Transbasin water transfers

Presented at the 2001 USCID water management conference, Transbasin water transfers on June 27-30, 2001 in Denver, Colorado.Transbasin diversions historically have facilitated settlement of the West, an inhospitable land without the development of water. Given that water is a finite resource, new competing environmental/recreational demands set the stage for increased motivation for efficient water management, controversy and finally litigation. Regarding the Dolores River, two diversions, primarily for agriculture, began with private development in 1886. Within a short period of time, the River below the point of the two diversion was a dry - dead river during the annual irrigation season. One of the components of the Bureau of Reclamation's Dolores Project, which was constructed, beginning in 1979 and completed in 1999, was to re-water the river during irrigation season. The second largest user of the new McPhee Reservoir, an on-stream impoundment facility, is the water (33,200 acre feet) released to resurrect the river below McPhee to create habitat for a quality fishery. A controversy erupted during the five year drought of 1988-1992. It focused on the pattern of the release. It was determined that management of a "pool" of water, where less water would be released during the cold winter months and greater flows during the hot summer months would be advantageous. It took five years to agree, and implement that change. The controversy now focuses on the fact that the "pool" is not big enough. Last fall the Dolores Water Conservancy District finished a feasibility study, with CWCB funding, of a project called WETPACK (Water for Everyone Tomorrow PACKage). WETPACK's purpose is two fold. First, it explored ways to obtain / develop more water for the fishery. Second, it moves water, that Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company is not presently using, to the Dove Creek area of the Dolores Project to develop 4,000 acres of added irrigation. The District recently obtained a loan from CWCB to begin the agriculture portion of WET PACK

USCID fourth international conference

Presented at the Role of irrigation and drainage in a sustainable future: USCID fourth international conference on irrigation and drainage on October 3-6, 2007 in Sacramento, California.Includes bibliographical references.In order to use the available water from the Indus River and use the natural head of 76 meters available in the area, the Government of Pakistan has constructed the Ghazi Barotha Project on the Indus River through the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), which also produces 1450 MW of hydropower. The project is running successfully with minimal environmental disruptions and has properly addressed resettlement issues in consultation with donors. This paper describes the Ghazi Barotha Project in Pakistan

Irrigation district sustainability

Presented at Irrigation district sustainability - strategies to meet the challenges: USCID irrigation district specialty conference held on June 3-6, 2009 in Reno, Nevada.Includes bibliographical references.The evolving circumstances under which irrigation districts operate include growing demands for more accurate knowledge and accountability of flow throughout the conveyance network, along with increased needs for timely awareness when unexpected flow conditions are present. For open channel conveyance systems, critical-flow structures (flumes or weirs) offer the simplicity of a direct correlation between upstream water level and a corresponding discharge. Unfortunately at many locations where flow measurement is desired there may be insufficient head available for operation of a critical-flow measurement structure under all flow conditions that may occur. In recent years following development of computer-based design and calibration software, long-throated flumes have gained increasing popularity as the class of critical-flow structures which offer the greatest submergence tolerance. Numerous long-throated flumes have been installed at sites where head availability is marginal. In some cases after a flume has been installed it becomes apparent that the head is not sufficient under all operating conditions for critical-flow measurement. Reclamation's Hydraulic Investigations and Laboratory Services Group and Yuma Area Office Water Conservation Field Services Program are field testing a system for measuring flow with long-throated flumes under submerged or unsubmerged conditions. The initial scope this field study targeted specifically selected for continuously submerged conditions. The project scope has been expanded to include occasionally submerged sites in recognition that numerous long throated flumes have been installed at sites where submergence conditions that exceed the flume's modular limit exist under some operating conditions

USCID fourth international conference

Presented at the Role of irrigation and drainage in a sustainable future: USCID fourth international conference on irrigation and drainage on October 3-6, 2007 in Sacramento, California.Includes bibliographical references.Backpropagation Neural Network is applied to establish the relationship between meteorological factors and evapotranspiration, which is then used to predict the evapotranspiration in ChiaNan irrigated area, Taiwan. It takes the weather data from Irrigation Experiment Station of ChiaNan Irrigation Association as the input layer, which include the following weather factors: (1) the highest temperature; (2) the lowest temperature; (3) average temperature; (4) relative humidity; (5) wind speed; (6) sunlight hours; (7) solar radiation amount; (8) dew point; (9) forenoon ground temperature; (10) afternoon ground temperature. From the result it can be known that the correlation coefficient reaches 0.993 between the evapotranspiration in 2004 calculated by FAO56 Penman-Monteith method and the one predicted by the neural network model with a hidden layer of 10 nodes. The actual evapotranspiration is 911.6cm and the prediction by the neural network is 864.4, between which the error ratio is 1.67%. The correlation coefficient is 0.708 between the actual evaporation in 2004 and the prediction by the neural network with a hidden layer of 10 nodes and an output layer with the pan evaporation as its target output. The pan evaporation is 1674.1cm, while the prediction by the neural network is 1451.7cm, between which the error ratio is 13.23%

