Having allocations come out later and at lower levels makes it more difficult to put the water to beneficial use. Growers are also more invested in water marketing to try and keep operations going. Much of that purchased water is stored in San Luis Reservoir for later use, but the water rides on top of the reservoir and spills when the reservoir fills—and that’s expensive. This is another example of how increased storage capacity would benefit California.

Kris Polly: What are some short-term changes that could be made to benefit agricultural water users?

Timothy Quinn: We need to make the water transfer market work as effectively as possible for agricultural users who are short of water. We need to get as much water underground as possible during wet years like this one to protect ourselves.

There also needs to be an examination of how this system is regulated and operated.

Kris Polly: What kind of regulatory changes should be implemented?

Timothy Quinn: We need to ask ourselves if all the flow limitations for fisheries make sense. Some flow restrictions do very little to help the fish but cost us a lot of water, and there should be a hard look at that approach. In the past decade, environmental regulators have stripped the system of its flexibility and a review of all those restrictions might prove beneficial for both the environment and water supply.

We should have a system that focuses on flow restrictions that actually have a functional benefit for fisheries without unnecessarily harming the agricultural and urban economies of California.

Kris Polly: Would that mean using a system that examines all stressors on the fish?

Timothy Quinn: Yes. What we would like to see is regulators moving away from a sole fixation on flow restrictions for their own sake. This has been their doctrine for more than 30 years. There needs to be a shift away from a flow-only regulatory regime to an approach that combines functional flows with comprehensive, integrated investments to address the significant stressors in the life cycle of the fish you are protecting. A flows-only approach generally does not benefit 18

the fishery and imposes unreasonable costs on water supply.

The biggest threat to our efforts right now is a plan by the California State Water Resources Control Board to assign flow regulations based on a percentage of unimpaired flows.

These unimpaired flows are based on historic levels in the rivers coming out of the mountains before our reservoirs were in place. But only a fraction of those historic unimpaired flows ever got to the bay, which is the apparent goal of the regulators today. Instead, these flows were intercepted by a vast forest of tulles and other habitat. That habitat no longer exists, and the best available science strongly suggests that adding more flows to the rip rap channels that would carry these flows today won’t do the fisheries much good. The Association of California Water Agencies and its members are trying to move the state in a new direction. The guiding principle should be to augment flows for functional purposes and tie the actions to specific biological objectives that improve fisheries. We need a comprehensive investment strategy that examines the full life cycle of the fish and strategically addresses key stressors in order to enhance species. This will have far more benefits for fish than a flows-only approach, while protecting water needed for a vibrant economy.

Kris Polly: What does California’s water plan investment strategy look like today?

Timothy Quinn: We are on the verge of a $25 billion capital improvement plan in California that includes storage, tunnels, recycling, desalinization, sustainable groundwater management, habitat restoration, and other investments. The plan relies on very little state or federal money; the financing relies overwhelmingly on funds from local water supply agencies looking to invest in their future. Although it may sound expensive, the annualized cost of the program is a tiny fraction of California’s $2 trillion annual economy. Reliable water supplies are a vital component to that economy. If this plan goes forward and investments are made in conveyance, storage, groundwater management, and the market, we will have a system that actually works for the environment and water users.

Kris Polly: What would your overall message be to Congress and the new administration on California water issues?

Timothy Quinn: It is time for change in water policy in California, and we need the federal government to be part of it, including support for infrastructure investment. Rather than an impediment, we would like to see the federal government support and help to facilitate infrastructure investments. We are committed to investing in our state water infrastructure and have pledged to put more than $25 billion toward that effort. What we need from Washington, DC, is the federal government to be our partner and support these locally driven efforts.

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District Focus

Expanding Into a Bright Future at the South Saskatchewan River Irrigation District

Main spillway and power station on Gardiner Dam.

