Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #228348
Title: Conservation practice effectiveness in the irrigated Upper Snake/Rock Creek watershed

Author
item Bjorneberg, David - Dave
item WESTERMANN, DALE - USDA-ARS (RETIRED)
item NELSON, NATHAN - KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
item KENDRICK, JOHN - USDA-NRCS, BOISE, ID

Submitted to: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2008
Publication Date: 11/1/2008
Citation: Bjorneberg, D.L., Westermann, D.T., Nelson, N.O., Kendrick, J.H. 2008. Conservation practice effectiveness in the irrigated Upper Snake/Rock Creek watershed. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 63(6):487-495.

Interpretive Summary: The Upper Snake-Rock (USR) Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was initiated in 2005 to determine the effectiveness of conservation practices in an irrigated watershed. This project focused on the Twin Falls irrigation tract, an 82,000 ha watershed along the Snake River in southern Idaho. Irrigation water diverted from the Snake River supplied 75 to 80% of the total water input to the watershed in 2005 and 2006. Net suspended sediment loss decreased from 460 kg/ha (400 lb/a) during the 1971 irrigation season to 220 kg/ha (190 lb/a) in 2005 and 10 kg/ha (9 lb/a) in 2006 by switching from furrow to sprinkler irrigation, applying polyacylamide, and installing sediment ponds. The relative amount of sprinkler irrigation in a sub-watershed did not correlate with the total loss of suspended sediment for July 2005 and 2006 (r=0.12), primarily because of extremely high sediment concentrations in two of the five sub-watersheds. Management of furrow irrigated fields likely had a greater impact on sediment loss from a watershed than the amount of sprinkler irrigation.

Technical Abstract: The Upper Snake-Rock (USR) Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was initiated in 2005 to determine the effectiveness of conservation practices in an irrigated watershed. Our objectives were to determine water and salt balances and water quality effects of using sprinkler rather than furrow irrigation in the Twin Falls irrigation tract in southern Idaho. Data from the current study were compared with earlier studies conducted from 1968 to 1971. Irrigation water diverted from the Snake River supplied 73% and 83% of the hydrologic input to this 82,000 ha (202,000 a) watershed in 2005 and 2006, respectively, with approximately 40% flowing back to the Snake River through furrow irrigation runoff, unused irrigation water, and subsurface drainage. Net suspended sediment loss decreased from 460 kg/ha (400 lb/a) during the 1971 irrigation season to 220 kg/ha (190 lb/a) in 2005 and 10 kg/ha (9 lb/a) in 2006 by switching from furrow to sprinkler irrigation, applying polyacylamide, and installing sediment ponds. The relative amount of sprinkler irrigation in a sub-watershed did not correlate with the total loss of suspended sediment for July 2005 and 2006 (r=0.12). The lack of correlation was primarily due to extremely high sediment concentrations in two of the five sub-watersheds, possibly due to furrow irrigation management. Two potential concerns identified during this initial analysis were an accumulation of total salts in the watershed and increased nitrate concentrations in four return flow streams compared to earlier studies. Future analyses will determine the effects of specific practices with this watershed.