Chapter 1 GENERAL INFORMATION Liz Hudson1 1Hudson•Orth Communications, [email protected]

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction

California Department of Water Resources, interested in developing IFDM systems on their A Landowner’s Manual California Department of Food and farms. and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation To date, IFDM projects are being considered Managing agricultural water: Service. Valuable research information has been for drainage-impacted areas on the Westside and A guide for developing contributed by the University of California, Davis in Kern County. Likewise, farmers and water Integrated On-Farm Drainage Management systems and Riverside, California State University, Fresno districts in the Grasslands Drainage Basin have and the USDA Salinity Lab in Riverside and Water expressed interest in IFDM to help reduce drainage Management Research Lab in Parlier, and staff flows, selenium load levels and drainage effluent from the Denver office of the U.S. Bureau of in their discharge outlets. The IFDM system offers Reclamation. The Center for Irrigation benefits to water managers, farmers and political Technology at California State University, Fresno leaders by providing a practical example of is overseeing the preparation of these manuals and integrated farming and engineering methods to follow-up workshops on IFDM implementation. protect the quality of rivers, The Central Valley Regional Water Quality resources, soils and the environment. Control Board and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Moreover, the concepts within IFDM are also have participated. consistent with local and regional water and The pilot IFDM system was developed at Red drainage management plans. The Federal-State Rock Ranch, owned by John Diener, in western Interagency San Joaquin Valley Drainage Fresno County. Professional staff from several Program’s final report, A Management Plan For government agencies, universities, and Agricultural Subsurface Drainage and Related consultants provide the required technical Problems on the Westside San Joaquin Valley, assistance. September 1990, recommends several measures The IFDM system has created conditions for for managing subsurface agricultural drainage, economically viable and sustainable farming on which are employed by IFDM systems. The major Chapter 1. General Information the land that previously had severe salinity components include source control (water problems and consequently, reduced yields and conservation practices), sequential reuse of I. Introduction than considering them as wastes and environ- productivity. Using the experiences from the Red drainage water and the treatment and/or disposal mental problems. Rock Ranch IFDM project, many growers are of drainage water. Chronic problems of salt, selenium, boron and Simply stated, the grower sequentially reuses other naturally occurring elements in surface and drainage water to produce with varying groundwater supplies plague agricultural regions degrees of salt tolerance. A solar evaporator throughout the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley receives the final volume of drainage water; this and the western U.S. Compounding the problem water evaporates and salt crystallizes. Plants is the build-up of salty subsurface groundwater absorb selenium, which may be volatilized; or resulting from dense clay layers and inadequate accumulate in the plant tissue. Of the remaining natural drainage. selenium some will remain in the soil and some The Integrated On-Farm Drainage Manage- will be contained in the final effluent to become ment (IFDM) system was developed to manage a component of harvested salt. There is no these problems. A state-of-the-art, yet practical discharge of salts and selenium into rivers or irrigation management system, the IFDM provides evaporation ponds. Drainage water, salts and for drainage water reuse to improve water selenium are managed on the farm. availability for production and to minimize The use of an IFDM system for salt and water salt and selenium risks to water quality and the management on drainage-impacted farmland has environment. two primary objectives: IFDM manages irrigation water on salt- 1. To use drainage water as a resource to pro- sensitive, high value crops and reuses drainage duce marketable crops; and water to irrigate salt-tolerant crops, trees and 2. To manage the salt and selenium in drain- halophyte plants. Salt and selenium are removed age water directly on-farm. from the farming system and can be marketed. This system views the subsurface drainage water An IFDM system can serve as a viable containing salts and selenium as resources, rather alternative for landowners who may not choose

