Update for October 19, 2021: We have added a very informative, 2 page article about the Joint System Canal Piping Project between Rogue River Valley Irrigation District and Medford Irrigation District and our many Project Partners. Please click on the link below to open the pages.
August 5, 2021 – RRVID is officially done with the 2021 water season. We shut down the system on Monday, August 2nd as stated below in the July 30th update. We will not be turning water back on this year. Thank you all for your patience and understanding during the drought. Lets hope for a big snowpack this winter and a lot of rain in the Spring.
We are now taking credit and debit cards!
For your convenience we are set up to take your payment over the phone and in our office! The fee for this convenience is .016 for debit and .026 for credit. This fee is calculated based on the amount of your payment.
- For example:
- A payment of $285.49 using a debit card will have a fee of .016
- $285.49 x .016 = $4.57 Fee for a debit card transaction
- A payment of $285.49 using a credit card will have a fee of .026
- $285.49 x .026 = $7.42 Fee for a credit card transaction.
View current reservoir levels at the
US Bureau of Reclamation Website
Please click the link below to view an article in the Mail Tribune regarding the drought. By Vicki Aldous
MAIL TRIBUNE DROUGHT ARTICLE 2021
02/26/2021 Update on the Environmental Water Right Protection Assessment (EWRPA)
As we are always working on protecting the water in the valley, so that we can protect your water, we have had to extend the EWRPA (Environmental Water Right Protection Assessment). Please see the attachment that shows the Resolution decided upon by our Board of Directors.
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Role of Soil Organic Matter | NRCS Soils Role of Soil Organic Matter. Once a land manager begins working towards enhancing soil organic matter, a series of soil changes and environmental benefits follow. The rate and degree of these changes and the best suite of practices needed to achieve results vary with soil and climate. |
Where does organic matter come from and how can farms of all sizes increase soil organic matter? Adding organic matter to soil begins through development of regenerative agricultural practices.
Regenerative agriculture depends upon doing the following:
- keeping living (green) material in the soil around the year as much as practicable. For most farmers this can initially be achieved by initially introducing straw, manure, leaf mulch etc., and/or longer-term growing cover crops (green manure) then lightly tilling the cover crops in to a shallow soil surface.
- keeping a cover residue of living/dead plant material on the soil surface at all times
- reducing (preferably eliminating) plowing and tillage practices (minimize soil disturbances)
- withholding use of synthetic chemical pesticides as much as practicable
- optionally introducing livestock to increase economic and biological diversity (sheep, poultry, goats, beef, etc).
The overall documented suggestions are to use some/all of the practices of regenerative agriculture to increase soil organic matter (SOM). The SOM improves soil ecosystem health that has a much stronger water holding capacity. Growers then can keep an eye on their crops and/or use probes to measure soil moisture. There are many places where soil moisture probes can be obtained through the internet for less than $100. Growers with soil containing increased SOM will be able to reduce irrigation frequency and amounts.
Neighbors could share one probe.
To get started this year on increasing SOM, a normally slow process, growers can add straw to their topsoil. Purchase the cheapest straw available, generally free from contaminating seeds, and apply as much as is practicable to the topsoil. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/lara-bryant/organic-matter-can-improve-your-soils-water-holding-capacity
Obviously growing cover crops and leaving plant residues will be less expensive but this takes time to significantly increase SOM. In the Fall, leaves are generally a free source of plant organic matter to add to topsoil. This plant source might be mainly applicable to smaller farms and backyard gardens.
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Please click on this link to view a very informative Story Map Presentation of: The Bradshaw Drop Piping Project!
https://rvcog.maps.arcgidf9e4s.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=96b28bc544a94055bc0fc366cdb
February 7, 2019
Letter from the Manager
Update on the piping project: RRVID has been working on installing 3.2 miles of 48″ HDPE fusion welded pipe on part of our system between HWY 140 and Antelope Creek. This will put approximately 40 to 42 pounds of pressure to the farm with hopes of eliminating pumping cost. This is the first of what we hope to be, the beginning of modernizing RRVID. So far RRVID has been able to do all of this work through Grant dollars and State funds that we acquired before starting the project.
In closing, let’s continue to hope that we start seeing more snow in our mountains so that our reservoirs continue to fill before Spring and the beginning of water season. Please continue to check back on our website to see the date that water season will begin for 2019 and other important information.
Sincerely,
Brian Hampson District Manager/Secretary
