Water Information Partner Spotlight

District Conservation Technicians Make a Big Impact in Montezuma County

Did you know that there are technicians in Montezuma County that can provide farmers, ranchers and forestland owners with the knowledge and tools they need to conserve, maintain, and restore the natural resources on their lands and improve the health of their operations for the future?  A unique partnership between federal, state and local entities that supports two District Conservation Technicians who can provide landowners with one-on-one site visits, proven conservation technologies and the delivery system needed to achieve the benefits of a healthy and a productive landscape. They can work to solve soil, water quality, and water conservation issues.  They can also work to reduce potential impacts of drought, enhance the quality of fish and wildlife habitat, and assist in facilitating changes in land use for natural resource protection and long-term sustainability.

Meet Cory Schmitt and Chris Garner, the Mancos Conservation District Technicians.

Cory Schmitt is a 4th generation farmer and rancher deeply rooted in southwest Colorado.  He and his family own and operate a registered Black Angus cattle outfit on their 750-acre property in Montezuma County, where they raise breeding stock for our local cattle industry.  Cory brings a lifetime of experience in irrigation, crop production, and livestock management to the Mancos Conservation District and his 20 plus years of field work are also a valuable asset to the engineering team at the NRCS Cortez Field Office.  Cory is committed to maintaining agriculture as a primary economic driver in our area and he looks forward to a career designing more efficient irrigation systems that help mitigate downstream salinity issues in addition to conserving our irrigation water.

Chris Garner was born and raised in Cortez, Colorado, where he is also a rancher and raises cattle and hay with his family.  He attended Northeastern Junior college and Colorado State University where he studied Agricultural Business and Animal Science. Chris worked as a carpenter prior to becoming a District Conservation Technician with the NRCS and Mancos Conservation District.  He and his wife Mary have three children: Levi, Taylor, and Ethan. When he is not keeping busy with work and ranching you can find him with his family as they participate in many sporting and 4H activities.

Specialized Projects that Support Individual Landowners

Cory and Chris focus on providing technical assistance and engineering services that specifically meet the needs of each landowner.  One landowner shared that “that the design of my diversion box was difficult, but after the third failure to fit all the requirements you guys came through.  It works super, just as designed.”  Another landowner shared that “the team was always open to our concerns and willing to make changes within the requirements of their approved guidelines.”  Cory and Chris’ personal and professional experience ensures that water rights, soils profiles, crop systems, and landscape elevations are all taken into account when completing projects that can support specific landowner goals for 20 years or more.  Cory and Chris design and engineering projects in addition to performing construction inspections along the way, supporting landowner projects from the beginning to end: “From the beginning of our project to our current state being almost finished with the underground portion, we’ve found the team to possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, professionalism and the ability to adapt “real world” farming needs with the regulations set forth by the organization they represent.”

District Technicians Make Big Impacts

Despite challenges with material availability, staffing in the NRCS office, contractor scheduling, and the global pandemic, Mancos Conservation District Technicians have completed 59 projects for a total financial contribution to landowners in EQIP cost share dollars of $4,072,000 in the last 5 years. These completed projects will conserve water on over 1,300 acres of irrigated land and save over 1,900 tons of salt from being added to the greater Colorado River system.  Another landowner shared that “Issues with staffing being out of office, availability of materials, timing with contractors for installation all created their own set of problems.  But through all this the District office DCTs were nothing but professional and helpful. The process may have taken a little longer but in the end it all worked out and I am very pleased with the end result. System is working great and it’s a sight to see those sprinklers running.”

Chris and Cory know the work they complete each year is providing Montezuma County landowners with the ability to decrease labor hours, increase crop yields, extend their irrigation season, increase efficiency, provide access to cost share opportunities, and reduce salt loads in the greater Colorado River.  While they support Montezuma County landowners in a variety of ways, perhaps the largest impacts Chris and Cory make are related to the relationships they have developed with local landowners.   They have become a valuable resource to agriculture in Montezuma County.  The technical assistance provided throughout the process not only ensures quality control and compliance with design specifications, but also helps build confidence in the services they provide, making landowners comfortable returning to the NRCS for additional project support.  As one landowner indicated “I would not hesitate to call the District office again if ever the need arises.”

The District Conservation Technician program is made possible through a federal, state and local partnership to ensure the high-quality delivery of natural resource conservation technical assistance to private landowners. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides 75% of the support, the Colorado Department of Agriculture State Conservation Board (CSCB) provides 5% of the support and the Mancos Conservation District provides 20% of the support.  Contact our local NRCS Office or the Mancos Conservation District for more information or to get support for your natural resource-related projects.

NRCS Cortez Field Office
628 West 5th Street
Cortez, CO 81328
(970) 565-9045 ext. 3

Mancos Conservation District
604 Bauer Ave.
Mancos, CO 81328
(970) 533-7317

The High Desert Conservation District and Mancos Conservation District are two of the 29 local partners that support the Water Information Program, providing balanced water educational programs and content in southwestern Colorado.