Dealing with the Declining Aquifer

With harvest underway, you’re probably not worrying about what you need in your irrigation toolbox for next season. However, the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) water levels are still declining, and it’s never too early to plan ahead. 

“The water level of the Mississippi alluvial aquifer should be important to all Mississippi farmers,” says Jason Krutz, Ph.D., director of Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute and former Mississippi State University irrigation specialist. 

According to Krutz, coupling different irrigation technologies, like the soil-moisture sensors, surge valves and well timers with computerized tools such as PipePlanner provides farmers with actionable information to make irrigation decisions.

“Water conservation related to irrigation does not have to mean deficit irrigation,” he says. “Smarter irrigation might be all it takes.”  

Surge valves are a good investment for farmers who find that their conventional systems lose water when it slows down and falls below the root zone. Surge valves skip this problem entirely by pulsing water across the field, where it can shoot over the area that’s already been wetted and reach the spots that need more attention. 

Krutz’s Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB)-funded research indicates water use with surge valves is 22-24 percent less, as compared to continuous-flow furrow irrigation. In addition, 25 percent of the agricultural overdraft from MRVAA can be eliminated if surge valves are implemented on continuous-flow furrow irrigated soybeans grown on clay-textured soils. 

PipePlanner evaluates several factors to determine the best hole sizes to punch in the irrigation pipe. 

  • Pressure changes along the tubing
  • Pipe diameter
  • Row length 
  • Elevation changes

Soil-moisture sensors are another technology resource, allowing farmers to see when they should initiate and terminate irrigation events. Sensors can help farmers cut their water use by 25 to 50 percent and save them about $10 per acre. 

The voluntary adoption of these conservation tools and technologies should provide a significant contribution to the conservation of the Delta’s water resources. 

MSPB continues taking big steps toward curtailing the amount of water drawn from the alluvial aquifer for agricultural irrigation. Under its Sustainable Irrigation Project (SIP), MSPB is highlighting and promoting the use of practices and tools that will reduce the amount of irrigation water applied to the state’s crop acres. 

Farmers can visit irrigation.mssoy.org for more information on SIP and sustainable irrigation practices. 

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