The Irrigation District Specialty Conference was held in Reno, Nevada. The success or failure of today’s irrigation districts rests with the long and short term decisions made by the management staffs of those institutions. Often those decisions are predicated on the direction provided by elected officials — officials who, again, rely upon the expertise and professional judgment of district staff and consultants. That responsibility demands the continuing development of tools, knowledge and skills to make good decisions.
The diversity and complexity of issues facing irrigation districts today seems at times to be overwhelming. Many irrigation districts are celebrating 50- and 100-year anniversaries and are faced with rebuilding and modernizing their aged infrastructure. Most districts are facing legal challenges to their water rights or water supply contracts, dealing with changing, ever-tightening water quality regulations, and wrestling with environmental issues. Water marketing has surfaced as a means for some districts to insure financial security, while other districts with less plentiful supplies are having to achieve higher levels of operational efficiency to cut costs and accomplish more with less. While dealing with all that, districts must address the everyday tasks of managing personnel, ensuring worker safety, managing district assets, addressing urban encroachment and controlling costs.
The Conference, held in Portland, Oregon, was designed to acquaint managers with the methods used by scientists to project the coming water environment, the nature of the impacts on water to be expected, and the ways in which global and regional changes affect Western irrigation, drainage and flood control.
The USCID Water Management Conference, held in Scottsdale, Arizona, provided a forum to address urbanization and water transfer issues facing irrigated agriculture.
Urbanization is a fact of life for many irrigation districts. Some have been impacted for many years; others are just beginning to face the challenge. As a result, irrigation districts faced with encroaching urbanization are learning to change the way they do business.
The Conference also focused on water transfers, an issue related to urbanization, but also an issue affecting water districts seeking to augment their water supplies in the face of increasing competition. The Conference brought together water resource professionals with experience and interest in both technical and policy issues regarding urbanization and water transfers.
The USCID Fourth International Conference on Irrigation and Drainage was held in Sacramento, California, in conjunction with the 58th International Executive Council Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage.
Developing and managing the world’s water resources has become more complex and more challenging than ever before. In addition to the fundamental need for water to support life and the environment, humans use water as an essential input in producing food and fiber and in many other productive processes. The demand for water is increasing as the world’s population moves beyond six billion and as standards of living improve across Asia and in many regions. Higher incomes lead to increasing demands for goods and services that involve water in their production. In addition, we are belatedly realizing that human uses of water can degrade water quality and damage the environment. As a result, the pressure on our finite water resources is immense.
Irrigation is the principal use of water in many regions. Around the world, farmers are being challenged to produce more food with less water, while also reducing harmful impacts on the environment and sharing water with cities and industries. These goals can be achieved with improved management of irrigation and drainage systems.
This Conference, held in Denver, Colorado, was the second USCID Conference dedicated to SCADA applications, following the October 2005 Conference in Vancouver.
The USCID Water Management Conference, held in Boise, Idaho, provided a forum to discuss issues relating to surface and ground water supplies.
Competition for surface water and ground water continues to increase in the western United States and in many other regions. The demand for high- quality water in agriculture, industry and recreation, and for environmental and municipal uses, is increasing, while the supply remains largely fixed. Moreover, ground and surface water interact in complex ways that require that management of the two be considered in an integrated way. Persistent drought conditions in the American West have generated intense consideration of many technical and policy issues regarding surface water and ground water resources. Key issues include modeling the interaction of surface water and ground water, implementing conjunctive use programs, allocating and adjudicating water rights, and developing long-term strategies for optimizing the use of limited water resources.
The 2005 Water Management Conference was held in Vancouver, Washington. Today’s irrigation and water districts face ever-increasing challenges in their daily operations. These include increasing demands for flexible and efficient system operation, new regulatory and reporting requirements, the need to maintain and archive historical operations data, rising costs of energy, limited water supplies and more limited and costly labor resources. To address these management concerns, many districts are pursuing modernization projects that will improve delivery and distribution system infrastructure and enhance operational monitoring and control capabilities utilizing Internet applications and state-of-the-art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA).
Third International Conference on Irrigation and Drainage
March 30 - April 2, 2005
USCID organized the Third International Conference on Irrigation and
Drainage, held in San Diego, California. The Conference Theme
was Water District Management and Governance.
Water Districts are the most crrigation and drainage management in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and a growing number of other countries. District management brings decision making to the level of the farmers the District serves, enhancing accountability, transparency and responsiveness. In the western U.S. and other industrialized countries, Districts are facing a long list of new management challenges related to increasing water scarcity, urbanization and expanding environmental awareness and concern. This Conference provided an opportunity for District managers, policymakers and others to share their experiences in dealing with these challenging issues.
As a part of a global trend toward decentralization, countries worldwide are introducing and implementing District-based management of agricultural water supplies. Often these organizations are called by other names — Water User Associations (WUAs) or Irrigation Unions — but in fundamental respects many are similar to the Water Districts of the western U.S. These organizations are facing a set of first-generation problems related to governance, financing, system maintenance and organization — problems familiar to district managers in the U.S., many of whom have developed effective strategies for addressing these issues. The one-day Symposium on District (Water User Association) Formation and Strengthening brought together District managers and staff from the U.S., and their counterparts and supporters from countries where this form of management is just getting underway.
