Irrigation Leader Arizona Edition April 2022 by Water Strategies

VOLUME 13 ISSUE 4

april 2022

ARIZONA EDITION

THE MANAGERS ISSUE

ROOSEVELT WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT COMPASSION~INTEGRITY~RESPECT PHONE: 480.988.9581 | FA X: 480.988.9589 | 6937 ELLIOT RD., ME SA A Z 85212 |

RWCD.NE T

The Agribusiness & Water Council of Arizona represents irrigated agriculture and agribusiness by working to promote and protect water resources in the state of Arizona and to actively educate, support and promote all aspects of water, agriculture, and agribusiness.

4455 East Broadway Road, Suite 102 Mesa, AZ 85206

@abwcaz

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www.agribusinessarizona.org Please Contact by Phone or Email at: (480) 558-5301 or stephanie@agribusinessarizona.org

CONTENTS APRIL 2022 Volume 13 Issue 4

Irrigation Leader is published 10 times a year with combined issues for July/August and November/December by

an American company established in 2009.

STAFF:

5 I ntroducing the Managers Issue By Kris Polly 8 Kevin C. Adams

Farmers Irrigation District

9 T roy Allen

Delta Lake Irrigation District

10 J ames Brower

Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project

11 T om Buchanan

Lugert-Altus Irrigation District

18 Ryan Collins

Pershing County Water Conservation District

19 D uane DeKrey

Garrison Diversion Conservancy District

20 G ary Esslinger

Elephant Butte Irrigation District

24 J ared “Pete” Gile

Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District

25 C raig Gyselinck

Greater Wenatchee Irrigation District

26 G ary Kennedy

Mancos Water Conservancy District

31 D onovan Neese

Roosevelt Irrigation District

34 L ance Philben

Ainsworth Irrigation District

35 M ichelle Reimers

Turlock Irrigation District

36 A ndrew Rodwell

North Otago Irrigation Company

38 A madeu Ros Farré

General Community of Irrigators of the Canals of Urgell

40 R ick Smith

Davis and Weber Counties Canal Company and the Weber River Water Users Association

41 M arc Thalacker

Three Sisters Irrigation District

42 J uan Valero de Palma Royal Canal of the Júcar

43 G abriel Varela Cano

Miraflores Canal and Elqui River Joint Board of Control

44 M ike Wells

Twin Loups Irrigation District and Twin Loups Reclamation District

51 JOB LISTINGS

Kris Polly, Editor-in-Chief Joshua Dill, Managing Editor Elaine Robbins, Copyeditor Tyler Young, Writer Stephanie Biddle, Graphic Designer Eliza Moreno, Web Designer Caroline Polly, Production Assistant and Social Media Coordinator Tom Wacker, Advertising Coordinator Cassandra Leonard, Staff Assistant Eve Giordano, Media Assistant William Polly, Media Assistant Milo Schmitt, Media Assistant Amanda Schultz,Media Assistant

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 our office at (202) 698-0690 or irrigation.leader@waterstrategies.com.

ADVERTISING:

Irrigation Leader accepts half-page and full-page ads. For more information on rates and placement, please contact Kris Polly at (703) 517-3962 or kris.polly@waterstrategies.com or Tom Wacker at tom.wacker@waterstrategies.com.

CIRCULATION:

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

Burley Irrigation District

Do you have a story idea for an upcoming issue? Contact our editor-in-chief, Kris Polly, at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com. Copyright © 2020 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.

4 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

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COVER PHOTO:

The irrigation district managers featured in this issue. See each article for photo credit information.

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PHOTO BY JEFF KUBINA, LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 2.0.

30 John Lind

Introducing the Managers Issue By Kris Polly

he success and flourishing of an irrigation district depend on many things—weather, funding, upkeep, modernization, and planning, for instance—but perhaps no factor counts as much as does a good manager. A manager must know their district’s distinctive characteristics and challenges, their employees, and their board. And they must have a clear vision of the future and what it will take to bring their district success. This month, we bring you our first Managers Issue since January 2020. In this issue, we interview 21 managers, hailing from across the western United States and even across the world, about their top issues, their training and safety programs, the lessons they’ve learned, and their plans for the future. Each of them also tells us about the top skills needed to be a strong manager. Every district is different, and not every district will have the same challenges that you face in your daily work. But much can be learned from seeing how managers in different areas, facing different weather conditions, regulatory

“

burdens, funding situations, and labor markets, respond and plan. A broad collection of data points tends to reveal common themes—drought and the need for infrastructure modernization, for instance—as well as divergences—for example, in approaches to personnel training. Most importantly, much can always be learned from experienced professionals talking about their personal experiences. While these interviews are short, they include insights gleaned from many years of experience. I hope you find this diverse collection of interviews interesting and thought-provoking. IL Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Irrigation Leader magazine and the president of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.

The best lobbyist on your issues will always be you. All you need to be successful is the guidance of experienced people. That is what we provide. Kris Polly, Water Strategies

”

4 E Street SE • Washington, DC 20003 www.waterstrategies.com • (202) 698-0690 irrigationleadermagazine.com

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Kevin C. Adams General Manager

Farmers Irrigation District Scottsbluff, NE

Years working in irrigation: 42 Years as manager: 27 Number of employees: 20 Size of service area in acres: 63,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 177,000 Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, corn, edible beans, dry edible beans, wheat Predominant irrigation methods: Center pivot

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Kevin Adams: One of the issues is infrastructure. We’ve been replacing 80‑ to 90‑year-old structures with our own money. Drought and lack of water in the reservoirs is an issue as well. Now, on top of everything, we have had to suspend pipeline projects because we have been unable to buy pipe and because of the cost. We've run about 137 miles of underground line so far. That helps conserve water and makes maintenance easier. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Kevin Adams: We are preparing for future droughts, water savings, and infrastructure replacement. With new laws in Nebraska, we may be able to qualify for some funds. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

8 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? Kevin Adams: We provide on-thejob training to deliver water to the landowners. Sometimes, we send employees to do 1‑day seminars on working with people and things like that.

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? Kevin Adams: The most important thing I’ve learned is to be truthful, respectful, and direct. If your employees respect you, they will go above and beyond to complete a task successfully. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

Kevin Adams: I suppose $25,000.

Kevin Adams: Beyond truthfulness, it’s important to have knowledge of the irrigation system that you can pass on. You also need to be able to sit down with employees and work out differences. We want them to stay, so we work with them. That seems to be working really well.

Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors?

Kevin Adams: We have a safety policy, and we have a safety committee that meets quarterly. We show training films about such subjects as laying underground pipe, welding, burning weeds, and running equipment. We provide an opportunity for employees to ask questions and provide input.

Kevin Adams: Always be truthful with them and tell them what’s going on. I have a working replacement program for vehicles and equipment that I go through with them. They also help me interview supervisors. IL

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Kevin Adams in the general manager of Farmers Irrigation District. He can be contacted at (308) 641‑7402.

irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF FARMERS IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Kevin Adams: It’s a different world of hiring right now. I’ve been searching for a month or two to fill a current position. We are looking at making changes to our pay scale. People don’t seem to want to work in this field because it’s physical and dirty and you have to contend with rain and storms. We’re slowly finding employees, but learning how

to work with the personalities of today’s young people is a big issue. We are teaching supervisors how to train people so that they want to continue to work in this field. I’ve been working with the University of Nebraska to bring back its 1‑hour manager trainings.