2004 Landowner Manual 1-1 2004 Landowner Manual 1-3 Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction Notes: to participate in a voluntary land retirement program for drainage-impacted lands. Once the irrigation systems have been optimized to maximize water use efficiency and to minimize the production of subsurface drainage water, an IFDM system can be designed to enable the landowner to process the resulting drainage water on-farm. II. This manual This manual is part of an educational and outreach program to educate landowners on the advant– ages, disadvantages, costs, environmental regulations Drainage canals have been used to capture and other issues involving an subsurface saline drainage water. The IFDM system IFDM system. A companion manages the saline drainage effluent on-farm. manual is being produced to Prior to 1986, drainage water collected from provide technical consultants fields in western Fresno County was discharged and support personnel with into the San Luis Drain with the ultimate objective the tools they need to assist growers with of disposal into saline Bay-Delta waters. However, developing and implementing an effective IFDM the Drain was closed in 1986 due to public program. concern over the environmental degradation of The seven-year IFDM pilot system at Red Rock the Bay-Delta, and waterfowl poisonings, which Ranch has demonstrated that the use of IFDM on resulted from selenium contamination at a larger scale is possible and practical. Several Kesterson Reservoir. Without a viable way to drain farms and water districts, likewise, have developed the land, growers’ options to purge their land of IFDM systems in their areas. salts become severely limited. As the salts and The merits of IFDM have been recognized by boron encroach into the crop root zone, yields the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are reduced, crop choices are limited, and over the State Water Resources Control Board through time, crop production can become unprofitable. the award of a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Likewise, water quality in the Sacramento-San Grant to educate farmers and to train professionals Joaquin Bay-Delta estuary ecosystem is being about IFDM implementation. This manual is impacted by the addition of salts, selenium and funded by the grant, and it targets the needs of other elements from storm run-off and subsurface the landowners, water/drainage district managers, drainage that ultimately reaches the San Joaquin engineers and technical professionals. River. A total maximum daily load (TMDL) for selenium is being implemented for the upper San III. History Joaquin River and TMDLs for salt and boron The Westside of the San Joaquin Valley is currently are under development for the river. It plagued with a build-up of salts, selenium, boron is clear that alternative methods for managing and other naturally occurring elements. Fine- salinity are needed to ensure the long-term textured soil and dense, shallow clay layers allow agricultural productivity of the region. the build-up of these salts and trace elements by Since 1985, several water and resource preventing unused irrigation water from management agencies have responded to the percolating into the deep aquifer. Growers in the need, developing the IFDM system. IFDM evolved region are faced with severe problems of high from the agroforestry concept and was developed water tables and soil salinization. by the Westside Resource Conservation District,

2004 Landowner Manual 1-4 2004 Landowner Manual 1-2 Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction Notes: to participate in a voluntary land retirement program for drainage-impacted lands. Once the irrigation systems have been optimized to maximize water use efficiency and to minimize the production of subsurface drainage water, an IFDM system can be designed to enable the landowner to process the resulting drainage water on-farm. II. This manual This manual is part of an educational and outreach program to educate landowners on the advant– ages, disadvantages, costs, environmental regulations Drainage canals have been used to capture and other issues involving an subsurface saline drainage water. The IFDM system IFDM system. A companion manages the saline drainage effluent on-farm. manual is being produced to Prior to 1986, drainage water collected from provide technical consultants fields in western Fresno County was discharged and support personnel with into the San Luis Drain with the ultimate objective the tools they need to assist growers with of disposal into saline Bay-Delta waters. However, developing and implementing an effective IFDM the Drain was closed in 1986 due to public program. concern over the environmental degradation of The seven-year IFDM pilot system at Red Rock the Bay-Delta, and waterfowl poisonings, which Ranch has demonstrated that the use of IFDM on resulted from selenium contamination at a larger scale is possible and practical. Several Kesterson Reservoir. Without a viable way to drain farms and water districts, likewise, have developed the land, growers’ options to purge their land of IFDM systems in their areas. salts become severely limited. As the salts and The merits of IFDM have been recognized by boron encroach into the crop root zone, yields the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are reduced, crop choices are limited, and over the State Water Resources Control Board through time, crop production can become unprofitable. the award of a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Likewise, water quality in the Sacramento-San Grant to educate farmers and to train professionals Joaquin Bay-Delta estuary ecosystem is being about IFDM implementation. This manual is impacted by the addition of salts, selenium and funded by the grant, and it targets the needs of other elements from storm run-off and subsurface the landowners, water/drainage district managers, drainage that ultimately reaches the San Joaquin engineers and technical professionals. River. A total maximum daily load (TMDL) for selenium is being implemented for the upper San III. History Joaquin River and TMDLs for salt and boron The Westside of the San Joaquin Valley is currently are under development for the river. It plagued with a build-up of salts, selenium, boron is clear that alternative methods for managing and other naturally occurring elements. Fine- salinity are needed to ensure the long-term textured soil and dense, shallow clay layers allow agricultural productivity of the region. the build-up of these salts and trace elements by Since 1985, several water and resource preventing unused irrigation water from management agencies have responded to the percolating into the deep aquifer. Growers in the need, developing the IFDM system. IFDM evolved region are faced with severe problems of high from the agroforestry concept and was developed water tables and soil salinization. by the Westside Resource Conservation District,

