(Photo | Courtesy of Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District)
Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District (DSWCD) has announced the success of its Medina Water Quality Project.
The 17 acres of flood-irrigated pasture was grazed by alpacas and sheep, which led to nutrient runoff from manure and fertilizer of the field. Whenever there was excess irrigation water, the nutrient runoff would enter the Central Oregon Irrigation District’s (COID) main canal. The goal of the project was to address the water quality problem of the COID canal by eliminating the current method of flood irrigation and installing a sprinkler system as well as improving irrigation water management (IWM).
Using the Oregon Department of Agriculture Grant fund to achieve this goal, a vault with an inline pump replaced the diversion gate entering the property. The on-farm open ditch was replaced by an underground 6-inch, 165psi-class PVC pipe. A wheel line was also installed, replacing the current flood irrigation method.
Estimated water savings for the conversion is 37 percent. With the adoption of an IWM plan, it is estimated that an additional 3 percent water savings will be achieved.
The success story can be found on the website.