By Brian Bartel

T

he South Saskatchewan River Irrigation District (SSRID) was started in 1976. We are the largest irrigation district in the province, with 40,000 total irrigated acres that are irrigated by water pumped from Lake Diefenbaker. While a number of smaller rotational crops are also grown in the district, potatoes are the primary specialty crop.

Our 10-person staff services over 110 individual farmers whose primary irrigation season is from May through the end of September.

Water and Infrastructure

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Water is pumped out of Lake Diefenbaker by a pumping station located on the Gardiner Dam. From there, it travels 22 kilometers to the first reservoir at Broderick before being distributed through more than 300 miles of pipelines, laterals, and sublaterals. The district was originally designed to only utilize flood irrigation but has since converted almost entirely to pivot irrigation in order to better conserve water and be more efficient. The designed flow capacity of the system is approximately 18 m3/s. Our main canal is Irrigation Leader

equipment, which means less manual input to operate lateral and sublateral pipelines.

Growth and Expansion

presently under construction to upgrade and reline it in order to make it more efficient. The canal is being lined with a plastic membrane and is being armored with rock on the outside. The project has been ongoing for about 5 years, and it will take an additional 5 years to complete, depending on how much government funding is available. All the infrastructure in and around the canal will be upgraded and modernized at the same time. This will include more smart canal gates and telemetry

One of the most unique things about our district is the availability of potential irrigated acres and water supply. Many other districts are already at the limit of the amount of acres they can sustain, but there is still a lot of untapped potential in our case. Our system is not being utilized to capacity, so there is a lot of room for new irrigators and industry users. The district’s irrigation only uses 2 percent of the total inlet water that flows into Lake Diefenbaker from Alberta. The surplus of available acres and government cost-sharing programs help create opportunities to enhance our system and grow our business while remaining cost effective and efficient.

We are promoting for more potential irrigated acres within our district so we can accommodate industry into the area as well. Some larger projects may be going forward in the near future and will be able to accommodate up to 15,000–20,000 new acres. This will include low-pressure pipeline systems with supply lines up to 36 inches in diameter and turnouts that will provide approximately 5–10 pounds per square inch to booster pumps for added pressure to accommodate for required capacities on pivots.

We work in conjunction with Sub-Contractors, the Water Security Agency (WSA), and the Ministry of Agriculture on a majority of our projects within the district. A portion of these projects are funded via the Growing Forward 2 programs offered by the government of Saskatchewan. The program we work with is the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program (FRWIP). This program supports the development of

Ribbon cutting marking the installation of an SSRID high pressure pipeline system, which accommodates 1,500 acres.

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agricultural water infrastructure to increase irrigation capacity, mitigate the impact of drought, and promote economic development in rural areas and in the livestock industry.

Changes and Challenge

The district has faced numerous changes and challenges in recent years. The biggest changes have been the increased efficiency of the equipment, infrastructure, pivots, pipelines, canals, and sprinklers. There has also been a transition from open canals to pipelines, and we’re moving toward having as many of these canals as possible converted to more efficient pipelines. We’re also looking into installing rotating screens on all individual turnouts to eliminate debris from entering the on-farm systems and run more efficiently.

One of the biggest challenges SSRID faces working in conjunction with government is government policy. The provincial WSA is one of the primary government agencies we deal with. It regulates the quality and volume of water that goes throughout the district. SSRID is contracted to look after the operation and maintenance on the main canal, which the WSA owns. The WSA has enacted stricter policies and permit requirements in recent years regarding aquatic and drainage issues. Drainage issues are the most challenging policies right now, particularly with water quality and natural drainage being restricted by the location of the main canal.

The WSA has recently enhanced its enforcement of drainage standards due to concerns about nitrates and bacteria. We feel that these are important concerns, and we’ll continue to work with the WSA on these issues.

Moving Forward

Overall, the future of our district is a bright one.

Despite the policy and regulatory challenges, we are moving forward with plans for expanding our service area and our stakeholders. More accessible water supplies

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will allow us to attract both agricultural and industrial customers to our district and will allow those customers to have better access to the resources they need to grow or manufacture their products. This will help form the cornerstone of the economy in southern Saskatchewan well into the future.