2004 Landowner Manual 1-4 2004 Landowner Manual 1-2 Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction

California Department of Water Resources, interested in developing IFDM systems on their A Landowner’s Manual California Department of Food and Agriculture farms. and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation To date, IFDM projects are being considered Managing agricultural irrigation drainage water: Service. Valuable research information has been for drainage-impacted areas on the Westside and A guide for developing contributed by the University of California, Davis in Kern County. Likewise, farmers and water Integrated On-Farm Drainage Management systems and Riverside, California State University, Fresno districts in the Grasslands Drainage Basin have and the USDA Salinity Lab in Riverside and Water expressed interest in IFDM to help reduce drainage Management Research Lab in Parlier, and staff flows, selenium load levels and drainage effluent from the Denver office of the U.S. Bureau of in their discharge outlets. The IFDM system offers Reclamation. The Center for Irrigation benefits to water managers, farmers and political Technology at California State University, Fresno leaders by providing a practical example of is overseeing the preparation of these manuals and integrated farming and engineering methods to follow-up workshops on IFDM implementation. protect the quality of rivers, groundwater The Central Valley Regional Water Quality resources, soils and the environment. Control Board and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Moreover, the concepts within IFDM are also have participated. consistent with local and regional water and The pilot IFDM system was developed at Red drainage management plans. The Federal-State Rock Ranch, owned by John Diener, in western Interagency San Joaquin Valley Drainage Fresno County. Professional staff from several Program’s final report, A Management Plan For government agencies, universities, and Agricultural Subsurface Drainage and Related consultants provide the required technical Problems on the Westside San Joaquin Valley, assistance. September 1990, recommends several measures The IFDM system has created conditions for for managing subsurface agricultural drainage, economically viable and sustainable farming on which are employed by IFDM systems. The major Chapter 1. General Information the land that previously had severe salinity components include source control (water problems and consequently, reduced yields and conservation practices), sequential reuse of I. Introduction than considering them as wastes and environ- productivity. Using the experiences from the Red drainage water and the treatment and/or disposal mental problems. Rock Ranch IFDM project, many growers are of drainage water. Chronic problems of salt, selenium, boron and Simply stated, the grower sequentially reuses other naturally occurring elements in surface and drainage water to produce crops with varying groundwater supplies plague agricultural regions degrees of salt tolerance. A solar evaporator throughout the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley receives the final volume of drainage water; this and the western U.S. Compounding the problem water evaporates and salt crystallizes. Plants is the build-up of salty subsurface groundwater absorb selenium, which may be volatilized; or resulting from dense clay layers and inadequate accumulate in the plant tissue. Of the remaining natural drainage. selenium some will remain in the soil and some The Integrated On-Farm Drainage Manage- will be contained in the final effluent to become ment (IFDM) system was developed to manage a component of harvested salt. There is no these problems. A state-of-the-art, yet practical discharge of salts and selenium into rivers or irrigation management system, the IFDM provides evaporation ponds. Drainage water, salts and for drainage water reuse to improve water selenium are managed on the farm. availability for crop production and to minimize The use of an IFDM system for salt and water salt and selenium risks to water quality and the management on drainage-impacted farmland has environment. two primary objectives: IFDM manages irrigation water on salt- 1. To use drainage water as a resource to pro- sensitive, high value crops and reuses drainage duce marketable crops; and water to irrigate salt-tolerant crops, trees and 2. To manage the salt and selenium in drain- halophyte plants. Salt and selenium are removed age water directly on-farm. from the farming system and can be marketed. This system views the subsurface drainage water An IFDM system can serve as a viable containing salts and selenium as resources, rather alternative for landowners who may not choose

2004 Landowner Manual 1-1 2004 Landowner Manual 1-3