Applying Irrigation Water in Circles (vs.

squares)

Why
(briefly)

1) Economical

2) Low O & M

3) High Reliability

4) Central
Delivery Point
Applying Irrigation Water in Circles (vs. squares)
Why it’s a little trickier?

In a rectangular system each In a circular system the area

sprinkler applies water to an increases as the radius increases
Identically sized Area (A) Hence, each sprinkler applies
water to a differently sized Area (A)

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

A1 = A2 = A3 = A4 A1 < A2 < A3 < A4

 How Does this Weigh up on a Typical System?
(System Capacity = 6 gpm / acre)
Circle Area Computations Sprinklers are sized appropriately
Area = π R2 along length of pivot to maintain
uniform applications along linear
Radius Total Spoke Flow length of the center pivot machine
(ft.) Area Area Required
(acres) (acres) (gpm)
130 1.2 1.2 7.2
260 4.9 3.7 22.2
390 11.0 6.1 36.6
520 19.5 8.5 51.0
650 30.5 11.0 66.0
780 43.9 13.4 80.4
910 59.7 15.8 94.8
1040 78.0 18.3 109.8
1170 98.7 20.7 124.2
1300 121.8 23.1 138.6
How Does this Weigh up on a Typical System?

High Pressure
How Does this Weigh up on a Typical System?

Medium Pressure
How Does this Weigh up on a Typical System?

Low Pressure
 Soil / Water Intake Curves

4.0

3.0
Intake Rate (in / hr)

1.0 Family

2.0
0.5 Family

0.3 Family
1.0

0.0

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

Time (hrs)
Sprinkler Pressure vs. Intake Characteristics
Timed Rain Gauge Analysis Thunderstorm Intensity
Sprinkler Pressure vs. Intake Characteristics
Timed Rain Gauge Analysis Thunderstorm Intensity

Low

Medium

High

Low Medium High

 CPNozzle Program
New Version

• Windows Version
• Similar Inputs
• Better Visualization
• Residue Component
• Estimates Surface Storage and Runoff
 CPNOZZLE
Important Variables

• Application Rate
• Soil Family
• Field Position of Soil Family
• Residue Amount
• Slope
• Sprinkler Radius of Throw

RUN CPNOZZLE
GIS – Toolkit Applications

.
 CPNOZZLE
Example Composite Worksheet

Family 0.3 Family 0.5 Family 1

Acres Potential Weighted Acres Potential Weighted Acres Potential Weighted
Spoke # Runoff % Runoff Runoff % Runoff Runoff % Runoff
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Total Weighted Runoff ____________

Total Acres ____________
Potential Runoff ____________
Irrigation System Design (Some Basic Concepts)
Don’t Over - Complicate
Up Here
We Want To Get This
FIELD

WATER
Irrigation System Design (Some Basic Concepts)
Don’t Over - Complicate
Up Here
We Want To Get This

FIELD

WATER
Irrigation System Design (Some Basic Concepts)
2 Important Parameters

1)Flow (most commonly given in gpm)

Bucket–Fulls
Per Unit Time

2)Pressure or Head (given in psi or ft. of water)

Squirting
Distance
 FLOW
DETERMINATION

1) Crop / Soil Requirements

a) effective root zone
b) soil texture

2) Field Size

3) Water Source Limitations

a) physical
b) by permit
c) other
 Crop Requirements (gpm / acre)
From NDSU: “Selecting a Sprinkler Irrigation System”
Table 1. System Capacity in gallons per minute per acre
(gpm/acre) for different soil textures needed to supply
sufficient water for each crop in 9 out of 10 years.
An application efficiency of 80% and a 50% depletion of
available soil water were used for the calculations.
------------------------------------------------------------
Root Coarse Loam
Zone Sand Fine and
Depth and Loamy Sandy Sandy Silt
Crop (ft) Gravel Sand Sand Loam Loam Loam
------------------------------------------------------------
POTATOES* 2.0 8.2 7.5 7.0 6.4 6.1 5.7
DRY BEANS 2.0 7.9 7.1 6.4 6.1 5.7 5.4
SOYBEANS 2.0 7.9 7.1 6.4 6.1 5.7 5.4
CORN 3.0 7.3 6.6 5.9 5.5 5.3 4.9
SUGARBEETS 3.0 7.3 6.6 5.9 5.5 5.3 4.9
SMALL GRAINS 3.0 7.3 6.6 5.9 5.5 5.3 4.9
ALFALFA 4.0 6.8 5.9 5.6 5.1 5.0 4.5
------------------------------------------------------------
*Adjusted for 40% depletion of available water

General Rule = 6 gpm / acre

 (Crop Requirement) x (Field Size) =
Flow Requirement

EXAMPLE
(6 gpm / acre) x (125 acres) =
750 gpm

(Not Written in Stone but good guidelines

to follow)

