Tailwater Recovery Systems Research Articles

Representation of Solid and Nutrient Concentrations in Irrigation Water from Tailwater-Recovery Systems by Surface Water Grab Samples

AbstractTailwater recovery (TWR) systems are being implemented on agricultural landscapes to create an additional source of irrigation water. Existing studies have sampled TWR systems using grab sa...

The Influence of Groundwater Depletion from Irrigated Agriculture on the Tradeoffs between Ecosystem Services and Economic Returns.

An irrigated agricultural landscape experiencing groundwater overdraft generates economic returns and a suite of ecosystem services (in particular, groundwater supply, greenhouse gases reduction, and surface water quality). Alternative land cover choices indicate tradeoffs among the value of ecosystem services created and the economic returns. These tradeoffs are explored using efficiency frontiers that determine the least value in ecosystem services that must be given up to generate additional economic returns. Agricultural producers may switch to irrigation with surface water using on-farm reservoirs and tail water recovery systems in response to groundwater overdraft, and this has consequences for the bundle of ecosystem service values and economic returns achievable from the landscape. Planning that accounts for both ecosystem service value and economic returns can achieve more value for society, as does the adoption of reservoirs though lowering the costs of irrigation, increasing groundwater levels, and reducing fuel combustion and associated GHG emissions from groundwater pumping. Sensitivity analyses of per unit value of ecosystem services, crop prices, and the groundwater and water purification model parameters indicate tradeoff among ecosystems service values, such as the use of a high-end social cost of carbon ultimately lowers groundwater supply and water purification value by more than 15%.

Quantifying Capture and Use of Tailwater Recovery Systems

AbstractThe government has provided financial assistance on approximately 200 tailwater recovery systems in the state of Mississippi, and more in other states. The objective of this study was to quantify surface water capture and use within 31 tailwater recovery ditches (TWR) and on-farm storage reservoirs (OFS), so that conservation benefits could be evaluated. Water-level data were combined with system dimensions, rainfall data, and evaporation estimates to assess total gains and losses over the course of a year. Systems had a net positive balance of approximately 2,200,000 m3 (2,200 ML) of captured surface water. Losses from evaporation and infiltration were between 8.68 and 10.97 mm d−1 for TWR and 4.96 to 8.40 mm d−1 for OFS. The highest losses occurred in the fall for TWR due to the installation cycle, whereas they were highest in the summer for OFS, driven by evaporation. Producers irrigated with an average of 41,000 m3 (41 ML) (TWR) and 84,000 m3 (84 ML) (OFS) of surface water. Irrigation levels...

Characterizing nitrogen outflow from pre-harvest rice field drain events

Tailwater recovery systems (TWR) provide an excellent testbed for examining nutrient loading from agriculture non-point sources, such as pre-harvest rice (Oryza sativa L.) field drains, on receiving waters. In this study, the focus was to use continuous sampling of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−-N) concentration, paired with discrete grab samples of water which were analyzed for total nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen species to (1) assess if rice paddies are a source of nitrogen loading to downstream systems; (2) monitor the diel cycles in NO3−-N of rice paddies and TWR; and (3) describe the nitrogen capture capacity of TWR during these events. Five rice paddies within the Mississippi Delta with adjoining TWR were selected as case study locations. Both paddy and TWR were instrumented to continuously monitor nitrate, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, and water temperature; discrete grab samples of water were also taken at deployment and collection. During the study, most TWR had total nitrogen concentrations <1mgL−1; the majority of nitrogen present at drain was organic (>51% for paddies, and >88% for TWR). The percent change in total nitrogen concentrations between draining paddies and post-drain TWR ranged from −14 to +178%; the percent of organic nitrogen increased between 5 and 24% in TWR following rice drains. Both nitrogen accumulation and dilution in TWR were observed during drain events. Diel cycles were apparent and were in phase with dissolved oxygen (average values between 3.7 and 13.2mgL−1). The average peak-to-peak amplitude in TWR was 0.101mgNO3−-NL−1. Total nitrogen captured by TWR ranged from 0.009 to 0.610kgha−1. Increases in NO3−-N concentrations were observed in several TWR during drain events, but concentrations remained low and loads were determined to be of little consequence; this suggests limited detrimental impact of rice drains downstream.

Use of On-Farm Reservoirs in Rice Production: Results from the MARORA Model

The present article uses the modified Arkansas off-stream reservoir analysis and the environmental policy-integrated climate models to examine the impacts of on-farm reservoirs and tail water recovery systems in conjunction with other best management practices on profitability, water use, and sediment control for rice-soybean farming operations. Results suggest that, under limited water availability conditions, reservoirs and tail water recovery systems can improve profitability, reduce ground water dependence, and reduce the movement of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides off-farm. Although reservoirs may not be profitable under plentiful water conditions, cost-sharing opportunities may make them a viable means of addressing environmental concerns.

