WYOMING – Wyoming delegates and the governor expressed their appreciation for fast-acting federal relief to state farmers hurt by an irrigation tunnel collapse on the Wyoming-Nebraska border last month.
US Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso and Congresswoman Liz Cheney, all R-Wyo., were joined by Governor Mark Gordon after the Department of Agriculture answered their call to grant crop insurance protection for producers hurt by the collapse of the Gering-Ft. Laramie-Goshen irrigation canal tunnel on July 17.
“I appreciate the Department of Agriculture for acting swiftly to provide our producers with crop insurance protection,” Enzi said. “This is a critical time for many Wyoming producers. This decision will help provide greater certainty to our farmers affected by the tunnel collapse so they can prepare for the winter and the next season.”
Numerous farming operations have or will report total losses for crops after the disaster. The irrigation tunnel collapse and subsequent breach of a canal wall cut off irrigation to more than 100,000 acres of farmland in Wyoming and Nebraska. Work to repair the irrigation tunnel and stabilize a sinkhole that formed above the tunnel’s roof is continuing.
“I applaud the Department of Agriculture for granting our request to extend crop insurance to affected farmers in Wyoming and Nebraska,” Barrasso said. “This much-needed relief is a lifeline to the Goshen Irrigation District community as they work to repair the damage. I will continue to work with Governor Gordon, the irrigation district and the Bureau of Reclamation to ensure the community has the resources needed to complete the reconstruction process.”
Governor Gordon expressed his gratitude to Wyoming and Nebraska’s congressional delegations, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and State of Nebraska agencies, and especially to State of Wyoming agencies for their collaborative efforts to address the ongoing needs of farmers impacted by the tunnel collapse.
“We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the diligent work of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, Wyoming State Geological Survey, Wyoming State Engineer’s Office and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, alongside our counterparts in Nebraska, to help provide the necessary information to open the doors for crop insurance coverage for producers in the affected area,” Gordon said. “The State of Wyoming will continue our ongoing efforts to obtain additional assistance for farmers impacted by this event. Many thanks to the numerous federal, state and local elected officials for bringing their resources to the table as well.”
Cheney added, “[The] announcement from the Department of Agriculture is a relief to those who have been impacted by the tunnel collapse. [Last] week, the delegation sent a letter to the USDA encouraging the Department to ensure losses resulting from this disaster are covered by crop insurance, and I’m glad Secretary Perdue quickly responded to that request. Communities in the impacted area have had to deal with much uncertainty as this process has played out, but this action by USDA should provide some needed support as recovery efforts continue.”
On Aug. 22, Enzi, Barrasso and Cheney joined US Senators Ben Sasse and Deb Fischer and Representative Adrian Smith, all R-Neb., in writing to the secretary of agriculture seeking crop insurance protection for producers hurt by the collapse of the Gering-Ft. Laramie-Goshen irrigation canal tunnel.
Before the collapse, the Gering-Ft. Laramie-Goshen irrigation canal tunnel transported water to more than 100,000 acres of land in Western Nebraska and Wyoming. The canal was built in 1910.
