National Handbook of Recommended Methods for Water Data Acquisition

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11.H. IRRIGATION


Irrigation water use is by far the largest use of water diverted from streams or withdrawn from aquifers in the western United States (Solley and others, 1990). Total annual irrigation water use can vary depending on many factors including climate, foreign trade, commodity prices, production costs, cost efficiency of irrigation, and changes in irrigation technology. Modern irrigation practices began to develop with the settlement of the arid West where precipitation generally is insufficient for crop production. In addition, some irrigation has long been practiced in the humid eastern States to supplement precipitation in order to increase the number of plantings per year and yield per acre, and to supplement a lack of precipitation during droughts (Solley and others, 1988). A history and summary of irrigation in the United States is presented by the U.S. Department of the Interior and others in Irrigation Water Use and Management (1979), an interagency task force report on irrigation efficiencies.

Irrigation water-use data are used to manage finite ground-water supplies and often over-appropriated surface-water supplies. For example, Congress mandated*1. a study of the High Plains aquifer in the central United States to determine if it is being depleted. Also, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is required (Public Law 90-537) to monitor consumptive uses and losses of the much-used water resources in the Colorado River Basin (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 1981). In addition, many states have established various kinds of water-management districts to manage specific water sources that have been identified as critical.

11.H.1. Description


Irrigation water use includes all water artificially applied to farm, orchard, pasture, and horticultural crops (fig. 8). In addition to normal plant growth, irrigation water may be used for germination, frost and freeze protection, chemical application, crop cooling, harvesting, or dust suppression. Irrigation also includes water used to irrigate public (SIC code 7992) and private (SIC code 7997) golf courses. Irrigation water can be self-supplied or purchased from an irrigation company, irrigation district, or other supplier.

Figure 8.

Figure 8. Diagram of irrigation water use.

Water used for irrigation is diverted or withdrawn from natural stream flow, aquifers, and springs. Much of this withdrawn water is stored in open reservoirs that also serve other uses such as recreation, flood protection, flow regulation, and hydropower generation and allow managers to deliver water at times of need. Surface-water-delivery systems include natural and man-made channels and pipelines. Reservoirs, unlined ditches, and canals have significant consumptive use through evaporation, bank storage, and return flow to ground water through leaky structures and porous soils. Ground water is used where surface supply is not economically or physically available or when better water quality is required. The costs associated with locating aquifers, drilling wells, and pumping may make ground water more expensive. Thus, ground-water-delivery systems are designed to minimize losses through closed pipeline systems.

Four irrigation methods are used throughout the United States including surface, sprinkler, micro, and subsurface. The most comprehensive reference recently published is the Management of Farm Irrigation Systems, ASAE Monograph (Hoffman, Howell, Solomon, 1990). Reports by Jensen (1983), and Withers and Vipond (1980) are just a few of the references that describe some of the many types of irrigation systems. The U.S. Bureau of the Census (1982, 1990) periodically surveys irrigation methods used throughout the nation.

Consumptive use of irrigation water occurs as (1) evaporation from open reservoirs and conveyances and during application to plants, (2) evapotranspiration during plant growth, and (3) product incorporation. Because total consumptive use in the irrigation category is larger than any other category, it is important to obtain or estimate accurate consumptive-use information when withdrawal and diversion data are collected or estimated.

11.H.2. Sources of irrigation water-use information

Sources of irrigation water-use information are: (1) Agricultural Extension agents, Universities, and Colleges of Agriculture, (2) the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Agricultural Census and Farm and Ranch Survey; (3) Federal or State Crop Reporting Service; (4) Department of Agriculture, National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS); (5) Irrigation equipment dealers; (6) State agency permitting or allocating the withdrawal of water resources; and (7) U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Agricultural extension agents should be able to provide information on the types of irrigation systems and irrigated crops in the area. They may be able to estimate irrigated acreage and irrigation methods and assist in the development of a crop calendar. A crop calendar includes information on the types of irrigated crops, planting and harvesting dates, and periods of plant growth. It is used for inventorying irrigated-crop acreages and monitoring irrigation-system use by providing a timetable for scheduling data collection during the growing season. This information also can be obtained from county agents and State agricultural agencies. Researchers at Universities and Colleges of Agriculture, especially land-grant universities, and Agricultural research stations can provide assistance and answer any questions dealing with irrigation including crop-water demand figures, soil information, and water-use information.

