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<br />C <br />t..- <br />roD 0 <br />oq< <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br />Bureau of Reclamation <br />Grand Junction Projects Office <br />Irrigation Management Services <br />Grand Valley - 1973 <br /> <br />!: <br /> <br />(~-- <br /> <br />x <br /> <br />Purpose <br /> <br />The water resources and quality of water in the Western united <br />states is becoming increasingly important as the derrcands of water use <br />and reuse become greater. <br /> <br />The Irrigation Scheduling and Management Program was implemented <br />to assist irrigators in the Grand Valley area to improve their crops and <br />also be beneficial to the quality of water in the Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />MOdern technical developments made available to the irrigator, by <br />the Bureau of Reclamation, can help in the decision of proper irrigation <br />intervals and application rates. <br /> <br />Progress <br /> <br />Excellent progress was made this year with an increase in <br />participants throughout the Grand Valley. Fields, under each of the <br />irrigation entities, were scheduled. <br /> <br />One hundred twenty farms were scheduled this season. This includes <br />three study farms for the Colorado state university. Crop consumptive <br />use was also furnished to the Colorado Water Conservation Board and <br />the Agricultural Research Service for use on their respective study <br />projects upon request. <br /> <br />Forty-three of the 46 participants from the 1972 season were <br />carried over to the 1973 season with most increasing the number of <br />scheduled fields. Some participants have included their total farm <br />acreage for irrigation scheduling. <br /> <br />For the 1973 season approximately 580 fields representing 7,200 <br />acres were scheduled weekly. The number of fields and acres varied <br />slightly from week to week because of additional crop plantings or <br />harvests. <br /> <br />Due to the desert environment surrounding the Environmental Data <br />Service weather station at Walker Field airport a complete weather <br />station was installed within the irrigated area by the Bureau of <br />Reclamation. The station, which is more representat,ive of climatic <br />conditions in the irrigated area, is maintained and serviced by <br />irrigation scheduling personnel. Rent is paid to a participant for use <br />of the land and daily climatic readings are made by the participant's <br />wife. <br />