Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for Irrigation Managers
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Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for Irrigation Managers Energy, Efficiency and Infrastructure A USCID Water Management Conference Albuquerque, New Mexico April 26-29, 2011 USCID The U.S. society for irrigation and drainage professionals Edited by Rhonda Skaggs New Mexico State University Susan S. Anderson U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage Published by U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage 1616 Seventeenth Street, #483 Denver, CO 80202 Telephone: 303-628-5430 Fax: 303-628-5431 USCID The Mission of the United States Committee on Irrigation and Drainage is to foster sustainable, socially acceptable and environmentally responsible irrigation, drainage and flood control systems and practices for providing food, clothing and shelter to the people of the United States and the World. USCID is a nonprofit professional society whose members share an interest in the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of irrigation, drainage and flood control works; agricultural economics; water law; and environmental and social issues affecting irrigated agriculture. USCID is the United States member of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), an association of more than 70 countries. Founded in 1950, ICID is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the sound and responsible management of water resources. Its central purpose is to promote the development and application of the sciences and techniques of irrigation, drainage, flood control and river channel stabilization. USCID publishes the USCID Newsletter, proceedings of USCID meetings and special reports; organizes and sponsors periodic technical meetings and Conferences; and distributes ICID publications. Since 1986, USCID has organized a number of regional, national and international meetings throughout the U.S. These meetings address contemporary issues affecting irrigated agriculture, offering a multi-disciplinary evaluation of problems and solutions. For additional information about USCID, its meetings, publications and membership, contact USCID Telephone: 303-628-5430 1616 Seventeenth Street, # 483 Fax: 303-628-5431 Denver, CO 80202 E-mail: [email protected] U.S.A. Internet: www.uscid.org USCID accepts no responsibility for the statements made or the opinions expressed in this publication. Copyright © 2011, U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Control Number: 2011926853 ISBN 978-1-887903-34-9 Preface The papers included in these Proceedings were presented during the USCID Water Management Conference, held April 26-29, 2011, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.. The Theme of the Conference was Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for Irrigation Managers — Energy, Efficiency and Infrastructure. An accompanying book presents abstracts of each paper. Irrigation managers must continuously seek to improve efficiencies as well as identify and exploit sources of water supply, water conservation and district revenues. Technology at all irrigation water management levels is changing, and accountability for water resource use is improving, in response to increasing demand and competition. The potential for water districts to generate hydro power, the need to upgrade infrastructure for existing and emerging multiple uses, and urbanization of water districts present both challenges and opportunities for irrigation managers. The Conference was designed to provide information on a wide variety of topics of critical interest to irrigation and water resource managers, researchers, and both technology users and developers. The authors of papers presented in these Proceedings are professionals from academia; federal, state and local government agencies; water and irrigation districts; and the private sector. USCID and the Conference Chairman express gratitude to the authors, session moderators and participants for their contributions. Rhonda Skaggs New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico Conference Chairman iii Contents Infrastructure/Urbanization/Water Conservation Verifying Conservation Estimates for On-Farm Agricultural Water ConservationPrograms..................................................1 John McLeod, Stacy Pandey and Ana Ramirez Improving Irrigation System Performance in the Middle Rio Grande through ScheduledWaterDelivery ..............................................13 Subhas Shah, David Gensler, Kristoph-Dietrich Kinzli, Ramchand Oad and Nabil Shafike Urbanization of Irrigation Districts in the Texas Rio Grande River Basin .......35 Gabriele Bonaiti and Guy Fipps Urbanization Issues in the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District ...........49 Rhonda Skaggs, Leeann Demouche, Tyler Holmes, Zohrab Samani and A. Salim Bawazir From