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Impact of changes in irrigation water management in eastern Idaho. Research technical completion report, project A-040-IDA Item Info

Irrigation water use data on six irrigation districts in the Upper Snake River Basin of Idaho were obtained for the 1974 season. Data on river diversions, return flow, crop consumptive use, and seepage losses were obtained and a water budget analysis performed to determine present farm, conveyance system, and project efficiencies. Present farm irrigation efficiencies varied from 11 to 62 percent and project irrigation efficiencies varied from 10 to 42 percent. Low farm irrigation efficiencies were attributed to long field runs on high intake rate soils. Canal seepage losses contribute a significant part of the system loss; however, lining of main canal systems would not significantly increase project efficiencies. Reasonably attainable project efficiencies were determined by evaluating the effects of reducing canal seepage losses, incremental reductions in river diversions, reasonable increases in farm irrigation efficiencies, and by a complete hypothetical conversion to sprinkler irrigation. Reasonably attainable project irrigation efficiencies of 35 to 51 percent are estimated assuming a farm irrigation efficiency of 60 percent, which is achievable with sprinkler irrigation or well managed surface systems. On the six districts evaluated, which irrigate 252,000 acres, a potential water saving of over 800,000 acre feet per year could be achieved, making water available for irrigation of an additional 274,000 acres or for other beneficial uses. Current and projected irrigation return flow data have added valuable input for river operation models used in planning future uses of the Snake River.

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Title:
Impact of changes in irrigation water management in eastern Idaho. Research technical completion report, project A-040-IDA
Authors:
Brockway, C. E.; Claiborn, B. A.
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1975-12
Description:
Irrigation water use data on six irrigation districts in the Upper Snake River Basin of Idaho were obtained for the 1974 season. Data on river diversions, return flow, crop consumptive use, and seepage losses were obtained and a water budget analysis performed to determine present farm, conveyance system, and project efficiencies. Present farm irrigation efficiencies varied from 11 to 62 percent and project irrigation efficiencies varied from 10 to 42 percent. Low farm irrigation efficiencies were attributed to long field runs on high intake rate soils. Canal seepage losses contribute a significant part of the system loss; however, lining of main canal systems would not significantly increase project efficiencies. Reasonably attainable project efficiencies were determined by evaluating the effects of reducing canal seepage losses, incremental reductions in river diversions, reasonable increases in farm irrigation efficiencies, and by a complete hypothetical conversion to sprinkler irrigation. Reasonably attainable project irrigation efficiencies of 35 to 51 percent are estimated assuming a farm irrigation efficiency of 60 percent, which is achievable with sprinkler irrigation or well managed surface systems. On the six districts evaluated, which irrigate 252,000 acres, a potential water saving of over 800,000 acre feet per year could be achieved, making water available for irrigation of an additional 274,000 acres or for other beneficial uses. Current and projected irrigation return flow data have added valuable input for river operation models used in planning future uses of the Snake River.
Subjects:
water budget canal seepage irrigation efficiency
Location:
Upper Snake River Basin
Latitude:
46.11
Longitude:
-116.57
Collection:
IWRRI
Series:
Water for Idaho
IWRRI number:
197504
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
Publisher:
University of Idaho
Contributing Institution:
University of Idaho
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Cataloger:
wbv
Date Digitized:
2012

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Source
Preferred Citation:
"Impact of changes in irrigation water management in eastern Idaho. Research technical completion report, project A-040-IDA", Idaho Waters Digital Library, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iwdl/items/iwdl-197504.html
Rights
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
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