Irrigation Water Management

Agency: Soil & Water Conservation Districts of Montana
Program Website: http://swcdm.org/programs/irrigation-water-management-iwm/

About The Program

Irrigation Water Management (IWM) is the practice of monitoring and managing the rate, volume, and timing of water application according to the seasonal crop needs, giving consideration to the soil intake and water holding capacities. Soil moisture should be managed to obtain optimum yields, without deep percolation losses or runoff.

Irrigation water management will help irrigators determine the effectiveness of irrigation practices, make good water management decisions, and justify making irrigation adjustment in existing systems. Tools are available to assist the irrigator with irrigation water management:

• “Checkbook” method to monitor and balance soil moisture in irrigated cropland.
• Flow meters to record instantaneous flow rates and total volume usage.
• Soil moisture meters and sensors to monitor soil water deficit.
• Soil moisture data loggers to record soil moisture history throughout the growing season.

Download the Irrigation Water Management Pamphlet for more information.

Contact Info

Jess Makus | jess@swcdm.org | (406) 443-5711

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