More than 4.5 million acres in the Pacific Northwest are irrigated with electric-powered sprinkler systems. Center pivots are used on about 1.25 million acres. Irrigation runoff can be a problem on many of these sprinkler-irrigated fields.
The main purpose for irrigating is to supply needed water for crops. Plant growth is dependent on photosynthesis. While the plant exchanges gases with the air for photosynthesis, some water evaporates. Water is taken up from the soil by plant roots to replace
this water. The water leaving the plant...
When designing or retrofitting an irrigation
system, one of the key decisions is picking the
proper size pipes and fittings for the system. The
best pipe size or fitting is not always the one with
the lowest initial cost. The important consideration
is the lowest cost of ownership. The objective...
This “walk-through” worksheet provides a method for making an organized inspection of an entire irrigation system, both hydraulics and hardware. This inspection will help identify components that need maintenance, repair, replacement, or other attention—so that the system will provide the most satisfactory, safe, and efficient performance.
Measuring the flow rate of water is the first step to good water management. All water right holders in the State of Oregon must be able to measure the flow rate of the water being diverted.