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II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I r~'.: ..,~~ . "..- <-- ,"u. t 'j '" GLOSSARY Agricultural Water Conservation - most common usage conveys the meaning of protecting the water resource from wasteful or destructive uses. In the context of this study agricultural water conservation is the planned management and use of the water resource for agricultural production to prevent destruction, neglect or exploitation of quantity or quality; to avoid unnecessary damage, loss or waste, and/or, to store the resource for later use in either surface or subsurface reservoirs (to include waters stored in the soil profile). The concept of water conservation can take on several additional meanings or connotations in relation to multiple use concepts such as recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, esthetic or other cultural/environmental values. Agricultural (irrigation) water use efficiency concepts - the more common concept of efficiency in irrigation water use is the use of the water resource in a manner that will produce a desired result (yield, product, use) with the least commitment of water (the least "loss", waste or con- sumpt i on of the resource). There are several important di st i nct ions and variations in the meaning and use of the term irrigation water use effi- ciency (WUE), however, that should be recognized: 1. On-farm efficiency - the ratio or percent of water pumped (or other- wise used on the farm) to that stored in the effective root zone and used by a harvested crop. This measure of efficiency reflects both losses in on-farm conveyance (distribution) facilities and during field application. 2. Off-farm efficiency - the ratio or percent of water actually deliv- ered to the farm to that diverted (gross or total diversion) from an off-farm water supply source. 3. Application efficiency (AE) - the ratio of the amount of water retained in the effective root zone of the crop being irrigated immediately after watering to the total amount of water applied vii