Troy Allen General Manager

Delta Lake Irrigation District Edcouch, TX

Years working in irrigation: 34 Years as manager: 10 Number of employees: 56 Size of service area in acres: 70,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 125,000 Main crops irrigated: Citrus fruit, corn, cotton, grain, sugarcane, vegetables Predominant irrigation methods: Flood, drip, sprinkler

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your district today? Troy Allen: The top issue is finding employees who are willing to work. The employee issue started getting bad around 2018. Over the past 2 years, it’s gotten a lot worse. Since the COVID‑19 pandemic set in, there have been times when we had fewer than 40 employees. We need to be somewhere in the 48– 55 range to be able to manage a district of this size properly.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DELTA LAKE IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Troy Allen: We’re preparing for the possibility of being short on water in the summer months. The irrigation districts in the Lower Rio Grande Valley rely on water stored in Amistad and Falcon Reservoirs, which are both low due to lack of rainfall in the watershed. Some of the irrigation districts in the valley are currently allocating water to their farmers, meaning that they allow their farmers a determined amount of irrigations per acre of land. We’re not currently on allocation, but it looks like that is a possibility around June or July of this year. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Troy Allen: Finding people who want to work. Once they find out that it’s hard work and they will be outside in the sun, some of the employees we hire only last between 1 day and 3 weeks

irrigationleadermagazine.com

before they quit. Most of the younger employees do not last, so we’re having to try to adapt and see if we can find ways to entice them to come work. I end up hiring 40‑ to 70‑year-old people who will work, but there are some tasks you need younger hands to do. Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? Troy Allen: All new employees are trained in house by current staff. We have one gentleman who’s been with us for 35 years. We put all our general labor hires with him for 3–4 weeks so they can see how he repairs pipelines, mixes cement for repairs, and installs new pipe. We also outsource some training for certain employees, depending on their position. Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Troy Allen: For some of the office staff, we spend $100–$500 per person per year. We generally train outdoor staff in house. If we do send them to equipment or safety training, it could cost $300–$500 per person per year. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Troy Allen: We do tailgate safety training on a biweekly basis. We also show safety training videos on a quarterly basis. Texas Mutual Insurance is our worker’s compensation provider and also provides safety trainings for us.

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? Troy Allen: The importance of keeping your employees safe. To me, that’s number 1. It’s expensive for districts not to follow health and safety practices. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Troy Allen: Being able to deal with people. You also need to be knowledgeable about how irrigation and drainage work, to have a good business sense, and to understand general construction. It’s important to try to treat all your customers equally, even if they are on the board of directors. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Troy Allen: I have a wonderful board of directors, and I truly appreciate their support. It’s wonderful working with a board that wants to continue making improvements in the district. There may be topics on a meeting agenda that all my board members don’t agree with 100 percent, but they’ll discuss them and come to a consensus. IL Troy Allen is the general manager of the Delta Lake Irrigation District. He can be contacted at troy@deltalakeid.org.

April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

James Brower Manager

Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project

• Intake Irrigation District • Savage Irrigation District • Lower Yellowstone Irrigation District #1 (Montana) • Lower Yellowstone Irrigation District #2 (North Dakota)

Sidney, Montana

Years working in irrigation: 27 Years as manager: 13 Number of employees: 17 Size of service area in acres: 58,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 370,000 Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, barley, corn, grass hay, hay, livestock, soybeans, sugar beets, wheat Predominant irrigation methods: Flood irrigation, center pivot, sprinkler

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? James Brower: The critical failing of aging infrastructure. It is very difficult, regardless of what politicians say, to actually get money to repair aging infrastructure. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? James Brower: Replacing the baby boomers. My best workers are generally over the age of 62, and a lot of them are over 67. They take pride in their work, show up to work on time, and want to do the job well. The majority of employees in their 20s and 30s expect their employers to spoon-feed them. They can get an easier job in an office somewhere, so it’s harder than it used to be to retain younger employees and to get employees to take pride in their work. Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

10 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

get promoted or earn more money or more time off. If you don’t have money for raises, you need to find other ways to reward them, giving them extra paid time off or letting them leave early.

Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

James Brower: We do monthly safety meetings and have a detailed safety manual. We provide safety equipment and training, but the employees are responsible for using it. We also use a lot of YouTube videos on how to do things and what can happen if you’re not safe. Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? James Brower: You’ve got to spend time with your employees, helping them do their jobs. That way you can see from their perspective what might be making their jobs cumbersome or what their safety needs are. You need to establish trust with your employees so they feel like they can tell you about things that concern them or things they have questions about. The other thing that’s important is the ability to delegate. You can’t be directly supervising everything when you’ve got 450 miles of canals. If you can’t delegate because you’re the only one who knows how to do something, you need to train others. Otherwise, you suffer burnout. We also reward our employees. If they take on more responsibility, they

James Brower: Being able to communicate with all the different personalities of your employees and customers. You have to go out there to be with your employees or your customers, including by helping them do their work. That way you get a feel for what’s actually happening and can address inefficient or unsafe practices. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? James Brower: You have to have mutual respect, and you’ve got to establish trust. You have to have honest and clear two-way communication. What the board of directors needs the most is the facts: the costs, the benefits, the risks, and the project life expectancy. Our board is made up of farmers and ranchers, all of whom are experienced water users, but I’ve got to do that cost-benefit analysis so that they can understand the risks, the costs, and the benefits before we move forward. IL James Brower is the manager of the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project. He can be contacted at (406) 433‑1306.

irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOWER YELLOWSTONE IRRIGATION PROJECT.

James Brower: We do monthly safety meetings, and we talk about safety a lot. Most of the training we do is through our older employees. I encourage on-the-job training. We try to explain why we do things a certain way to younger employees. We also do cross-training: If somebody is normally a shovel hand, we try to train them how to be an operator or a truck driver.

James Brower: We probably spend $10,000 a year on sending people to classes. We probably spend another $15,000 in man-hours teaching and cross-training.

Tom Buchanan General Manager

Lugert-Altus Irrigation District Altus, OK

Years working in irrigation: 40+ Years as manager: 20+ Number of employees: 20+ Size of service area in acres: 50,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 0–80,000 Main crops irrigated: Cotton Predominant irrigation methods: Flood (70%), subsurface drip (30%)

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Tom Buchanan: Conserving water and the modernization of existing infrastructure, focusing on improving delivery percentage from supply to farm. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Tom Buchanan: The protection of water rights as increasing groundwater withdrawals affect surface flows. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Tom Buchanan: The implementation of new technologies throughout the district has actually resulted in a smaller workforce, so maintaining our current employees is the priority.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LUGERT-ALTUS IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? Tom Buchanan: As new infrastructure and technology is installed, we

irrigationleadermagazine.com

help employees get the most out of that investment, resulting in better service to landowners.

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Tom Buchanan: Being a jack of all trades and knowing when to empower employees.

Tom Buchanan: It varies greatly. The expenses are related to training refresher courses or new improvements. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Tom Buchanan: Ongoing safety reminders. Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? Tom Buchanan: Growing up in this community and working for my neighbors while still having ag interests of my own allows me to maintain a firsthand knowledge of and awareness of growers and crop production, which gives me the insight needed to respond to grower needs.

Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Tom Buchanan: In my case, it is being involved with board members during the ever-evolving processes of planning, implementation, and funding. Equally important is being involved proactively in the broader community, whether local, statewide, or national. IL Tom Buchanan is the general manager of the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District. He can be contacted at buchanantom2011@gmail.com.

April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

| 11

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Ryan Collins Manager

Pershing County Water Conservation District Lovelock, NV

Years working in irrigation: 3 Years as manager: 16 Number of employees: 8 Size of service area in acres: 41,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 160,000 in a full allotment year Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, grain, livestock Predominant irrigation methods: Flood

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today?

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

Ryan Collins: We have a hard time receiving the river flows that we have historically received. Long-term drought and the overappropriation of groundwater permits have drastically reduced historic river flows to our storage reservoir.

Ryan Collins: We do training through the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as our local trainings.

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Ryan Collins: We are looking at drought and a lack of water to service our constituents. Also, we have aging infrastructure that is very expensive to replace. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

18 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Ryan Collins: With some of our trainings, there are no fees, but on average, we spend approximately $5,000 a year on employee training. Sometimes, we are able to train jointly with other government agencies in our area, which helps lower our costs. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Ryan Collins: We do the required safety programs, including some yearly refresher programs with MSHA and OSHA.

Ryan Collins: Communication is always a big one. I’ve sat through a lot of management classes and have been part of bigger groups. If you don’t communicate effectively, that is a horrible failure. Everyone’s a little different in their ability to listen and communicate. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Ryan Collins: You should communicate effectively, be honest, and learn to work with the different personalities on your board. It’s important that all the information presented to the board is clear and precise. IL Ryan Collins is the manager of the Pershing County Water Conservation District. He can be contacted at pcwcd@irrigation.lovelock.nv.us.

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

PHOTO COURTESY OF PERSHING COUNTY WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT.

Ryan Collins: Our top personnel issue is just trying to replace employees. We have a history of long-term employment—15–20 years, on average—and it is tough to replace people who have been in the district for so long. A training course can’t match that experience. Also, we live in a small community, which limits the number of job applicants. Salary is also an issue, as we cannot compete with the large gold and silver mines in our area.

