Using GIS to monitor water use compliance
Date
2005
Authors
Cross, Paul R., author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Irrigation districts are responsible for a wide variety of issues including but not limited to water distribution, water management, regulation of water rights, and collecting assessments. The Lake Chelan Reclamation District irrigation system is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and operated by the District. The contract between the District and the USBR limits the application of irrigation water to lands classified as irrigable. The nature of the topography together with the delivery of pressurized water to high value crops has led to both inadvertent and advertent use of irrigation water outside of the classified areas. The high value of the water involved has required the District to use the best technologies available to evaluate the cumulative impact of water use outside of the classified areas. This paper will describe how GIS is being used as an evaluation tool to quantify and manage the aerial imagery, GPS information, irrigable boundaries, the extent of irrigation and other database properties associated with the land use. One unique aspect of the project is merging and sharing the database information from the District's billing and water management software platforms with GIS so that maintenance of customer information is done only one time in only one location. Automated systems are planned to analyze and evaluate changes in the aerial images over time so that managers can evaluate changes in water use patterns when permanent crops are upgraded and replanted. The results of the analysis will be the basis of a reclassification survey by the USBR to bring the lands back into compliance with the contract provisions.
Description
Presented 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."