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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />IRRIGATION SYSTEMS <br /> <br />The two types of farm irrigation systems being installed are <br />border and pressure pipeline. <br /> <br />The Well ton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District can <br />deliver a minimum flow of 15 cubic feet per second (cfs) to each <br />district turnout~ <br /> <br />BORDER SYSTEMS <br /> <br />All farm fields are sized according to soil characteristics <br />and a delivery rate of 15 cfs. A measuring device is installed in <br />farm ditches to measure the water delivery. This information is <br />used to evaluate the system and the system management. A critical <br />depth-flow measuring flume that was developed by the Science and <br />Education Administration - Agricultural Research, U.S. Water <br />Laboratory, Phoenix, Arizona, was selected because of its relative <br />ease of installation, low maintenance, low cost, and high accuracy. <br />The flume is 8 feet long with a 4-foot transition section to con- <br />verge the flow from a typical 2-foot bottom, 1 to 1 side slope, <br />concrete lined irrigation ditch to a I-foot bottom, 1 to 1 side <br />slope, 4-foot long, critical flow section. Staff gauges are in- <br />stalled that can be monitored by the irrigator to determine rate of <br />flow. This enables the farmer to change the irrigation time to con- <br />form to changing flows. <br /> <br />Land leveling, using laser-beam control, was begun in the <br />district in the summer of 1975. The system uses a command post with <br />a laser beam that rotates 5 to 10 times per second. A hydraulic <br />unit is installed on a drag scraper with a receiving unit mounted on <br />a staff. The receiving unit activates the hydraulic system to con- <br />trol the elevation of the scraper blade. After laser-controlled <br />leveling, fields designed for level borders are usually within 0.10' <br />from high to low over the entire area. One 20-acre field was within <br />0.05' from high to low. This degree of tolerance in leveling allows <br />for efficient application of a small irrigation (3 inch net). <br /> <br />Mechanical soil improvement is used with land leveling where <br />appropriate. The practice requires the removal of very sandy soil <br />to a specific depth and replacing it with soils cf better water <br />management characteristics. Generally, these undesirable soils <br />occur on small areas. <br /> <br />-5- <br />