1996 USCID water management conference

Presented at Competing interests in water resources - searching for consensus: proceedings from the USCID water management conference held on December 5-7, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Includes bibliographical references.Regulated flow regimes below irrigation reservoirs frequently create undesirable conditions for downstream biota. In order to meet reservoir fill deadlines, winter discharge below Island Park reservoir on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, eastern Idaho, has been dramatically reduced from pre-dam flows of approximately 400 cfs, affecting trout and trumpeter swan populations. The purpose of this study was to model the probability of meeting storage deadlines while providing minimum instream flows during the winter months. Five different winter release scenarios were simulated using actual outflow and reservoir storage data for each water year from 1940 to 1995, and the probability of reservoir fill was calculated for each of these scenarios. The sensitivities of reservoir fill to reservoir starting levels and fill deadlines were also compared by running the simulations with different reservoir starting levels and fill deadlines. Results indicate that the probabilities of meeting the April 1st fill deadline with winter flows of 200 and 300 cfs are 55% and 42%, respectively. Bureau of Reclamation operating procedures that link all reservoirs within the Minidoka system mandate filling Island Park by April 1st, despite the observations that irrigation water is rarely needed from Island Park before July 1st and spring runoff occurs in April and May. When later fill dates were modeled, probabilities of reservoir fill became greater. Reservoir fill is very sensitive to reservoir levels at the start of storage season; fill occurs 100% of the time by May 1st with winter outflows of 200 cfs when starting contents exceed 65,000 acre feet. These results suggest that in order to provide for both instream flow and irrigation needs, water managers consider the moving the mandated fill date for Island Park Reservoir later in the spring and implementing water conservation measures that will maximize reservoir contents at the end of irrigation season

USCID fifth international conference

Presented at the fifth international conference on irrigation and drainage, Irrigation and drainage for food, energy and the environment on November 3-6, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah.Includes bibliographical references.Piute Dam and Reservoir are located on the upper Sevier River in south central Utah. The reservoir has a capacity of 60,000 AF and serves eight canal companies located around the city of Richfield. Because of lag times between the reservoir and the various canals and an unregulated inflow below the dam (Clear Creek), setting reservoir releases is an art (and not always successful). Too much or too little water at the lowest canal diversion is a problem. Several years ago, a gate actuator was installed on Piute Dam outlet works. Telemetry to the dam was also established. This summer, the Piute Reservoir and Canal Company and Bureau of Reclamation will be fully automating the dam. The focus of this work has been to design a forecasting model for use in calculating a suggested reservoir release. This decision-support tool uses hourly measurements from a real-time monitoring system (www.sevierriver.org) to design a control algorithm for the reservoir release. The most efficient controller is then determined through simulation. This paper shows how the model and controller were implemented using the existing SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system for the 2009 irrigation season. The benefits from using the controller will be estimated. Demand forecasts for the individual canals will be provided using the existing website of the Sevier River Water Users Association (www.sevierriver.org). This Internet-based system will also be used to control the individual gates on the eight canals. Proper security is being installed to protect the integrity of the automation system

1996 USCID wetlands seminar

Presented at Water for agriculture and wildlife and the environment: win-win opportunities: proceedings from the USCID wetlands seminar on June 27-29, 1996 in Bismarck, North Dakota.Includes bibliographical referencesIn the mid-1980s, several irrigation projects were evaluated and proposed for development as part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Project. Included as part of the Central South Dakota project was the evaluation of waterfowl enhancement opportunities. During these studies, it was found that waterfowl production is generally limited, even though there may be wetlands available, by an inadequate number of wetlands that maintain water throughout the duck brood rearing season. With proper planning the development of these proposed irrigation projects would have provided the source of water for the increased production of waterfowl. This paper discusses in some detail an evaluation made in association with the Bureau of Reclamation's proposed CENDAK Irrigation Project. Three of six Central South Dakota counties located in the CENDAK Project area were evaluated for the potential to increase wildlife productions. Forty thousand two hundred (40,200) acres of wetlands were identified in these counties as having enhancement potential on the basis of wetland permanency, size, and proximity to planned irrigation canals and the source of water that the project would provide. In conjunction with the irrigation study, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service selected four wetland areas for further evaluations. Changes in duck population were evaluated by a mallard production simulation model. Three different types of management actions were evaluated. The first action, which just provided supplemental water from the irrigation system to existing wetlands, produced an increase in the recruitment rate at up to 660 percent greater than present conditions. Production of young increased up to 28 times over present conditions as a result of supplying supplemental water. The other two Management Action plans required more extensive development but had similar results. Development costs for the three management actions varied depending upon the amount of land in private ownership. The development cost ranged from $86 per wetland acre for supplemental water management to$680 per wetland acre for a more extensive action plan at a wetland that was entirely in private ownership. Federal cost sharing could be available if enhancement was included as part of the Federal Water Project. Similar waterfowl enhancement opportunities are likely to exist in other parts of the Great Plains through better integration of irrigation projects and fish and wildlife enhancement