Canyons to Canals: Applying Regulated River Researtch to Canal BankAnalysis.........................................................59 Brent Travis and Brian Wahlin Planning and Endangered Species Integrated Water Supply Planning for Sustainability — A Case Study of the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority...................71 John M. Stomp III and Greg Gates Water for Irrigation, Streams and Economy: Evaluating Past and Future Climate Change to Secure a Reliable Water Supply for Multiple Needs .........83 Ted Shannon, Steve Mason, Ronan Igloria and Anders Rasmussen An Assessment of the Pecos River Flow and Water Quality Between Santa Rosa andPuertodeLuna,NewMexico.........................................97 Peter W. Burck and F. Emile Sawyer Irrigation Management Strategies to Foster Conservation of Endangered NativeSpecies........................................................107 DavidE.Cowley Low Head Hydro Low-HeadHydro,asEasyas1-2-3......................................121 Ed Gerak Energy Production Within an Irrigation System ...........................125 Joe E. Blankenship Examining the Feasibility of Hydropower Generation in the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District............................................137 David Gensler, Kristoph-Dietrich Kinzli and Ramchand Oad iv Development of the Carter Lake Hydropower Project .......................159 Carl Brouwer LowHeadHydroPotentialinColorado...................................173 Lindsay George and Daniel Zimmerle Optimal Placement of Hydroelectric Dams in Canals .......................187 Brent Travis and Brian Wahlin Prototype Hydropower Generation Design and Construction for Low-Head Applications.........................................................199 Gary Esslinger, Henry Magallanez, Zachary L. Libbin, Mathew B. Haines and Fernando Cadena BlueistheNewGreen ................................................213 Ed Gerak Low-HeadHydroCaseStudy—SECProject..............................219 Donovan Neese and Jennifer M. Torpey The Fresno Low-Head Hydropower Project — A Case Study ................229 Owen Kubit, Brian Ehlers and and Brock Buche Creating Hydroelectric Opportunities with Irrigation Canal Piping Projects ....241 Dick Haapala, Brady Fuller and Jason Smesrud Case Study of Small Hydropower Plant by Orange Cove Irrigation District.....249 Fergus Morrissey, James Chandler and Brian E. Ehlers Flow Measurement Flow Measurement Capabilities of Diversion Works in the Rio Grande ProjectArea..........................................................265 Brian Wahlin Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Experiences in New Mexico .......281 Peter W. Burck and Anders Lundahl Open-Channel and Pipe Flow Measurement at Mohave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District Using Venturi Technology with Bubbler Sensors ...........287 Tom Gill, Mark Niblack and Alan Jackson Using an ADCP to Determine Canal Seepage Loss in the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District............................................303 Kristoph-Dietrich Kinzli, Matthew Martinez, Ramchand Oad, Adam Prior and David Gensler What’sinYourRadioCommunicationTackleBox?........................315 Dan Steele Venturi Meters Consructed with Pipe Fittings: An Under-Appreciated Option for Measuring Agricultural Water .................................323 Tom Gill, Brian Wahlin and John Replogle v Crop Issues and Water Banking Improving Crop Water Use Determination Using Adjusted Eddy CovarianceHeatFluxes................................................335 Stuart L. Joy, José L. Chávez and Terry A. Howell Performance Evaluation of TDT Soil Water Content and Watermark Soil Water Potential Sensors ...................................................351 Jordan L. Varble, José L. Chávez, Allan A. Andales, Greg L. Butters and Thomas J. Trout Meeting Water Challenges in Idaho through Water Banking .................365 Jerrold D. Gregg and Richard M. Rigby Water Transfers in California: 20 Years of Progress, View to the Future .......377 Steven Macaulay Poster Session TheEnergyFarm.....................................................391 Joe E. Blankenship vi VERIFYING CONSERVATION ESTIMATES FOR ON-FARM AGRICULTURAL WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS John S. McLeod1 Stacy Pandey2 Ana Ramirez3 ABSTRACT This paper presents a statistical analysis of water use practices for precision leveled rice fields irrigated by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Lakeside irrigation division. Results from this analysis indicate there is a statistically significant difference in water use between leveled and non-leveled fields. The study also evaluated the effects of other water use factors such as other on-farm conservation measures, farmer management practices, and environmental factors. The analysis used a Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM)