Farmers Along White River Have Less Water, Blame Army Corps of Engineers
By: Josh Berry
Updated: June 3, 2012
Historically low river levels have forced farmers to call for help.
Mother nature has made dry conditions, but some have blamed the Army Corps of Engineers for not releasing enough water from feeder lakes.
One farmer, Keith Harmon, has been on the front lines of this battle in Independence County.
He said their financial risk has quadrupled in the last two years.
Farmers like Harmon want the Corps to release more water for their use. They said the potential rise in food prices in the coming years will force them to have a say in this pressing matter.
"We have farmers all up and down the White River, Black River and all the tributaries that are shutting pumps off because a lack of water," Harmon claimed.
Independence and other surrounding counties along the White River said they have experienced historical lows in White River levels.
Normal flow is around 3000 cubic feet per second and it's down nearly 1500.
Sandbars that have popped up along river banks are normally underwater.
"That's just becoming unacceptable," Harmon said.
Farmers blame the Army Corp of Engineers for not releasing enough water from the feeder Lake Bull Shoals.
Harmon added, "If there's not ample flow for intake pipes on the pumps then we can't operate."
And they need water. Harmon irrigates approximately 760 acres of corn with their primary source being the White River.
One of Harmon's irrigation systems pumps out 1,000 gallons a minute. He has six of them that run for days on end. Do the math and you'll find that's a lot of water.
"It is a habitual problem when we cannot get the corps that does a tremendous job with the big problems to look at the small problems," said Independence County Judge, Robert Griffin.
Independence county lowered their conservation pool anticipating spring rains that never came.
"That same need we have here, that same farmer does on upstream," Griffin said.
He thinks the Corps should look further into the summer and try to keep the river at about 8 feet to benefit farmers and the County's hydro electric project.
The Corps said they don't control the releases when the lake reaches conservation levels.
Two different organizations call the shots on river releases, leaving farmers at the mercy of of those decisions.
Now they want some say in the release of water.
"The only way we're going to get that is if the farming community has a voice with the core," Harmon said.
They've made formal requests for releases but haven't seen any changes.
Of course rain would answer a lot of their problems, but the Corp can't help with that.
"No they can't do anything about that but they can help us with this irrigation problem if they will," Harmon said.
In an effort to get their voices heard, they hope to reach out to different politicians for their help.
Mother nature has made dry conditions, but some have blamed the Army Corps of Engineers for not releasing enough water from feeder lakes.
One farmer, Keith Harmon, has been on the front lines of this battle in Independence County.
He said their financial risk has quadrupled in the last two years.
Farmers like Harmon want the Corps to release more water for their use. They said the potential rise in food prices in the coming years will force them to have a say in this pressing matter.
"We have farmers all up and down the White River, Black River and all the tributaries that are shutting pumps off because a lack of water," Harmon claimed.
Independence and other surrounding counties along the White River said they have experienced historical lows in White River levels.
Normal flow is around 3000 cubic feet per second and it's down nearly 1500.
Sandbars that have popped up along river banks are normally underwater.
"That's just becoming unacceptable," Harmon said.
Farmers blame the Army Corp of Engineers for not releasing enough water from the feeder Lake Bull Shoals.
Harmon added, "If there's not ample flow for intake pipes on the pumps then we can't operate."
And they need water. Harmon irrigates approximately 760 acres of corn with their primary source being the White River.
One of Harmon's irrigation systems pumps out 1,000 gallons a minute. He has six of them that run for days on end. Do the math and you'll find that's a lot of water.
"It is a habitual problem when we cannot get the corps that does a tremendous job with the big problems to look at the small problems," said Independence County Judge, Robert Griffin.
Independence county lowered their conservation pool anticipating spring rains that never came.
"That same need we have here, that same farmer does on upstream," Griffin said.
He thinks the Corps should look further into the summer and try to keep the river at about 8 feet to benefit farmers and the County's hydro electric project.
The Corps said they don't control the releases when the lake reaches conservation levels.
Two different organizations call the shots on river releases, leaving farmers at the mercy of of those decisions.
Now they want some say in the release of water.
"The only way we're going to get that is if the farming community has a voice with the core," Harmon said.
They've made formal requests for releases but haven't seen any changes.
Of course rain would answer a lot of their problems, but the Corp can't help with that.
"No they can't do anything about that but they can help us with this irrigation problem if they will," Harmon said.
In an effort to get their voices heard, they hope to reach out to different politicians for their help.
