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MRNRD deploying new technology to achieve better conservation results
McCOOK, Neb. — At its recent Coffee Talk, the McCook Gazette visited with Jack Russell, manager, and Sylvia Johnson, assistant manager, of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District, who shared how advancements in technology are aiding conservation.
The MRNRD is a natural resources district serving Frontier, Hayes, Hitchcock, and Red Willow Counties and the southern portion of Lincoln County in southwest Nebraska. It is also part of the Republican River Basin, which extends from Colorado to Nebraska.
Russell said, “We stepped into new technology when it comes to conservation. And that’s probably the main thing we have going on right now, trying to get new technology and new methods of doing things above what’s normally done.”
Russell explained how Johnson was a catalyst for this new way of thinking. He said, “She’s led the effort on the high tech..”He continued to say that she has led the efforts with the telemetry meters and is making sure they get done.
Johnson, who went to college in Curtis, started working at the MRNRD part-time and has held different positions since then. She discussed how Agriculture is always moving ahead in technology. She recalls, “I was out in the field one day. We were having problems with a meter, and it was over 20 years old.” She asked herself, “Why are we not updating it?”
With the assistance of grants, they were able to install over 1,800 new meters. Telemetry meters are providing producers with real-time pumping amounts and real-time allocation tracking that will result in more efficient groundwater application. To comply with the Republican River Compact, it is critical to be as efficient with irrigation water as possible. The MRNRD has made significant investments in its telemetry meter program and has been able to support hundreds of local producers in their daily operations through this effort.
Johnson shared that they have a new database: “It makes sense. It’s user-friendly. It’s all online; our technicians can access it.”
Soon, producers will also be able to, “We’re eventually going to kick off a producer Connect app, which is a spinoff of our database, and producers will be able to check their fields and meter usage from their phone or iPad.”
On this high-tech irrigation project, Russell said, “What we found was you could have at least a 10% savings on the water applied, if you manage how much you are putting on and what the soil moisture probes tell us is needed.
“That’s what we found: you get a 10% savings. What we are allowed every year in the compact is 250,000 acre feet of water because the MRNRD has 250,000 acres of groundwater irrigated acres.
“With an allocation on 12 inches annually, that is 250,000 acre feet a year. Suppose with a 10% savings across all irrigators in the MRNRD that’s 25,000 acre feet. The MRNRD has never owed Kansas that much. So to get everybody on board, just to be efficient, it will help the irrigator as well as helping the MRNRD meet compact requirements.
The MRNRD’s forward-thinking and willingness to explore technological advancements are being noticed. The benefits will help ensure farmers can continue to produce for years to come.