Bidegaray Brothers Cooperators Of The Year

Richland County Conservation District has been recognizing individuals who co-operate with the district to implement conservation practices on the land for many years. In 1977 Jean Bidegaray received the distinction of conservation district co-operator of the year. Building on the conservation practices that their father began, Remi and Claude Bidegaray have been named Richland County Conservation District Co-operators of the Year for 2014.

Remi and Claude operate their diversified farm and ranch entity under Bidegaray Brothers, together they are continuing to implement conservation practices on their land. The operation is dryland cropland, irrigated cropland and rangeland. They grow corn, alfalfa, barley and spring wheat, using most of the crops as feed for their cattle operation. Irrigation water is pumped out of the Missouri River.

In the early 1990s they entered into a long term agreement with the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Richland County Conservation District to begin leveling river bottom land to improve irrigation efficiency. In 1993 they used the Great Plains Conservation Program to improve rangeland. They installed cross fences and water accesses in order to distribute cattle more effectively on the rangeland. They also planted trees to offer shelter around the feedlot. Marginal cropland was entered into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) benefiting the soil and the wildlife. Using the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) program in 2005 they added more stockwater pipelines. Due to the sandy soil on their operation they removed the field ditches and replaced them with buried piepe and began using gated pipe to irrigate their crops. They operated pivots on some lease land and realized the efficiency, water savings and timesavers that they provide. They also have a severe problem with pocket gophers damaging their irrigation ditches causing ditches to blow out resulting in sedimentation in the field. Seepage in the ditches hampers the ability to get water to all of the fields. With the help of EQIP they were able to install two pivots on their operation. This has helped them get an even application of water on the varying soil types. They are able to adjust the pivot operation according to soil types, fast pivot movement with low water application on heavy soils to prevent runoff and slow movement with high water on sandy soils. Remi and Claude participated in the Conservation Districts soil moisture monitoring project. This project helped flood irrigators that converted to pivot see how much moisture was in the soil at varying depths. They continue to participate in Irrigation Water Management using several different methods: wireless monitoring system, flow meters and the checkbook method. Water conservation and improved efficiency are important to the Bidegarays. In 2011, Remi and Claude entered into the Conservation Stewardship Program enhancing their operation with cover crop cocktails to improve soil health, implementing no till on both irrigation and dryland cropland and improving their Rangeland management with grazing rotations.

In order to be in compliance with the endangered species act for the Pallid Sturgeon, MT FWP and the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to mimic a spring rise on the Missouri River. Several pumpsites were in danger of being lost due to the elevation of their sites. Conservation Districts along the Missouri River and NRCS worked together to help these landowners move their pumpsites to higher ground in anticipation of this "spring rise". Remi and Claude retrofitted two pumpsites with this project. The moving of these pumpsites proved to be beneficial during the actual flood of 2011.

Having irrigation pumpsites on the Missouri comes with its own special problems, specifically the silting in of the sites during the winter months. In order to assist Missouri river irrigators with this Richland and Roosevelt County Conservation Districts operate a dredge to clean out these sites. Remi and Claude are supportive of the Dredge and are always willing to help the dredge operator when he is working in their stretch of the river. They also help launch the dredge into the river at their pumpsite. This is very helpful due to the lack of boat ramps on the Missouri River.

By following in their father's footsteps and continuing to conserve, maintain and improve the natural resources on their operation; Remi and Claude know the value of protecting the natural resources for the next generation. Richland County is proud to honor them as Conservation District cooperators of the year for 2014.