Crops and landscapes can be watered wisely

Shortage squeezes small acreage irrigators

By George Reed

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Not only are cities and commercial farms hit hard by the drought, so are many of the 6,200 properties in Larimer County of two to 80 acres.

On many of these small farms or ranches, owners raise a few cows, cut hay or raise substantial gardens to provide fresh vegetables for the farmer's market. Others may have horse properties that need green pastures with good forage. Without adequate water at the right time, however, hay yield is low, seeds fail to germinate, a dry pasture is quickly trampled to dust or noxious weeds invade.

In northeast Larimer County, the North Poudre Irrigation Co. has 40 percent less water this year than in an average year. The management and operating crew have been going all out to have distribution facilities and ditches in superb condition and to develop innovative water scheduling to minimize losses (shrink), thereby delivering the maximum for each shareholder's benefit. From there, efficient use of the water is up to the user.

The squeeze comes for a country-style weekend warrior, caught between a job in town and working evenings and weekends on the property. Where is the time to irrigate effectively? Small, low-flow ditches, if dry, choked and leaky, can easily lose 40 percent or more of the delivered water.

Here are some suggestions for those irrigating small acreages from small ditches:

1. People who share the same headgate can get together and call for water one after the other in immediate sequence. If you schedule top to bottom, all properties get their fair share of the ditch losses. In addition, everyone needs to pitch in with spring ditch work. Get together for workdays or do your share individually and then get together for a neighborhood potluck.
2. Clean ditches and look for holes dug by voles, foxes or other animals. Plug the leaks and clear the ditch so the water flows freely. Weed-eaters and pitchforks are the best tools if you can't burn safely.
3. Find out about Poly-pipe, a cheap and effective solution to irrigating difficult places.
4. Check headgate and flume conditions. Flow cannot be set accurately if the ditch is choked and water backs up into the flume or puts backpressure against the headgate. For example what measures 60 miners inches (three acre-feet/day) in the flume may be only two acre-feet/day of flow against pressure. This is a 33 percent loss and not the fault of the irrigation company. Ditch companies have rules for minimum call, scheduling lead time, weekend changes or pumping from their ditch, for example. Ask your company for its rules and work with them.
5. Talk to your ditch rider. He or she is a great source of knowledge.

Be a good neighbor if an active ditch crosses your property, even if you cannot use it. Recognize the right to access the ditch for maintenance, the right to deposit material removed from the ditch on the ditch banks and the right to burn the ditch.

Maximizing the effective use of limited water resources and being a good steward of the land positively affects the wallet and maintains the rural culture of Larimer County, a place that once was part of the Great American Desert.

George Reed lives on a small acreage in the Waverly area, raises hay, maintains an irrigation ditch and serves on the Larimer County Agricultural Advisory Board.