Date of Award:

5-1955

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Wayne D. Criddle

Committee

Wayne D. Criddle

Abstract

Sprinkling as a method of irrigation has been expanding rapidly in the United States, with acreages irrigated by this method increasing every year. One of the major reasons for the expansion is the great improvements that have been made in sprinkler irrigation equipment. Light weight aluminum pipe, with quick couplers, improved pump and motor efficiencies have all made sprinkler irrigation more desirable. High efficiency of water application, labor requirements, and favorable plant response have also favored the expansion.

Another reason for the increase in sprinkler irrigation is that new lands being brought under irrigation are often not adaptable to surface irrigation. Farmers are turning to sprinkler irrigation on these lands that are not generally suitable to surface methods. Conditions not suitable for surface irrigation are rough rolling land which require heavy land leveling, steep slopes that cannot be irrigated safely because of erosion, highly permeable soils difficult to irrigate efficiently by surface methods, and shallow soils that cannot be safely leveled.

There are still many questions to be answered concerning the design and operation of sprinkler systems as a result of this rapid expansion; the purpose of the study reported herewith is to supply some of these answers. Features of sprinkler irrigation studies in this investigation are, distribution and application efficiencies, water losses, labor requirements, and general design characteristics of the system.

Many farmers do not attain the maximum benefit from their sprinkler irrigation systems. Some systems were never designed properly. In other cases the farmer uses the system in a much different way than that for which the system was designed. This report contains factual data which shows the preceding statement to be true for a great many systems in the area studied.

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