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

Ryan Collins: You have to adapt on the fly. You’re always putting fires out.

irrigationleadermagazine.com

Duane DeKrey Manager

Garrison Diversion Conservancy District Carrington, ND

Years working in irrigation: 10 Years as manager: 43 Number of employees 32 Size of service area in acres: 7,250 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 6,000–7,000 Main crops irrigated: Beans, corn, potatoes Predominant irrigation methods: Center pivot

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Duane DeKrey: Since the Garrison Diversion Project was never finished, one of the major problems in developing irrigation along the 74‑mile, 2,000 cubicfeet-per-second McClusky Canal is the lack of three-phase power. The capital cost of electricity, even at the project power rate, makes it unaffordable for a producer to invest in irrigation. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREATER WENATCHEE IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Duane DeKrey: We are working with the Western Area Power Administration, the State of North Dakota, and local electric co-ops to get affordable electricity to all parts of the canal. We work with the Bank of North Dakota to get loan terms favorable to the producer, and we keep asking for assistance from the state. We are also working with our congressional delegation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Snake Creek embankment, which holds back Lake Audubon. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Duane DeKrey: Our operations and maintenance staff work four 10‑hour shifts and always have a 3‑day weekend. That is popular. We also have the State of North Dakota’s health insurance and retirement plan, which is among the best in the nation. Our turnover is almost all retirements. Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? irrigationleadermagazine.com

Duane DeKrey: We have a full-time safety coordinator who handles all our safety best management practices. We have a job safety analysis on file for all jobs that our employees perform. We do weekly toolbox safety meetings and have a safety and health committee made up of employees that meets quarterly. We have a drug and alcohol program. We also do training for automated external defibrillator use, first aid and CPR, defensive driving, skidsteer operation, overhead/mobile crane operation, rigger/signalperson duties, noxious weed control, electrical work, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration training. Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Duane DeKrey: $44,000. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Duane DeKrey: Lockout/tagout, respirator fit testing, a hearing exposure program, confined space training, the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System wellness program, and the Sanford Health wellness program. Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? Duane DeKrey: Make sure employees have the personnel, tools, and time to accomplish the work. Don’t have unreasonable expectations. When work issues arise, make sure to be part of the team to assure good outcomes. Emphasize safety; make it known that a good, safe outcome is much more

important than saving time or money through a questionable shortcut. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Duane DeKrey: Communication: Everyone from the board to the most junior employee should know what we are doing, how, and why. You must be a good listener and give employees as much freedom to do it their way as possible. Be visible: Employees want to see you and know that you are engaged. Don’t only show up when there is a problem. Make sure every employee knows they are valued and invest in them. Identify problems early and don’t procrastinate in solving them. Do not be afraid to terminate a problem or an incompetent employee, because if you don’t, it sets a new low standard and is not fair to the employees that produce every day. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Duane DeKrey: When I was hired, the board members felt they didn’t know what was going on throughout the organization. I instituted what I call a 2‑week blast. The managers; engineering and operations staff; and administration, accounting, and communications departments all give me a bullet-point list of what they have been working on over the last 2 weeks, and all the board members receive a copy. IL Duane DeKrey is the manager of the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District. He can be contacted at duaned@gdcd.org.

April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

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Gary Esslinger Manager

Elephant Butte Irrigation District Las Cruces NM

Years working in irrigation: 44 Years as manager: 34 Number of employees: 80 Size of service area in acres: 90,640 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 282,098 (2010); 57,707 (2021) Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, chiles, cotton, onions, pecans Predominant irrigation methods: Flood, drip

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today?

personnel ready and available during our short water seasons.

Gary Esslinger: Surface water scarcity. The 2022 forecast looks dismal. A normal allotment is 3 acre-feet per acre, but we have not seen that kind of release for many years. In 2021, we ran our canals fast and furious for 1 month with a 4‑inch allotment for the farmers who placed orders.

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Gary Esslinger: My goal is to keep a core of dedicated, trained, and proficient employees and to offer them a safe workplace environment. Water supply uncertainty has led me to develop cross-training methods to keep operations and maintenance

20 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Gary Esslinger: It all depends on the departments’ yearly needs. The safety director budget, which includes all personal employee protection and in-house safety training, was $10,000 last year. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Gary Esslinger: The New Mexico SelfInsurance Fund is in transition and changing as we speak. We adhere to that agency’s safety schedule and rely on it to provide year-round training to keep our insurance and workman’s compensation rate to a minimum. We also offer our own in-house training for specific job requirements, usually conducted by our safety director in the field or in a group setting. Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Gary Esslinger: I learned a long time ago to be a people person and to try to hone my skills by reading the Bible each morning. Stay educated, stay humble, and welcome good advice from your colleagues. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Times are changing rapidly, so you must be ready to take the time to listen and react to things that were not even on the radar screen the week before. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Gary Esslinger: I learned the hard way that they don’t like surprises. Try your best to keep them informed; meet them in the field or canal bank if necessary. I try to meet with the board president at least 1 week before regularly scheduled board meetings to go over the agenda. I also take the newly elected board members on a district tour to orient them to its layout and infrastructure. IL Gary Esslinger is the manager of Elephant Butte Irrigation District. He can be contacted at gesslinger@ebid-nm.org.

irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELEPHANT BUTTE IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Gary Esslinger: The outcome of the Supreme Court case Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado, No. 141 Original is still looming. However, settlement talks, in which the district has been heavily involved, are progressing. The district is continuing to advance high-level studies regarding voluntary fallowing programs for farmers and other efficiency and conservation programs and to engage with the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute and other academic organizations. We are also enhancing our surface and groundwater metering and monitoring, weather forecasting, and storm-watercapture SCADA system.

Gary Esslinger: I leave it up to my staff members to determine what training is necessary to complete the job duties in their respective departments. The various departments interface with the human resources/safety director to ensure that employment policies are followed. In the field, tailgate meetings also provide opportunities for training.

Gary Esslinger: Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and even slower to anger. Be patient and consider everyone’s opinion. A true solution must be a solution for everybody. You cannot please everyone, but they respect you if you at least listen and keep a balanced temperament.

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Jared “Pete” Gile Superintendent

Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District Courtland, KS

Years working in irrigation: 10 Years as manager: 5 Number of employees: 12 Size of service area in acres: 42,500 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 40,000–60,000 Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, corn, soybeans Predominant irrigation methods: Center pivot (75%), gated pipe (25%)

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Jared “Pete” Gile: As for all surface water irrigation districts, annual water supply and future water supply are always a concern, so continuing to improve our efficiencies every year with canal-to-pipe conversion projects or canal automation projects is important. Unfortunately, due to the dramatic increase in the price of pipe over the last 12–15 months and the lack of current available pipe supply from manufacturers, we have postponed one canal-to-pipeline conversion project that would have commenced within the 2022 calendar year. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

24 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? Jared “Pete” Gile: When we hire someone to be a ditch rider, I walk them through a basic, several-hour training on the concepts of delivering water via open canals and pipelines. However, there is no substitute for on-the-job training and ride-alongs with our more experienced ditch riders. We generally rely on training from senior employees. Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Jared “Pete” Gile: Almost all our training is done in house in an on-thejob fashion, so we don’t really have a line item in our budget for employee training. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Jared “Pete” Gile: One of the main things we adhere to in terms of safety is working in small teams to accomplish almost every task. The more eyes, ears, and ideas we have on a particular project, the lower the likelihood of accidents or issues.

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? Jared “Pete” Gile: One of the most important things I’ve learned as a manager is to be willing to rely on those with more experience. In most cases, the problem or project I am facing has already been faced by other managers with more time in the business than I have. The same holds true for employees who have been here for many years. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Jared “Pete” Gile: Having good communication skills, whether with employees, board members, or the irrigators we serve, is important. So is being able to adapt quickly to solve a problem. Our most important job is delivering irrigation water promptly and efficiently, and our day-to-day operations can be fluid. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Jared “Pete” Gile: The board of directors/manager relationship requires a lot of trust from both parties, who ideally have the same overall goals. Open communication helps to foster an environment that leads to these goals being accomplished. For a manager, listening to the board members and trusting their combined experience as irrigators is key. IL Jared “Pete” Gile is the superintendent of the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District. He can be contacted at ksbostwick@gmail.com. irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE KANSAS BOSTWICK IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Jared “Pete” Gile: The one I’m not expecting. Like many districts, we have dealt with numerous significant issues that have been specific to our operation. A few that come to mind are the federal contract renewal process my predecessor, Kenny Nelson, devoted a lot of time to in the late 1990s; an extraordinary, and rather expensive, operation and maintenance project at one of our supply reservoirs; and now, a pandemic. My goal is to continue improving everything from our water use efficiencies to our dayto-day operations, with the hope that when the next issue arises, we’ll be more prepared for it and have the time, energy, and resources it requires.

