WSP06543

• File Number: 8271.300
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - General Information and Publications-Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/28/1993
• Title: 1992 Report to the USDI - Bureau of reclamation - Lower Gunnison Surge Demonstration Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Appendix A

Brief description of particiapting farms in Delta

N
(,0
OJ
....:I

Farm O~ -

Farm 02 -

Farm 03 -

Farm 04 -

The demonstration plot was in ~2 acres of alfalfa
field. Surge was practiced in ~0.5 acres. The
field chosen by the owner is irregular one and had
to be irrigated at 60/40 ratio.' The owner has to
irrigate quite a large area in a short time with
the amount of water allotted to him. This was one
of his incentives to try surge. Benefits of surge
in alfalfa field becomes less apparent for lack of
good furrow or marking.

The demonstration plot in this farm is 48 acres of
alfalfa hay field. The ground is on a high mesa
rolling in three different directions. The soil
is deep Mesa clay loam overlying gravelly well
drained substratum. The furrows are considerable
long and the field is irrigated in three different
directions with lots of crossover taking place.
Out of 48 acres only 4.5 acres could be covered
under surge. The present irrigation configuration
does not allow to bring more area under surge.
Here surge was not used to its maximum potential.

Furrow conditions were very poor and with cross
slope it was difficult to monitor outflow for, the
purpose of evaluation.

The demonstration of surge in Farm 03 was set up
in an irrigated field of corn. The surge was
tried in 16 acres and the remaining 5 acres were
used to collect data on conventional irrigation.
Missed the first irrigation for data collection.
The owner suspected that the surge may not put
enough water for germination and did not call
during first irrigation. The greatest benefit
would have been achieved in the first irrigation
in terms of avoiding deep percolation, because the
loose soil would be sealed in the process of
surge.

The demonstration was set up in ~O. 5 acres of
alfalfa field, where 7 acres were under surge.
The furrow length was 1/4 mile and the ground lays
over a gravelly substratum. Under conventional
irrigation water never reached the end of the
field. With surge irrigation water reached to the
bottom of the field and irrigation time was
reduced. Farming is secondary to the owner, since
he has another job. Programming of the controller
was done by extension personnel and later
explained to the owner.

A-~