Four States Irrigation Council honors ag and water infrastructure leaders
The Four States Irrigation Council once again took time to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions in the irrigation, agriculture and water infrastructure industries this winter.
During a Jan. 30 awards banquet in Northglenn, Colo., the organization distributed its annual Headgate awards, which are given to industry leaders in each of the four states – Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas – who have been active in and supportive of irrigation and water resources development.
Each year, the Four States Irrigation Council Awards Banquet takes place as part of the organization’s broader two-day annual meeting.
In addition to the annual Headgate awards, this year’s banquet also included awarding the 2025 Water Master, which recognizes individuals who’ve made broad impacts on the Four States Irrigation Council.
Wyoming Headgate Award
Greg Posten is the winner of this year’s Wyoming Headgate Award.
Posten has served the Goshen Irrigation District in numerous capacities for the last 27 years. He started out as a ditch rider, then moved to heavy equipment operator for many years.
For the last three years, Posten has been the water master for Goshen Irrigation District, a very demanding job for a district its size.
The Goshen Irrigation District operates and maintains the Fort Laramie Canal, from Whalen Dam to the state line, while the district is also responsible for approximately 300 miles of laterals and about 200 miles of drains. The district delivers water to about 400 farms, altogether covering 52,484 acres.
Posten will be retiring this winter and taking with him a wealth of knowledge which will be hard to replace.
Colorado Headgate Award
Jim Yahn is the manager of the North Sterling and Prewitt reservoirs, a position he’s held for over 30 years, and is the winner of this year’s Colorado Headgate Award.
He is responsible for overseeing the diversion and distribution of water to more than 350 farmers. Together, the reservoirs are a source of irrigation water for approximately 70,000 acres.
Yahn is a native of Colorado, growing up on a family ranch which used water from the North Sterling Reservoir system. In June of 2016, Yahn was appointed by the governor to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to serve as the South Platte director and served for five years, including a two-year term as chair.
Yahn has been a member of the South Platte Basin Roundtable since its inception in 2005, serving as chair from 2009-12 and as the roundtable’s representative to the Interbasin Compact Committee.
In the near future, Yahn will be stepping away from some roles in the water world to serve his community as Logan County Commissioner.
Nebraska Headgate Award
A fifth-generation Nebraskan and lifelong resident of Cambridge, Neb., Brad Edgerton, the manager of the Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District since 2009, is the winner of the Nebraska Headgate Award.
The Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District is a political subdivision of the state of Nebraska, created to enable the people of southwest Nebraska to develop the state’s irrigation potential. Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District delivers natural-flow irrigation water using four different canal systems to more than 45,600 acres in southwest Nebraska and is the eighth largest irrigation district in Nebraska based on acres served.
Before arriving at the district, Edgerton spent 25 years with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, where he served as field office supervisor for the Republican River Basin from 2000-08.
With 45 total years of experience in water resource management in the Republican River Basin, Edgerton is also currently on the board of directors for the Nebraska State Irrigation Association.
Kansas Headgate Award
Ron Allen, the winner of this year’s Kansas Headgate Award, provided 43 years of dedicated service to the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District.
Allen went to work for the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District in 1967, shortly after graduating from North Central Kansas Technical College. When the district’s head mechanic retired in 1970, Allen was promoted to the position, and in 1984, he was promoted to foreman, a position he held until his retirement in 2010.
Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District is a 42,500-acre surface water irrigation district serving agricultural lands in Jewell and Republic counties in north-central Kansas.
As foreman of the district, Allen’s principal duties were to oversee the operations and maintenance of 250 miles of canals and laterals.
During his career, he oversaw the construction of pipelines to replace laterals, as well as many other district infrastructure projects which improved the efficiency of the district.
Water Master Award
Water Master Award Honoree Dan Keppen is the executive director for the Family Farm Alliance, a nonprofit association which advocates for family farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts and allied industries in 17 western states.
After 20 years at Family Farm Alliance, Keppen will be stepping down from his leadership role later this year.
Keppen – who for nearly two decades has attended and presented each year at the Four States Irrigation Council Annual Meeting – altogether has about 35 years of experience in western water resources engineering and policy matters. He has testified over 20 times before Congressional committees, primarily on federal environmental, infrastructure and ag policy matters.
He was invited to represent the alliance at the 2016 White House Water Summit and, among numerous other leadership roles during his career, has served as a board member of the Irrigation Association and Clean Water Alliance – now known as the U.S. Water Alliance.
The Four States Irrigation Council, established in 1952, serves as a forum for farmers, ditch and irrigation company representatives, water district staff and board members, engineers, professors, Extension agents, government officials and others to discuss water-delivery and irrigation-related issues, exchange ideas and develop solutions. To learn more, visit 4-states-irrigation.org.
