Trade-offs in Irrigation Technology Efficiency, Water Loss, and Recovery
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
3-29-2022 4:15 PM
End Date
3-29-2022 7:00 PM
Description
Irrigation technologies such as sprinklers, surface, or drip systems have trade-offs in efficiency, cost, and water losses. While these irrigation technologies have a different application efficiency, ranging from about 40-99%, considering the destination of lost water is vital for long-term water management in Utah. Water "losses" are different for each system, including evaporation, runoff, deep percolation, and wind drift. Some of these losses are potentially more recoverable than others. To compare technologies and provide valuable indices for improvement, we will describe irrigation application efficiency and the destinations of application water losses for sprinklers, surface, and drip systems. We then introduce the ratio of short-term (recoverable) to long-term (non-recoverable) water losses and compare the three irrigation technologies and their trade-offs between increasing application efficiency and the recovery or reuse of lost water. Finally, we will demonstrate why Utah water managers and planners should consider application efficiency and potentially recoverable losses when designing, managing, and modifying long-term water management in irrigation systems.
Trade-offs in Irrigation Technology Efficiency, Water Loss, and Recovery
Logan, UT
Irrigation technologies such as sprinklers, surface, or drip systems have trade-offs in efficiency, cost, and water losses. While these irrigation technologies have a different application efficiency, ranging from about 40-99%, considering the destination of lost water is vital for long-term water management in Utah. Water "losses" are different for each system, including evaporation, runoff, deep percolation, and wind drift. Some of these losses are potentially more recoverable than others. To compare technologies and provide valuable indices for improvement, we will describe irrigation application efficiency and the destinations of application water losses for sprinklers, surface, and drip systems. We then introduce the ratio of short-term (recoverable) to long-term (non-recoverable) water losses and compare the three irrigation technologies and their trade-offs between increasing application efficiency and the recovery or reuse of lost water. Finally, we will demonstrate why Utah water managers and planners should consider application efficiency and potentially recoverable losses when designing, managing, and modifying long-term water management in irrigation systems.