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Program ProfilesIRRIGATION WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Research by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Service on irrigation system efficiency has found that 25% of the electrical energy used for irrigation pumping is wasted due to inefficient pumping systems. Improving the efficiency of pumping systems could reduce a farmer’s annual irrigation costs by as much as $10 - $30 per acre, in addition to saving substantial amounts of water. The Irrigation Water Management Program provides technical assistance to users of irrigation wells on eastern Colorado’s Ogallala Aquifer to help them save both energy and water. There are more than 700,000 acres of irrigated land in this area with about 5,600 operating wells. At a farmer’s request, technicians will measure overall pumping system efficiency and provide recommendations for improving the energy performance and water efficiency of their systems. Funds are also available for the purchase of energy and water efficient pumping systems. The Western Area Power Administration began the Irrigation Water Management Program in 1986. The program is now administered by the Colorado State Conservation Board. The irrigation system improvements recommended by the program have generated an estimated 67 megawatts of power savings and 135,000 acre-feet of water savings since the program’s inception. |
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