Water Rights and Related Water Supply Issues
October 13-16, 2004
USCID organized a Conference on Water Rights and Related Water Supply Issues, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 13-16, 2004.
An issue facing water users nearly everywhere is
who has the right to use water when available supplies do not meet all the
demands for that water. Since the earliest pioneers in the Western U.S. first
appropriated water for irrigation, water users, suppliers, governments and
legal entities have endeavored to develop a system of water rights that can
serve the public interest while also protecting vested rights, water quality
and the environment. A key component of any discussion of water rights is
how best to conserve, distribute and use limited supplies of water.
This Conference provided a forum to discuss
the myriad issues relating to water rights and the appropriation and
distribution of water, including the application of technology.
Concurrent technical sessions focused on the following topics:
- Water Rights
- River Basin Specific Issues
- Ecological and Conservation Issues
- Application of Technology
- Irrigation and Water Quality
Second International Conference on
Irrigation and Drainage
May 12-15, 2003
USCID organized the Second International Conference on Irrigation and
Drainage, held in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 12-15, 2003. The Conference Theme
was Water for a Sustainable World — Limited Supplies and Expanding
Demand.
Water supplies in many areas of the world are under stress and some current
uses are not sustainable. At the same time, demand for water is increasing as
populations increase, industries grow and as environmental needs for additional
water are recognized and accommodated. This suggests that less water will be
available for irrigation in the future, while the world demand for food is
expected to exceed current production some time early in this century. At the
same time, irrigated land is increasingly taken by urban expansion. This
results in many changes in how water projects for irrigation are operated and
managed. The Conference focused on the need for irrigated agriculture and
irrigation projects to adapt to this changing environment and provided
experiences and practical guidance for water resources professionals who are
addressing these issues.
Concurrent technical sessions focused on the following topics:
- Future Trends
- Changing Irrigation and Drainage Infrastructure
- Integrated Water Resources and Basin Planning
- Reservoir Operations
- Water Quality and Drainage
- Canal Operations
- Urbanization
- On Farm Irrigation
Helping Irrigated Agriculture Adjust
to TMDLs
October 23-25, 2002
A USCID Water Management Conference addressing TMDLs was held in
Sacramento, California, on October 23-25, 2002. The Conference was organized and sponsored by USCID and co-sponsored by the Association of
California Water Agencies.
A significant challenge facing irrigated agriculture is the regulation
and management of contaminants and pollutants that make their way into
streams and reservoirs. Increasingly, the development and enforcement of TMDLs
(total maximum daily loads, or the amount of a particular pollutant that a
water body can safely absorb on a daily basis) will affect many stakeholders,
including farmers, water districts and environmental constituencies.
The Conference goal was to help irrigated agriculture address and respond to
the scientific, environmental, economic and political/social issues related to
TMDLs, including pollution sources, regulations, costs and impacts.
Conference on Energy, Climate,
Environment and Water —
Issues and Opportunities for Irrigation and Drainage
July 9-12, 2002
Irrigators are facing new challenges as competition for water supplies,
coupled with significant increases in energy costs and environmental considerations,
threaten the economic viability of irrigation. Climate changes, whether natural
or a result of human activity, are providing additional concerns. The
Conference provided a forum to discuss and evaluate these issues, with a focus
on the technology being applied to meet the challenges.
The Conference, held in San Luis Obispo, California, was Sponsored by USCID and the Environmental & Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Irrigation Training and Research Center, California Polytechnic State University was the Co-Sponsor.
Irrigation Water Management in a
Changing Energy Environment
The first in a series of three Energy Workshops was held in Rapid City,
South Dakota, on November 27-28, and the second Workshop was held on December
12 in Las Vegas, Nevada, in conjunction with the Colorado River Water Users
Association Annual Meeting. The third and
final Energy Workshop was held in Reno, Nevada, on January 22, 2002,
preceding the Annual Meeting of the Mid Pacific Region Water Users Conference.
Conference on Transbasin Water
Transfers
June 27-30, 2001
The USCID Conference on Transbasin Water Transfers, Co-Sponsored by the
Bureau of Reclamation, Garrison Diversion Conservancy District and Northern
Colorado Water Conservancy District, was held on June 27-30, 2001, in Denver,
Colorado, U.S.A.
The Conference provided a forum to evaluate the issues involved with Transbasin
Water Transfers, including water supply and water requirements;
environmental concerns; biota transfer; legal, political and diplomatic
aspects; and risk management. Case-study presentations and analyses of existing
and proposed U.S. and international transbasin projects were be
featured.