Controlling Erosion and Sediment Loss from Furrow‐Irrigated Cropland

Irrigation-induced erosion and subsequent sediment loss is a serious agricultural and environmental problem. Recent recognition of this problem has stimulated the development and evaluation of erosion and sediment-loss-control technology. Research results indicate that the application of the technology available today can reduce sediment loss by 70-100%. Important practices include irrigation-water management, sediment-retention basins, buried-pipe tailwater-control systems, vegetative filter strips, tailwater-recovery systems, keeping crop residues on the soil surface and in furrows, and implementing conservation tillage practices.

Irrigation Tailwater Loss and Utilization Equations

Allowing irrigation tailwater runoff is the commonly accepted practice for fully irrigating the lower end of graded furrows or borders. Irrigation-system water losses are minimized by proper balance between tailwater losses and deep percolation losses. Criddle, et al. recommended an irrigation advance time equal to one-fourth of the application time. To reduce tailwater losses that occurs without a cutback furrow stream. Bondurant presented design criteria for tailwater recovery systems and recommended operating the systems to achieve a reduced furrow stream input. Knowledge of the relative importance of design variables and the ability to place bounds on tailwater loss and recovery aids the engineer with limited design information. This paper develops equations that show the relative importance of the variables affecting tailwater loss and utilization.

Reducing Tailwater Runoff for Efficient Irrigation Water Use

ABSTRACT TAILWATER runoff from 570-m graded furrows was varied from 0 to 8 hr to determine the vari-ability of grain sorghum yield with length of run. During the first 3 to 4 hr, cumulative infiltration into the Pullman clay loam is 5 to 7 cm. Infiltration into the slowly permeable soil then approaches the steady-state rate of less than 0.25 cm/hr. Continuing to irrigate after the entire furrow reached the steady-state infiltration rate did not significantly increase the field average yield. The root zone at the tail end of the field was not fully wetted, but the soil water was sufficient for normal plant growth, and tailwater run-off was less than 10 percent of the applied water. As a result, the irri-gation water-use efficiency varied inversely as the duration of tailwater runoff. By reducing the duration of tailwater runoff, additional land could be irrigated with the limited groundwater supply. Allowing irrigation tailwater runoff is a method of achieving more uni-form water distribution along graded irrigation runs. Criddle et al. (1956) recommended an irrigation advance time equal to one-fourth of the total application time. With this guideline, they also recom-mended a cutback or reduced furrow stream, after water advances to the end of the irrigation run. Irriga-tion tailwater recovery systems are an alternate method of reducing tailwater runoff losses. Bondurant (1969) presented design criteria for these systems and showed how they can be operated to simulate a cut-back furrow stream. Most irrigation system design criteria have been developed for the alluvial soils of the Western US. Irrigated soils in the Great Plains are often fine-textured with much lower infiltration rates. Pullman and related soils of the Southern Great Plains have a slowly permeable subsoil that determines the steady-state infiltration rate. During the first 4 to 6 hr, the infil-tration rate is relatively high, but deceases rapidly as the topsoil is saturated. Subsequently, the slowly permeable subsoil limits the steady-state infiltration rate to less than 0.25 cm/hr. Musick et al. (1973) showed that the flow rate 540 m down irrigated furrows became steady within 4 hr after the wetting front passed. The unique infiltration char-acteristics of Pullman clay loam allow 800-m-long graded furrows to be irrigated without large, deep-percolation losses (Aronovici and Schneider 1972). Most of the irri-gation run is adequately irrigated, but the lower end usually has a soil water deficit, even after tailwater has run off for several hours. In irrigation water management, the crop must be considered in addi-tion to the soil and irrigation prac-tices. Musick and Dusek (1971) showed that grain sorghum in level borders effectively utilized small irrigations throughout the growing season. During 7 treatment-years, reducing the size of each irrigation from 10 to 5 cm increased the irri-gation water-use efficiency from 148 to 226 kg/ha-cm. Musick et al. (1973) presented water-use and grain sorghum yield data from three equal-length segments of 540-m irrigated furrows. Water-use effi-ciencies for the three segments down the irrigation run were 135, 165, and 211 kg/ha-cm, respectively. The potential for efficient water use throughout an irrigation run exists even if the irrigation water distri-bution is quite nonuniform. The study reported here was con-ducted to determine the feasibility of a graded-furrow irrigation system on Pullman clay loam with limited or no tailwater runoff.