Western Ranchers’ Perspectives on Enablers and Constraints to Flood Irrigation

Sketch, Mary; Dayer, Ashley A.; Metcalf, Alexander L.

doi:10.1016/j.rama.2019.12.003

Cited by 16 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Ag-MAR needs and constraints are inherently local (Levintal et al, 2023). Honing in on land parcels suitable for Ag-MAR using GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis (Kazakis, 2018;Sallwey et al, 2019) or computer modeling (Behroozmand et al, 2019) and characterizing irrigator values, constraints, and enablers can identify potentially effective partnerships (Alonso et al, 2019;Sketch et al, 2020;Zuo et al, 2022). Given the economic incentives for increasing on-farm irrigation efficiency highlighted in our interviews, as well as the subsidies in place locally and globally to facilitate adoption of more efficient irrigation, economic incentives will likely be a key factor for implementing incidental recharge.…”

Section: Opportunities For the Future: Aquifer Recharge As A Potentia...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Once the legal and regulatory framework are in place to allow Ag-MAR, economic incentives to conduct Ag-MAR include compensating irrigators for taking on risk through their participation (Dahlke et al, 2018;Gailey et al, 2019), access to the groundwater recharged via property rights or credit (Niswonger et al, 2017;Hanak, 2018;Reznik et al, 2022), and rebates on subsequent groundwater pumping fees (Miller et al, 2021). Lastly, social capital, civic engagement, and capacity building are important for developing cooperative partnerships with irrigators (Lubell, 2004;Alston and Whittenbury, 2011;Sketch et al, 2020) and should be a valued part of Ag-MAR pursuits.…”

Section: Opportunities For the Future: Aquifer Recharge As A Potentia...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The irrigation efficiency trap: rational farm-scale decisions can lead to poor hydrologic outcomes at the basin scale

Morrisett,

Van Kirk,

Bernier

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Agricultural irrigation practices have changed through time as technology has enabled more efficient conveyance and application. In some agricultural regions, irrigation can contribute to incidental aquifer recharge important for groundwater return flows to streams. The Henrys Fork Snake River, Idaho (United States) overlies a portion of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, where irrigated agriculture has occurred for over a century. Using irrigator interviews, aerial and satellite imagery, and statistical streamflow analysis, we document the impact of farm-scale decisions on basin-scale hydrology. Motivated to improve economic efficiency, irrigators began converting from surface to center-pivot sprinkler irrigation in the 1950s, with rapid adoption of center-pivot sprinklers through 2000. Between 1978–2000 and 2001–2022, annual surface-water diversion decreased by 311 Mm3 (23%) and annual return flow to the river decreased by 299 Mm3 over the same period. Some reaches that gained water during 1978–2000 lost water to the aquifer during the later period. We use an interdisciplinary approach to demonstrate how individual farm-scale improvements in irrigation efficiency can cumulatively affect hydrology at the landscape scale and alter groundwater-surface water relationships. Return flows are an important part of basin hydrology in irrigated landscapes and we discuss how managed and incidental aquifer recharge can be implemented to recover return flows to rivers.

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Section: Opportunities For the Future: Aquifer Recharge As A Potentia...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Opportunities For the Future: Aquifer Recharge As A Potentia...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The irrigation efficiency trap: rational farm-scale decisions can lead to poor hydrologic outcomes at the basin scale

Morrisett,

Van Kirk,

Bernier

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…Many producers choose to maintain flood irrigation, and there are a variety of factors influencing this decision. 5 Although flood irrigation requires a greater investment of time and labor relative to sprinkler irrigation, it involves significantly lower financial and technological inputs, even for the more precisely managed forms of flood irrigation such as gated pipe over leveled fields. Sprinklers, particularly center pivots, represent a large financial investment even if cost-share is available, and also require electricity to operate, adding additional cost and technical upkeep.…”

Section: Motivating Factors For Maintaining Flood Irrigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Incentive programs that consider the diversity of motivators, in addition to offering financial support, may be more effective. 5 n Current work at the Regional Hydrology Lab at the University of Montana is simulating the hydrologic impacts of advancing the period of use from April 1 to March 15.…”

Section: Constraint 2d: Scope Of Incentives For Irrigated Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Irrigation Efficiency: Toward a Sustainable Water Future for Montana

Lonsdale¹,

Cross²,

Dalby³

et al. 2020

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Water is our most valuable natural resource, and is used to support the demands of industry, agriculture, hydroelectric power generation, and municipalities. Water also sustains Montana’s booming recreation and tourism economy and maintains the diverse freshwater ecosystems that provide natural goods and services and promote human well-being. As our population continues to grow, and the collective demand for water increases, it is imperative that we carefully assess how our water is used, as well as how changes in water distribution, management, and governance are likely to influence its availability in the future. This is especially important in the context of a changing climate.

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Agricultural mosaics offer nesting habitat to dabbling ducks in the arid Intermountain West of the United States

Setash,

Behney,

Gammonley

et al. 2024

Ecosphere

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The debate over the best agricultural practices for biological conservation often focuses on the degree to which agricultural lands should be interspersed with desirable habitat versus protecting lands entirely from production. It is important to understand the benefits agriculture provides for wildlife because it is consuming an increasing proportion of the landscape. We evaluated the nesting ecology of breeding ducks within a mosaic of flood‐irrigated conservation areas and agricultural lands in hay production. We assessed how habitat features at two spatial scales across these lands were related to nest site selection, nest density, and nest survival of multiple duck species. Birds selected nest sites with higher visual obstruction, a higher proportion of shrubs around the nest, and less bare ground, but we did not detect evidence of selection per se at larger spatial scales. Nest density was marginally higher along linear features, including irrigation ditches and riparian stretches, but nest survival remained similar across land‐use types and habitats features. This system is representative of many agricultural landscapes around the globe and highlights the ways agroecosystems can be managed to maintain habitat suitability for wildlife on working lands.

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Western Ranchers’ Perspectives on Enablers and Constraints to Flood Irrigation

Cited by 16 publications

References 37 publications

The irrigation efficiency trap: rational farm-scale decisions can lead to poor hydrologic outcomes at the basin scale

The irrigation efficiency trap: rational farm-scale decisions can lead to poor hydrologic outcomes at the basin scale

Evaluating Irrigation Efficiency: Toward a Sustainable Water Future for Montana

Agricultural mosaics offer nesting habitat to dabbling ducks in the arid Intermountain West of the United States

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