Four States Irrigation Council honors ag, water infrastructure leaders

The Four States Irrigation Council this winter once again took time to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions in the irrigation, agriculture and water infrastructure industries. During a Jan. 15 awards banquet in Northglenn, Colo., the organization distributed its annual Headgate awards, which are given to industry leaders in each of the four states (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming) who have been active in and supportive of irrigation and water resources development. Each year, the Four States awards banquet takes place as part of the organization’s broader two-day annual meeting.

The 2025 Four States award winners include:

Colorado Headgate Award – Joel Schneekloth

Schneekloth is a long-time water resources specialist for Colorado State University Extension and the Colorado Water Center at CSU, and will soon be wrapping up a multi-decade career devoted to irrigation and agriculture research, as he plans to retire this spring. Having been with CSU since 2000, Schneekloth has spent his career conducting research and educational programs related to irrigation and crop production, primarily focusing on limited water supplies, system management and design, and alternative crops and their potential impacts on water management. Based at the Central Great Plains Research Station in Akron, his most recent research and demonstrations have included large-scale limited irrigation and crop systems projects in the Republican and South Platte basins, and also focused on the impacts of cover cropping in irrigated production. Over the years, his projects have additionally examined various aspects of irrigated forage production, irrigation response of sunflowers, water response of oilseeds, and residue management impacts on water — all aimed at the critical need to help farmers produce more with less in a region facing long-term water scarcity. Growing up on an irrigated dairy farm in northeastern Nebraska, water has always been a part of his Schneekloth’s life. After attending the University of Nebraska, Schneekloth went to work for his alma mater for 11 years, holding the positions of water resources Extension educator and water resources coordinator in southwest Nebraska, before eventually going to work for CSU.

Kansas Headgate Award – Dan Reynolds

Reynolds began his career at the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District in 1979, being hired as a ditch rider for the Lower 5th Canal. Following that first irrigation season, his ditch-riding duties were transferred to the White Rock Canal, where he remained for the next 40 years, until his retirement following the 2019 irrigation season. While serving as ditch rider in the summers, Reynolds was also promoted in 2012 to co-foreman of the field crew during the off-seasons, a position he also held until his retirement. While being a skilled ditch rider and supervisor of the field crew, Reynolds was also known as one of the best heavy equipment operators Kansas Bostwick has ever had. In his retirement, Reynolds and his wife, Mary, maintain a small herd of cattle, as well as spend a great deal of their time chasing grandchildren to sporting events and other activities all over the state of Kansas.

Nebraska Headgate Award – Bernie Glos

Glos has been with the Twin Loups Reclamation and Irrigation District for 40 years, having been employed with the district since it started in 1986. Glos has served in several different roles, including maintenance, ditch riding, executing water right transfers and Reclamation Reform Act compliance. He has recently served as office manager and administrative manager, and is currently the assistant manager for the district. Having been in various roles over the years, Glos’s expertise has proved valuable to the daily operations of the district. In addition to his responsibilities as assistant manager, Glos also does water rights mapping and has set the district up with data loggers to monitor flows throughout the project to assist both experienced and new ditch riders. Glos additionally enjoys assisting fellow employees and also meeting the farmers the district serves. Glos has dedicated his entire adult career to Twin Loups and strives every day to make the district a better place. Twin Loups is now at a time where many infrastructure and technology updates are needed to efficiently operate the projects. Twin Loups is also currently in the middle of title transfer, and Glos has worked side by side with the general manager to engage in meetings with all key stakeholders to discuss and negotiate post-title transfer terms. Glos’s years of experience are vital in this process, as he’s able to speak to both the transfer’s benefits to farmers and its financial incentives for the district. Glos has dedicated everything he has to providing outstanding customer service to every farmer in the district, assisting with any and all needs they have, as well as fellow irrigation districts by providing insight on current issues and guidance for day-to-day operations.

Nebraska Headgate Award – Rick Preston

Preston was general manager for the Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District from 1993 until his retirement in December of 2024. Prior to his employment in Nebraska, Preston worked for San Luis Irrigation District in Los Banos, Calif., for 10 years as a ditch rider. Over the course of his employment, Preston made some difficult but necessary changes and improvements at the district. One of the huge stresses that he had to work through was the Fort Laramie Canal Tunnel collapse in 2019, which continues to be an ongoing process. Preston worked with Gering Irrigation District for 17 years, helping them navigate through the years of water shortage, and continues today as an adviser to their board. In 2017, Enterprise Irrigation District reached out to Preston, seeking help to restructure their district, which he also did until his retirement. During his time at Gering-Fort Laramie, he served on the board of Nebraska Water Resources Association, Nebraska State lrrigators Association, Gering Valley Flood Control Committee and on the Lake Alice School Board. Preston is widely regarded as a very knowledgeable person who has a love for agriculture and deeply values surface water. In 2023, he was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement.

Wyoming Headgate Award – Joan McGraw

McGraw has worked in water, water quality and water conservation since 2012, when she started working for the Medicine Bow Conservation District. After a short time there, she became the district manager and kept a constant flow of grants moving through the district to complete needed conservation projects. Then in 2023, McGraw became the district manager for Casper Alcova Irrigation District, where she hit the ground running. McGraw has accomplished a lot with CAID, including securing funding for cost sharing on automation project for the district that save hours of drive time for ditch riders. McGraw has additionally strengthened relationships with the Bureau of Recreation, State Engineer’s Office, Wyoming Water Development Commission, City of Casper and other government agencies. Landowners, too, have been pleased with the level of communication McGraw has brought to the role. McGraw has spent countless hours reorganizing operational processes within the office, including researching and updating landowner water rights, restructuring the district’s accounting system, and organizing the office to better research various topics. She is known by those she works with as always the first one into the office and the last to leave. In 2024, McGraw was elected to fill a three-year term on the Wyoming Association of Irrigation Districts board of directors, and has provided helpful leadership to that organization as well.