Potential Irrigation Changes & FAA Approval

Potential Irrigation Changes & FAA Approval

Potential Irrigation Changes & FAA Approval. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

The FAA has just given their very first approval for commercial use of the RMAX remotely piloted helicopter or drone for aerial spraying. Ken Giles, agricultural engineer at the University of California Davis says it's the first short step in agricultural use of drones to do more than just collect information and do farm mapping.

GILES: This recent approval from FAA is really the toe-hold of opportunity where we can come in on a broader scale commercially and legally and begin looking at this technology. This is an alternative that now has the interest, especially based on this approval, the interest in saying how can we use this new technology to more economically control invasive species or to do better mosquito spraying or to protect the forests.

Flood control water may be an issue in Idaho has officials with the Nampa-Meridian Irrigation District see some potential changes as worrisome. They are concerned that they may be charged for flood waters released by the Idaho Department of Water Resources when they say it's just for flood control purposes and not released as irrigation water. That water ultimately goes to water right holders and will be used for irrigation. The issue is a complex one and the Irrigation District leaders says they will go to court if necessary to retain those water rights.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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