Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District

10/27/2026

The Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District would like to thank legislative candidate Janell Anderson Ehrke for attending FCID's Board of Directors meeting and taking the time to discuss the challenges facing our district and the ongoing surface water shortage in the Republican River Basin.
Open discussions about water availability, irrigation, and the future of our agricultural communities are important as we work to address the challenges facing our region. We appreciate her willingness to hear directly from the district about these issues and the concerns of our water users.
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us and learn more about the water issues affecting southwest Nebraska.

08/06/2026

The Republican River at the Bartley Canal diversion is dry. Even upstream at McCook, the Republican River is flowing at only 1.92 cubic feet per second (about 861 gallons per minute). The flow entering Harlan County Reservoir is just 1.72 cubic feet per second (about 776 gallons per minute).

These extremely low flows come despite the Middle Republican NRD paying the Frenchman Valley Irrigation District, (Diversion Dam at Palisade NE.) approximately $112,500 each year not to operate the Culbertson Canal in an effort to increase flows in the Republican River.

07/17/2026

07/02/2026

The work never seems to stop at Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District.

After the weeds are flushed from the canals, the gopher holes are found and repaired, one canal breach fixed, and every lateral is filled and charged, we jump right into the next job—cleaning the upstream and downstream water level sensors on all 110 Rubicon automated gates that keep our canal systems operating efficiently.

It's one of those maintenance tasks that most people never see, but it's essential to delivering water accurately and making the most of every acre-foot.

As I looked at tonight's sunset, it was hard not to notice that the days are already getting shorter. Summer seems to fly by, but there's still plenty of irrigation season left and a lot of work ahead. Our crew will continue doing everything possible to provide reliable water deliveries while maximizing every drop.

06/24/2026

A huge **THANK YOU** to all of the prayer warriors at **SOS** and everyone else who has been praying for rain. Your prayers have truly been answered!

The recent rains have been a tremendous blessing, bringing much-needed moisture to our crops and generating significant inflows into **Swanson Reservoir**. Every drop helps improve our water supply and provides encouragement for our farmers and everyone who depends on this resource.

We are incredibly grateful for the rain, the answered prayers, and the hope it brings. Thank you for continuing to keep our farmers, our communities, and our water resources in your prayers.

🌧️🙏💙

06/18/2026

Started April 15 and a total of 98.4 miles flushed. Should be done in two more days.!!

4 Ditch Riders with a total of less than 7 years of experience and one backhoe operator with 47 years of experience. Getting it done with no plugged siphons. Good Job!!

06/07/2026

The Nebraska edition of the June Irrigation Leader is here!

In our cover story this month, we speak with Jerda Garey Vickers, a Nebraska native who has been heavily involved in educational and civic efforts throughout her entire life. In recent years, she has become interested in telling the story of the generation that founded the Republican Valley Conservation Association, including her father, Don Thompson, and Harry Strunk, a local dynamo who ran the McCook Daily Gazette and managed to get President Harry Truman out of bed and on the phone when necessary. Readers will enjoy this story of fiery personalities, determination, hard work, and achievement.

https://bit.ly/43OfSMl

05/27/2026

May 27, 2026

Dear Meeker-Driftwood Canal Water Users,

The Meeker-Driftwood Canal was originally scheduled to be flushed and placed into operation on May 26. However, due to the timely rainfall we recently received, the District has decided to postpone the canal startup for one week with the hopes of more rain and additional flushing delays.

At the end of this week, we will reevaluate field conditions, crop needs, and weather forecasts to determine if the startup can be delayed additional days.

This decision is being made to help conserve stored water supplies during the ongoing drought conditions and improve our ability to continue water deliveries later into the irrigation season.

The 2026 water allocation for the Meeker-Driftwood Canal has been set at 7 inches per acre. At this time, we fully expect to deliver that allocation. We ask all irrigators to use water as efficiently as possible and help conserve the available supply throughout the season.

The District will continue monitoring conditions closely and will keep water users informed of any operational changes.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Sincerely,

Brad Edgerton
Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District