Brian Bartel is the general manager of the South Saskatchewan River Irrigation District. You can learn more about the district at ssrid.com, and you can reach Mr. Bartel at bbartel.ssrid@sasktel.net.

Irrigation Leader

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Manager’s Profile

Making a Pipedream a Reality: A Conversation with Gordon ZoBell of the Raymond Irrigation District

G

ordon ZoBell has deep roots in southern Alberta irrigation. His grandfather emigrated there from the United States and began working on irrigation projects, and Mr. ZoBell himself has worked for the Raymond Irrigation District for more than 40 years.

He became general manager in 1981, and in that role, Mr. ZoBell has sought to upgrade old infrastructure systems, conceive and construct new systems that will increase efficiency and reliability, and maintain a strong bond between the district and its farmers.

Mr. ZoBell spoke with Irrigation Leader’s senior writer, John Crotty, about the importance of irrigated agriculture to southern Alberta, how the district seeks to overcome challenges to modernize and upgrade its infrastructure, and what the future holds for the district and the region.

John Crotty: Please tell our readers about the Raymond Irrigation District.

Gordon ZoBell: The project includes 46,500 acres and serves about 300 water users. We are the biggest of the seven small districts in Alberta. There are 13 total districts in the province. We produce canola, alfalfa, cereals, and silage corn. Alberta’s sugar beet industry started here, but we do not currently grow any.

Many of our farmers are also cattlemen, and the area is home to two large feedlots and several smaller calving operations. Our alfalfa supports both the local feedlots and dairy farms in British Columbia, which use it for feed or seed. Land is much more affordable here, so British Columbia ranchers will buy land and grow crops here and ship it back.

John Crotty: What are the biggest challenges the district faces?

Gordon ZoBell: The cost of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure is the most difficult challenge for us. Fortunately, the government has realized the importance of irrigation. Only 4 percent of Alberta’s arable land is irrigated, but that land produces 20 percent of the province’s agricultural products. The government understands how many important

Gordon ZoBell standing next to a pump and center pivot point on his farm.

commodities can be produced by irrigated agriculture and has helped fund drought-proofing projects to rehabilitate and modernize the system in place.

We are transitioning from open ditches to buried PVC pipelines. Our close proximity to the Milk River Ridge gives us a good gradient from south to north that builds pressure from gravity. This has the potential to eliminate the use of fossil fuels to operate our pumps.

We still need another 10–13 years to complete the plan to convert most of the district’s open canals to pipe.

The second phase of that project will tie all existing pipelines into higher elevation delivery. If we can tap into the systems at higher elevations that are owned by the government, we can do away with all pumps in the district. With the installation of three main pipelines, we could connect over 90 percent of the district to the gravity system. However, it will cost C$60 million to accomplish. Such a long-term investment is not feasible given the current commodity market, so we need assistance.

The government is willing to help us, but cannot commit such large sums at this time. We are also partners in hydropower projects that are nearly paid off, which will help generate as much as C$8–C$12 per irrigated acre each year. We are following a master pipeline design to finish converting all the pipelines in

Mr. ZoBell’s granddaughter, Sophi, in a field of irrigated wheat.

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Irrigation Leader

the district proper; we hope to see the gravity system come to fruition in the next 20 years.

John Crotty: How far would those pipelines have to run to connect into the headworks?

Gordon ZoBell: Not too far. We have three areas within the district, and each has about 15,000 acres. The first is the Welling area, and it would have to travel about 4 miles to connect. The other areas are a little farther away and a bit less efficient, which is why the board decided to upgrade the Welling area first.

John Crotty: How large is your district staff?

