WSP03725 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

" 000523 Demonstration of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to Improve Crop Yields, Returns and Water Quality in the Arkansas River Valley of Colorado Phase II Progress Report October, 1999 Surface drainage work on the Holly Drain has been completed for the 1998-2000 funding period, A total of$41,025 has been spent to renovate the Drain using $32,820 in CWCB funding with matching funds of $8,205 by the Holly Ditch Company and others, Even with 1.3 inches of rainfall during September and 1,1 inches in October, above average flow in the Arkansas River near the Holly Drain Ditch and irrigation of fields, the water table in the Scheck observation well continues to decline, at 5,71 feet before the cleaning of the drain ditch, it is down to 9,08 feet below the soil surface, This is a drop from 8,58 feet the last of August. These results would indicate that cleaning of the Holly Ditch has had a substantial effect on the water table in the area of the ditch even with above average rainfall and river flow conditions, The fourth and final harvest was completed October 14 on alfalfa at the Paul Frank center pivot demonstration area comparing low drift nozzles with drag hoses, Twelve subplots were harvested in each of the two areas and the sprinkled area averaged 0,90 tons per acre with a Relative Feed Value (RFV) of166.4 while the drag hose area averaged 0,74 tons per acre with a RFV of 159,1. Total yield for the four cuttings on the sprinkler area is 6,92 tons per acre with an average RFV of 166,5 while on the drag hose area the yield is 6,64 tons per acre with an average RFV of 170.4, Well timed rains totaling] ,1 inches combined with the cool weather eliminated the need for irrigation during late September and October. Drag hoses were definitely a benefit in reducing wheel tracldng on the pivot since water is not being sprinkled in the whee] track Water is pushed ahead of the wheel on the sprinkler area and this substantially increases wheel tracldng, The wheel track areas where drag hoses are being used are dry in front of the wheel except on very sloping areas when some of the water runs into the track area, Even with the improved water quality in the ditches, applying this saline water, about 1300 to 1700 ppm TDS; directly to the alfalfa leaf may have affected the Relative Feed Value, ]n three of the four harvests, the alfalfa irrigated with the drag hoses produced a higher RFV, Cory Thompson completed irrigation on his com PAM demonstration the week of August 16 and water samples were collected as applied and as runoff from both untreated and the PAM treated areas, Water sampled during the final irrigation showed the water being applied to the top of the field had an EC of2,I4 and TDS of 1284,0 while samples of the runoff water from the PAM treated rows averaged an EC of2,I3 and TDS of 1278, The untreated runoff water averaged an EC of2,18 and TDS of 1308,