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JEFFERSON CO. -- Some Wisconsin farmers applied for and have received permission from the state to tap into rivers and ponds to irrigate their crops. Joe Mallow of Ixonia is one of those farmers.
Mallow is a fourth-generation farmer who is now sucking water from the Rock River to make sure his alfalfa crop gets a good soaking.
"Financially for this year it was something I thought we should do and I am glad we did it," said Mallow.
The process of tapping into the Rock River is normally against the law without going through a lengthy permitting process. But Travis Schroeder of the Department of Natural Resources says, by order of the governor, the process was sped up from months to just days.
"72 hours is our time frame right now to make a field visit. Basically onsite we give the land owner a determination," said Schroeder.
The process has saved Mallow's alfalfa crop. But it's simply not possible for him to water all of his crops. That's because irrigation is not cheap.
"We only did about 30 acres so far and I got a fuel bill of about a thousand dollars," said Mallow.
Because of that high cost, the DNR says most farmers stay away from the process of tapping into natural water resources.
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