Jared “Pete” Gile: We deliver irrigation water in Jewell and Republic Counties in north-central Kansas. The combined population of both counties is under 8,000. Finding quality candidates within a pool of potential applicants in an area with that small a population can be a challenge.

Craig Gyselinck Manager

Years working in irrigation: 11

Greater Wenatchee Irrigation District

Years as manager: 5 months

East Wenatchee, WA

Size of service area in acres: 10,000

Number of employees: 7 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 40,000 Main crops irrigated: Apples, cherries, pears Predominant irrigation methods: Pressurized

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Craig Gyselinck: We’re a small district with lots of infrastructure, and addressing our aging pumps, motors, pipelines, and meters, which are nearing 60 years old, is one my top priorities. We have about 75 miles of pipelines, which are up to 49 inches in diameter, and over 70 pumps and motors. Our biggest pumping plant is 7,500 horsepower.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREATER WENATCHEE IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Craig Gyselinck: Through the persistently hard work of many individuals, we completed title transfer from the Bureau of Reclamation in December 2021. This means that the district now owns our infrastructure and easements. One of the benefits of title transfer is that we now have access to new funding opportunities to address our aging infrastructure. We recently received a $6.1 million bond and have put together a capital improvement program to plan for the future.

the resources they need to be successful at their jobs. The district currently only has seven employees to serve water to our East Unit in East Wenatchee, our Brays Landing Unit near Orondo, and our Howard Flats Unit near Chelan. It takes about 1.5 hours to drive from one side of the district to the other, so we are spread thin and we strongly depend on each other. It takes a solid team to get our jobs done. Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? Craig Gyselinck: We provide training on an as-needed basis and primarily take advantage of the great opportunities that the Washington State Water Resource Association and Water Strategies provide. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Craig Gyselinck: Our crews work around pumps, motors, and electrical equipment, and safety is a top priority. We talk about safety each day before we begin our work.

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

Craig Gyselinck: My top issue for personnel is making sure my staff have

Craig Gyselinck: I’ve learned the importance of building a team to be

irrigationleadermagazine.com

successful, including internally with staff and externally with local, regional, and federal partners. Without strong networks, it is more difficult to thrive. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Craig Gyselinck: Keeping an open mind and listening to those around you is one top management skill. Listening is how you build partnerships, develop new ideas, and responsibly consider the decisions that come before you. I constantly remind myself of the importance of listening and hope to never lose sight of listening as a skill. Almost on a daily basis, I ask myself, “Did I listen well enough today?” Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Craig Gyselinck: I try to communicate with my board members often so that they are aware of the challenges we face and the good work we are achieving. IL Craig Gyselinck is the manager of the Greater Wenatchee Irrigation District. He can be contacted at craig@gwid.org.

April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

| 25

Gary Kennedy Superintendent

Mancos Water Conservancy District Mancos, CO

Years working in irrigation: 32 Years as manager: 32 Number of employees: 1 Size of service area in acres: 13,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 8,400 Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, grass hay, vegetables grown in greenhouses and high tunnels Predominant irrigation methods: Flood, sprinkler

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Gary Kennedy: Aside from the drought and urbanization that are plaguing the Four Corners, the pressure being put on the Colorado River Compact is becoming a growing concern. If the Colorado River Compact is put on call, as is being discussed, our ability to store water could be ended, drastically changing agriculture in our area by eliminating our supplemental water. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Gary Kennedy: There is discussion of changing the Colorado River priority system, and there are ever-increasing demands for recreational use, both of which will have a detrimental effect on agriculture. These issues are discussed frequently in an attempt to get ahead of them. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently invest in? Gary Kennedy: Many of the classes I go to are sponsored by the Bureau of Reclamation and center around the

26 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Gary Kennedy: Probably $3,000–4,000 on an average year.

hydropower legislation to allow us to put in hydropower plants. We’ve had to get nonpotable water carriage approved by Congress. We’ve received an authorization for $8.2 million for the rehabilitation of our infrastructure in another hydro bill and a repayment bill. We’ve been able to get five public laws passed. All of this I’ve learned as manager.

Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

Gary Kennedy: We operate under Reclamation’s operation management program, which includes safety procedures that we must observe.

Gary Kennedy: The ability to keep things running and to be persistent. I work by myself, so I have to push myself to keep the jobs moving forward, such as the $8.2 million rehab that I mentioned. I also build budgets and have to manage a five-member board. It is a pretty big job for a one person.

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? Gary Kennedy: Newcomers often don’t understand their water rights. I have learned patience in dealing with the situations that arise from that lack of understanding. I have also gained experience working on legislative issues, including with Congress. Our project was authorized under the Water Conservation and Utilization Act, which was a works act. The district was actually started by the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the 1930s and was given to Reclamation to build and manage. That authorization is basically exempt from almost all of Reclamation law, so there are issues when we deal with Reclamation. This complicates our ability to do contracts. We’ve had to get

Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Gary Kennedy: Be patient. You must understand that board members are volunteers. They often don’t have the time to study issues in depth or understand enough to ask the right questions, and I don’t always know the information they need or would like to have. Having been here 32 years, I’ve experienced board changes, which means personality changes. There were challenges, but that makes us better. IL Gary Kennedy is the superintendent of the Mancos Water Conservancy District. He can be contacted at gary.mwcd@gmail.com.

irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF MANCOS WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT.

Gary Kennedy: I do nearly all the work for the district myself. (My equipment operator sleeps with my wife; if you see me talking to myself, I’m having a staff meeting.) On occasion, I hire people to help if I get projects that need additional work.

operations and maintenance of dams and canals. I also attend an irrigation workshop that started recently in Phoenix.

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John Lind General Manager

Burley Irrigation District Burley, ID

Years working in irrigation: 10 Years as manager: 8 Number of employees: 23 Size of service area in acres: 48,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: Approximately 245,000 Main crops irrigated: Forage crops, grains, potatoes, sugar beets Predominant irrigation methods: Sprinklers, flood

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? John Lind: Urbanization and the associated challenges related to water delivery to large residential subdivisions and commercial developments. We’re consulting irrigation entities from larger cities that are a few decades ahead of us to determine the best course of action to plan for urbanization. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? John Lind: Urbanization, modernization, and operational efficiency. Currently, about 88 percent of our water deliveries are for agricultural use, but that percentage is diminishing as our area’s residential and commercial footprint expands. Balancing the new demands associated with urbanization will require moremodern measurement and delivery infrastructure as well as some targeted infrastructure projects to reduce seepage losses. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

30 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? John Lind: We provide significant onthe-job training for a number of key skills, including mechanics, electronics, heavy equipment operation, welding, construction, and milling. We also pay for external training, conferences, certifications, licenses, trade courses, and college classes.

John Lind: I’ll just say it—patience. Patience with myself when I make mistakes, and patience with others when they make mistakes. Patience has to extend to planning, decisionmaking, execution, and improvement efforts. My time in military service (Go Army!) taught me a lot of valuable skills, but one I’ve had to change is how I communicate. Military-style directness is not all that effective outside the military. I’ve had to adapt my mindset and communication style. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

John Lind: The vast majority of training happens on the job, and those costs are not tracked separately. The expenditures for external training on an annual basis average $40,000.

John Lind: I strive to be sincere and authentic in my interactions with people. I try to listen more than I speak. I recognize how important it is to communicate effectively, whether with one person, a few people, or a large group. A key aspect of this is staying grounded and evenhanded.

Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors?

John Lind: Safety is ingrained in our work culture and consistently reinforced in regular safety meetings and workplace practices. We have an extremely low number of accidents and a correspondingly high safety rating with our insurance company.

