Kelly Miller, Butte County Resource Conservation District Christina Buck, Butte County Water and Resource Department

Joseph Connell, University of California Cooperative Extension

Dan Taverner, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Scott Turnquist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Best Practices in Agricultural Water Use

Panel Discussion

Introductions and Partnerships

Kelly Miller

District Manager

Butte County Resource Conservation District

Butte County Water Monitoring

Christina Buck

Water Resources Scientist

Butte County Water and Resource Conservation Department

Department of Water & Resource Conservation Monitoring

• Groundwater Levels

• Water Quality- saline intrusion– pH, temperature, electrical conductivity

• Land Subsidence

Water Use

Groundwater LevelMonitoring

Grid

• Measured 4x per year

Domestic well

Irrigation well

Multi-completion well

Water Level Hydrograph

17N03E03D001M

http://www.water.ca.gov/groundwater/casgem/

Groundwater Quality Trend Monitoring

• Since 2001• Summer

Measurement• 13 wells• pH, Temperature,

Electrical conductivity

Subsidence Monitoring

• 5 Extensometers

• Since 1999

• Continuous data

What drives plant water use and how do we match water applications to demand?

Joe Connell, UCCE Farm Advisor Butte County

University of California Cooperative Extension

Agriculture & Natural Resources

6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2

Carbon dioxide + Water

+ Oxygen

Photosynthesis

Transpiration

• Loss of water vapor from stomata in leaves• Rate depends on environmental factors &

available soil moisture– Water moves through the plant in the xylem

• Along a force gradient from high in the soil to low in the atmosphere

Microscopic view of stomata

on lower leaf surface

Water Potential Gradient – Soil to Atmosphere

Soil Water Potential -1/3 to -2 bars Suction

Tree Water Potential -2 to -35 bars Suction

Atmospheric Water Potential -50 to -60 bars Suction

14.5 psi per bar suction

Evapotranspiration (ET)

• Evaporation - water evaporation from soil• Transpiration - water evaporation from leaves– ET increases– As day length (solar radiation), temperatures, and wind

increase– Also, as humidity decreases• Total ET is affected by leaf area – % cover of ground surface – > 50% cover = 100% ET

Schedule irrigations based on Reference ET (ETo)

• Evapotranspiration from a standard grass surface– With a constant and complete canopy coverage

• Calculated from measurements – solar radiation – air temperature– humidity – wind speed

Average Reference Water Use, ETo, inchesFresno Orland St. Helena

March 3.3 3.1 2.8

April 4.8 4.8 3.9

May 6.7 6.7 5.1

June 7.8 7.4 6.1

July 8.4 8.8 7.0

August 7.1 7.3 6.2

September 5.2 5.6 4.8

October 3.2 3.8 3.1

November 1.4 1.7 1.4

TOTAL 47.9 49.2 40.4

Daily Reference ETo (inches/month)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

ETo

(in.)

Month

Average Monthly Reference Evapotranspiration

Sacramento Valley

San Joaquin Valley

Highest in July, followed closely by June and August.

ETo data…Available for locations throughout California

DWR websitewww.cimis.water.ca.gov

Station #12 Durham

ETc data… Published weekly in ER

Low volume irrigation scheduling• Determine how much water

to apply– ETc – canopy size (% cover), climate (temp & day length) – Days between irrigations

• Determine how long to irrigate– ETc between irrigations– Efficiency of irrigation

system– Application rate of drippers

or micro-sprinklersMicrosprinklers

Drip

Low volume irrigation scheduling

• ETo 7.4 inches in June / 30 days = 0.25 inches/day• Irrigated 2 days ago, assume ETc = 0.25 inch/day• So, must replace 0.5 inch of water use

– 1 acre inch = 27,154 gal / 2 = 13,577 gallons/acre ½ inch– An almond tree 22’ x 22’ = 484 ft2

– 484 ft2 / 43,560 ft2/ac = 0.011 of an acre– 13,577 gal/half-inch/acre x 0.011 = 149 gallons per tree

• Determine how long to irrigate– Assume double line drip w/ eight, 1 gal/hr emitters/tree – 149 gallons use / 8 gal/hr application rate = 18.5 hrs run time

every other day

Water budget method of irrigation scheduling

Irrigation

DAILY EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

Onset of Crop Water Stress

Monitor soil moisture with tensiometers or resistance blocks, irrigate at allowable depletion

Additional information

Management strategies• http://ucmanagedrought.ucdavis.edu• http://cetehama.ucdavis.edu

Soil moisture monitoring• http://www.irrigate.net/• http://www.irrometer.com/

Pressure chamber• http://www.pmsinstrument.com• http://www.soilmoisture.com/

Natural Resource Conservation Service Program Overview

Dan Taverner

District Conservationist

USDA NRCS

NRCSNatural Resource Conservation Service

Butte County

Conservation Programs

• Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)– Agriculture Water

Enhancement Program (AWEP)

– Cooperative Conservation Initiative Program (CCPI)

– Bay Delta Initiative (BDI)– Wild Life Habitat Incentive

Program (WHIP)• Conservation Stewardship

Program– Conservation Payments for

continuing conservation

Easement Programs

• Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)

• Farm and Ranch Protection Program (FRPP)

Easement ProgramsWetland Reserve Program

Three levels– Permanent Easement: A

conservation easement in perpetuity. USDA pays 100 percent of the easement value and up to 100 percent of the restoration costs. 

– 30-Year Easement: An easement that expires after 30 years. USDA pays up to 75 percent of the easement value and up to 75 percent of the restoration costs. 

