Articles

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Increasing productivity in irrigated agriculture: Agronomic constraints and hydrological realities (with Chris Perry, Pasquale Steduto, and Richard C. Allen), Agricultural Water Management (2009)

Irrigation is widely criticised as a profligate and wasteful user of water, especially in watershort...

 

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Technical Concepts Related to Conservation of Irrigation and Rain Water in Agricultural Systems (with A. J. Clemmens and R. G. Allen), Water Resources Research (2008)

Forty percent of freshwater withdrawals in the United States are for irrigated agriculture, which contribute...

 

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Accuracy of Global Microirrigation Distribution Uniformity Estimates (with Stuart W. Styles, Franklin Gaudi, and Sierra Orvis), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2008)

Emitter pressures and flow rates were systematically and extensively sampled in one drip and one...

 

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Electric Motor Efficiency Under Variable Frequencies and Loads (with Xianshu Piao, Franklin Gaudi, Bryan Busch, and Taufik), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2008)

This paper details a study performed by the Irrigation Training and Research Center to determine...

 

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Electric Motor Efficiency under Variable Frequencies and Loads (with Xianshu Piao, Franklin Gaudi, Bryan Busch, and N. F. N. Taufik), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2008)

This paper details a study performed by the Irrigation Training and Research Center to determine...

 

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Volumetric Irrigation Water Pricing Considerations, Irrigation and Drainage Systems (2007)

Volumetric water pricing is a popular topic within donor agencies for irrigation project modernization and...

 

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Leaching of Accumulated Soil Salinity Under Drip Irrigation (with Brett Isbell), Transactions of the ASAE (2005)

Conducted a reclamation leaching experiment in a drip-irrigated pistachio orchard south of Huron, California, during...

 

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Multiple-Model Optimization of Proportional Integral Controllers on Canals (with P. J. van Overloop, J. Schuurmans, and R. Brouwer), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2005)

Canals or open channels that convey water often consist of pools in series separated by...

 

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Comparison of Measured and FAO-56 Modeled Evaporation from Bare Soil (with Andrew J. Mutziger, Daniel J. Howes, and Richard G. Allen), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2005)

This paper evaluates how well the FAO-56 style soil water evaporation model simulates measurements of...

 

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Evaporation Research: Review and Interpretation (with Andrew J. Mutziger, Robert G. Allen, and Terry A. Howell), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2005)

Literature regarding evaporation from soil, wet plant surfaces, and sprinkler droplets was examined, normalized, and...

 

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Prediction Accuracy for Projectwide Evapotranspiration Using Crop Coefficients and Reference Evapotranspiration (with Richard G. Allen, Albert J. Clemmens, Ken Solomon, and Tim O'Halloran), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2005)

The Imperial Irrigation District is a large irrigation project in the western United States having...

 

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Rapid Field Evaluation of Drip and Microspray Distribution Uniformity, Irrigation and Drainage Systems (2004)

The Cal Poly ITRC irrigation evaluation programs have been widely used to assess the global...

 

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California Agricultural Water Electrical Energy Requirements (with Daniel J. Howes and Gary Wilson), ITRC Report No. 03-006 (2003)

The Irrigation Training and Research Center, working under agreement with the California Energy Commission as...

 

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GIS Mapping for Irrigation District Rapid Appraisals (with Daniel Howes and Stuart W. Styles), 2nd International Conference on Irrigation and Drainage - Water for a Sustainable World — Limited Supplies and Expanding Demand in Phoenix, AZ (2003)

Geographic information system (GIS) mapping is slowly becoming commonplace in irrigation districts as the need...

 

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Government Highline Canal – A Win-Win Solution (with Stuart W. Styles), Report No. R 03-009 (2003)

The Irrigation Training and Research Center, working under a technical service agreement with the United...

 

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Advances in PLC-Based Canal Automation (with Xianshu Piao), USCID Conference on Benchmarking Irrigation System Peformance Using Water Measurement and Water Balances in San Luis Obispo, CA (2002)

A short history of canal automation is given. PLC-based canal automation is relatively new. Advances...

 

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Breaking the Technology Barriers Imposed by Cast-In Place Concrete Pipe in Irrigation Districts: Case Study of South San Joaquin Irrigation District (with Michael B. Gilton, Kevin Johnson, and Keith Crowe), USCID Conference on Benchmarking Irrigation System Peformance Using Water Measurement and Water Balances in San Luis Obispo, CA (2002)

South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) in Manteca, California, is beginning an ambitious modernization program...

