701-566-9300Dani Quissell, as Executive Director of the North Dakota Irrigation Association (NDIA), recently provided the Legislative Interim Committee called Water Topics with a review of the state of irrigation in our state. We have about 300,000 irrigated acres with the potential for 28,000,000 to be irrigated, according to Quissell. She went on to say that estimate depends on how one views soil types amenable for irrigation. Our greatest potential for water remains the Missouri river.
Quissell went on with good news from the State Water Commissioners who, in their October meeting, approved new funding rate for shared irrigation projects in an irrigation district. The cost share has gone up to 75% with locals picking up 25%. For individual projects they also approved a 60% interest rate buydown as opposed to the previous 40% with the NDIA working to get that to 100%. She also mentioned that there is a push to revitalize expired irrigation districts which have not been active for some time.
The next Water Topics meeting is in March with the agenda yet to come, but the remaining meetings have been scheduled should you wish to attend; in June they will tour Minot flood control, later they will tour Valley City’s efforts, ending up with a look at the Fargo Diversion project in the fall.
