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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Further more, on October 10, 1995, the lID Board of Directors passed Resolution No. 1895 which states in part, "Anyon-farm conservation project will be voluntary . . ." Due to these factors, potential water conservation quantities and costs which might result from alternate cropping patterns have not been quantified. IV.B.4 Additional Tailwater Return Systems A tailwater return system (TRS) consists of a reservoir located at the lower end of an irrigated field, a pump, and a piping system. Water is conserved by capturing surface runoff (tailwater) and pumping it back to the head of the field for reuse. TRSs were the only on-farm conservation alternative recommended by Parsons in their 1985 Water Requirements and Availability Study. Since that time, lID and District water users have installed 25 tailwater return systems. These systems, designed and built as a part of the lID/MWD conservation program, are managed by individual growers with the annual operation and maintenance (O&M) costs paid by lID/MWD program. The cost and water conservation estimates contained in this Chapter are based on lID/MWD experience. The amount of water conserved varies significantly among individual TRS operations. Factors contributing to the wide variation include system design, operation, and the cultural practices used on the crop being grown. An initial concern that productivity might be reduced by using poorer quality tail water has so far proven unfounded. Twenty-one TRSs serving 6,268 acres were operational during 1995. The Conservation Verification Consultants (CVC) have estimated the 1995 water conservation savings from these systems at 3,170 acre-feet (0.51 AF/AC). (Projected 1995 Water Conservation Savings with Summaries of SUQPorting Documentation, CVC, March 1995.) The lIDIMWD experience has shown that the design and construction of one TRS takes about two months. Due to the fact that additional TRSs would be at different locations, they can be designed and simultaneously built within the limitations of available personnel and materials. Installation time would depend on who does the design (lID or private consultants) and who does Draft: Subject To Revision 12/21/95 45