Saving Irrigation Water Workshop Monday

The University of Idaho Extension will be presenting a workshop on saving irrigation water on Monday May2nd at 7:00 PM in Suite 203 of the Arco Butte Business Incubation Center.  The featured speaker will be Dr. Howard Neibling, University of Idaho Extension Irrigation Specialist, who has been working on Low Elevation Sprinkler Application (LESA) to improve water use efficacy by reducing evaporative loses.  Dr. Neibling has had experiments and demonstrations around Idaho and the northwest, including in Butte County and will discuss the water saving results of this alternative application technology and how to implement it.

Western Idaho Cropping School February 9th

Olga Walsh, the western Idaho cropping system specialist, is hosting a workshop at the Best Western Plus Caldwell In and Suites at 908 Spect Avenue in Caldwell, February 9th from 8 AM to 1 PM.  The program will provide Crop Advisor Credit and will cover subjects from resistant weeds to unmanned aerial vehicles.  Cost of the program is $20.

Click on the image to view the program full sized.

Toolset Helps Identify Key Water-Conservation Options

By Rosalie Bliss
October 2, 2015

A free downloadable toolset geared towards helping conservation planners, landowners and researchers better manage runoff, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, while also supporting agricultural production is available. The new software toolset was developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)—USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

Water Efficiency / Drought Workshop February 24th

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Please RSVP to 886-2406

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The Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program (SPCC) and Farm Fuel Tanks

by Tom Karsky, Univeristy of Idaho Extension Safety Specialist

The Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program (SPCC) can have an effect on growers that store fuel and oil on the their facilities. This program is not new, it was part of the Clean Water Act of 1974 but the part that affects farmers and ranchers is now coming into effect. The goal of the program is to prevent oil from spilling into waters of the US and adjoining shorelines. A key element of this program requires an oil spill prevention program called an SPCC plan to be completed by May 10, 2013. Those that are affected by this requirement must meet the following conditions:

1. Store, transfer, use, or consume oil or oil products such as diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, adjuvant oil, crop oil, vegetable oil, or animal fat. AND

2. Store more than 1320 gallons in above ground containers (only 55 gallon drums or larger should be included in the total) or more than 42,000 gallons in below ground containers. AND

3. Oil could be expected to discharge into navigable waters of the US or adjoining shorelines (lakes, rivers, streams). The nature and flow properties combined with a rain event must be considered.

Caring for Trees in the Lost River Valleys

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By Chad Cheyney, Butte County Extension Educator





Give your trees a break! Proper timing, amount and application of water to trees in the Lost Rivers Valleys are the key to keeping our trees out of trouble with winter injury, diseases and insects. Properly irrigated trees successfully repel most insect and disease problems. Trees stressed by inadequate amounts or improper timing or poor placement of irrigation water are stressed and become increasingly susceptible to a wide variety of insect and disease complexes. While it may be possible to correct insect and disease problems in the short term by application of pesticides, in the long term, only proper irritation will keep our trees healthy. Your trees need at least twice as much water as the same area of grass!