8009 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8009
• Author: Natural Resources Law Center.
• Title: Restoring the Waters.
• USFW Year: 1997.
• USFW - Doc Type: Boulder, CO.
• Copyright Material: YES

Advantages of surge irrigation
^ Increases irrigation efficiency 15
to 30% over conventional furrow
irrigation
^ Reduces labor required to manage
furrow irrigated ground
^ Reduces soil erosion at the top of
the field
^ Reduces runoff of chemical-laden
irrigation water
Surge irrigation is used in conjunction
with tensiometers, which help schedule the
irrigation cycles. The soil moisture
measurement devices are installed in fields
at different levels in the soil profile. The
farmer, with the help of NCWCD
personnel, keeps track of how much water
the crop uses. Then readings of the
tensiometer are used to determine how
much water remains in the soil profile. The
soil profile moisture readings help farmers
prioritize fields for irrigation and can
help eliminate unnecessary watering.
Chlorophyll meters can also be used to
determine when to add fertilizer to the
surge irrigations.
For More Information Contact:
Mark Crookston or Brian Werner
Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District
P.O. Box 679
Loveland, CO 80539-0679
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
a~a
57
Tensiometer -
A tensiometer is a vacuum
tube with a gauge that
simulates the uptake of
water by the crop's root
zone.