Irrigation fees could be reduced
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Editor,
In my Valley Journal Feb. 3 letter, “New cooperative entity could improve irrigation,” I discussed how a new cooperative agreement between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Flathead Irrigation District could improve management of our irrigation project, but irrigators also could enjoy a huge economic benefit.
When the Bureau of Indian Affairs reassumed project management from the tribal-irrigator Cooperative Management Entity that managed the project from 2010 to 2013, the CME had 42 employees. The operations and management fee (O&M) was $26 per acre.
Within a few years, the BIA raised the O&M fee to $33.50 per acre in order to employ up to 52 employees. Because of bureaucratic hurdles, the BIA has had difficulties filling 42 positions, let alone 52.
If the FID and CSKT could agree on a new joint entity by early this summer, they could press BIA to restore the $26 O&M fee for the irrigation year beginning January 2022 and save irrigators $7.50 per acre.
Dick Erb
Moiese