Gordon ZoBell: We have six full time staff. We have a manager, an office manager, an operations and maintenance manager, a foreman, two ditch riders who are also welders and equipment operators, and one employee who is a jackof-all-trades. In the winter, we hire additional seasonal workers to help us when we need to lay pipe. We perform all our own work and do not contract any of it to others. This allows our staff to become very familiar with our systems.

John Crotty: Is doing your own work a policy you instituted or has it always been that way?

Gordon ZoBell: It was a policy I implemented. It is efficient, gives our people the experience they need to operate our systems year round, and ensures they each have jobs 12 months out of the year as well. The government also gives us a grant that we can only access if we use our own personnel and equipment. We only receive 80 percent of the government rate, so that grant helps us have quality equipment and an experienced staff. However, our rate is

Putting open canal into pipe. Bottom: Harvest.

configured to create an environment where the construction costs are more than paid for. This makes it more than worthwhile for us to do our own work rather than contract it out to someone else.

John Crotty: Do you believe that being a farmer in the district yourself has helped you work with the board to get support for the projects you are trying to implement?

Gordon ZoBell: Yes. It gives me a very grassroots, nongovernment understanding of agriculture in the district.

I like to think we have the best of all worlds here. We are small enough that we can run the district frugally and know every farmer individually. This allows us to view the district almost as one big farm and gives us a chance to convince users of the advantages of the projects.

John Crotty: Are you trying to foresee how much more water you will need to bring in for the future?

Gordon ZoBell: We look at each different area and try to envision whether some dry land parcels or other areas that have not received water from the pipeline will be hooked into the system. When running pipelines 3–4 miles long, upsizing can be difficult and expensive. The pipelines are designed to last at least 50 years, so long-term thinking is important. The current system is valued at approximately $20 million.

John Crotty: What part of your work in the district are you most proud?

Gordon ZoBell: Our farmers and the people that we work with. They make up this district and are hardworking, forward-thinking people who understand they are living on the land but are able to contribute to the community and make southern Alberta a wonderful place to raise a family and earn a living.

Irrigation Leader

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Business Leader

Bob Wietharn of Riverscreen

L

ike all farmers, Bob Wietharn is about solutions. Years ago, when the Clay County, Kansas, farmer moved from well water to river water, his stationary screens were unable to prevent his pumps from getting clogged. His solution was to go to his shop and manufacture his own self-cleaning screen. The result was the Riverscreen, whose unique design, durability, and efficacy has turned a local business into an international one. And like most farmers, Mr. Wietharn has also made his business a family affair—his wife and children have helped to bring a personal touch to the company’s service.

Irrigation Leader’s editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, spoke with Mr. Wietharn about his business, the Riverscreen, and the reason for its success.

Kris Polly: Please tell our readers how and when you got into the screen manufacturing business.

Bob Wietharn: In 1999, several neighboring farmers heard I had made a self-cleaning screen that allowed me to pump out of the low-flowing Republican River. After coming to see it in action, they all wanted one. We started out building them for the local farmers, and in 2001, we incorporated and it officially became the Riverscreen brand that it is today.

Kris Polly: How long has your family farmed in Kansas, and when did you folks start irrigating?

Kris Polly: How did you come up with the idea of the rolling drum screen? What was your inspiration for the idea?

Bob Wietharn: I was born and raised here in Kansas.

My father purchased the farm we live on in 1972. We started irrigating out of wells the following year and had trouble getting enough water from them. In 1997, we decided to try pumping out of the river, which turned into a nightmare—the stationary screen we had plugged up every 2 hours. So that winter, I designed and built the first Riverscreen. The next irrigation season was totally different. I went from spending all my time with one river pump to just starting it and forgetting about it.

Bob Wietharn: After spending all my time with one stationary screen trying to unplug it, I tried enlarging the screen opening, only to spend the next 4 hours cleaning out the center pivot nozzles. I just knew there had to be a better way. So I started looking around, trying to buy something that would pump out of the shallow river while still filtering the water for the pivot, and didn’t have any luck. I knew it needed to be self-cleaning, or it would just plug up again with trash and cotton fuzz.

