https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2020/11/05/alta-irrigation-district-ditches-getting-facelifts/ In-depth, locally-produced coverage of the Central Valley. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:43:55 -0700 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2020/11/05/alta-irrigation-district-ditches-getting-facelifts/#comment-90785 Mary Jane Galviso Tue, 01 Dec 2020 15:58:10 +0000 https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/?p=34457#comment-90785 As a farmer, I have been an Alta District customer for nearly 20 years. The beginning of our relationship was fraught with tension and hostile acts by older, white male ditch-tenders (who thankfully have since retired) because of my insistence that my ditch-banks not be sprayed with deadly pesticides. One ditch-tender came within inches of running into me with his truck after my attempts to speak to him through a rolled-up window that he refused to put down. When I called into the Alta office to report the incident, he claimed that the sun was in his eyes obscuring sight of me. The racist & sexist treatment I received ended once Glen Pilkerton came in as our new ditch-tender for the Bowhay irrigation line. We became fast friends as we rescued so many dogs & puppies abandoned along Alta ditches. I would often caution Glen to be careful of the deadly chemicals.Alta District sprayed up and down ditch banks. Tragically, Glen died last year at the age of 52 after a brave battle with cancer that I am firmly convinced was attributed to his exposure to the chemical sprays used by Alta Irrigation District. If we look at how other countries (think England) care for their waterways, you will see grass covering and water teaming with life. Here, our waters are dead and the ditch banks the best examples of soil erosion imaginable. Instead of investing in chemicals and heavy machinery that kill our soil and marine life, Alta needs to invest in acquiring the knowledge to re-establish healthy waterways and toxic-free water. Good for our soil, good for the crops we grow and good for the health of its employees and those of us who rely on ground surface irrigation flow. As a farmer, I have been an Alta District customer for nearly 20 years. The beginning of our relationship was fraught with tension and hostile acts by older, white male ditch-tenders (who thankfully have since retired) because of my insistence that my ditch-banks not be sprayed with deadly pesticides. One ditch-tender came within inches of running into me with his truck after my attempts to speak to him through a rolled-up window that he refused to put down. When I called into the Alta office to report the incident, he claimed that the sun was in his eyes obscuring sight of me. The racist & sexist treatment I received ended once Glen Pilkerton came in as our new ditch-tender for the Bowhay irrigation line. We became fast friends as we rescued so many dogs & puppies abandoned along Alta ditches. I would often caution Glen to be careful of the deadly chemicals.Alta District sprayed up and down ditch banks. Tragically, Glen died last year at the age of 52 after a brave battle with cancer that I am firmly convinced was attributed to his exposure to the chemical sprays used by Alta Irrigation District. If we look at how other countries (think England) care for their waterways, you will see grass covering and water teaming with life. Here, our waters are dead and the ditch banks the best examples of soil erosion imaginable. Instead of investing in chemicals and heavy machinery that kill our soil and marine life, Alta needs to invest in acquiring the knowledge to re-establish healthy waterways and toxic-free water. Good for our soil, good for the crops we grow and good for the health of its employees and those of us who rely on ground surface irrigation flow.

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