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<br />'oM 9''1 g <br /> <br />IRRIGATION DISTRIcr MEETING, DECEMBER 6-7,1990 <br />Sponsored by the Ford Foundation <br /> <br />The purpose of our meeting was to bring together people on the topic of irrigation <br /> <br />districts, The irrigation district concept was a radical idea in its time. Legislators supported the <br /> <br />idea of a local collective effort initially to develop water systems and levy taxes, Later, the <br /> <br />ability to issue tax exempt bonds added to tbeir attractiveness. These were some of many <br /> <br />unique ideas that came together to promote irrigated agriculture in an effort to better develop <br /> <br />and settle the West Prior to the development of irrigation districts, there was some <br /> <br />experimentation with otber types of agricultural organizations, including private ditch companies <br /> <br />and mutual ditches. These organizations were, for tbe most part, not sufficient to carry out tbe <br /> <br />needs of the agricultural coIl1IlIunity, <br /> <br />Irrigation districts continue to play an important role in the West, but they are also <br /> <br />faced with pressures to change.! They supply more tban 50 percent of tbe irrigated acreage yet <br /> <br />provide only about 35 percent of irrigation water. They control large amounts of the West's <br /> <br />water resources, Additionally in some areas tbey are important local governing structures, Yet <br /> <br />tbe pressures they face today are enormous and the character of many of tbese organizations is <br /> <br />radically changing for a number of reasons, including tbe following: <br /> <br />. Agricultural production Is dedining in some areas; <br /> <br />J Many in the discussion group recogniI.e that some d~tricts have already faced the issues <br />and pressures presented bere 85. future concerns. , <br /> <br />1 <br />