John Lind: In a word, cooperatively. We’re partners in leading the district, which means that to be effective, we have to be honest, candid, and focused on working together for the betterment of the district. IL

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

John Lind is the general manager of Burley Irrigation District. For more about the district, visit burleyirrigation.org.

irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF BURLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

John Lind: The state of Idaho is experiencing record-low unemployment (around 2.4 percent), which has created a tight labor market. We, like many irrigation entities, face a significant challenge in attracting and retaining good employees. The entire district, including the employees, the board of directors, and

the management, have looked at ways to enhance our company culture and benefits to make it a more attractive place to work, even though we can’t always compete with larger businesses on a salary basis.

Donovan Neese Superintendent

Years working in irrigation: 25

Roosevelt Irrigation District

Years as manager: 15

Buckeye, Arizona

Number of employees: 35 Size of service area in acres: 36,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 130,000 Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, cotton, corn, sorghum, wheat Predominant irrigation methods: Flood

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Donovan Neese: The most immediate issue is labor and payroll. Our payroll continues to increase. Our ability to find labor has improved recently, but it’s still tight. Looking at the long term, we have a serious aging infrastructure problem, like everybody else. The district is 90 years old, and we have facilities that are 90 years old. Of course, there’s always the challenge of keeping up with regulations and legislation. We need to monitor whatever new thing is coming down the pipeline that’s going to change how we do our business. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROOSEVELT IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Donovan Neese: We continue to urbanize quickly, which is a challenge. One day, we’re going to have to convert our base of sales from irrigation and agriculture to municipal.

Donovan Neese: We do a minimal amount of external training, but we do a lot of internal training. When employees start or are moved to a new position, they shadow moreexperienced employees. We hold internal training sessions in which senior staff will review fundamentals or teach new skills.

Donovan Neese: You must take care of personnel issues directly and quickly; otherwise, they get out of control. And if you don’t regularly monitor how things are getting done, you’re going to get into trouble.

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Donovan Neese: Never stop making yourself better. Always sharpen your skills, continue to read books, talk to people, and network. The other thing that’s important is to do the hard things first, especially if you can do them first thing in the morning.

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

Donovan Neese: Probably less than a couple thousand dollars a year.

Donovan Neese: Since we manage a resource on behalf of others, we need to keep our folks focused on efficiency across the district. Efficiency in water operations, maintenance, and administration—every nickel counts. The challenge for me as a manager is getting engagement from staff in that efficiency.

Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? irrigationleadermagazine.com

Donovan Neese: Other than the specific regulations that we have our supervisors monitor, it’s mostly common-sense safety procedures. Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Donovan Neese: Be honest and do your homework. IL Donovan L. Neese is the superintendent of the Roosevelt Irrigation District. For more about the district, visit rooseveltirrigation.org. April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

| 31

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Lance Philben Manager

Years working in irrigation: 7

Ainsworth Irrigation District

Years as manager: 4

Ainsworth, NE

Number of employees: 12 Size of service area in acres: 34,518 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 60,000–70,000 Main crops irrigated: Corn, soybeans Predominant irrigation methods: Center pivot

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your district today?

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

Lance Philben: It is definitely aging infrastructure. Many of these irrigation projects are not that far from the end of their life expectancy. The amount of money that was needed for their initial construction pales in comparison to the amount of money that is required to do a major project if something needs to be replaced. We have been getting aggressive on our maintenance of our main canal, and it’s a huge part of our budget.

Lance Philben: When we hire a new person, they get on-the-job training on how to deliver water efficiently. We help them get a commercial driver’s license and a pesticide applicator’s license as part of our employee requirements.

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Lance Philben: The board and I try to keep our ears to the ground and stay ahead of issues involving water at both the state and local levels. Some problems are telegraphed, and you have time to prepare. The tough ones are the ones that come up suddenly and catch you off guard. In either scenario, it’s crucial to be ready to protect our district’s water supply.

Lance Philben: The year I took the manager position, we had four people retire. They took close to 100 years of combined experience with them. Luckily, I was able to find great people to fill those positions. There are four more who will be able to retire in the next 5–10 years, and in a small community, I hope I will find great new candidates again.

34 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Lance Philben: $1,500–$2,000. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Lance Philben: We have a fourperson safety committee made up of employees. They schedule and conduct monthly meetings for the staff. They’re in charge of picking the topics, which we try to tailor to what we are working on in the field at the time. Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? Lance Philben: The main thing I’ve learned is not to make any quick decisions based on what I’m hearing, whether in the community, in the back room, from politicians, or from other entities with an interest in water. I am careful to separate fact from fiction, and I move forward based on what’s best for the district.

Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Lance Philben: I try to be as informational and transparent as possible with my board. If I’m going to try something different or I need a piece of equipment, I always talk it over with them first. They are usually supportive if they have all the information and know what direction we’re headed in and what the end goal is. Communication is key. IL Lance Philben is the manager of the Ainsworth Irrigation District. He can be contacted at aidist@threeriver.net.

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF AINSWORTH IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Lance Philben: You need to be a people person. You need to be able to read people. You need to get out and work with your people so you can get to know them. It’s important to be able to build relationships with others who view what you are doing differently. You also have to be able to admit when you’ve made a bad decision. It’s best to just say, “Hey, I screwed up, I'm sorry, and we’re going to move on from here.” In the past, I have worked with people who were never wrong, yet I’ve never met a person who was right all the time. That can be a morale killer for your team.

Michelle Reimers General Manager

Turlock Irrigation District Turlock, CA

Years working in irrigation: 16 Years as manager: 14 Number of employees: 458 (both power and water) Size of service area in acres: 423,680 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 441,314 (average during 2007–2021 irrigation seasons) Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, almonds, corn, oats, walnuts Predominant irrigation methods: Flood, micro/drip

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today?

transferring institutional knowledge to the next generation will be critical.

Michelle Reimers: The effects of climate change have added a large amount of complexity and variability to our water supply and our management efforts. We have made significant investments in several new technologies, efforts, and pilot projects to help us navigate drought cycles and to capture more water during flood events. Also, constant state regulatory efforts present significant challenges to maintaining water supply reliability.

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

PHOTO COURTESY OF TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Michelle Reimers: Our canal system is more than 120 years old and is in need of regular repair and retrofit. This translates to capital improvements that take time and planning, both on the physical end and the fiduciary end. We have begun the long process of transitioning 250 miles of gravity-fed canals to a more modern and responsive system. Another new venture, Project Nexus, is a pilot project to save water from evaporation by covering stretches of canal with solar panels to generate renewable energy. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Michelle Reimers: With the average age of TID employees at 44, and with 19 percent of employees aged 55 or older, we have a workforce that will be retiring en masse soon. That means that recruiting, training, and retaining knowledgeable, skillful, experienced, and dedicated employees will be a major lift. Succession planning for irrigationleadermagazine.com

Michelle Reimers: We provide the training required by the state and federal governments as well as a robust cybersecurity awareness online training. Also, we often provide targeted training and on-the-job training. We are kicking off a new program this year, the TID Leadership Academy, currently focused on manager-level employees. Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Michelle Reimers: We have a six-figure training budget that varies from year to year, based on specialty trainings and required certifications. We have invested over $100,000 in the development of the TID Leadership Academy. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

Michelle Reimers: Be authentic. Be personable and genuine, because everyone knows when you are not. Listen. Seek input from all voices and perspectives. Give feedback, both good and bad, and do it frequently; don’t wait for the annual review. Share the vision of the company and how you anticipate the organization working together to achieve that vision. Make decisions—it’s surprising that many managers can’t do this. And be sure to explain the why behind your decision. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Michelle Reimers: Honesty. It’s the foundation of trust. Share the positive and the negative. Learn to trust others, and earn trust through your words and actions. Planning. Have a plan to chart your course, for the known and the unknown, but be flexible enough to adapt the plan as needed. Vulnerability. It shows your humanity and that you are imperfect.

Michelle Reimers: TID has a constantly evolving health and wellness program in addition to our cornerstone injury- and illness-prevention program. A safety committee regularly reviews workplace injuries to improve work methods and personal protective equipment. Staff also host monthly safety trainings. TID’s security and emergency preparedness division has created numerous detailed hazard mitigation and mutual aid plans.

Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors?

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

Michelle Reimers is the general manager of Turlock Irrigation District. For more on the district, visit tid.org.

