Salt Movement Under Level‐Basin Irrigation
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 117, Issue 5
Abstract
Level‐basin irrigation has been studied at two sites in western Colorado for seven years. This paper describes changes in the salinity profile in the root zone under level‐basin irrigation. On soils with initially low salt content, salt concentrations in the soil profiles increased under level‐basin irrigation, because the irrigation efficiencies are greater than for prior practices. Conversely, good water management and uniform applications on level basins lowered the salt content in the top 60 cm of soils with high initial salt content. After a few years of level‐basin irrigation with Colorado River water, in either case, the salt content equilibrated at levels that do not restrict growth of common field crops.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
“Alleviation of salt load in irrigation water return flow of the upper Colorado River basin.” (1977). Final report, Agric. Res. Service U.S. Dept. of Agr., to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Fort Collins, Colo., 1–136.
2.
Evans, R. G., Walker, W. R., Skogerboe, G. V., and Smith, S. W. (1978). “Evaluation of irrigation methods for salinity control in Grand Valley.” Report EPA‐600/2‐78‐161, Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Lab., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ada, Okla., Jul., 1–188.
3.
Erie, L., and Dedrick, A. R. (1979). “Level‐basin irrigation: a method for conserving water and labor.” USDA Farmers' Bulletin, (2261), 1–23.
4.
Hydrodata—USGS quality of water, West 1: Surface water. (1990). Earth Info, Inc., Boulder, Colo.
5.
Jensen, M. E. (1969). “Scheduling irrigations with computers.” J. Soil Water Conserv., 24(8), 193–195.
6.
Kincaid, D. C., Kruse, E. G., and Duke, H. R. (1979). “Paired hydraulic weighing lysimeters for evapotranspiration measurement.” Paper No. 79‐2513, Winter Meeting, American Society of Agric. Engrs.
7.
Kincaid, D. C., Kruse, E. G., Duke, H. R., and Champion, D. F. (1978). “Computed evapotranspiration to estimate leaching fractions.” Trans. ASAE, St. Joseph, Mich., 22(2), 310–314, 319.
8.
Kruse, E. G. (1981). “Lateral sizes for efficient level‐basin irrigation.” Trans. ASAE, 24(4), 961–965, 969.
9.
Kruse, E. G., Champion, D. F., Young, D. A., and Kincaid, D. C. (1984). “Level‐basin irrigation in the upper Colorado River Basin.” Proc. of the 12th Congress, Int. Commission of Irrigation and Drainage, Fort Collins, Colo., 449–463.
10.
Kruse, E. G., Yoder, R. E., Cuevas, D. L., and Champion, D. F. (1986). “Alfalfa water use from high, saline water tables.” Paper No. 86‐2597, Winter Meeting, American Society of Agric. Engrs.
11.
Kruse, E. G., Young, D. A., and Champion, D. F. (1985). “Effects of saline water tables on corn irrigation.” Proc. of the 1985 Specialty Conf., Irrigation and Drainage Division, ASCE, San Antonio, Tex., 444–453.
12.
Salinity update, special edition. (February 1986). Colorado River Water Quality Office, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, Colo.
13.
Strand, R. I., Pritchett, H. R., Boesch, B. E., Keys, J. W., Kruse, E. G., and Swenson, R. S. (1981). “Irrigation in the Colorado River basin, U.S.A.—solving the salinity problem to save a giant.” Trans. of the 11th Congress, Int. Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, Grenoble, France, III, 807–823.
14.
“Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soils.” (1954). Agriculture Handbook No. 60, U.S. Dept. of Agr., Washington, D.C., 1–160.
15.
“Border irrigation.” (1974). SCS National Engineering Handbook, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 117 • Issue 5 • September 1991
Pages: 642 - 655
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 ASCE.
History
Published online: Sep 1, 1991
Published in print: Sep 1991
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.