Irrigation Station

Mark Carpenter, Owyhee Irrigation District

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At this station, the kids were able to learn how to siphon water for irrigation using many different sized of siphon tubes. It isn't as easy as it looks, but most of the kids got the hang of it after just a few tries. The area below the Owyhee Dam is a desert. In this area water is sparse and very important. Careful water use is important to this area, so this precious commodity is not wasted.
Irrigation Equipment and Methods

"Bubble Up" on Turbulent Fountains

In a bubble up turbulent fountain the water bubbles up and goes down a screen. This screen catches the trash, weeds and seeds. By removing the trash, the screen protects siphon tubes and gates in gated pipes from getting plugged, helping to keep irrigation even.

Gated Pipes

Gated pipes are irrigation pipe with little sliding doors on them, which regulate flow of water in the field.

Drip Tape and Drip Irrigation

Drip tape is used in the fields, buried 2-4 inches deep. The water goes right into the soil and saves water it from water loss due to evaporation or other reasons. The water goes through tiny little passages to drip out through small holes in the tape, applying just the right amount of water the plant needs. Drip irrigation is important for onion production.
For more on drip irrigation, Click Here
For more on how drip irrigation affects onion production, Click Here

Siphon Tubes

Siphon tubes are used in gravity irrigation systems. The tubes are set out of concrete ditches. Pressure pulls the water out of the canal/ditch and the water runs down the corrugate.

"The Big Gun" and Center Pivot Irrigation

The "End Gun" or "Big Gun" is normally used on the end of a central pivot system. This one sprinkler can add about 8-10 acres the total area of ground covered by a central pivot system.

The Owyhee Watershed Council's educational activities are supported by the
Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

Want to Learn More About Irrigation? Visit:
Learn About Irrigation Scheduling
How Much Water Crop Plants Use
How to Measure Soil Water
How to Manage Short Supplies of Water
Learn About Drip-irrigation
More About Drip-irrigation