Michelle Reimers: Have open, honest, two-way communication. Set annual goals and operate under a solid strategic plan. When you present problems to the board, have solutions and a recommendation. Address expectations (both the board’s and your own) at the outset and continue to readdress them at scheduled points during their tenures and your tenure. IL

April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

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Andrew Rodwell CEO

North Otago Irrigation Company Oamaru, New Zealand

Years working in irrigation: 3 Years as manager: 20 Number of employees: 14 at NOIC; NOIC manages two neighboring irrigation schemes Size of service area in acres: 49,420 (NOIC); 64,250 (all three schemes) Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 48,640 (NOIC); 64,860 (all three schemes) Main crops irrigated: Pasture; winter feed crops for dairy, dairy support, and sheep and beef farmers; wheat; barley; maize; horticultural crops, such as brassicas and grapes Predominant irrigation methods: Center pivot, K-line, hard hose irrigator, fixed-grid sprinkler

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Andrew Rodwell: We are preparing not so much for issues as for opportunities. For example, we are a very big power user and are looking at novel ways to generate some of our own power. We are ever mindful that our consent to abstract water from the Waitaki River comes up for renewal in 2030, and everything in our future hinges on success in this. Water resilience in the face of climate change is perhaps one of the major issues we have as a country. We must develop the capability to continue to produce food and fiber as weather patterns change—a national strategy that accommodates water storage options is key.

Andrew Rodwell: It varies from year to year. We take a needs approach as opposed to a budget approach.

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Andrew Rodwell: We have a great team, but people do move on, and attracting great people to provincial New Zealand is always a challenge. Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

36 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Andrew Rodwell: Our health and safety and well-being program is a focal point for the board and the company. It is the first agenda item in board and toolbox meetings. We have a continuous improvement approach and, I think, a good health and safety culture. We have good systems, procedures, job safety evaluation processes, and so on, but ultimately, the strongest feature of our health and safety system is that our people look out for each other and are not afraid to speak up if they become concerned. A key measure is that we have had no injury incidents in several years.

Andrew Rodwell: Consensus and goodwill achieve better and, ultimately, more sustainable outcomes than autocracy. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Andrew Rodwell: Resilience, patience, focus, and not taking yourself too seriously. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Andrew Rodwell: Understand what their job is (governance), what is expected of them, and how you and the management team can support them in doing it. Make use of their extensive skills and experience but be disciplined in maintaining the separation of roles: yours as an executive, theirs as governors. The best outcomes for the company and the shareholders tend to occur when that relationship hums. IL Andrew Rodwell is the CEO of the North Otago Irrigation Company. For more about the NOIC, visit noic.co.nz.

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NORTH OTAGO IRRIGATION COMPANY.

Andrew Rodwell: Adapting farm systems to new regulations designed to mitigate environmental risk.

Andrew Rodwell: Staff are required to maintain currency in various skills and capabilities relating to their jobs, particularly as they relate to health and safety, but we also encourage and meet the cost of professional development in various areas.

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today?

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Amadeu Ros Farré President

General Community of Irrigators of the Canals of Urgell Mollerussa, Catalonia, Spain

Years working in irrigation: 40 Years as manager: 15 Number of employees: 61 Size of service area in acres: 185,330 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 486,430 Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, maize, tree fruit (primarily apples and pears), winter cereals (wheat and barley) Predominant irrigation methods: Flood (88%), spray (6%), drip (6%)

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Amadeu Ros Farré: Ours is a traditional irrigation system that has been in operation for 160 years and is unpressurized, posing challenges for the on-farm implementation of modern irrigation technologies. As a consequence, the principal irrigation method is flood irrigation, which is inefficient and difficult to operate. For all these reasons, irrigation modernization is our principal objective. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Amadeu Ros Farré: Since taking up the role of president, I and my board of directors have reviewed the working situation of each of our workers. The business has invested resources in safety training as well as professional training. We treat our employees

38 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? Amadeu Ros Farré: We devote resources to training intended to prevent on-the-job risks and accidents, both for office personnel and for field personnel; to language training (primarily in English); and to different skills, including emotional intelligence and information technology. Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Amadeu Ros Farré: Aproximately 15,000 euros ($16,300). Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Amadeu Ros Farré: Each year, our organization contracts with a riskprevention service that carries out a theoretical and practical training for all employees that covers work safety and health. In addition, we have a safety and health committee made up of workers and management that meets periodically. The committee members present on the different aspects of safety and health that need to be improved and agree on measures to minimize accidents and illnesses on the job. Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

Amadeu Ros Farré: That you need to gain the confidence of your entire management team and of the staff so that everything works. You need to value the work of the entire team—the general manager; your technical, legal, and administrative staff; and your field staff—and above all, you need to value the human side of each worker. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Amadeu Ros Farré: It is of fundamental importance that everyone within the management team has a role, and to ensure that, it is important to delegate work so that everyone can make use of their skills for the benefit of the business. It is also important to dedicate 15 percent of your time to maintain group cohesion. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Amadeu Ros Farré: Value the skills of each member of the board. One may have better people skills; another may be better with numbers; another may have a good command of construction projects. It is essential to find a role for each person that matches their training and to have the ability to listen and engage in dialogue so as to always find the solution that will best benefit the business. IL Amadeu Ros Farré is the president of the General Community of Irrigators of the Canals of Urgell. He can be contacted at presidencia@canalsurgell.cat.

irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GENERAL COMMUNITY OF IRRIGATORS OF THE CANALS OF URGELL.

Amadeu Ros Farré: Our principal challenge is modernizing our irrigation system and transforming the existing hydraulic networks into a pressurized system, primarily through natural pressure, but also using pumps that are powered by our own photovoltaic solar systems. We aim to revolutionize water use, but also to revolutionize the economy, turning the Lleida region into a major food supplier for Catalonia. In a context of population increase and water scarcity, more-efficient irrigation will allow for an increased variety of crops and will make them more profitable.

with respect so that they feel valued, identify with the values of the business, and can develop their careers in our organization for the long term.

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Rick Smith General Manager

Davis and Weber Counties Canal Company and the Weber River Water Users Association Sunset, UT

Years working in irrigation: 23 Years as manager: 6 Number of employees: 13 Size of service area in acres: 30,000 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 60,000–80,000 Main crops irrigated: Beans, corn, grains, melons, onions, peppers Predominant irrigation methods: Flood (agriculture), sprinklers (secondary water/lawn and garden)

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today?

trainings, pesticide trainings, relevant conferences, and so on.

Rick Smith: Drought, the conversion of agricultural lands to residential development, and finding new staff.

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Rick Smith: Protecting water rights and installing water measurement systems and meters on our secondary water users. Secondary water is a pressure irrigation system of nontreated water for homes, parks, and so on. New legislation requires that we have our entire system metered by the end of 2029. Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Rick Smith: Retaining our current staff and finding more due to our system’s needs, and transferring knowledge from senior staff to the next generation of employees.

Rick Smith: Much of it is on-the-job training. We do provide opportunities to attend Bureau of Reclamation

40 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Rick Smith: We try to remind staff about being safety minded, and we take measures to be safe on job sites, wear personal protective equipment, and so on. There is no formal safety program or training, but we have had our insurance carrier provide presentations and online resources. Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

Rick Smith: Sanity! Being able to balance demands on your time and to prioritize items. Being able to multitask and jump between tasks, since things arise all the time. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Rick Smith: Do your best in running the business and finances to maintain their confidence. Establish a good rapport, keep them in the loop on projects and operations, and get their support on long-term plans. IL Rick Smith is the general manager of the Davis and Weber Counties Canal Company and the Weber River Water Users Association. He can be contacted at ricks@davisweber.org.

Rick Smith: It’s best to ask questions to understand situations, to treat people fairly, and to include people in decisions that will affect them so that they can provide their point of view.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DAVIS AND WEBER COUNTIES CANAL COMPANY.

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

Rick Smith: We have a budget for trainings, travel, and so forth, but most of our training is done on the job rather than through paid external trainings.

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

irrigationleadermagazine.com

Marc Thalacker Manager

Three Sisters Irrigation District Sisters, OR

Years working in irrigation: 25 Years as manager: 25 Number of employees: 7 Size of service area in acres: 60,000, 7,600 of which is irrigated Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 20,000–27,000 Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, grass, grains, hemp, seed crops Predominant irrigation methods: Pivot, realign, microsprinklers, drip (for hemp)

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today?

