Bureau of Reclamation Yuma Area Office WATER CONSERVATION FIELD SERVICES PROGRAM FY1999 Annual Report & FY2000 Program Plan BUREAU OF RECLAMATION YUMA AREA WATER CONSERVATION FIELD SERVICES PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999 (OCTOBER 1998 TO OCTOBER 1999) What is Reclamation’s Water becoming harder and harder to make any Conservation Field Services Program ? advances in water conservation through structural measures. Most future advances In 1997 Reclamation created the Water in water conservation can be made through Conservation Field Services Pro gram. This improved water management. program is a firm commitment by Reclamation to: What is meant by “Water Management”? * Encourage water conservation through voluntary and cooperative means; Webster’s Dictionary defines * Assist water agencies to develop and “management” as the skilled handling of implement effective water management and something; or the act of planning, directing, conservation plans; and controlling something in a skilled * Coordinate with other state and local manner. Improving water management will conservation program efforts; involve educational effo rts, improving skills * Foster improved water management; and and abilities, changing attitudes and * Assist water districts as they seek perceptions, and application of new efficiency in their water management, as an technology. alternative to other regulatory measures. Water management is not a structural measure. However, it will need to include What is the “Yuma Area”? some structural components, for example, measuring devices and automation The “Yuma Area” is an administrative area equipment. of Reclamation which includes all users of Colo rado River water downstream of Davis How much potential is there for water Dam, except those served by the Central conservation in the Yuma Area? Arizona Project and the Colorado River Aqueduct. It is a predominately agricultural The Yuma Area water districts divert area, and the major consumer of Colorado about 6.5 million acre-feet of water per year. River water. Thirteen irrigation districts and About 4 million acre-feet of water per year four Indian Reservations irrigate nearly one of this total is diverted and consumed off the million acres of cropland in the Yuma Area. river with no return flows. Conservation of The Yuma Area is composed of a vast and this portion would result in more water being intricate network of water supply and available for other uses. drainage systems. We are approaching the The remainder, about 2.5 million acre-feet limit of what can be justifiably done with per year, is diverted with the unconsumed pipes, concrete, and earthmoving. It is portion returning to the river. Excessive return flows contribute to salt loading, which the Field Services Program in the Yuma increases irrigation requirements downstream Area? and makes efficient scheduling of water deliveries more difficult. Goal No. 1 - Conservation Plans A very modest increase in water use All districts and municipalities over certain efficiency of 5% would result in about minimum sizes, except Indian Reservations, 200,000 acre-feet per year of additional are required by law to prepare a water water available for other uses, plus a net conservation plan. Unfortunately, a legal reduction in salt loading to the river. requirement does not guarantee that a conservation plan will be a bona fide, honest Why should a district or water user try planning effort. to improve their water management? There are 13 districts in the Yuma Area that are required to complete plans. For the user, it pays. In the increasingly (Needles, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu competitive agricultural marketplace, more City work with the Boulder Canyon Area efficient water use will provide the edge that Office). In addition, there are four Indian agricultural producers will need to prosper. Tribes and several smaller municipalities in Inefficiently managed water costs the user the Yuma area that are not required to not only in water fees, but labor cost, yields, prepare plans. crop uniformity and fertilizer. A genuine planning effort is accomplished For the water district, more efficient ly with public meetings and input. It involves managed water reduces drainage costs and gathering basic resource inventory overall operating expense, while providing information; identifying problems, goals, and better service to its customers. opportunities; and evaluating and selecting Let’s not forget that our water supply is alternative courses of action. not unlimited. Demands for Colorado River Our goal is to work with all Districts and wat er exceed it s long term ability to supply. Indian Tribes to develop genuine water In the future, all water districts and agencies conservation plans. are going to have to show the public that their water use is prudent and reasonable -- Goal No. 2 - Cooperative that all conservation measures which can be Conservation Projects economically justified are being practiced. A Our goal is to be actively working in district or agency with foresight will realize partnership with local agencies on a well that the best way to show prudent water use balanced water management and is with a genuine, credible water conservation program, with emphasis on: conservation plan. * Water Measurement * Irrigation Water Management * Canal Automation * Soil Salinity Management * Conservation Education; and * Water Management & Conservation Planning. Goal No. 3 - Public Direction of What is Reclamation Trying to Do With Conservation Program landscape irrigation, and mobile, public We want water management and water conservation displays. conservation effort to be responsive to local We demonstrated water measurement concerns. We strive to obtain input from techniques to local schools and Districts with local water users and conservation our portable water demonstration model, and organizations by attending board meetings displayed it at county fairs. and through regular informal meetings. Our goal is to maintain responsiveness to Demonstration of New Technology local concerns through regular and open and Innovative Techniques communication. We were involved with three irrigation water management demonstrations with What did we do with the Field Services emphasis on improved management of Program accomplish in 1999 and what surface irrigation systems. kind of results did we see? We continued to work with the University of Arizona to develop and Internet-based We are building the foundation for an irrigation scheduling program. effective water conservation effort through We signed two cooperative agreements to improved management. To this end we have demonstrate new technology for assessment supported efforts in conservation planning, and diagnosis of soil salinity, and worked conservation education, demonstration of with sponsors to develop another one. new technologies, and implementation of We sponsored a cooperative agreement conservation measures.. with the University of California to conduct a study and demonstration of alternative Conservation Planning forage crops that will evaluate economic We provided assistance directly to Districts alternative forage crops while conserving in preparation of their conservation plans. In water. general, the largest Districts do not require any assistance beyond general policy Implementation of Conservation guidance. Mid-size Districts are being Measures assisted by providing data and information as We provided technical and financial requested. With smaller Districts, we are assistance to five Districts with ongoing assisting them to collect and present data for water measurement improvement projects. their use in selecting alternatives. All 13 About fifty new long-throated flumes have Districts in the area were assisted in some been installed in the Yuma Area with Field form. Services Program assistance, in main canals, laterals, and farm turnouts. Conservation Education We also provided direct assistance to We were partial sponsors of t hree “mobile districts with three canal automation labs” which provide assistance directly to projects. farmers with evaluation of their irrigation management. We sponsored three conservation education projects as shown on the attached list of projects, including new projects such as an outdoor classroom, a program to assist Summary of Projects What are our long range goals? A detailed listing of all active water conservation agreement s is at tached to this The Yuma Area is nearly “built- out” with report. structural measures to conserve water which are feasible. Our focus must be on What are we planning to do in 1999? management measures. There is a tremendous potential for water conservation Our goals in 2000 are: in the Yuma Area through improved 1. Assist Districts to complete seven management. New technology, and new conservation plans. techniques with existing technology, are 2. Provide timely, quality assistance on helping us to meet this challenge, but existing conservation projects & patience, education, and communication are partnerships. vital. 3. Accelerate technical assistance to With the focus on management instead of Districts. structural measures, a long range strategy is 4. Solicit public input and direction by being developed. As we gain experience and through regular communication with water input from our partners, our strategy will user and conservation districts and other continue to develop. Our long-range strategy interested groups. is to: 5. Develop six new project cooperative 1.Build a good