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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I conservation projects has been: "What can growers do to conserve tailwater?" The goal of this inquiry is to determine a water conservation estimate (acre-feet/acre) and total potential water conservation value for each project (acre-feet). It should be noted that the projects identified in this Chapter are not intended to be all inclusive. Any conservation project that is verifiable, will be considered for participation in any on-farm conservation program. IV.B.l Land Fallowing with Rotation of Fallow Areas Land fallowing is not being considered as a potential water conservation program at this time per direction by the IID Board of Directors. The local community has expressed significant concern about potential third party impacts due to land fallowing. However, for this report, previous land fallowing planning efforts are reported. Land fallowing as discussed in this Chapter is the practice of allowing previously cropped land to lie idle on an annual basis. In consideration of an emergency water conservation program, IID and MWD devised a test method of implementing a land fallowing program. Under this program, growers could only fallow land if it met certain criteria and were approved for participation by the IID. In addition, the areas selected could be fallowed for a limit of two years. In this way, fallowed areas could be rotated. This program was to provide compensation to the grower and to IID based on a dollars per acre-foot basis. Finally a ten-percent safety factor was to be added to the water transfer acreage. (Test Water Conservation Program. Pro~am Description, IID, May 1992, pages 1 -7.) If a land fallowing program were to be considered, IID would need to formulate rules to identify which fields could be included in this program and how to compensate the grower and IID. Finally, a way to verify that land in the program is not receiving water would be needed. IV.B.2 Elimination of Summer Alfalfa Irrigation A modified alfalfa irrigation program has been evaluated on a limited basis in the Imperial Valley. In 1991, IID conducted a pilot program in which irrigation was withheld from 11 alfalfa fields (450 acres) for 75 consecutive days. The period of the test extended from August 1 Draft: Subject To Revision 12/21/95 43