The Irrigation Association's (IA) message that irrigation is part of the solution on water issues is beginning to resonate on Capitol Hill, the IA's legislative consultant said following two days of meetings between IA leaders and Washington officials.

Association members, including the IA executive committee, spent two days meeting with members of Congress, key staff members for the Senate and House Agricultural Committees, and officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Department of Commerce.

Members discussed using the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to fund irrigation improvements as a means of mitigating drought, creating a water caucus in Congress and declaring July Smart Irrigation Month to raise awareness of efficient irrigation technology and practices.