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<br />-2- <br /> <br />determined that the best approach is to start with a new ditch. The <br />concept of drilling the ditch, however, seems to have a lot of merit. <br />The difficulty envolved in forming the drops in the ditch and placing <br />the outlets exactly level can be overcome by running a slightly larger <br />ditch and drilling the outlets the next day while the concrete is' still <br />soft. Hater can be dammed up in the ditch to obtain the correct position <br />for drilling the holes. In this way, one can be assured that all the <br />outlets are level and they will distribute equal amounts of water to the <br />fields. <br /> <br />During the 1974 season the inflow-outflow record shows that 40 acre <br />feet of water ran off the fields that couldn't be used through the pump <br />back system. Next year we will have the capability to use this water. <br />On the improved 22 acre field the first irrigation took three and one half <br />days or eight hours per set. Subsequent irrigation took two and one half <br />days or 5.5 hours per set. The total amount of water used was 2.3 acre <br />feet or 27.6 inches. The average per acre water use for winter wheat in <br />the area was 35.4 inches. Total yield on winter wheat was 65 bushels per <br />acre. <br /> <br />Mr. Thompson was pleased with the performance of his pump back system <br />and will take every oportunity to use the runoff water from his pastures <br />to increase the nutrients going on his fields. One of the advantages of <br />this system is that fertilizer can be applied in the irrigation water <br />with increased effectiveness and without loss from the end of the field. <br /> <br />Tests of the quality of water showed the tail water runoff to be <br />less than 5% more saline than the inflow water. This small increase <br />would not be deterimental ,to crops. On the contrary, the increased <br />nutrients and temperature of the runoff water has been found to be very <br />beneficial.. . <br /> <br />During the 1975 season the whole farm will be monitored for water <br />use. The pump back system will be used to prevent any tail water from <br />leaving the farm. Water use data will be collected and irrigation <br />efficiencies will be recorded. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />169S <br />