The U.S. Bureau of the Census is authorized by Congress (Title 13 of the United States Code--section 182) to conduct surveys deemed necessary to furnish annual or other data on the subject covered by the census. Selected irrigation data for on-farm irrigation have been collected in the census of agriculture since 1890. A census of farms reporting irrigation in the 1900 Census of Agriculture was authorized by Congress. Surveys of irrigation in humid areas were taken in connection with the 1954 and 1959 censuses. The 1988 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey (US Bureau of the Census, 1990) is the third survey devoted entirely to the collection of on-farm irrigation for the conterminous United States. The 1979, 1984, and 1988 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Surveys collected similar data using similar methods and procedures of data collection and processing.

The NRCS assists farmers with their irrigation problems through about 2,500 field offices. They work with about 278,000 farmers making on-farm irrigation evaluations including estimates of water use. The National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS), in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture in each State, also collects annual crop and livestock statistics and irrigated-land crop data for many of the states where irrigation is used extensively.

Irrigation equipment dealers can provide information about the types of systems they sell and the types that are used regionally. Dealers are a valuable source of information, since they can describe the actual systems that are seen in the field. They can determine equipment design specifications such as the capacities of certain center pivot systems. These specifications are needed for analyzing inventory data. Many types of irrigation systems can be inspected at the dealerships. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation publication Summary Statistics: Water, Land, and Related Data is also useful source of agriculture data.

11.H.3. Measurement, estimation, and data-collection methods for irrigation water use

Measurement of irrigation water use consists primarily of measuring surface-water withdrawals from rivers, lakes, and streams; ground-water withdrawals; and diversions and conveyance losses in surface-water-delivery systems. However, determining irrigation water use over large areas, which may include hundreds or thousands of irrigation systems, requires reliance on data from other sources, or developing methods to derive irrigation water-use values from coefficients related to power consumption, or estimating water use through irrigated acreage and crop consumption coefficients. Irrigation consumptive use and ground-water return flow usually are estimated.

11.D.4. Irrigation selected references

These references are supplemental to the ones in the General reference Section.

Ahmed, J. and van Bavel, C.H.M., 1976, Optimization of crop irrigation strategy under a stochastic weather regime: a simulation study: Water Resources Research, v. 12, no. 6, p. 1241-1247.

Asano, Takashi, and Pettygrove, G.S., 1984, Irrigation with reclaimed wastewater, a guidance manual: California State Water Resources Control Board, 15 chapters, 9 appendixes.

Baker, C.H., Jr., 1983, Evaluation of techniques for estimating ground-water withdrawals for irrigation in western Kansas: Kansas Water Office Bulletin 26, 14 p.

Blaney, H.F., and Criddle, W.D., 1950, Determining water requirements in irrigated areas from climatological and irrigation data: U.S. Soil Conservation Service Technical Paper 96, 48 p.

-----1962, Determining consumptive use and irrigation water requirements: U.S. Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin No. 1275, 59 p.

-----1966, Determining consumptive use for water planning developments: Los Angeles, University of California, Water Resources Center, 35 p.

Bollman, F.H., 1977, Forecasting water demands for planning in Irrigation and Drainage Division Speciality Conference on Water Management for Irrigation and Drainage, Reno, Nev., July 20-22, 1977, Proceedings: Reno, Nev., American Society of Civil Engineers, p. 143-155.

Bos, M.G., Repogle, J.A., and Clemmens, A.J., 1984, Flow measuring flumes for open channel systems: New York, John Wiley.

Brosz, D.J., 1966, Irrigation water measurement (A handbook for ditch riders and irrigators): U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mountain States Regional Cooperative Extension Service Circular 132-revised, 55 p.

Clawges, R.M., and Titus. E.O., 1993, Method for predicting water demand for crop uses in New Jersey in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, and for estimating water use for livestock and selected sectors of the food-processing industry in New Jersey in 1987: U.S. Geological Survey Water-resources Investigations Report 92-4145, 211 p.

Diamond, Jonathan, and Williamson, A.K., 1983, A summary of ground-water pumpage in the Central Valley, California, 1961-77: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4037, 70 p.

