Transcript Irrigation Water Management: Opportunities and Results Presented by: Paul Stoker, Executive Director Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area.

Irrigation Water Management:
Opportunities and Results
Presented by:
Paul Stoker, Executive Director
Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area
Columbia Basin GWMA
Lincoln
County
Grant
County
Adams
County
Franklin
County
Crop
Acres
Percent
Alfalfa
263,237
28.4%
Grain**
157,628
17.0%
All Other
109,370
11.8%
Late Potatoes
100,404
10.8%
Orchard*
96,768
10.4%
Peas-Dry
49,418
5.3%
Field Corn
45,951
5.0%
Sweet Corn
30,633
3.3%
27,275
2.9%
Onions
16,509
1.8%
Vineyard
15,218
1.6%
Early Potatoes
9,159
1.0%
Mint
6,605
0.7%
Total
928,175
100.0%
14Grass Seed***
Irrigated Acreage
by Crop in the
Columbia Basin
Red – Low Value
Green – High Value Crops
IWM Saves Water & Power Resources
Irrigation Water Management (IWM)
Encourages Irrigators To:
 Implement irrigation water
management technologies.
 Conserve water and energy.
“Old irrigation methods were slow, inefficient, and
more often than not, guess work. IWM real-time
technology reduces our water and energy costs, and
increases our crop quality and yield.”
---Wes Boorman, Boorman Farms,
George, WA.
Example of Evapo-Transporation
(ET) Based Irrigation Scheduling
POTATO (Late Russet)
Acres
KwH/Acre Inches/Acre Yield Ton/Acre
Non-Participant 1356
851.80
36.83
29.95
1690
717.75
24.46
31.94
134.05
12.37
1.99
Participant
Total
IWM Savings
15%
1993 Growing Season, Grant County Irrigation Project Evaluation, J.D. Miller, March 1994, Pacific N.W. Laboratory
IWM Soil Moisture Graph
Nitrate Movement in Soil
Native Soil
200
150
100
50
6
0
1
2
5
3
4
5
6
7
7
6
4
8
9
4
3
3
4
3
10
Native Soil shows consistent low levels of nitrate.
Nitrate Movement in Soil
Continuous High Leaching
200
162
150
130
59
50
106
98
100
126
89
68 73
17
0
Excessive irrigation leaches nitrate into the
soil profile.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Nitrate Movement in Soil
Maximum Management Potential
200
150
100
100
50
16
11
0
1
2
1
3
4
5
2
3
4
5
6
14
7
20
23
21
18
8
Proper irrigation water management saves
water and keeps fertilizer in root zone.
6
7
8
9
10
“I believe in the time it takes to do moisture
monitoring. IWM has given me a better
understanding of my farming practices.”
-- Bob Ransom, Benson & Ransom Farms
Pasco, WA
IWM 10-Point Plan Criteria
1. Measure and document the PCC value for each
irrigation system.
2. Determine amount of water delivered to an area.
 Know the application rate.
3. Determine when irrigation water should be
applied, based on:
 crop usage rate,
 stage of plant growth,
 cooling,
 frost control or
 salt leaching.
IWM 10-Point Plan Criteria
4. Be aware of average time needed for soil to absorb
required amount of water.
5. Know application rate, irrigation time, rotation time,
or stream size to compensate for changes in such
factors as intake rate or the amount of water to be
applied.
6. Understand distribution uniformity and application
efficiency concepts and their implications on IWM:
 Have an in-field uniformity evaluation.
 Have an Operations and Maintenance Plan.
IWM 10-Point Plan Criteria
7. Know how to recognize water (and nitrogen)
movement past the crop rooting zone.
8. Maintain records of irrigation applications.
9. Have a soil moisture monitoring system in
place and maintain records.
IWM 10-Point Plan Criteria
10. Average measured irrigation application total
(seasonal) should not exceed crop
consumptive use by more than 10% … as
determined by use of :
 Agrimet,
 PAWS,
 Personal weather station evapo-
(ET) data,
 Crop water use coefficient curves.
transporation
Why
the
10-Point
Plan
is
Successful
Why the 10-Point Plan is Successful
 Contract signed pre-season – payment only
upon completion.
 Site specific to each field.
 Program implementation oversight.
 Credibility with agricultural community
 Required documentation forces grower to
actively participate
 50% cost share by growers buys grower
involvement.
Why the 10-Point Plan is Successful
 Reimbursement based on actual cost
encourages competition among providers
 Simple, realistic and easily understandable by
growers and consultants
 Covers all important aspects of IWM –
not just SIS.
 Requires growers to sign-up and commit
individually in person.
Columbia Basin IWM Benefits
 Monetary incentives can provide significant
conservation investment returns.
 Variable rate cost-share program specifies savings
by crop and location.
 Incentive payments are based on potential savings.
 IWM saves power and water at the field.
 Water not diverted from Lake Roosevelt for
irrigation has high value.
Conservation Benefits Spreadsheet
 Spreadsheet calculates the potential water and
power savings by using Irrigation Water
Management in the Columbia Basin.
 Four main variables can be entered to customize
the spreadsheet to a given scenario.
 Spreadsheet creates a variable cost-share value
based on different crops and locations.
 Summary on the spreadsheet can demonstrate total
conservation benefits available. (See Spreadsheet)