May also be physical or permit demanded

constraints on pumping rate which dictate
 PRESSURE or HEAD
4 Main Considerations

1) To offset Elevation difference between

source and delivery point

2) To compensate for Friction losses in

the mainline delivery system

3) System Operational Requirements

4) Other Minor losses

 Elevation Difference
between water source and point of distribution
Vertical distance between pumping water surface
and the field delivery point
(for center pivots use the highest point in the irrigated
field for conservative calculations)

Example 50 feet

Surface Water
Ground Water
 Friction Losses
Most friction losses in irrigation systems are developed in
the system mainline (transmission pipeline)
(Significant friction loss also occurs in the pivot itself but
Is usually calculated and included as part of the
operational pressure requirements)

Transmission Pipeline
Most often PVC but may also
be aluminum, steel or PE
 Friction Losses
Important factors in the calculation pipe friction loss are:

• Pipe Inside Diameter (id)

• Pipe Material
• Pipe Length
• Fluid Velocity or Flow Rate

Friction loss is typically calculated using one of several common

equations:
(Hazen Williams equation or Darcy equation)
 Friction Losses

Hazen Williams Equation

H = 10.44LQ1.85
C1.85d4.87

Where:

• H = head loss from friction (ft.)

• L = length of pipe (ft.)
• Q = flow (gpm)
• C = friction factor (140 – 150 for PVC pipe
higher number means smoother pipe)
• d = inside diameter of pipe (in.)
 Friction Losses

Hazen Williams Equation

H = 10.44LQ1.85
C1.85d4.87

Example
If 750 gpm is flowing through 1500 feet of new 8 inch ID PVC pipe
the friction loss will be
{10.44 x (1500) x (750)1.85 } / {(150)1.85 x (8)4.87}
=
12.3 feet
 Operational Pressure
Requirements

At the Center Pivot Consist of:

1) Pressure necessary to operate sprinklers and regulators

satisfactorily (5 psi or greater above rated pressure of regulator)
2) Friction losses incurred in span pipe

Calculation is usually combined together with sprinkler package

spreadsheet

Requirements are commonly given at pivot point location

Elevation differences along pivot may also be included

Example pivot point requirement:

45 psi @ 750 gpm
 Minor Losses
The majority of minor losses which will increase the overall
head requirement can be caused by:

1) Small friction losses which occur due to fittings and deviations

in pipeline alignment
2) Extra losses through pump and suction pipe
3) Friction loss incurred in well tubing
4) Other

In large pipeline networks minor losses can be a substantial

portion of the total head requirement

Typically in irrigation systems minor losses are not a large

part of the total head requirement – Often times it is good enough to
simply add 5 to 10 feet to the final head calculation as an adjustment
for any minor losses which may occur in the system
 Example Pressure Totals

1) Elevation Head = 50 ft.

2) Friction losses in the mainline

delivery system = 12.3 ft.

3) System Operational Requirements

= 45 psi or 104 ft. (2.3 ft. of water = 1 psi)

4)Minor losses estimate = 10 ft.

Total Dynamic Head = 176 ft.

 PUMP SELECTION
225
Full Impellor
Total Dynamic Head (ft.)

10% Trim
85%
20% Trim
30% Trim 82%
176

79%

0 750 1250

Flow (gpm)
 PUMP SELECTION
225
Total Dynamic Head (ft.)

85%
20% Trim
82%

79%

0 1250

Flow (gpm)
 PUMP STUFF
1) Pumps DO NOT make pressure (only flow)
The system to which the pump is attached creates
resistance to flow (pressure)
2) Pump speed is proportional to output (flow) but
the head that a pump can resist is proportional to
the square of speed. (which means changing
speed changes pump flow reasonably but
changes head characteristics a whole bunch)
(pump affinity laws)
3) Typically slower running pumps are used for low
head - high volume applications.
4) Common speeds for irrigation pumps: 1200 RPM
(flood pumps), 1800 RPM (sprinklers with
moderate head requirements), 3600 RPM
(sprinklers with high head requirements).
 POWER REQUIREMENTS

Horsepower Required
= TDH x Q
3954 x n

Where n = wire to water efficiency

(pump efficiency minus a little -
good first guess is .75)

EXAMPLE
{(176 ft.) x (750 gpm)} / {3954 x .75} =
44.3 hp
 CPED PROGRAM

1) Rewritten for use by NRCS in EQIP program

2) Evaluates sprinkler package coefficient of
uniformity (must be at least 85% according to
NRCS sprinkler standard)
3) Uses pump input parameters to give an entire
system evaluation
4) Sprinkler inputs set up similar to OUTLETS
program