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

Marc Thalacker: Drought. Our snowpack is incredibly low. Last year, we probably had 100–110 inches on April 1; this year, we’ll probably have around 80. We’re only going to have water for a couple of months before we drop down to 30 percent. The advantages we have gotten by piping the whole district are amazing. Last year, which was also a drought year, we were able to deliver 100 percent until July 1. During the droughts in 1977 and into the 1990s, we could only deliver 10–30 percent.

Marc Thalacker: We do an annual Occupational Safety and Health Administration training each year with central Oregon counties, cities, and the Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO). There are usually two dozen or so different classes that the guys are able to select from. They learn flagging, CPR, safety, and equipment skills. In addition, the SDAO offers video training on topics such as sexual harassment and cybersecurity.

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Marc Thalacker: We’ve been working on a habitat conservation plan for 12 years, which is now completed. We had to develop a 30‑year plan so that we could deal with endangered steelhead and bull trout.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THREE SISTERS IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel? Marc Thalacker: Hiring personnel is difficult, but we’ve been lucky. I hire a lot of cowboys for the construction crew, and they’re jacks of all trades who do a good job. With our pressurized pipe system, we need fewer employees. It used to take ditch riders 8–12 hours a day, 7 days a week, to deliver water to our 80 customers. Now, we have 200 customers, and it only takes one person 3–6 hours to balance the pressurized pipe system. irrigationleadermagazine.com

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Marc Thalacker: $4,000–$5,000. One of the advantages of being insured by the SDAO is that it provides a tremendous amount of training as part of its service. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

eliminated 9 million kilowatt-hours of pumping costs for our farmers, which probably equates to $600,000 in annual savings, allowing them to invest money in pivots and farm equipment and plant higher-value crops. We historically had a 55 percent system loss; it was a no-brainer to start piping and to split the water between the farmers and the endangered species in the stream. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Marc Thalacker: Being a communicator. You need to get to know your customers. I’m lucky that I manage a small district, so I still have the ability to reach out and talk to each farmer individually. You also need to be a grant writer, to understand federal systems and laws, and to be an advocate at both the federal and state legislatures. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors?

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

Marc Thalacker: I have involved my board in the education process. I have taken them to other districts that have modernized and to conferences. It is essential that they understand what’s going on both politically and financially. They have to be willing to invest the time to help make the district the best it can be. It’s a manager’s duty to excite their board members and get them attending conferences and learning. IL

Marc Thalacker: Modernization is the key to survival. If we had not started modernizing 25 years ago, we would have been shut down last summer. We’ve

Marc Thalacker is the manager of the Three Sisters Irrigation District. He can be contacted at manager@tsidweb.org or (541) 419‑5850.

Marc Thalacker: The district has a safety committee that meets monthly. We address everything from confined spaces to checking all rigging used in the field. We supply our employees with hard hats, safety vests, and other protective gear.

April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

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Juan Valero de Palma General Secretary

Royal Canal of the Júcar Valencia, Spain

Years working in irrigation: 34 Years as manager: 33 Number of employees: 161 (including the governing board and local boards) Size of service area in acres: 50,290 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 132,050 Main crops irrigated: Citrus fruit, persimmons, rice, vegetables Predominant irrigation methods: Drip, flood

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today?

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees?

Juan Valero de Palma: At the moment, completing the modernization of irrigation across our irrigable surface area to guarantee the viability of the crops grown here. It is an important challenge, because at present, only 17 of the 45 sectors into which the Royal Canal is divided are operational.

Juan Valero de Palma: We run training days—personnel meetings that involve brainstorming and the setting of personal goals—for each section of the Royal Canal. All our personnel know that they can always sign up for any training course relevant to their work and the community.

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year?

Juan Valero de Palma: Modernization is a strategic project because it will allow us to guarantee generational succession by improving the quality of life for our farmers. The average age of farmers in our area is around 65. With the introduction of drip irrigation, we are incorporating new technologies into the rural sphere, making the work easier and thus making its future more viable.

Juan Valero de Palma: 12,000 euros ($13,050).

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager?

42 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Juan Valero de Palma: We have a workplace risk prevention plan and a specialist who is assigned to ensure compliance with it.

Juan Valero de Palma: The necessity of dialogue and consensus. The Royal Canal of the Júcar is a corporation of public law with a close relationship with government agencies. This obliges us to collaborate, negotiate, and tirelessly work to reach points of agreement with these agencies to allow us to guarantee and to defend the rights of our users, the 25,000 irrigators who form the Royal Canal of the Júcar.

Juan Valero de Palma: Keeping an open attitude and listening to all parties involved in a project is always a guarantee of success. It is necessary to always be curious and open to learning. Our institution is very old—it has more than 750 years of history—and if it has lasted, it has always been because of the willingness to work for the common good of the society of which it is a part. You must build a good team of professionals who are aligned with the objectives and the mission of the organization, which is modernization. It is also important to have the most information you can and to analyze all possible solutions to find the one that is best for the irrigators over the short, medium, and long terms. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Juan Valero de Palma: We always try to reach consensus on all topics in advance, providing every sort of information to our governing board and general board so that everyone is thoroughly informed about the possibilities and the motivation that has led us to our decisions. IL Juan Valero de Palma is the general secretary of the Royal Canal of the Júcar. For more information about the Royal Canal, visit www.acequiarj.es.

irrigationleadermagazine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ROYAL CANAL OF THE JÚCAR.

Juan Valero de Palma: Thanks to our modernization efforts, our team has been rejuvenated. We have hired engineers to manage our 1,500-kilometer (932‑mile) pressurized system, which runs at 15 cubic meters (530 cubic feet) per second. It is most important that all our personnel are engaged with the organizational culture—that they are at the service of our irrigators, who are the owners of the Royal Canal.

Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager?

Gabriel Varela Cano

Years working in irrigation: 20

President

Number of employees: 21

Miraflores Canal and Elqui River Joint Board of Control

Size of service area in acres: 29,650, plus the supply of half the drinking water for a municipal system serving 600,000 people

La Serena, Chile

Years as manager: 14

Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acrefeet: 105,390–194,570, plus 16,214 acre-feet for municipal use Main crops irrigated: Citrus fruit, grapes, vegetables Predominant irrigation methods: Drip, drip tape

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Gabriel Varela Cano: The great challenge that we are addressing as an organization is improving the efficiency of our water deliveries to the irrigation canals. We currently make prorated deliveries to water rights holders. With reference to our reservoirs, we are already taking the first step in the regulation of the waters of our basin: From 2007 to the present, using Rubicon’s FlumeGates, we have installed telemetry and remote control for 95 percent of the water we deliver. In parallel, we are working with the data generated by our measurements and with models of the effects of climate change, which allow us to project our allotments two or three seasons in advance with greater confidence.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ELQUI RIVER JOINT BOARD OF CONTROL.

Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for? Gabriel Varela Cano: We and several other institutions, both public and private, are working on a roadmap toward integrated water resources management. We are working to build a virtuous circle in which academia, the national government, and the private sector establish synergy and make water resources a main focus of sustainable and efficient management in the medium and long terms.

who respond to the demands of our users and who work as a unified force to achieve the objective of water efficiency. The challenge is to retain trained personnel in a good working environment. Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? Gabriel Varela Cano: We create continuous and permanent trainings for our workers, including in new technological systems and in risk prevention. We work shoulder-toshoulder with the Rubicon support team to keep our gates functional so that we can have an accurate overview of how much water we are delivering. Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Gabriel Varela Cano: These expenses are still low—around 2 percent of the organization’s budget. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place?

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

Gabriel Varela Cano: We have a risk prevention professional and a risk control program, as well as security cameras and accredited security staff. We are working on a plan to obtain International Organization for Standardization certifications that certify our organization’s good practices.

Gabriel Varela Cano: The implementation of new technologies to improve our work requires employees

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as manager?

irrigationleadermagazine.com

Gabriel Varela Cano: Dialogue is a powerful tool for arriving at consensus. So is knowing how to listen and observe everything in a broad-minded way so as to be able to make the best decision for the organization. In order to establish agreements, it is necessary for the community to work together with private industry and the public sector. Attempting to advance alone is very difficult. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Gabriel Varela Cano: Respect for different opinions and an understanding of the problems of our users is the key to maintaining our priorities amid the many difficulties we can face as an organization. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Gabriel Varela Cano: The best way is for each director, as a representative of the water users and the different uses the water is put to, to understand the community’s needs and the difficult current situation we find ourselves in, so that they can come to agreement on the best solutions for a sustainable use of the water in the basin. IL Gabriel Varela Cano is the president of the Miraflores Canal and the Elqui River Joint Board of Control (Junta de Vigilancia Río Elqui y Sus Afluentes). For more on the Elqui River Joint Board of Control, visit www.rioelqui.cl.

