Papers > Cost Sharing
ITRC Paper No. P 11-007. Charles M. Burt
Drip Irrigation System Cost Sharing by Irrigation Districts for Water Conservation
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Government and irrigation district cost sharing programs have
often included financial support for the installation of
drip/micro irrigation systems. These programs seek
advantages that might include improved crop yield, less applied
water, and a reduction in subsurface drainage water and surface
tailwater. They may also seek to reduce water consumption.
The actual results have been shown to vary by district,
hydrology, and crop.
It is true that drip systems in California, on average, have
good Distribution Uniformities (DU) of irrigation water –
meaning that there are only minor differences between the depths
of water received by various plants throughout a field.
However, irrigation district cost sharing programs could obtain
even better results by requiring specific attributes and
equipment in the drip/micro systems that receive financial
assistance. Items such as properly placed flow meters,
excellent filtration, new system DU, good fertigation systems,
efficient pumps, and maximum allowable pressure requirements at
the pump are all easy to specify, do not add significant cost,
and will improve initial performance and later management
options.
Burt, C.M. 2011. Drip Irrigation System Cost Sharing by Irrigation Districts for Water Conservation. USCID Conference. 12 pp.
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