30

Irrigation Leader

Kris Polly: Please explain how and why it works.

Bob Wietharn: The Riverscreen has a long funnel surrounded by a rotating drum that turns just below the bottom of the funnel. There are cleaning jets on the inside of the rotating drum that spray out into the atmosphere using pressure from the discharge side of the pump. This allows them to work properly with a relatively low volume of water; for instance, on our standard Riverscreen, the water use is 5 to 7 gallons per minute and pressures can be as low as 5 to 10 pounds per square inch.

Kris Polly: What is your message to every irrigating farmer who may need to pump directly from a pond, canal, or river? What should they know about you and your business?

Bob Wietharn: Riverscreen Inc. is a farmer-owned and -operated business that understands surface water pumping. If you are having problems with trash or debris while trying to pump water, the Riverscreen will solve your problem. We can customize a Riverscreen to fit your individual needs.

Kris Polly: How deep does the screen have to be to work?

Bob Wietharn: The long funnel allows water to be pumped from 2 inches beneath the surface of the water, so the Riverscreen can work in as little as 4 inches, depending on the water flow.

Kris Polly: How many countries have you sold screens in?

Bob Wietharn: The Riverscreen is in over 40 countries with a wide range of uses, from golf courses, food industry, oil field fracking, and pipeline construction pressurization to its main use in the agriculture industry. The Riverscreen is for anyone needing a reliable supply of filtered surface water.

The Riverscreen at work.

Irrigation Leader

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The Innovators

Connecting Districts to Data

F

or irrigation districts, water users in the district, and government regulators who manage water allocations, accurate flow meter data are essential for day-to-day operations.

However, technology has limited the ability of those entities to gather, record, and share accurate water data. McCrometer has developed a new device, FlowConnect, to address those challenges.

McCrometer has been in the agricultural market for flow meters since its inception in 1955. Product Manager Adam Setzler said that around 10 years ago, McCrometer started to communicate with customers about the need for remote meter data collection.

“At that time, we heard from our district customers that they wanted to collect data from multiple measurement points remotely. District operations have a lot of resources tied up in manually collecting data from meters. With the additional data, irrigation districts could see when and how water is being used and what patterns are occurring from season to season,” he said.

In 2011, McCrometer acquired two companies that provided the technology and expertise for remote connection to water meters. After several years of experimenting with ways to use telemetry effectively, Mr. Setzler asserted that with FlowConnect, “McCrometer has come full circle to meet the needs of districts by integrating remote technology into the meter; we are trying to remove as many barriers as possible for those districts to collect water use data.”

Keeping It Simple

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McCrometer has streamlined and simplified FlowConnect’s design to enhance the affordability and reliability of the system. Mr. Setzler explained that cable connections to the meter can be a failure point for many telemetry systems, so eliminating those makes FlowConnect a more efficient and effective installation. McCrometer has also focused on sealing the internal components from water intrusion and increasing their resilience in a wide range of climates and temperatures.

McCrometer’s market development manager, Ken Quandt, stated that the one-piece, integrated design also makes the product easy to install.

FlowConnect is preassembled on new meters; other than plugging in the batteries and antenna, there is no additional work to be done by the customer. He also explained that existing meters could be retrofitted with FlowConnect in less than 30 minutes.

Irrigation Leader

Data Accuracy

Data accuracy is a major concern for McCrometer’s customers who are billing for water or managing water allocations. FlowConnect’s ExactRead technology ensures that the meter and the website data match, reducing the need for auditing or interpretation of the data from one component to the other. Mr. Quandt said that McCrometer also has a version of FlowConnect that integrates with existing mechanical registers, improving the match between meter and website by eliminating cable failure points and distinguishing between forward and reverse flow of water.

