Ag Committee asked to police irrigation spraying

By John M. Ayers

The Gilchrist County Commission continues to deal with problems concerning irrigation pivot systems spraying on county roads.
Commissioner Kenrick Thomas reported in the Monday, January 3, meeting that he received a call last week from a county resident who said an irrigation system was again spraying on SE 45th Avenue (Waters Lake Road).
Commissioner Thomas reported that he and County Road Superintendent Billy Cannon have tried to talk with the owner of Misty Farms whose equipment is spraying on SE 45th Ave. but the farmer just doesn’t seem to be willing to adjust his equipment to keep it from spraying on the roadway.
Commissioner Thomas said that in his experience of dealing with irrigation spraying equipment in Alachua County, the county had zero tolerance for an irrigation gun spraying on county roads.
“We had to adjust the equipment to keep the spray from the roadways,” Thomas said.
Gilchrist County Attorney John McPherson reported to the board that he had not sent a letter to the dairy owner, who had previously been complained about, for the spraying of irrigation on SE 45th Avenue.
Since the agriculture committee was meeting on this issue, McPherson said he would wait on the board’s decision to send the letter requesting the dairyman not spray on the county road.
The Gilchrist County Agriculture Committee was impaneled on December 1, 2010 to consider the spraying of irrigation equipment on county roads. County residents involved in agriculture who attended this committee meeting were: Jim Jones, Tommy Jones, Kelly Philman, Jon Gray, Scott Tucker, and A.W. Powers. Gilchrist County Extension Director Marvin Weaver and Dr. Mary Sowerby, Regional Dairy Specialist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, were also in attendance in this meeting.
The county commission had provided the committee with a draft ordinance, which identified the issues involving the spraying on county roads.
Jon Gray expressed concern over the issue and asked if this particular problem was isolated, or was this a countywide issue.
Kelly Philman reported he had no problems with pivots on county roads, but he is willing to work with the county on this issue.
Some of the pivots currently in operation on property he is farming do not have the micro valve cut off. Philman explained he is working to retrofit the equipment as soon as possible, given the fact that this endeavor could be very costly.
Jon Gray pointed out that the problem possibly needs addressing, but he felt that the farmers should not be made out to be lawbreakers. He added that “wind drift” could always present a problem. He asked if there was a state rule involving overspray on highways. Gray felt farmers would want a volunteer program to solve the problem.
The committee discussed that a registry be made to identify all of the irrigation pivots in Gilchrist County that are parallel with county roads. When there is a problem, the information involving a particular pivot would be in the county system for a quick response.
The committee determined that they did not need an ordinance to correct this problem. A working group of farmers would solve the problem. The group also determined that a registry of irrigation equipment owners be made and a meeting of these farmers be called to discuss this matter to get it solved.
Most farmers are already complying with Best Management Practices. This is a requirement as the farmers are currently dealing with the water management districts involving the use of the pivot equipment.
The commission agreed to have the county attorney send a letter to the ag committee to have them send a recommendation back to the board to solve this problem. If the Ag Committee could not submit a solution to the board, the commission would then take action to adopt an ordinance involving the spraying of irrigation equipment on county roads.