RUN CPED
 IRRIGATION WATER
MANAGEMENT
By the Checkbook Method

1) Treats soil profile as a checkbook

2) Water is the $
3) Inputs and outputs are measured or estimated and
the balance is tracked throughout the growing
season
4) Can be tracked by hand, in a spreadsheet or with
other software
 Checkbook Account Transfers
Evapotranspiration
(Withdrawal)

Irrigation Rain
(Deposit) (Deposit)
(Account Balance)
Soil Profile

Deep Percolation (Withdrawal)

 IRRIGATION SCHEDULING by
the CHECKBOOK METHOD
NDSU software
1) Baled Lotus spreadsheet which tracks soil
depletion throughout growing season
2) Estimates crop water use based on daily high
temperature input and days past emergence of
particular crop
3) Soil available water inputs are entered at setup
4) Contains historical weather record for several
sites in ND and MN.
5) Actual soil water measurements can be entered to
keep record closer to actual

RUN IRRIGATION
 EQIP
Irrigation Water Management Plan
Worksheet

Example
 1) Plan Purpose / General Details

 General statements outlining where the producer is

currently at and how he plans to improve his water
management through the use of an irrigation
scheduling and or crop water monitoring plan.
 Open with regards to the producers beginning and
ending points.
 Producer must implement the use of checkbook type
irrigation scheduling by the end of the three year
contract as a minimum.
 2) System Capacity / Field Information

Flow(gpm) 750 Total Area(acres) 132 System Efficiency(%) 75

Daily Application Rates at ____ efficiency

Daily application rate at 100% efficiency (in / day) = (0.053) x Flow(gpm) / Area(acres)

100% 0.30 90% 0.27 80% 0.24 70% 0.21

 3) Soils Information

Farland Grail Stady Bryant

Soil Name
Field Acreage 46 44 38 2
Field Percentage 35.4 33.9 29.2 1.5
Irrigation Group 8c 10c 6i 8c
Cumulative Available
Water to depth (in.)
Top 1 foot 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5
Top 2 feet 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5
Top 3 feet 6.5 6.5 5.5 6.5
Top 4 feet 8.5 8.5 6.0 8.5
Top 5 feet 10 10.5 6.5 10.0
 4) Crop Data

2006 2007 2008

Year
Crop Corn Potato Wheat
Full Rooting Depth (ft.) 4.0 2.0 3.5
Suggested MAD (%)* 50 40 50
Avg. Annual Water Use 25.9 23.2 18.8
Est. annual no. days crop water 25 23 18
use exceeds system capacity
 Robinson, ND Corn Crop Water Use
2000-2004 averages vs. 5.8 GPM / Acre
Rain or Soil Water
0.35 Dependant
Corn ET (in. / day)

0.3 System can meet Crop

0.25 Requirements @ 80% eff.
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0

8/7

9/4
5/15

5/29

6/12

6/26

7/10

7/24

8/21

9/18
Date
 5) Water Management Plan

2006 2007 2008

Year
Crop Corn Potato Wheat
Managed Soil Farland Stady Farland
Managed Crop Rooting Depth (ft.) 4.0 2.0 3.0
Managed Available Water Total 8.5 4.5 6.5
(in.)
MAD (in.) 4.25 1.8 3.25
Deficit for Rainfall (in.) 0.50 0.1 0.50
Managed Soil Water (in.) 3.75 1.7 2.75
Minimum Soil Available Water 4.25,50 2.70,60 3.25,50
(in., %)
 CSP Irrigation Water
Management
Evaluation Sheet

1) Evaluates an irrigation system and management

scheme for placement/eligibility in the CSP
program

RUN CSP program

 Irrigation Handbook Modifications

Located in Section II of EFOTG

Chapter 1: Definitions of useful

terminiology

Chapter 2: Irrigation group classification

designations and descriptions (These
have changed with this version of the
guide)

Individual County Soils Classification (in soils

section)
Cnty Soils
Link
CH 1 CH 2
link link
 Electrical Center Pivot Operation

1) 3 Phase Electric Power so that motors can be

easily reversed and consequently the machine will
reverse directions
2) Motor power is 480 V 3Ph, Control power is 120 V
1Ph
3) Main power supply is delivered to main control
panel at pivot point. Control and motor power is
delivered to each tower via a 10 or 11 conductor
cable mounted on top of span
4) Timer circuit controls last tower, it runs when
timer is activated. The rest of the towers play
catch up through the use of micro-switches
Electrical Center Pivot Operation
Electrical Center Pivot Operation

Last Tower Controlled

By Percent Timer
Electrical Center Pivot Operation

Next Tower Follows

When Micro-switch
Triggers
Electrical Center Pivot Operation

All Other Towers

Follow Similarly
Center Pivot 10 Conductor Span
Cable

Timer
Forward End Gun
Reverse
Safety Neutral

Ground
Power Power

Power
THE END