Irrigation Systems Irrigation systems are a huge part of our society with farming, cities, or professional parks including golf courses. The term irrigation literally means to supply the land or crops with water by means of pipes, sprinklers, ditches, or streams. An irrigation system is suppose to apply the water without causing any soil erosion, excessive water loss, or reduction in water quality. There are many different kinds of irrigation systems that perform different tasks and that apply water differently to the land. One type of system is called a Ditch Irrigation. This is more of a traditional method by using ditches to channel the water through pipes to water the crops. That’s just one of the many different kinds that I will get to later. The science behind an irrigation system is incredible. When we use water in places like an industry or even our homes, about 90% of the water used is eventually returned to the environment where it replenishes water sources and can be used for other purposes. However, when water is used in an irrigation system, only about half of the water can be reused. The other half is lost due to evaporation, evapotranspiration, or is lost due to leaking pipes. “For 2005, total irrigation withdrawals were about 128,000 million gallons per day or 144,000 thousand acre-feet per year”(IrrigationWaterUse). The definition of an irrigation system is “a sprinkler irrigation system is a planned system in which all necessary components have been installed for efficient application of irrigation water by means of nozzles operated under pressure”(IrrigationSystemDesign). It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and vegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall. Also, irrigation has a few other uses in crop production which include protecting plants against frost, suppressing weed growth in grain fields, and preventing soil consolidation. Irrigation systems can also be used for dust suppression, disposal of sewage, and in mining. Irrigation is studied together with drainage, which is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. The first irrigation systems can range back all the way to B.C. times. The first time that a system was used was when the Nile River began to flood in Egypt to where the people there began to channel the water out of the river into their fields for their crops. They did this for around 2 months and after the floods stopped, they ran the water back into the rivers just in time for the growing season. “Around 3500 B.C., the annual flood season along the Nile was unpredictable without records, so the Egyptians created a flood gauge called the Nilometer. The simplest design was a vertical column submerged in the river with marked intervals indicating the depth of the river. The second design was a flight of stairs leading into the river”(IrrigationTimeline). The very first major system was created by King Menes during “Egypt’s First Dynasty.” They began to build dams and canals, the longest measuring 20km in length to use route the flood waters from the Nile into a new lake called Moeris. Once this system was created, it began a whole new revolution for irrigation systems and their uses. Around 2000B.C., the first cement pipe was created for irrigation systems. It was created by the Romans to carry water by using cement and crushed rock. Now before anybody can even think about putting in an irrigation system, there are some things that must be done first such as checking the soil. One of the test should be the Jar Test to determine just how much sand, silt, and clay is in the soil. First, take about one to two cups of soil and place it in a mason jar, fill the jar with water, shake it very well and then let it sit for a while so the particles can settle. The heavier particles such as sand will settle to the bottom and then silt will be in the middle and finally the clay will be on top. The reason why this should be done is because each type of soil holds water differently. Clay holds water extremely well and with more clay in the soil, the more likely of a flood will occur. As for a sandy soil, water will flow right through it and will acquire a lot more water in order for plants to grow. In places of high clay content, there will be more need for a drainage system to collect the water and have it runoff into a nearby stream, river, or pond. With a sandy soil, there will be a higher need for a system to collect the water and funnel it back into the soil. “Both gravity and capillary action is the primary force in spreading water horizontally through the soil. Both gravity and capillary action influence vertical movement of water. In coarser soils, water is more likely to be absorbed vertically but will not spread very far horizontally. The opposite is true for finer soils”(UnderstandingYourSoil). There are so many different kinds of irrigation systems in today’s world that do different things and specialize in different things. The most water efficient way to irrigate is called the Drip Irrigation. Pipes are hung above the crops with little holes drilled into the pipes. “Water drops right near the root zone of a plant in a dripping motion. If the system is installed properly you can steadily reduce the loss of water through evaporation and runoff”(TypesofIrrigaion). It is also called the trickle irrigation or micro irrigation.
One of the most labored-intensified methods of irrigation is called the Terraced Irrigation. In order for this system to work, first the land is cut into steps like stairs which is supported by retaining walls. On the flat parts of the land is where the crops are planted. The purpose of this kind of system is so water can flow down each stop watering each plot as the water goes down. This kind of system is extremely important for steep terrain such as mountains where people can use the side of the hills to grow their crops.
For many farmers all around the country and world, the Sprinkler System is used by using overhead sprinklers or sprays that are attached to a permanent risers. “You can also have the system buried underground and the sprinklers rise up when water pressure rises, which is a popular irrigation system for use on golf courses and parks”(TypesofIrrigation).
Another kind of system is called a Rotary Sprinkler System. This kind of system can be used for both residential areas and larger areas. For residential areas it consists of one or more rounded heads that are driven into the ground using metal spikes. Each head is designed to automatically rotate 360 degrees that sprays water through a series of holes around the sprinklers head. Water may be supplied to the sprinkler system either by a series of underground pipes for bigger lawns or simply by attaching a garden hose. Some smaller lawns may only require one or two sprinkler heads while multiple heads should be used for larger yards. The average sprinkler system can water all plants in about a 10 foot radius. This system would work well with golf courses around greens and tee boxes but should not be used anywhere else on a course. It can also be used for large areas. The sprinkler heads can shoot water up to 100 feet. The fact that it rotates in a circle makes the water fly out faster and the wind won’t be a factor since I will rotate all the way around. Another very important system in farming is called the Center Pivot Irrigation system. This is usually an overhead system that sprays water downward onto the crops. The kind of system is made up of “steel or aluminum pipes that are joined together, supported by trusses, and mounted on wheeled towers. This system typically uses less water compared to many surface irrigation systems. It reduces the expenditure and conserves water. It also helps to reduce labor costs compared to some ground irrigation techniques, which are often more labor-intensive. The use of the center-pivot irrigation can reduce the amount of soil tillage that occurs and helps to reduce water runoff and soil erosion that can occur with ground irrigation. Less tillage encourages more organic materials and crop residue to decompose back into the soil, and reduces soil compaction. In conclusion, irrigation systems main purpose to basically to water plants and to make sure that the soil isn’t destroyed in the process. The very first irrigation systems date back to long before Christ was born. It’s amazing that we have taken what people have done thousands and thousands of years ago and have used the same ideas that they had. There are so many different kinds of systems that have different purposes. Every irrigation system has its own specialized way of water the crops.