Doorenbos, J., and Pruitt, W.O., 1977, Guidelines for predicting crop water requirements: Food and Agricultural Organization, Irrigation and Drainage Paper no. 24, 144 p.

Duerr, A.D., and Trommer, J.T., 1982, The benchmark farm program--a method for estimating irrigation water use in southwest Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 82-17, 49 p.

Erie, L.J., French, O.F., Bucks, D.A., and Harris, K., 1982, Consumptive use of water by major crops in the Southwestern United States: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service Conservation Research Report no. 29, 40 p.

Finkel, H.J. (ed.), 1983, Handbook of irrigation technology: Haifa, Israel, CRC Press.

Gilley, J.R., 1977, Computer modeling to maximize water-use efficiency and reduce energy in irrigation: Lincoln, University of Nebraska, Water Resources Research Institute, Completion Report PB-275 776, 30 p.

Gisser, Micha, and Mercado, Abraham, 1972, Integration of the agricultural demand function for water and the hydrologic model of the Pecos basin: Water Resources Research, v. 8, no. 6, p. 1373-1384.

Gregory, E.J., and Hanson, E.G., 1979, Predicting consumptive use with climatological data: New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute Report no. 66.

Hansen, V.E., Israelsen, O.W., and Stringham, G.E., 1980, Irrigation principles and practices: New York, Wiley, 4th ed., 417 p.

Heady, E.O., and Nicol, K.J., 1975, Models of agricultural water, land use and the environment, in North-Holland/Tims Studies in the Management Sciences: New York, North-Holland Publishing Co., v. 3, p. 29-56.

Hedlund, J.D., and Koluvek, P.K., 1985, Rating system to evaluate on-farm water conservation in Irrigation and Drainage Division Specialty Conference on Development and Management Aspects of Irrigation and Drainage Systems, 1985, Proceedings: American Society of Civil Engineers, p. 137-145.

Heimes, F.J., and Luckey, R.R., 1980, Evaluating methods for determining water use in the High Plains in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1979: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 80-111, 118 p.

-----1982, Methods for estimating historical irrigation requirements from ground water in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 82-40, 64 p.

-----1983, Estimating 1980 ground-water pumpage for irrigation on the High Plains in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4123, 36 p.

Heimes, F.J., Luckey, R.R., and Stephens, D.M., 1986, Evaluation of sampling methods used to estimate irrigation pumpage in Chase, Dundy, and Perkins Counties, Nebraska, 1975-83: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 86-4092, 27 p.

Heimes, F.J., and Thelin, G.P., 1979, Development and application of Landsat-derived irrigation cropland maps for water-use determination in the High Plains, in Identifying irrigated lands using remote sensing techniques--State-of-the-art symposium: U.S. Geological Survey-Earth Resources Observation System Data Center, Proceedings, p. 76-77.

Hiler, E.A., 1975, Increased water use efficiency through trickle irrigation: Texas Water Resources Institute, Technical Report 65, 72 p.

Hiler, E.A., and Howell, T.A., 1974, Optimization of water use efficiency through trickle irrigation and the stress day index: College Station, Texas A and M University, Texas Water Resources Institute, Technical Report 62, 229 p.

Hoffman, R.O., Edwards, D.M., Wallin, G., and Burton, T., 1974, Remote sensing instrumentation and methods used for identifying center pivot sprinkler irrigation systems and estimated crop water use, in International seminar and exposition on water resources instrumentation, Volume 1--Measurement and sensing methods, Chicago, Ill., 1974, Proceedings: International Water Resources Association, p. 312-317.

Hoffman, R.O., Howell, T.A., and Solomon, 1990, Management of Farm Irrigation Systems, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Monograph.

Hurr, R.T., and Litke, D.W., 1989, Estimating pumping time and ground-water withdrawals using energy-consumption data: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 89-4107, 27 p.

Israelsen, O.W., and Stringham, G.E., 1984, Irrigation principles and practices, 4th ed.: New York, John Wiley, 450 p.

Jensen, M.E., 1983, Design and operation of farm irrigation systems: American Society of Agriculture Engineers, Monograph 3, St. Joseph, Mich., 829 p.

