Em4885 Irrigation Management Practices to Protect Ground Water and Surface Water Quality State of Washington
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EM4885 IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO PROTECT GROUND WATER AND SURFACE WATER QUALITY STATE OF WASHINGTON T by Peter Canessa, P.E., Project Coordinator Ronald E. Hermanson, Ph.D., P.E. Principal Investigator and Extension Agricultural Engineer, Water Quality Biological Systems Engineering Department Project partially funded by Clean Water Act Section 319 funds administered by the Washington Department of Ecology and the US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10. Approved by Washington State University State of Washington College of Agriculture and Home Econom- Conservation Commission ics July 21, 1994 Biological Systems Engineering Department Department of Ecology and September 22, 1994 Cooperative Extension COOPERATIVEEXTENSION WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A Technical Review Team was selected to provide the breadth and depth of expertise needed to critically review and help guide the project. I am indebted to the team for contributing to the technical accuracy and the production of this report: Washington State University: Robert G. Evans, Ph.D. Thomas W. Ley, Ph.D. Dennis A. Johnson, Ph.D. Daniel F. Mayer, Ph.D. Robert Parker, III, Ph.D. Robert G. Stevens, Ph.D. Department of Ecology: Michael A. Hepp Soil Conservation Service: Kathy Killian Julian L. Meuer Thomas L. Spofford An Agricultural Advisory Committee composed of three applied experts reviewed the manual for practicality and acceptability to ensure the feasibility of the practices. I am indebted to the committee members for their significant and valuable contributions. Max W. Hammond, Ph.D. Cenex, Ltd. John W. Holmes and Mark T. Nielson Franklin Conservation District Final review for Department of Ecology Central and Eastern Regional Offices, respectively, by: Robert F. Barwin, P.E. Carl J. Nuechterlein I especially thank Kahle Jennings, Project Officer, for his work from the beginning to smooth the operation of the project and reduce the administrative load on me. Ronald E. Hermanson, Ph.D., P.E. Issued by Washington State University Cooperative Extension, Harry B. Burcalow, Interim Director, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in furtherance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Cooperative Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Cooperative Extension office. Subject code 340. X iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .......... vii List of Tables .......... ix Chapter 1 - Introduction .........1-1 Organization of Manual ........1-2 How to use the Manual ........1-3 Chapter 2 - Water Quality Issues in Washington State .....2-1 Purpose ..........2-1 Uses and Sources of Water........2-1 Water Quality as an Economic Issue ......2-2 Water Quality Law ........2-3 Assessment of Water Quality .......2-5 Summary of 1992 statewide water quality assessment . 2-7 Standards for ground water quality ..... 2-12 Assessment of ground water quality...... 2-13 Overall Strategy for Reduction of Nonpoint Source Pollution . 2-14 Specific Strategy for Protection of Ground Water Quality from Agricultural Activities ....... 2-15 Identification of Practices to Protect Surface and Ground Water Quality . 2-17 Chapter 3 - Background Science of Water Pollution .....3-1 Purpose ..........3-1 Pollution Process .........3-1 Nitrogen as a Potential Pollutant ......3-3 Phosphorus as a Potential Pollutant .......3-5 Other Nutrients as Potential Pollutants ......3-6 Pesticides as Potential Pollutants .......3-6 Site Conditions Affecting the Pollution Process .....3-7 Irrigation and Rainfall as Detachment and Transport Mechanisms . 3-8 Basic Soil-Water-Plant Relationships ......3-11 Retention of water by soil ....... 3-12 Volumetric soil water measurement ...... 3-12 Soil water tension ....... 3-13 Soil water characteristic curve ...... 3-13 Management allowed depletion ...... 3-14 Effective root zone ....... 3-14 Evapotranspiration ....... 3-14 Infiltration rate ........ 3-15 Soil water movement/percolation ...... 3-15 Salts, Irrigation, and Drainage ....... 3-15 Leaching ........ 3-16 Correcting infiltration and soil structure problems . 3-17 Assumptions in the Guidelines ...... 3-19 Drainage ........ 3-20 v Chapter 4 - Overall Management Objectives and Implementation Practices . 4-1 Purpose ..........4-1 Increasing On-farm Application Efficiency and the Effects on Water Quantity .......4-3 Implementing the Practices .......4-3 The Manual as a Living Document .......4-3 Overall Management Objective 1.00 - Minimize Water Losses in the On-farm Distribution System ........4-3 Explanation and Purpose .......4-3 Possible Effects on Water Diversions .....4-4 Possible Effects on Crop Yields ......4-4 Possible Effects on Ground Water Quality .....4-4 Possible Effects on Surface Water Quality .....4-4 IP 1.00.01 Install concrete slip-form ditches to replace earthen ditches .........4-5 IP 1.00.02 - Convert earthen ditches to pipelines or gated pipe . 