Letter to the Editor

MRNRD farmers, ranchers working to preserve resources

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Our Farmers deserve praise here in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District (MRNRD).

MRNRD producers have been doing their part in sustaining the water resource. The MRNRD would like to recognize the efforts made by our local farmers that will result in sustaining our natural resources for generations to come. A sustainable natural resource base is key to the economic success in the area and necessary in providing the environment for future generations to make this their home. Sustaining the strong community we enjoy is critical in making the area attractive to businesses, investors, and new farmers and ranchers. Farmers today have taken significant measures to be as efficient as their operation can be. They are constantly on the "hunt" to make things better. Producers have been very diligent in monitoring and applying their irrigation as efficient as possible, even when they are set with certain restrictions as given from the Board of Directors.

These accomplishments have been due to an increased awareness of the amount of irrigation water being applied. Producers have been installing soil moisture sensors that help them keep track of the need for irrigation in that field. Another tool that producers have been using aggressively since the drought hit in 2012 is actual calculated water used throughout the year. They have been doing this through education from the NRD staff. This year, they were able to use the new water usage tool on the MRNRD's website which helped them tremendously by having that technology at their fingertips. The increased knowledge on water used makes them even better managers. Other forms of efficiency some of the producers are using is cover crops to conserve moisture, crop rotations, removal of end-guns, sources of irrigation systems, and enrolling into state and federal programs. All of these efficiency factors give farmers access to viable information to manage water resources under their restricted water allocations.

With the current successes with the recent Supreme Court ruling and cooperation with Kansas and Colorado, it is not time to sit back but instead to move ahead. The MRNRD applauds the farmers within our district for all that they do to make things more efficient on their farms. We commend you on the rising before dawn, countless hours worked, all the acres covered during a day and the daily elements you battle. We thank you for your genuine values and tireless work ethic. We appreciate everything you do to sustain the water resources in the MRNRD. Thank you!

Middle Republican Natural Resources District

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  • Wish the Upper would be as responsive as the Middle. Still over pumping and the reduction in the aquifer remains problems

    -- Posted by dennis on Thu, Oct 29, 2015, at 5:37 PM
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