Jensen, M.E., Burman, R.D., and Allen, R.G. (eds.), 1990, Evapotranspiration and irrigation water requirements: New York, American Society of Civil Engineers, Manual and Reports on Engineering Practice no. 70, 332 p.

Jensen, M.E., and Haise, H.R.,1963, Estimating evapotranspiration from solar radiation: American Society of Civil Engineers, Journal of the Irrigation and Drainage Division, Proceedings, v. 89, p. 15-41.

Kolm, K.E., 1985, Evaluation of techniques for mapping land and crops irrigated by center pivots from computer-enhanced landsat imagery in part of the James River basin near Huron, South Dakota: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 85-4021, 24 p.

Leake, S.A., 1984, A method for estimating ground-water return flow to the Colorado River in the Parker area, Arizona and California: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 84-4229, 31 p.

Loeltz, O.J., and Leake, S.A., 1983, A method for estimating ground-water return flow to the lower Colorado River in the Yuma area, Arizona and California: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4220, 86 p.

Luckey, R.R., 1972, Analyses of selected statistical methods for estimating ground-water withdrawal: Water Resources Research, v. 8, no. 1, p. 105-210.

Luckey, R.R., Heimes, F.J., and Gaggiani, N.G., 1980, Calibration and testing of selected portable flowmeters for use on large irrigation systems: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 80-72, 21 p.

Maidment, D.R., 1977, Systems analysis applied to agricultural water demands, in International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Workshop on Water Demands, Laxenburg, Austria, 1977, Proceedings: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, p. 47-56.

Maidment, D.R., Lewthwaite, W.J., and Hamblett, S.G., 1980, Rakaia water use and irrigation development for natural water and soil conservation: Wellington, New Zealand, Water and Soil Division, Ministry of Works and Development, Miscellaneous Publication 19, 47 p.

Marella, R.L., and Singleton, V.D., 1988, Metering methods and equipment used for monitoring irrigation in the St. Johns River Water Management District: Fl., St. Johns River Water Management District, Department of Water Resources, p. 17.

Moore, C.V., 1961, A general analytical framework for estimating the production function for crops using irrigation water: Journal of Farm Economics, v. 43, no. 4, p. 876-888.

-----1972, On the necessary and sufficient conditions for a long-term irrigated agriculture: Water Resources Bulletin, v. 8, no. 4, p. 802-812.

Moore, C.V., Snyder, J.H., and Sun, Peter, 1974, Effects of Colorado River water quality and supply on irrigated agriculture: Water Resources Research, v. 10, no. 2, p. 137-144.

Ogilbee, William, 1966, Progress report--Methods for estimating ground-water withdrawals in Madera County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report, 32 p.

Owen-Joyce, S.J., 1984, A method for estimating ground-water return flow to the Colorado River in the Palo Verde-Cibola area, California and Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 84-4236, 48 p.

Phillips, T.L. (ed.), 1973, LARSYS user's manual: West Lafayette, Penn., Purdue University, Laboratory for Applications for Remote Sensing, 958 p.

Raymond, L.H., and Rezin, K.V., 1986, Evapotranspiration estimates using remote-sensing data, Parker and Palo Verde Valleys, Arizona and California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 86-87, 33 p.

Rada, E.L., and Berquist, B.J., 1976, Irrigation efficiency in the production of California crop calories and proteins: Davis, University of California, Water Resources Center, 69 p.

Rantz, S.E., and others, 1982, Measurement and computation of streamflow: U.S. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 2175, v I and v 2, 631 p.

Replogle, J.A., and Clemmens, A.J., 1980, Constructing simple measuring flumes for irrigation canals: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration, Farmers Bulletin No. 2268, 13 p.

Robinson, A.R., 1959, Measuring seepage from irrigation canals: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Technical Bulletin 1203, 82 p.

Robinson A.R., Lauritzen, C.W., Muckel, D.C., and Phelan, J.T., 1963, Distribution, control, and measurement of irrigation water on the farm: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Publication no. 926, 27 p.

Rohwer, Carl, 1948, Seepage losses from irrigation channels: Fort Collins, Colo., A and M College, Technical Bulletin 38, 98 p.

Sandberg, G.W., 1966, Two simplified variations of a method for computing ground-water pumpage: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1822, p. 114-117.