4-6 IP 1.00.03 - Install flexible membrane linings in earthen ditches or reservoirs ........4-7 IP 1.00.04 - Install swelling clays or other engineered material in earthen ditches or reservoirs .......4-7 IP 1.00.05 - Maintain ditches and pipelines to prevent leaks . 4-8 Overall Management Objective 2.00 - Improve irrigation system performance in order to minimize deep percolation and surface runoff . 4-9 Explanation and Purpose .......4-9 Distribution Uniformity and Application Efficiency . 4-9 Relationships Between Distribution Uniformity and Application Efficiency . 4-10 Effective, Efficient Irrigations ...... 4-15 Presentations of the Implementation Practices . 4-15 Other Information Sources....... 4-16 Possible Effects on Water Diversions ..... 4-16 Possible Effects on Yields ....... 4-17 Possible Effects on Ground Water Quality ..... 4-17 Possible Effects on Surface Water Quality ..... 4-18 Section 1 - Practices for all Irrigation System Types . 4-18 IP 2.01.01 - Measure all water applications accurately. 4-18 IP 2.01.02 - Monitor pumping plant efficiency . 4-21 IP 2.01.03 - Evaluate the irrigation system using SCS or WSU Cooperative Extension procedures ....... 4-23 IP 2.01.04 - Know required leaching fractions to maintain salt balances ........ 4-24 IP 2.01.05 - Use irrigation scheduling as an aid in deciding when and how much to irrigate ....... 4-25 IP 2.01.06 - Practice total planning of individual irrigations . 4-30 IP 2.01.07 - Use two irrigation systems in special situations (sprinklers for pre-irrigations then furrows; portable gated pipe to reduce furrow lengths for pre-irrigations; sprinklers to germinate crops irrigated by micro-irrigation; over-tree sprinkler for cooling/frost control with undertree for irrigation). 4-33 vi IP 2.01.08 - Consider changing the irrigation system type . 4-34 IP 2.01.09 - Use aerial photography to identify patterns that indicate problems with irrigation/drainage management . 4-35 Section 2 - Practices for Surface (Furrow/Rill, Border Strip) Irrigation Systems ....... 4-35 Down-row Uniformity ...... 4-36 Cross-row Uniformity ...... 4-37 Soil variability ....... 4-38 Border strips ....... 4-39 IP 2.02.01 - Increase furrow flows to maximum non-erosive streamsize if water advance is too slow ...... 4-39 IP 2.02.02 - Use torpedoes to form a firm, obstruction free channel for furrow flow ........ 4-40 IP 2.02.03 - Use surge-flow techniques . ..... 4-41 IP 2.02.04 - Decrease the length of furrow runs . 4-42 IP 2.02.05 - Install a suitable field gradient using laser-controlled landgrading where topsoil depth allows ..... 4-43 IP 2.02.06 - Irrigate a field in two cycles, one cycle with water in the compacted furrows, one in the uncompacted furrows . 4-43 IP 2.02.07 - Drive a tractor with no tools in the uncompacted rows, or use a short shank in compacted rows, to equalize the overall infiltration rates in adjacent furrows . ...... 4-44 IP 2.02.08 - Use laser-controlled land grading to take out high and low spots in a field ........ 4-44 IP 2.02.09 - Rip hardpans and compacted soil layers to improve infiltration rates ........ 4-45 IP 2.02.10 - Use cutback furrow flows to reduce surface runoff. 4-45 IP 2.02.11 - Install runoff-reuse systems ..... 4-46 IP 2.02.12 - Reduce furrow flows to minimum necessary to ensure down-row uniformity if excess runoff is a problem . 4-47 IP 2.02.13 - Control the total application of water . 4-47 IP 2.02.14 - Apply water only in every other furrow . 4-48 Section 3 - Practices for Sprinkle Irrigation Systems . 4-48 Pressure uniformity ...... 4-49 Device uniformity ...... 4-49 Wind effects ....... 4-50 Center pivots as exceptions ..... 4-50 IP 2.03.01 - Have an irrigation engineer/specialist check hand-line and side-roll sprinkle field layouts to ensure correct combinations of spacing, operating pressure, sprinkler head, and nozzle size/type . 4-50 IP 2.03.02 - Have a competent and experienced irrigation engineer/specialist check field layouts for flow uniformity - use flow control nozzles, pressure regulators as necessary ...... 4-51 IP 2.03.03 - Maintain sprinkle systems in good operating condition . 4-52 IP 2.03.04 - Use the “lateral offset” technique with hand-line, side-roll, or “big gun” field sprinklers to improve overlap uniformity . 4-52 IP 2.03.05 - Operate in low-wind situations if possible . 4-53 vii IP 2.03.06 - Modify hand-line and side-roll sprinkle system layouts to smaller spacings and lower pressures if wind is a problem . 4-54 IP 2.03.07 - Ensure that center pivot sprinkler/nozzle packages are matched to the infiltration rate of the soil ...... 4-54 IP 2.03.08 - Minimize surface runoff from sprinkle-irrigated fields . 4-55 IP 2.03.09 - Use reservoir tillage (dammer/diker) techniques with sprinkle systems to reduce field runoff ...... 4-56 IP 2.03.10 - Install runoff-reuse systems (see IP 2.02.11) . 4-56 Section 4 - Practices for Micro-Irrigation Systems . 4-57 Pressure uniformity ...... 4-57 Device uniformity .....