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<br /> <br /> <br />Irrigation specialists have long talked <br />about using BMPs to control irrigation water <br />for proper application. Benefits have been in- <br />creased yield, lower overhead, and further use <br />of water. These sampling sites clearly indicate <br />that if irrigation water is controlled, managed, <br />and applied using structural improvements and <br />irrigation water management practices, non- <br />point source pollution is impacted significantly. <br />Irrigation borne silt particles must be left in the <br />field to stop pollutants from entering water <br />bodies. The only way to do this on gravity irri- <br />gation systems is to install irrigation structural <br />improvements and use irrigation water manage- <br />ment practices. <br />Benefits to society are a reliable food <br />source and drastically reduced pollutants re- <br />turning to the river. Benefits to the producers <br />are increased production, labor, and time sav- <br />mgs. <br /> <br />FIELD DEMONSTRATIONS <br /> <br />The Colorado State University Coopera- <br />tive Extension initiated demonstration sites to <br />install BMPs on a field application level. <br /> <br />Extension specialists compared surge irri- <br />gation to conventional irrigation on corn. <br />Surge irrigation used 18 inches of water to <br />grow 187.2 bushels of corn per acre versus <br />conventional that used 20.7 inches of water to <br />grow 188.4 bushels. In addition, conventional <br />irrigation caused 4990 pounds of furrow ero- <br />sion per acre versus 3735 pounds under surge <br />irrigation. Conventional moved 24.3 pounds of <br />nitrogen per acre off the field in tailwater while <br />surge lost 19.5 pounds. Conventional irrigation <br />