“I’m getting fatigued on the problem. I want to focus on solutions,” says Jake Stander, a fifth-generation grower near Blackfoot.

With agriculture using more than 40% of total U.S. freshwater withdrawals in 2015 and hay and forage crops weighing in at 37% of U.S. irrigation water use, environmental groups and the media have been known to blast alfalfa producers for excessive water use.

The Idaho Water Users Association (IWUA) midyear meeting in June highlighted significant water management challenges and innovative solutions in the Treasure Valley.

On June 10-11, the Idaho Water Users Association held its midyear meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho, where a key presentation addressed the contentious issue of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA).

North Side Pumping Co., based in Hazelton, recently completed a $4.1 million irrigation efficiency project that spans 4,600 acres and benefits 30 producers in the Magic Valley.

Every farmer knows the cost of irrigating their crops, and anyone who has lost yield to disease and drought knows the cost of over- and underirrigating their crops.

During a meeting of the City Club of Idaho Falls on May 16, Stephanie Mickelsen addressed Idaho’s water issues and how eastern Idaho farmers are working to better manage the resource.

Should growers be treating their fields more like golf courses? A common solution to this problem in golf courses is the application of products known as soil wetting agents that reduce the surface tension of soil.

If you own any type of electrical or pump control panels, these top five areas of concern – if addressed regularly – will add years to the lifespan of these devices, as well as reduce midseason failures that tend to happen when you can least afford them.

Is your irrigation system as efficient as it could be? Optimizing your irrigation system can lower energy costs, save water and improve water distribution across your fields.