Irrigation town hall meeting

Irrigation Town Hall Meeting Planned

A town hall meeting focused on irrigation and hosted by area legislators is scheduled for Alexandria on Wednesday, July 29.  It will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Glenwood State Bank building in Alexandria.

“This is an opportunity for irrigators to let us know how new water appropriation rules are impacting them,” said Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck).  “The DNR plays an important role in the permitting process for large volume water users, and they will also be in attendance.”

Other legislators who will be at the meeting include Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and Rep. Denny McNamara (R- Hastings), who is currently serving as chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

“This town hall meeting is a great opportunity for constituents to engage in dialog with DNR officials and lawmakers,” Franson said. “We’re looking for ways to make irrigation and well permitting policy more efficient and workable for area farmers.”

Legislation passed in the 2013 session changed how the DNR reviews applications and approves permits for new irrigation wells. “These changes have caused some confusion and time delays in the process,” said Anderson. “This meeting will give area farmers an opportunity to share their experiences in dealing with the permitting process and hopefully offer suggestions on how to make it better and more streamlined.”

The location of the meeting in Alexandria is the second floor community room of the Glenwood State Bank building at 2221 South Broadway St. in Alexandria.  It begins at 8:30 a.m. on July 29.

 “This is an important topic for our area,” Anderson added.  “The Bonanza Valley around Brooten and Belgrade is heavily dependent on irrigation to produce crops.  It’s also one of four pilot areas in the state where the DNR is conducting studies on water sustainability.”