April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

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Mike Wells General Manager

Years working in irrigation: 39

Twin Loups Irrigation District and Twin Loups Reclamation District

Years as a manager: 7

Scotia, NE

Number of employees: 13 full time; 2 summer part time Size of service area in acres: 56,199 Amount of water diverted for irrigation per year in acre-feet: 50,000–55,000 in an average rainfall year Main crops irrigated: Alfalfa, corn, soybeans Predominant irrigation methods: Center pivot, gravity

Irrigation Leader: What is the top issue facing your irrigation district today? Mike Wells: As with most districts, the budget is the main issue. The board’s goal, of course, is to stay in compliance with our payments to the Bureau of Reclamation for project construction costs and to be able to operate and do yearly maintenance on the infrastructure of the district. Operations would include employee cost, all vehicles, heavy equipment, and chemicals. If I had to pick, I would say inflation is the top issue. Irrigation Leader: What future issues are you preparing for?

Irrigation Leader: What are your top issues regarding personnel?

44 | IRRIGATION LEADER | April 2022

Irrigation Leader: What training do you currently provide your employees? Mike Wells: Currently, we pay for and encourage training in three categories. First, training for pesticide applications for rights of way and aquatic herbicide applications. Magnicide applications require annual certification. Second, training on heavy equipment when needed. Third, the district also pays for employees to obtain a commercial driver’s license. Irrigation Leader: How much do you spend on training each year? Mike Wells: We average $2,000 per year. Irrigation Leader: What kind of safety programs do you have in place? Mike Wells: We hold bimonthly toolbox meetings, which usually focus on activities taking place at the time. We supply air monitors for enclosed spaces and train employees on how to supply air if needed. We train on how to be safe when operating or working close to heavy equipment or when working next to swiftly flowing water and on how to use appropriate safety harnesses. The importance of safely using the various chemicals we come in contact with cannot be overstated.

Irrigation Leader: What is the most important thing you have learned as a manager? Mike Wells: To be able to predict what effects your decisions have, whether on personnel or on the district’s bottom line. Irrigation Leader: What are the top skills needed to be a successful manager? Mike Wells: You need to plan for the future, whether near or long term. Listen to the employees: Their input is usually focused on certain aspects of the operation where they can see the solution. Many times, it’s best to suggest and then get out of the way. You need to also be a negotiator and a troubleshooter. Irrigation Leader: What is the best way to work with a board of directors? Mike Wells: Communication is key. Let them know what projects have been completed. Give updates on current projects and recommendations for the future. Keep them up to date on state and federal activities that may affect the district. Inform them of any complaints from the water users, the general public, or the staff. Review the budget on a monthly basis. IL Mike Wells is the general manager of the Twin Loups Irrigation District and the Twin Loups Reclamation District.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TWIN LOUPS IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

Mike Wells: Although Twin Loups is one of the last of Reclamation’s irrigation projects, having been built in the 1980s, we are experiencing the need for more infrastructure repairs every year. Along with the staff of Reclamation’s Nebraska-Kansas Area Office in McCook, Nebraska, we conduct annual inspections of the reservoirs to assess the need for repairs. Preparing for any needed major repairs to the main infrastructure is foremost. Maintaining our present reserves and adding to them on a regular basis will make it possible to make repairs as needed. Incorporating more advanced technologies in our meters and continuing to install automation to control canal gates and monitor canal levels remotely is also in our future plans.

Mike Wells: Finding and retaining good people is a top issue. Nebraska has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the United States, so we have to be competitive with wages, benefits, and working conditions.

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JOB LISTINGS

Does your organization have a job listing you would like to advertise in our pages? Irrigation Leader provides this service to irrigation districts, water agencies, and hydropower facilities free of charge. For more information, please email Kris Polly at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.

CIVIL STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Salary: Dependent upon qualifications Location: Long Beach, Irvine, or San Francisco, CA Deadline: Open until filled Summary: A staff engineer with 3 to 7 years of experience with emphasis on supporting the design of civil infrastructure along the waterfront and in the marine environment. Apply: https://www.anchorqea.com/ careers/careers-open-positions/

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Salary: $91,250 - $158,746 annually Location: Albuquerque, NM Deadline: Until Filled Summary: Manages projects, programs, activities, and staff involved in the operation, maintenance, control, delivery, and drainage of an open channel raw water system. Apply: https://www.mrgcd.com/wp-content/ uploads/2022/02/COOapp.pdf

PROJECT MANAGER II Salary: Dependent upon qualifications Location: Saginaw, TX Deadline: Until Filled Summary: Responsible for the design, development and delivery of effective water transmission applications and must have the demonstrated ability to manage multiple, parallel projects. Apply: http://www.nwpipe.com/careers

TECHNICAL MARKETING MANAGER Salary: Dependent upon qualifications Location: Orem, UT or Salt Lake City, UT Deadline: Until Filled Summary: Responsible for developing, maintaining, and improving relationships with the engineering and

specification community in all viable markets; creating marketing plans and coordinating with the sales team. Apply: http://www.nwpipe.com/careers

TECHNICAL SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Salary: Dependent upon qualifications Location: Remote/Hybrid Deadline: Open until filled Summary: Presenting our product and our values accurately and enthusiastically while maintaining existing lines of business and effectively building new relationships. Apply: https://nustreem.com/careers/

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTICT SENIOR SCIENTIST Salary: $59,966–$71,281 annually, based on qualifications Location: West Palm Beach, FL Deadline: Open until filled Summary: The Senior Hydrogeologist is a highly experienced senior scientist position responsible for the review of consumptive water use permit applications and other strategic initiatives of the Water Use Bureau. Apply: https://www.sfwmd.gov/careers

APPLICATION SERVICES MANAGER Salary: $55.29 - $82.89 per hour Location: Fort Worth, TX Deadline: May 31, 2022 Summary: Leads technical staff in the effective management of enterprise application products and services across the entire ITIL service lifecycle. Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud are the primary technology platforms used to deliver these solutions with some hybrid configurations (MS Exchange and SharePoint). Apply: https://www.trwd.com/job/ application-services-manager/

For more job listings, please visit: irrigationleadermagazine.com/job-board/. irrigationleadermagazine.com

April 2022 | IRRIGATION LEADER

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Upcoming Events April 7–8 The P3 Water Summit, San Diego, CA April 11–14 The California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association, Spring Conference, Anaheim, CA April 13 Nebraska Water Resources Association, Water Roundtable, Lincoln, NE April 24–26 American Society of Irrigation Consultants, National Conference, New Orleans, LA April 25–27 American Water Resources Association, Spring Conference, Tuscaloosa, AL April 26–30 European Irrigation Association, International Fair of Agricultural Machinery, Zaragoza, Spain May 3–6 Association of California Water Agencies, Spring Conference and Exhibition, Sacramento, CA May 9–12 American Water Resources Association, Geospatial Water Technology Conference, Austin, TX May 10–12 National Water Resources Association, Federal Water Issues Conference, Washington, DC May 30–June 2 Irrigation Australia, Conference and Exhibition, Adelaide, Australia May 30–June 6 International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & International Executive Council Meeting, Adelaide, Australia June 6–7 Idaho Water Users Association, Water Law and Resource Issues Seminar, Sun Valley, ID June 13–16 Nevada Water Resources Association, Well and Water Week, Reno, NV June 15–17 Texas Water Conservation Association, Summer Conference, Round Rock, TX June 20–22 Groundwater Management Districts Association, Summer Meeting, Frisco, CO June 23–24 Tristate Irrigation Conference, Bend, OR July 11–13 North Dakota Water Resource Districts Association, Joint Summer Water Meeting, and North Dakota Water Education Foundation, Executive Briefing, Fargo, ND July 21–24 National Association of Counties, Annual Conference and Expo, Adams County, CO July 25–27 National Water Resources Association, Western Water Seminar, Fairmont, MT July 28 North Dakota Water Resource Districts Association, Water Day at the North Dakota State Fair, Minot, ND

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