IRRIGATION
Rick Schlegel
Agricultural Engineer
USDA - NRCS
OKLAHOMA
HOW IS OKLAHOMA NRCS
ASSISTING WITH IRRIGATION
AND SAVING WATER?




INSTALLING MORE EFFICIENT IRRIGATION
SYSTEMS
DEVELOPING IRRIGATION WATER
MANAGEMENT PLANS
PROMOTING IRRIGATION SCHEDULING USING
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (ET)
PROMOTING WELL DECOMMISIONING
HOW CAN WE MAKE SYSTEMS
MORE EFFICIENT?


CONVERTING FROM LESS EFFICIENT FURROW OR
SIDE ROLL IRRIGATION SYSTEMS TO MORE
EFFICIENT CENTER PIVOTS OR LINEAR SYSTEMS
CONVERTING LESS EFFICIENT SPRINKLER
SYSTEMS TO GREATER EFFICIENCIES OR
REPLACING WITH SUBSURFACE DRIP SYSTEMS
GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT
TYPES OF INEFFICIENT
SYSTEMS ARE WE
REPLACING?

Furrow Systems
 Hand Move Systems
 Side Roll Systems
 Conventional Impact Systems
 Conventional Spray Systems
FURROW
IRRIGATION
FURROW
IRRIGATION USING
SIPHON TUBES
FURROW IRRIGATION
USING GATED PIPE
AND SURGE VALVE
Furrow Irrigation Using
Collapsible Gated Pipe
Hand Move Sprinkler System
CONVENTIONAL SIDE ROLL
Side
Roll
Sprinkler
System
IMPACT SPRINKLER
CONVENTIONAL IMPACT
CONVENTIONAL SPRAY
WHAT TYPES OF SYSTEMS ARE WE
PROMOTING TO REPLACE THE
OLDER LESS EFFICIENT SYSTEMS?





LEPA - Low Energy Precision Application
LESA - Low-Elevation Spray Application
LPIC - Low Pressure In-Canopy
MESA - Mid-Elevation Spray Application
Subsurface Drip Irrigation Systems
LEPA & LESA
IRRIGATION
SYSTEMS
LEPA SYSTEM
LEPA SYSTEM
LESA
SYSTEM
LPIC & MESA
IRRIGATION
SYSTEMS
LPIC
SYSTEM
MESA
MESA
SYSTEM
USDA-NRCS
Sprinkler Certification
Requirements
CPED
USDA-ARS
PROGRAM
developed the computer program
CPED
needs a pivot design printout from the
manufacturer for input data
CPED
is used to certify the Coefficient of
Uniformity (CU) of the pivot
OTHER SYSTEM
IMPROVEMENTS
 INSTALLING
PRESSURE REGULATORS
 INSTALLING FLOW METERS
 INSTALLING CHEMIGATION VALVES
 WELL DECOMMISSIONING
PRESSURE
REGULATORS
PRESSURE
FLOWMETER
CHEMIGATION VALVE
WELL DECOMMISSIONING
DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
Drip Tapes
DRIP LINES
PLOWED IN
FILTER
SYSTEM
DEVELOPING
IRRIGATION
WATER MANAGEMENT
PLANS
IRRIGATION
SCHEDULING USING
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
( ET )
ET GAGE
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION USING
THE OKLAHOMA MESONET
MESONET
SITE