U.S. Water News Online
ABERDEEN, Idaho -- Careful conservation and a little help from Mother Nature means farmers relying on the Aberdeen-Springfield Canal Company will have at least an extra month to water their crops.
General Manager Steve Howser warned shareholders in June that they probably would not have irrigation water after Aug. 12. But recently, he said the water was expected to last until the end of September.
"Now I smile every day," Howser said. "We sure didn't expect to be able to do this. We're having our own little minor miracle."
To save water, the farmers had reduced their watering time by up to 10 hours on each section of crops. The change cut use by about 45 percent, Howser said.
Though growers expected reduced yields from the limited watering, cool evenings and timely rain over the past few months kept the losses from being too great by adding more water to the soil and reducing the amount lost to evaporation. For the first time in three years, alfalfa farmers were able to cut their crops the normal three times during the season.
"If we'd had the same summer as last year, this wouldn't have been successful," Howser said.
The company also used a new chemical treatment on its canals, Howser said. The chemical sealant, polyacrilomide, was added to eight miles of the canal, reducing water loss into the soil and saving an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 acre feet of water. The chemical is certified for use on food products by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and breaks down when exposed to the sun's ultraviolet light, Howser said.
The efforts were a success because farmers were willing to help conserve the water, Howser said.
Assistant Watermaster Lyle Swank said farmers across southeast Idaho are generally a little bit better off than last year, although the total amount of water stored in southern Idaho reservoirs is about the same as last year.
"It's kind of a mixed report," he said.
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