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<br />Title I Program
<br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act
<br />
<br />clogging in trickle irrigation systems,
<br />managing pressure irrigation systems for
<br />citrus crops, managing dead-level irrigation,
<br />automating surface irrigation, and
<br />evaluating alternative irrigation systems,
<br />All projects were completed by 1980.
<br />
<br />Education and ,"Ionnat/on Program
<br />
<br />The objectives of this program, conducted by
<br />the University of Arizona Cooperative
<br />Extension Service, were (1) to provide
<br />liaison among the various irrigation
<br />efficiency programs and (2) to educate and
<br />encourage growers to adopt recommended
<br />techniques and practices. Program
<br />information was provided through pub-
<br />lications, television, and radio, With grower
<br />cooperation, field trials were held to
<br />demonstrate water management benefits,
<br />and field days were conducted on topics
<br />such as automated irrigation systems,
<br />irrigation scheduling and efficiency, and
<br />crop consumptive use,
<br />
<br />Federal Cost Share
<br />
<br />Table 1 shows the Federal cost share of the
<br />WMIDD irrigation drainage reduction
<br />program,
<br />
<br />Results
<br />
<br />Before the program was initiated, WMIDD
<br />irrigation efficiency was 56 percent. While
<br />the program was active, overall WMIDD
<br />irrigation efficiencies exceeded 72 percent,
<br />the level estimated to reduce irrigation
<br />drainage to 108,000 acre-feet per year, An
<br />overall peak irrigation efficiency of 77 per-
<br />cent was reached in 1985, and irrigation
<br />drainage dropped from 220,000 acre-feet to
<br />a low of 118,500 acre-feet per year.
<br />
<br />Table 1.-Federal cost share
<br />WMIDD ilTigation drainage reduction program
<br />
<br />Soil Conservation Service
<br />Technical assistance
<br />Onfarm improvements
<br />
<br />$ 4,200,000
<br />$17,600,000
<br />
<br />Agricultural Research Service
<br />Research and demonstrations
<br />
<br />$ 600,000
<br />
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />Acreage reduction program
<br />Irrigation Management Service
<br />Education on irrigation efficiency
<br />Technical Field Committee
<br />activities
<br />Administrative costs
<br />
<br />$11,700,000
<br />$ 2,000,000
<br />$ 60,000
<br />
<br />$ 400,000
<br />$ 2,440,000
<br />
<br />Total cost ofWMIDD inigation
<br />drainage reduction program
<br />
<br />$39,000,000
<br />
<br />While the program demonstrated an overall
<br />positive effect, a cause-and-effect relation-
<br />ship for individual measures has never been
<br />established. 2
<br />
<br />Status
<br />
<br />All permanent measures implemented by
<br />the WMIDD are still in use, although no
<br />active Federal program is currently in
<br />operation, Total crop acres have remained
<br />relatively stable since the early 1970's
<br />because more acreage is double-cropped
<br />than when the program was initiated.
<br />Irrigation efficiency has declined to about
<br />60 percent and is continuing to decrease.
<br />
<br />Irrigation drainage pumping has increased
<br />to about 145,000 acre-feet per year and
<br />diversion rates are increasing because of
<br />several factors, including some changes
<br />from permanent to vegetable crops,
<br />
<br />. 2 Meaaurea {or Reducing Return Flow. {rom tk Welllon.Mohaw1clrigation and Drainage DutMct. Annual
<br />RepOrl of Actioiti.. of 1982, the Advisory Committee on Irrigation Efficiency, Wellten-Mohawk Irrigation and
<br />Drainage District, March 1983.
<br />
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