Scherer, C.R., 1977, Water allocation and pricing for control of irrigation-related salinity in a river basin: Water Resources Research, v. 13, no. 2, p. 225-238.

Schleusener, P.E., and Sulek, J.J., 1959, Criteria for appraising the performance of irrigation pumping plants: Agricultural Engineering, v. 409, no. 9, p. 550-551.

Scott, V.H., and Houston, C.E., 1959, Measuring irrigation water: Davis, California Experiment Station, Extension Service, Circular 473, 52 p.

Seginer, Ido, 1967, Net losses in sprinkler irrigation: Agricultural Meteorology, v. 4, p. 281.

Shoemyen, J.L. (ed.), 1979, Procedure for assessing agricultural water use: Suwannee River Water Management District, Department of Planning and Operations, 114 p.

Sowell, R.S., Sneed, R.E., and Chen, L.H., 1976, Agricultural water demands in North Carolina: Raleigh, University of North Carolina, Water Resources Research Institute Report no. 114, 52 p.

Stout, G.E., 1983, Efficient use of water for irrigation in the upper Midwest: Urbana, University of Illinois, Water Resources Center, Report 176, 57 p.

Texas Technical College Agricultural Engineering Department, 1968, Power requirements and efficiency studies of irrigation pumps and power units: Lubbock, Tex., 79 p.

Thelin, G.P., and Heimes F.J., 1987, Mapping irrigated cropland from Landsat data for determination of water use from the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1400-C, 38 p.

Upper Colorado Region State-Federal Inter-Agency Group, Pacific Southwest Inter-Agency Committee, and Water Resources Council, 1971, Upper Colorado region comprehensive framework study--Appendix 10, Irrigation and drainage: p. 98.

U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1982, Census of agriculture--1987, Irrigation, v. 4: U.S. Government Printing Office, 330 p. (available every 5th year since 1949).

-----1990, Farm and ranch irrigation survey (1988), 1987 census of agriculture, Related surveys, v. 2, part 1: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Special Report Series AC 87-RS-1, 114 p.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 1981, Colorado River system consumptive uses and losses report, 1976-80: Salt Lake City, Utah, 41 p.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1962, Determining consumptive use and irrigation water requirements: Agricultural Research Service Technical Bulletin 1275, 59 p.

-----1967, Irrigation water requirements: U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Engineering Division Technical Release no. 21, 88 p.

-----1973, Soil Conservation Service National Engineering Handbook - Section 15, Irrigation, Chapter 9, Measurement of irrigation water: 72 p.

-----1976, Crop consumptive irrigation requirements and irrigation efficiency coefficients for United States: U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Special Project Division, 141 p.

-----1983, Soil Conservation Service National Engineering Handbook - Section 15, Irrigation, Chapter 11, Sprinkler Irrigation: 121 p.

-----Economic Research Service, 1986, 1984 farm and ranch irrigation survey: Special Report AG84-SR-1.

-----1994, Soil Conservation Service National Engineering Handbook - Part 623, Chapter 2, Irrigation Water Requirements: 121 p.

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1979, Irrigation water use and management: An interagency task force report, 133 p.

U.S. Federal Energy Administration, 1976 (v. 1), 1977 (v. 2), Energy and U.S. Agriculture--1974 data base: Report nos. FEA/D-76/459, FEA/D- 77/140.

Van Deman, J.M., Sowell, R.S., and Sneed, R.E., 1976, Optimization of water use for irrigation: American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Chicago, December 14-17, Paper no. 76-2526, 20 p.

Verdin J.P., Crane, M.P., and Lyford, G.P., 1986, Application of a digital geographic data base to irrigation water rights management, in Johnson, A.J., and Rango, A., eds., Remote sensing applications for consumptive use (evapotranspiration): Bethesda, Md., American Water Resources Association Monograph no. 6, p. 35-49.

Wensink, R.B., Wolfe, J.W., and Kizer, M.A., 1976, Simulating farm irrigation system energy requirements: Corvallis, Oregon State University, Water Resources Research Institute, WRRI-44, 105 p.

Williamson, A.K., 1982, Evapotranspiration of applied water, Central Valley, California, 1957-78: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 81-45, 56 p.

Withers, B., and Vipond, S., 1980, Irrigation design and practice: Ithaca, New York, Cornell University Press, p. 129-154.


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