Central Columbia Plateau - Yakima
River Basin NAWQA Study - Publications
Relation between Irrigation Method, Sediment Yields, and Losses of Pesticides
and Nitrogen
By James C. Ebbert and Moon H. Kim, U.S. Geological Survey,
Water Resources Division
in Journal of Environmental Quality, v. 27, p. 372-380, 1998
Abstract
Yields of suspended sediment from watersheds in the
Quincy and Pasco Basins of Washington State have been reduced by the use
of sprinkler irrigation on cropland previously in furrow irrigation. Mean
daily yields of suspended sediment from nine watersheds sampled during
April and May 1994 ranged from 0.4 kg/ha of irrigated cropland in a watershed
with no furrow irrigation to 19 kg/ha in a watershed where 58% of irrigated
cropland was in furrow irrigation. About 67% of the variation in the yields
can be attributed to irrigation method. Temporal trends also indicated
that use of sprinkler irrigation reduced sediment yields. Mean daily yields
of suspended solids from one of the watersheds decreased from 0.3 kg/ha
in 1975 to less than 0.2 kg/ha in 1988, corresponding with a decrease from
about 65% to less than 50% in the use of furrow irrigation. Sampling in
two watersheds suggests that the use of sprinkler irrigation reduces runoff
losses of pesticides and nitrogen. For 10 of 13 pesticides and nitrogen,
runoff losses from a watershed with mostly furrow irrigation exceeded runoff
losses from a watershed with mostly sprinkler irrigation.
Central Columbia Plateau - Yakima
River Basin NAWQA Study
NAWQA Program
Bibliography
Water Resources of Washington
State
U.S. Geological Survey
This page is http://
wa.water.usgs.gov
/pubs/ja/JEQ_journal.htm
Last modified: Thurs April 4, 2002, 3:48 p.m.