WATER CONSERVATION FOR AGRICULTURAL WATER USERS

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WATER CONSERVATION FOR AGRICULTURAL WATER USERS

• Dan Thomas, Kerry Harrison, and Jim Hook

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WE MUST BE INNOVATIVE AND PROACTIVE!
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PROMOTE A MINDSET THAT WATER CONSERVATION IS
IMPORTANT AND AGRICULTURE IS DOING ITS PART!
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WHAT CAN WE DO?

• Reduce losses
• Be sure we are as efficient as possible

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LOSSES

• Two Main Categories
• Losses you should be able to control
• Losses you may not be able to control, (will
  depend on the situation and physical constraints
  of the irrigation system and manager)
• Two Secondary Categories
• Obvious
• Not so obvious

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LOSSES LEAKS
Hole in hose
Leaking boot
Leaking coupler
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LOSSES LEAKS
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LOSSES LEAKS
Green waterways during dry periods may indicate
a leak problem
Risers do not have to leak!
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LOSSES OFFSITE APPLICATIONS
May or may not be off-site, depends on whether
small grain needed water
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LOSSES OFFSITE APPLICATIONS
Problem Management of traveler systems on small
areas or at the start and finish of a set
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LOSSES OFFSITE (?) APPLICATIONS
Is grass being grown for some other purpose?
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LOSSES Promoting End gun shutoffs

• How much water can be saved?
• Depending on how much area is offsite, can save
  10 (or more) of total water applied.
• Public Perception of having end gun shutoffs
  where water is sprayed offsite (on roads) is
  invaluable!

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LOSSES OVER APPLICATIONS(efficiency effects)

• Too much water for the intake rate of the soil

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LOSSES SPRINKLER PATTERNand PRESSURE EFFECTS
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SYSTEM TYPE?

• Subsurface Drip Irrigation?
• Could save 40 of water as compared to overhead
  sprinkler system (traveler, solid set)
• Is it practical for all applications?
• Is it economically feasible for all field
  conditions?
• Tillage, peanuts, depth, spacing, ?
• Nationwide group is working together to provide
  many of these answers

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LOSSES You may not be able to control

• Afternoon watering (may not be able to get around
  and keep up with plant needs)
• High evaporation conditions (windy, hot,
  sunshine, )
• Interception by plants (full canopy)
• May offset evapotranspiration need for the
  period when plants are wet
• Early plant stages

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Web-based Resources About Water

• UGA, CAES http//www.griffin.peachnet.edu/wateris
  s/wpaper/whitepaper.html
• UGA, NESPAL http//nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/
• SUWANEE Project http//www.epa.gov/owow/showcase/
  suwaneeriver/
• SW GA Water Summit http//nespal.cpes.peachnet.ed
  u/summit/
• USGS http//water.usgs.gov/
• UGA http//www.griffin.peachnet.edu/water/
• EPA http//www.epa.gov/surf/
• VA http//www.vwrrc.vt.edu/news/daily.htm

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Resources To Help Determine if Water can be
Conserved

• Report Irrigation Conservation Practices
  Appropriate for the Southeastern U.S.
• http//nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/home/links/irrigat
  ion/default.asp

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Resources Agricultural Water Use

• Ag. Water Pumping http//nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu
  /home/links/awp/
• NESPAL, Irrigation Survey (1998 at present),
  other http//nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/home/links/a
  gwateruse/
• THESE PRESENTATIONS http//www.cpes.peachnet.edu
  /webfiles/kharrison

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Resources Drought and Weather Related

• http//www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/drought/
• GAEMN http//www.griffin.peachnet.edu/bae/
• CNN http//www.cnn.com/WEATHER/NAmerica/tomorrow.
  html
• USGS http//fs1dgadrv.er.usgs.gov/
• Flint River Drought Protection Act Resources
• http//www.ces.uga.edu/agriculture/agecon/flintriv
  er6.htm
• http//www.accg.org/accgleg/gahb1362.html