Laserfiche WebLink
<br />it possible to I ine those ditches. As a result of that program, <br />almost all farm ditches in this project are now concrete lined, <br />with a noticeable increase in farm efficiency. In addition to <br />decreased seepage, the 1 ined ditches now have the abil ity to <br />handle the larger irrigation heads which the enlarged and <br />reconstructed farm structures can now handle and without which <br />the precision levell ing would be less effective. The on-farm <br />improvements were provided through the USDA Soil Conservation <br />Service from 1974 through 1986. Farm operations on 48,000 acres <br />benefitted from system redesigns and installation of improved <br />f aC ill ties. <br /> <br />E. Soil Swapping <br /> <br />In extreme cases, where the existence of small areas of <br />non-conforming soil made necessary the over-irrigation of the <br />balance of a field, soil swapping was used. Poorer soil was <br />removed and replaced by soil similar to the rest of the field, <br />decreasing average water use. It was no longer necessary to <br />irrigate as dictated by patches of soil with very poor water' <br />holding capacity. <br /> <br />F. Water Measurement <br /> <br />An important measure in minimization of deep <br />percolation is precision measurement of irrigation water. In <br />1991, the District has been engaged in an extensive effort to <br />increase the accuracy of our water measurements to the indlvidual <br />user, as well as the measurement of the flows entering the <br />District. New propel lor type flow meters for use by the <br />ditchriders have been purchased, an acoustic velocity meter, <br />instal led by USSR at the W-M heading, has its output telemetered <br />directly into the District Water Office, and the long-term <br />recal ibration of our three main pumping plants has begun. <br />