SCADA and related technologies

Presented at SCADA and related technologies for irrigation district modernization, II: a USCID water management conference held on June 6-9, 2007 in Denver, Colorado.Includes bibliographical references.Windsor Lake (Kern Reservoir) serves as a storage facility, an equalizer reservoir for the Greeley No. 2 Canal, and a regional detention pond for the Windsor Basin. The effect of rapid urbanization surrounding the Town of Windsor created the need of a regional detention pond for a portion of the nearby Law Basin. Windsor Lake is capable of serving this purpose, though several feet of reservoir storage will need to be surrendered. The New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Company, (owners of the Greeley No. 2 Canal), and Kern Reservoir and Ditch Company (owners of Windsor Lake) have agreed to give up the reservoir storage with the stipulation that the outlet structure is replaced with an automated structure to improve reservoir and canal operations for shareholders. Requirements for the new outlet structure are to control and measure irrigation releases up to the decreed flow rate of 600 cfs, and serve as the primary spillway for two different 100-year flood scenarios. The first scenario models the existing conditions in the basins and the second models the future condition in which both basins are assumed to be fully urbanized. In addition, the Dam Safety Branch of the State Engineer's Office requires the structure to pass a flood event equating to 17% of the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF). Furthermore, the structure is required to be capable of functioning during the winter months to measure and control small releases for augmentation purposes. Two alternative designs were evaluated during a feasibility study. Rubicon Flume Gates™, a type of overshot gate, are utilized in the final design to meet the outlet structure requirements. The new structure gives The New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Company (NCLPIC) efficient control over the discharges in their system and reduces the flood potential for downtown Windsor

Irrigated agriculture responds to water use challenges

Presented at Irrigated agriculture responds to water use challenges - strategies for success: USCID water management conference held on April 3-6, 2012 in Austin, Texas.Includes bibliographical references.Water reuse, particularly reuse of treated wastewater, has been in discussion for a number of decades as municipalities and farmers have viewed a valuable resource flowing back into the river after going through two or three levels of treatment. Resistance in reuse comes from a cultural idea of not reusing treated wastewater for drinking or growing edible crops, probably from the fear that it will transmit diseases from the water or contaminate foods grown with the water. There is also an objection to having animals grown for food drink the treated wastewater, fearing that they may catch diseases, or transmit diseases, from the water. This paper will present the experience of the Buckeye Water Conservation and Drainage District ("BWCDD" or the "District") in using treated wastewater from the largest wastewater treatment plant ("WWTP") in Phoenix, AZ. Approximately 65% of the water supply for the District comes from the WWTP. Agricultural crops using the water are restricted to fiber and animal feed. The area supports a large health dairy industry with nearly 20 operations and is one of the premier areas for growing fine Pima cotton. We will not argue for using WWTP water for food crops but rather address how water reuse from this source may substitute for scarce supplies of stored, ground or pumped water. BWCDD also uses its water resource for generation of electricity at a drop on one of its weirs, providing further reuse of its canals and water

Irrigation and drainage in the new millennium

Presented at the 2000 USCID international conference, Challenges facing irrigation and drainage in the new millennium on June 20-24 in Fort Collins, Colorado.At the time many irrigation projects were conceived at the tum of the last century, and prior to 1930, little consideration had been given to providing screens for fish protection. The passage of the Endangered Species Act, plus recent environmental concerns for protection of fish as a natural resource having considerable economic value, however, has prompted the construction of new diversion structures to exclude both resident and migratory fish from entering irrigation canals where they would otherwise be lost. One such installation, on the Flathead Irrigation Project in Montana, included a stream diversion to accommodate a screening facility that had to be suitable for a remote location, since electricity was not available to operate a cleaning mechanism. An additional requirement for small irrigation diversions is the need to be very cost-effective and reliable with a minimum of maintenance. A screening system that meets these requirements has been developed utilizing concave screen panels arranged in a linear array. The screening system is installed along the crest of small dams or diversion structures. As the water flows over the screen, a portion passes through to the irrigation system and the remainder flows across the screen surface carrying aquatic life safely downstream. Components are fabricated from stainless steel and are designed for maintenance-free operation. The screening structure on Crow Creek, which is part of the Flathead Irrigation Project, was the outcome of negotiations between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Tribal Council of the Flathead Indian Tribe. Installation techniques and costs for the fish screening structure at the Flathead Irrigation Project are presented