Wednesday, December 03, 2008

By SANDRA HANSEN
Ag Editor

MITCHELL - Because of heavy rain near Casper and Douglas, Wyo., in early May, farmers in the Mitchell Irrigation District are looking at a shortened irrigation season.

The district operates on a maximum storage of 12,000 acre-feet in Glendo Reservoir under a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The MID also has access to natural flow from the North Platte River under a separate agreement with the Bureau and the Farmers Irrigation District. Even so, during the past eight years, Mitchell producers have struggled to get enough water for their crops.

The situation has improved considerably this year, according to Linda Keener, Mitchell's office manager. "It's been such a good year," she said Wednesday morning, noting that the district will have carryover again this year. "We had our full 12,000 acre-feet under the contract, and we had carried over 2,600 acre-feet in case we didn't get any more this year. Actually, we've barely dipped into the 12,000."

Timely rains combined with sufficient natural flow and sharper management skills, have created a more relaxed atmosphere, Keener said. The district usually starts taking natural flow in March or April, and when it is available, takes it until October, after the storage water is exhausted. This year, however, the district hopes to shut down about Sept. 10, when the other districts end their 2008 season.

Cautious use of the resource will result in a hefty carry over for 2009, which will go a long way toward guaranteeing a plentiful supply of water for the crops.

Keener explained that Mitchell is restricted to 12,000 acre-feet under the contract, so that even if the district carries over 2,500 acre-feet, and a full 12,000 acre-feet is available under the contract, they will only get to use 12,000 acre-feet. The carry over is only a type of insurance policy.

However, the water rights arrangement with the Bureau and the Farmers Irrigation District provides natural flow from the North Platte River when it isn't being used by the FID, and this has supplemented Mitchell's share.

"This is so much better than the past few years," Keener said. "Since 2001 we've almost delivered the water by the teaspoon to make it last as long as we could. I think this year, the patrons are ready to sit back and relax a little bit. We'll have some breathing room for next year."