– Restoration Cost-Share Agreement: An agreement to restore or enhance the wetland functions and values without placing an easement on the enrolled acres. USDA pays up to 75 percent of the restoration costs.

Ground remains on tax rolls.

Farm and Ranch Protection Program• Removes developing rights from

high quality agriculture production ground

• Privately owned • Meet at least one of the three

following eligibility requirements:– Contain at least 50% prime,

unique, statewide, or locally important farmland

– Contain historical or archaeological resources

– Further a State or local policy consistent with the purposes of the program

• Be subject of a pending offer from the entity

• Contain cropland, grassland, pasture land, or forest land that contributes to the economic viability of an agricultural operation

Conservation Programs

• Agriculture producers are given a cost share incentive to install conservation measures– Three payment rates 50% typical producer, 75% Beginning

farmer and socially disadvantaged, 90% limited resource farmers• Program areas are defined by a geographical area- political,

watershed, resource, and land use– EQIP multiple counties (cluster)– AWEP came to Butte County as a partnership, range production,

Rangeland Coalition– CCPI was brought to Butte County by a partnership with

Yuba/Sutter RCD, Butte RCD and the NRCS offices. Along the Lower Feather and Honcut watersheds

– BDI based on a geographical area with resource issues affecting the Bay Delta includes the Central Valley from Redding to Bakersfield

Conservation ProgramsPayment Programs

• Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP)– Payments based on conservation an

agriculture producer is currently doing– Payments increase as the level of

conservation increases– Payments are on all types of

agriculture enterprises

Agricultural BMPs

USDA – NRCS

Butte County, CA

Presented by Scott Turnquist, PE

www.nrcs.usda.govUSDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

NRCS BMPs = Conservation Practices• NRCS has developed a collection of

conservation practices to be utilized where specific resource concerns are identified –Resources – Soil, Water, Air, Plants,

Animals, Energy and Humans.

• Each practice has a standard and specification to be utilized in evaluating the resource concern and designing/implementing the practice.

• Electronic field office technical guide (eFOTG)–http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/efotg_locator.aspx.

www.nrcs.usda.govUSDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Water Conservation Practices

• Irrigation systems – Micro, sprinkler & flood– Replace inefficient system with new system

• Pipeline– Replace leaky ditch or old

concrete pipe with PVC• Lined ditch

– Concrete or plastic lined– Particularly effective in coarse soils

• Land leveling / land smoothing• Tailwater return system

– Reuse irrigation tailwater

www.nrcs.usda.govUSDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Water Conservation Practices, Cont.

• Irrigation water management (IWM)–Required for any new irrigation

system contracted w/NRCS

• Wetland restoration/enhancement–Water bank, attenuates flows,

helps to replenish groundwater

• Many other practice that conserve water collaterally but not as a primary resource concern–Ex. Cover crop, conservation tillage…

www.nrcs.usda.govUSDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Irrigation System• Water Savings

Estimator

SURFACE IRRIGATION (No change) SURFACE IRRIGATION (Replace Unlined ditch with Pipeline/lining) SURFACE IRRIGATION (Replace a leaky pipeline with a pipeline) SURFACE IRRIGATION (Improve DU (Split runs, higher Q, etc.) SURFACE IRRIGATION (Install a tailwater recovery system) SURFACE IRRIGATION (Landleveling (previously leveled) SURFACE IRRIGATION (Landleveling (previously unleveled) SPRINKLER IRR. (Hand Move/Side Roll) (No change) SPRINKLER IRR. (Hand Move/Side Roll) (Replace Surface irrigation) SPRINKLER IRR. (Solid Set, Undertree) (No change) SPRINKLER IRR. (Solid Set, Undertree) (Replace surface irrigation) SPRINKLER IRR. (Solid Set, Undertree)(Replace hand move sprinkler) TRICKLE IRRIGATION (No change) TRICKLE IRRIGATION (Replace surface irrigation) TRICKLE IRRIGATION (Replace under tree, solid set sprinkler or drip) TRICKLE IRRIGATION (Replace hand move sprinkler) CENTER PIVOTS (No change) CENTER PIVOTS (Replace suface irrigation) CENTER PIVOTS (Replace wheel lines)

Irrigation Water Management (IWM) Video

www.nrcs.usda.govUSDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Success Story – Belden Family Farm• Conservation Practices addressing water conservation:

– Land leveling, land smoothing, irrigation pipeline, tailwater recovery and irrigation water management.• Estimated savings:

» Land leveling & Smoothing = 145 acre-ft/year» Pipeline and tailwater = 65 acre-ft/year» That’s roughly 160 ft of water covering

an area the size of a football field!

www.nrcs.usda.govUSDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Success Story – One World Ranch• 74 acre prune orchard & 100 acre walnut

orchard

• Flood irrigation to Sprinkler & Microsprinkler

• Estimated water savings = 410 acre-ft/year

www.nrcs.usda.govUSDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Thank You!Questions?

Kelly Miller - District Manager (bc-rcd@carcd.org)Butte County Resource Conservation District

Christina Buck - Water Resources Scientist (cbuck@buttecounty.net)Butte County Dept. of Water & Resource Conservation 

Joseph Connell - Farm Advisor and County Director (jhconnell@ucanr.edu) University of California Cooperative Extension Dan Taverner - District Conservationist (daniel.taverner@ca.usda.gov)United States Department of AgricultureNatural Resources Conservation Service Scott Turnquist, PE - Agricultural Engineer (scott.turnquist@ca.usda.gov)United States Department of AgricultureNatural Resources Conservation Service