Repository logo
 

Farm size, irrigation practices, & on-farm irrigation efficiency in New Mexico's Elephant Butte Irrigation District

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorSkaggs, Rhonda, author
dc.contributor.authorSamani, Zohrab, author
dc.contributor.authorU.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
dc.date.accessioned2020-04-01T12:47:34Z
dc.date.available2020-04-01T12:47:34Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.descriptionPresented during the Third international conference on irrigation and drainage held March 30 - April 2, 2005 in San Diego, California. The theme of the conference was "Water district management and governance."
dc.description.abstractRelationships between farm size, irrigation practices, and on-farm irrigation efficiency in the Elephant Butte Irrigation District, New Mexico, U.S.A. are explored using water delivery data supplied by the District. The study area is experiencing rapid population growth, development, and competition for existing water supplies. Analysis of pecan and alfalfa water delivery data, fieldwork, and interviews with irrigators found extremely long irrigation durations, inefficient irrigation practices, inadequate on-farm infrastructure, and little interest in making improvements to the current irrigation system or methods on the smallest farms. These findings are attributed to the nature of residential, lifestyle, or retirement agriculture. Irrigation practices on large farms are notably different from small farms: irrigation durations are shorter, less water is applied, producers are commercially oriented, and have high levels of on-farm efficiency. Many small producers appear to view irrigation as a consumptive, recreational, social, or lifestyle activity, rather than an income generating pursuit. Small farm operators are likely to show limited interest in improving on-farm irrigation infrastructure, adopting management intensive irrigation technologies or practices, or making significant irrigation investments. Easement and common property disputes over ditch maintenance between owners of small parcels also create disincentives for infrastructure improvements.
dc.description.sponsorshipSponsored by USCID; co-sponsored by Association of California Water Agencies and International Network for Participatory Irrigation Management.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediumCD-ROMs
dc.format.mediumproceedings (reports)
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/201701
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartofAg Water Conservation Policy
dc.relation.ispartofWater district management and governance, March 30-April 2, 2005, San Diego, California
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.sourceContained in: Water district management and governance, San Diego, California, March 30 - April 2, 2005, http://hdl.handle.net/10217/46458
dc.titleFarm size, irrigation practices, & on-farm irrigation efficiency in New Mexico's Elephant Butte Irrigation District
dc.title.alternativeElephant Butte Irrigation District
dc.typeText

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
129_Proceedings 2005 USCID San Diego Skaggs 2.pdf
Size:
215.11 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Ag Water Conservation Policy