A pivot irrigation system

A pivot irrigation system with a drainage canal in the foreground. Water and nitrogen fertilizer is applied to crops using these irrigation systems. 

But the consolidation of the sector makes it increasingly hard for organizers to push for drinking water regulation. According to experts, local actions need to be paired with more federal regulation to properly address the drinking water nitrate pollution.

The Lower Yakima Valley in Washington state has been home to large-scale animal agriculture for decades, but in 2008 when one dairy operation tried moving onto the Yakama Indian Reservation, the community balked at the proposition.

Wellhead

A wellhead in Boardman, Oregon. 

Lamb Weston

Lamb Weston, a food processing company that produces french fries, operates in the Port of Morrow.