Accessibility of Data

Mr. Setzler explained that McCrometer has two different methods of accessing the data from the meters. One is a web-based software that allows a district to display and analyze the data directly though the FlowConnect website or a companion mobile app. These sites contain a number of flexible tools, including graphing and visualization, allowing districts to set up the exact view that they want.

The other method sends the data directly to the customers’ own database. Mr. Quandt noted that McCrometer has worked on some projects in which the data are being pushed to the customer’s preexisting water

database. “This is something that is very important to many users who already have databases into which they have made considerable investments and are used for allocations, reports, billing, or other functions,” he said.

District Applications

Mr. Setzler noted that McCrometer has received a lot of positive feedback from the districts it has worked with. “We have seen interest in districtwide networks as well as a smaller-scale solution for sites that are difficult to access. This tool supports a number of management objectives, including billing, conservation, regulations, and operations,” he said.

Adhering to local regulations, including water allocations, is a significant consideration for irrigation districts. Mr. Setzler noted that providing up-to-date access to a farmer’s allocations helps he or she manage water within this framework. “Many growers want to know how much of their allocation they have left, especially toward the end of the season as they approach their last irrigation. With timely data coming in from the meter, districts can provide growers direct access to their allocations.”

McCrometer has found that districts that have adopted FlowConnect as part of a pilot are uncovering key new learnings as a result of the additional data they now receive. For example, one district in Nebraska is now collecting data on water flow, water pressure, rainfall, and weather, which are given to its growers to help them make better decisions and develop groundwater management models. Mr. Quandt noted that the district was hesitant at first to adopt the telemetry technology because of the concern that automation would lead to employment termination, but the district found that instead of replacing employees, the system allowed workers to focus on other, more important tasks and thus make better use of their time.

Data-Driven Solutions

Mr. Setzler added that he encourages water districts to consider what they could do with more frequent, accurate data. “We know that we will not have more water in the future, so we have to continue to manage what we have among a wide variety of competing interests and uses.

Having frequent, accurate data will be very important to meet water management objectives, and that is where our product comes in,” he said.

For more information about McCrometer’s FlowConnect, contact Adam Setzler at AdamS@mccrometer.com or Ken Quandt at KenQ@mccrometer.com.

Irrigation Leader

35

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This hydro plant increased monthly power generation by installing these four screens along with conveyors and elevators that made up this IWS screen system. The project paid for itself in just three months, reducing their labor costs for manually cleaning their trash racks.

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JOEL IRVING (310) 614-4681 Iwsjoel@sbcglobal.net

CLASSIFIED LISTINGS South Columbia Basin Irrigation District JOB OPENING January 20, 2017 Open to current SCBID employees and the general public POSITION: Hydrologist

LOCATION: Pasco Office

SUMMARY: Position will develop and maintain the District's hydrography program by conducting flow measurements and data analysis and producing discharge tables and curves. Position will implement, adapt, refine, and further develop an existing mass balance model of the Columbia Basin Project for use within the irrigation district utilizing RiverWare modeling software.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: Must be knowledgeable of modeling software, hydrologic, hydraulic, and open channel flow principles.

Practical experience conducting flow measurements, computer modeling systems, and a Bachelor ' s degree in Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, or Hydrology required.

COMPENSATION: Status: Non-Exempt

Pay Type: Hourly

Class/Group: Non-Bargaining

Salary/Grade: DOQ

WORK SCHEDULE: The normal work schedule is 8 hours per day, 5 days per week; exact schedules are assigned by management. Irregular shift work may be required. Overtime may be required as determined by District management and direct supervisor.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Interested parties should submit a resume and cover letter to SCBID, attention Mylan Muhlestein, Human Resources Manager, P.O. Box 1006, Pasco, WA 99301.

Position is open until filled.

