Agricultural Water Conservation Programs in Solano County

Transcription

1 Agricultural Water Conservation Programs in Solano County

2 Solano County Agriculture Ag lands 62% of total lands in county (358,000 acres) Irrigated lands 41% of total cropland (146,000 acres) Comprised of : Solano Irrigation District 40,000 acres Maine Prairie Water District 13,000 acres Reclamation District ,000 acres irrigated lands outside of districts 78,000 acres

3 Solano County Agricultural Water Conservation Committee Formed in 1992 to provide technical assistance to growers in Solano County in an effort to increase farm water use efficiency. Reclamation District 2068 Maine Prairie Water District Dixon & Solano Resource Conservation Districts

4 Services Offered - Irrigation Management Assistance - Goal: Efficient On-Farm Water Management - Irrigation Specialist for the Committee: Paul Lum Free Services: Irrigation Evaluations for all types of irrigations Irrigation Scheduling Soil moisture sensor installation and training Weather Data programs Pump efficiency testing Assist farmers with BMP installations to improve drainage Grower Workshops in English and Spanish The Irrigator newsletter sent to Solano farmers and landowners Outreach to growers, agencies and farm organizations to promote agricultural water conservation.

5 Precision Irrigation

6 Irrigation Evaluation Services Determine Distribution Uniformity (DU) for growers with all types of irrigation systems. Advise growers on ways to increase DU. Timing advance rates Checking sprinkler flows Checking pressures at the sprinkler and at the main lines

7 Uniformity POOR UNIFORMITY Depth of Water GOOD UNIFORMITY (NEVER PERFECT) Depth of Water

8 Improve DU Drip Micro: Install uniform sprinkler heads/emitters Fix leaks Flush out hose ends regularly Maintain filtration & backflush system Maintain uniform pressures if possible Proper design for new systems Pressure compensating drip emitters Irrigation Evaluation Mobile Lab Furrow/Flood: Know your soil types Know the amount of water being applied Know your crop needs Shorter runs better than longer runs Level fields to grade, landplaning Pack furrow rows, especially guess rows Limit unnecessary drainage Monitor advance rates & adjust flows Use best combination of siphon pipes Check often!

9 The Grower Report How Many Hours Should I Irrigate? How Much Water Should I Apply? Utilize crop evapotranspiration rates DU % Soil types & plant stages Water rates entering the field

10 Data-logger Other Services: Soil Moisture Monitoring Sensor installation Soil moisture graphs Soil moisture graph

11 Participating Growers Soil Program 50 growers in Solano County 120 soil sensor stations Monitoring 3600 acres

12 Measure Leaf Moisture Tension Walnut, Prune & Grape application Leaf Pressure Chamber, or Pressure Bomb Pressure Bomb available on loan from Ag Water Conservation Committee

13 Irrigation Scheduling Understand Evapotranspiration Evapotranspiration (ET) is the sum of water losses from plant uptake and evaporation from soil & plant surfaces. Quantifying moisture losses from ET in inches/day or in./week can help growers determine how much and when to irrigate, to restore ET losses Irrigate to Restore ET Losses

14 ETc Rates Also Available Call SID Weather Stations West of Dixon Suisun Valley Rd Green Valley Tractor JT Ranch Williams Rd

15 .Weather Website & Forecasting Services CIMIS station SID station in Suisun Valley

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17 Assist Growers with Farm Drainage Best Management Practices Tail-water pond near Winters Other BMP s: Vegetated drain near Dixon sediment traps, vegetated field edges, vegetated waterways, hedgerow plantings, cover crops to name a few

18 Pump Efficiency Testing Overall Pumping Plant Efficiency (OPE) Step 1 Measure discharge flow & pressure Step Step 2 Sound the Well (measure water levels) Step 3 Measure Electrical input OPE = total lift x GPM/3960 IE: OPE = 100 x 1350/3960 = 50% KW input/ /.746

19 By Testing Pumps: Determine the condition of pump & motor Determine whether the pump and motor are properly matched Track historical performance of pump & motor Improve water measurement accuracy Irrigation district benefits Repair pumps if necessary: Lower energy costs Increase pumping efficiency Increase life of pump & motor Repair rebates available from PG&E

20 Outcomes of Programs Improved irrigation management ac/yr. Water conservation Greater water use efficiency Increased profitability for growers

21 Questions? Paul Lum Irrigation Specialist Solano Agricultural Water Conservation Committee (707)