International Conference on the
Challenges Facing
Irrigation and Drainage in the New Millennium
June 20-24, 2000
The International Conference on the Challenges Facing Irrigation and
Drainage in the New Millennium was held at Colorado State University in Fort
Collins, Colorado. The Theme of the Conference was Meeting Human and
Environmental Needs through Sustainability, Rehabilitation and Modernization.
The Conference provided an opportunity to learn of the latest solutions,
innovations and technological advances practiced in the United States. The
newest developments in research and practical applications in the international
arena were discussed.
The Program is online.
Workshop on Modernization of
Irrigation Water Delivery Systems
October 17-21, 1999
The Workshop on Modernization of Irrigation Water Delivery Systems provided
a state-of-the-art review of issues related to the improvement of irrigation
delivery system operations, including such issues as automation and
rehabilitation, and was held in Phoenix, Arizona.
Conference on Benchmarking
Irrigation System Performance
Using Water Measurement and Water Balances
March 10-13, 1999
The Conference was held March 10-13, 1999, in San Luis Obispo, California.
The meeting provided a unique opportunity to examine irrigation system
performance from both conceptual and practical view points.
Conference on Shared Rivers
October 28-31, 1998
The Conference on Shared Rivers, was held October 28-31, 1998, in Park City,
Utah. The Conference Theme was River Basin Management to Meet Competing
Needs. The Conference was a multi-disciplinary review of how river basins
are managed to meet the needs of all of the water users in the river basin.
In five half-day sessions, the Conference featured in-depth examinations of
issues involving U.S. and international river basins. A Poster Session offered
an additional opportunity to examine river basin management activities. A
one-day study tour of the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District was also
featured during the Conference.
14th Technical Conference on
Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control
June 3-6, 1998
Four noted experts on Western water issues were featured speakers during the
14th Technical Conference on Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control, held June
3-6, 1998, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Conference Theme was Contemporary
Challenges for Irrigation and Drainage.
David N. Kennedy, Director of the California Department of Water Resources,
delivered the Keynote Address on Wednesday, June 3. Rita P. Pearson, Director
of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, discussed Arizona water issues
during a dinner talk Thursday evening. Lunch speakers on Thursday and Friday
were David S. Wilson, Jr., Central Arizona Water Conservation District, and
Maurice Roos, California Department of Water Resources.
The Conference provided water resources professionals their first
opportunity to hear results of irrigation management activities implemented
under the 1988 Water Conservation Agreement between the Imperial Irrigation
District and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Conference participants heard professional papers addressing the following
Technical Session Topics:
- Improving Irrigation
Management and Modernizing Irrigation and Drainage Systems
- Drainage and Water Quality
- Institutional, Environmental
and Economic Issues Affecting Irrigated Agriculture
Conference on Best Management
Practices for Irrigated
Agriculture and the Environment
July 16-19, 1997
A Conference to address issues related to irrigated agriculture and its
effects on the environment was held July 16-19, 1997, in Fargo, North Dakota.
The Conference Theme was Best Managment Practices for Irrigated
Agriculture and the Environment. USCID and the Bureau of Reclamation were
the sponsors of the Conference.
The purpose of the Conference was to develop a broad understanding of
how management practices can be economically applied to allow agricultural
operations to approach optimum production and at the same time reduce the
potential for adverse impacts on the environment. The Conference focused on the
development and implementation of Best Management Practices that provide
for a sustainable ecosystem encompassing the quality and quantity of surface
and ground water resources.
The Conference addressed three topics:
- Development and Application
of Best Management Practices
- Irrigation Water Management
- Water Quality
Competing Interests Conference
December 4-7, 1996
USCID organized a Conference to examine the growing problem of competition
for water. The Conference was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 5-7, 1996.
The theme was Competing Interests in Water Resources -- Searching for
Consensus.
The objective of the Conference was to address and improve understanding of
the problem currently facing all water users and water suppliers -- the problem
of competition for sufficient water supplies to meet all needs.
The Conference addressed four major topics:
- Environmental Needs
- Demand Management
- Water Marketing and Water
Transfers
- Social and Economic Impacts
Wetlands Seminar
June 27-29, 1996
A USCID Seminar to address wetlands issues related to irrigated agriculture
was held June 27-29, 1996, in Bismarck, North Dakota. The theme of the seminar
was Water for Agriculture and Wildlife and the Environment -- Win-Win
Opportunities. The Seminar was cosponsored by the Bureau of Reclamation.
The objective of the Seminar was to bring together professionals of the
disciplines involved with agriculture and wetlands, to exchange information and
seek solutions to competing issues that will satisfy the needs of all
interests.
The Seminar included sessions on four major topics:
- Agriculture and Wetlands
Compatibility
- Wetlands and Water Quality
- Water for Wetlands:
Appropriation/Allocation
- Fish and Wildlife Diversity
and Productivity
Each session featured an invited speaker to set the stage, followed by
technical presentations and case studies. A Poster Session was also held. The
Seminar concluded with a discussion of future actions to be taken by USCID and
cooperating organizations. A Study Tour on June 29 gave participants an
opportunity to see wetlands conservation activities.
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