CAREER OPPORTUNITY Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District (CAIDD)

CAREER OPPORTUNITY Electrical District No. 4 (ED4) in Pinal County ED4 was formed in 1928 by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors. ED4 was organized to provide, and has provided since 1930, electrical power and energy primarily for producing water for irrigation. ED4 has a service area of approximately 156,000 acres and provides electrical service to agricultural irrigation pumping, industrial, commercial and residential customers. ED4 provides electrical services to more than 300 irrigation wells. ED4 maintains approximately 390 miles of overhead/underground electrical lines with total utility and plant in service of $27 million. ED4 is governed by a five-member board of directors elected annually by freeholders of property within ED4’s boundaries.

ED4 is seeking applications from interested and qualified candidates for the following position: DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER This position requires leadership for the general planning, direction and supervision for marketing, engineering, construction, maintenance, resource efficiency and planning. The desirable candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in a related field and/or five years upper management in the electrical industry, preferably with some Ag background. Annual compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

ED4 offers an excellent benefit package which includes paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, medical, vision, dental insurance, 401(k)/ Arizona State Retirement System. Candidate must reside within a 30- minute radius of District Office. This position is under the direct supervision of the General Manager with learning and growth opportunities to replace retiring General Manger within two years.

Application packages require a cover letter, resume and recent salary history along with business and (3) personal references by mail or email to: Electrical District No. 4, ATTN: HR Dept., 231 S. Sunshine Blvd., Eloy, AZ 85131 (email to HR@caidd.com).

Deadline for submission of applications is on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. Only short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

(We are an equal opportunity employer)

CAIDD was formed in 1964 for the purpose of providing a supply of irrigation water for agricultural use by constructing and operating an irrigation system and related works. CAIDD consists of approximately 87,000 acres of irrigated farmlands. CAIDD has 220 miles of concrete lined canals with a total of Property, Plant and Equipment of $18 million.

CAIDD has two principle sources of water, Central Arizona Project (CAP) water and groundwater pumped from approximately 350 wells located within its boundaries and are operated and maintained by CAIDD under long term lease agreements with CAIDD Landowners. CAIDD is governed by a nine-member board of directors elected by registered voters to staggered three year terms to represent one of three election divisions.

CAIDD is seeking applications from interested and qualified candidates for the following position: DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER This position requires leadership for the general planning, direction and supervision for water resources, construction, maintenance, operations and planning. The desirable candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in a related field and/or five years upper management in the irrigation industry, preferably with some Ag background. Annual compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. CAIDD offers an excellent benefit package which includes paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, medical, vision, dental insurance, 401(k)/ Arizona State Retirement System. Candidate must reside within a 30-minute radius of District Office. This position is under the direct supervision of the General Manager with learning and growth opportunities to replace retiring General Manger within two (2) years.

Application packages require a cover letter, resume and recent salary history along with (3) business and (3) personal references by mail or email to: Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District, ATTN: HR Dept., 231 S. Sunshine Blvd., Eloy, AZ 85131 (email to HR@caidd.com).

Deadline for submission of applications is on Wednesday, May 24th,

2017. Only short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

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38

Irrigation Leader

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Nebraska Natural Resources Districts, Washington DC Meeting, Washington, DC National Water Resources Association, Federal Water Issues Conference, Washington, DC Utah Water Users Association, Utah Water Users Workshop, St. George, UT Oregon Water Resources Congress, 2017 District Managers Workshop, Lincoln City, OR National Rural Water Association, 2017 Regional/Water District Issues Forum, Washington, DC American Water Resources Association, Spring AWRA Conference, Snowbird, UT Association of California Water Agencies, 2017 Spring Conference & Exhibition, Monterey, CA Agribusiness & Water Council of Arizona, 2017 Annual Meeting and Water Conference, Tempe, AZ Idaho Water Users Association, Summer Water Law & Resource Issues Seminar, Sun Valley, ID Texas Water Conservation Association, 2017 Mid–Year Conference, Galveston, TX

2018 January 31–February 1 Irrigation Leader Operations and Management Workshop, Phoenix, AZ February 17–24 Australia Water Leader Educational Tour, Sponsored by Irrigation Leader magazine and

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