 

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Case Study: Installation of Canal Control Structures on the Government Highline Canal (with Ram Dhan Khalsa, Stuart W. Styles, and Bob Norman), Conference on Benchmarking Irrigation System Performance Using Water Measurement and Water Balances, San Luis Obispo, CA (2002)

The Government Highline Canal Modernization Study was completed in April 2000 to evaluate options for...

 

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Electric Load Shifting in Irrigation Districts - California's Program (with Ricardo Amón and Darren Cordova), USCID Conference on Benchmarking Irrigation System Peformance Using Water Measurement and Water Balances: San Luis Obispo, CA (2002)

During the 2000-2001 winter, California experienced a severe imbalance in electricity supply and demand that...

 

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Modernizing Irrigational Facilities at Sutter Mutual Water Company: A Case Study (with Frederick F. Schantz, Stuart W. Styles, Beau J. Freeman, and Doughlas Stevens), Conference on Benchmarking Irrigation System Performance Using Water Measurement and Water Balances, San Luis Obispo, CA (2002)

In 1999 Sutter Mutual Water Company (SMWC) began an effort to modernize its water-distribution system...

 

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Closure to "Flap Gate Design for Automatic Upstream Canal Water Level Control" (with Russdon Angold, Mike Lehmkuhl, and Stuart Styles), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2002)
 

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Basic Design of Replogle Flumes (with Stuart W. Styles), Report No. 02-010 (2002)

To facilitate accurate flow measurement, this paper describes specific design and construction considerations applicable to...

 

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Evaporation from Irrigated Agricultural Land in California (with Andrew Mutziger, Daniel Howes, and Kenneth H. Solomon), Report No. 02-001 (2002)
 

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Evaluation of Drip and Microsprayer Irrigation Systems in California's Central Valley, Irrigation Bussiness and Technology (2001)
 

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Evaporation Estimates for Irrigated Agriculture in California (with Daniel J. Howes and Andrew Mutziger), 2001 Irrigation Association Conference: San Antonio, TX (2001)

All California irrigation districts that receive either federal or state water are now required to...

 

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Rapid Appraisal Process and Benchmarking (with Stuart W. Styles), Report No. R 01-008 (2001)

This WORD document [Rapid Appraisal Process (RAP) and Benchmarking] provides an explanation of the Rapid...

 

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Flap Gate Design for Automatic Upstream Canal Water Level Control (with Russdon Angold, Mike Lehmkuhl, and Stuart Styles), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2001)

The EXCEL design procedure for a simple hydraulic flap gate for automatic upstream canal water...

 

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Irrigation District Service in the Western United States (with Stuart W. Styles), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2000)

Data were obtained from 61 agricultural districts within the Mid-Pacific Region of the U.S. Bureau...

 

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Problems of Irrigation in Developing Countries: Discussion (with Plusquellec Herve), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (2000)
 

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Case Study: Modernization of the Government Highline Canal (with Stuart W. Styles, Ram Dhan Khalsa, and Robert Norman), USCID Workshop on Modernization of Irrigation Water Delivery Systems in Scottsdale, Arizona (1999)

The Government Highline Canal Modernization Study was completed to evaluate options for reducing the flow...

 

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Case Study: Modernization of the Patterson Irrigation District (with Stuart W. Styles, Mike Lehmkuhl, and John Sweigard), USCID Workshop on Modernization of Irrigation Water Delivery Systems in Scottsdale, Arizona (1999)

The Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California...

 

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Current Canal Modernization from an International Perspective, Proceedings of the USCID Workshop on Modernization of Irrigation Water Delivery Systems: Scottsdale, AZ (1999)

Modernization differs from rehabilitation, which simply returns a deteriorated project or structures to their original...

 

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Modernization of the Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District (with Dale R. Brogan), Proceedings of the USCID Workshop on Modernization of Irrigation Water Delivery Systems: Scottsdale, AZ (1999)

Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District (DEID) delivers water through closed reinforced concrete pipelines on an arranged schedule....

 

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Three Reasons to Broaden Your Fertigation Knowledge, Irrigation Business and Technology (1999)
 

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Irrigation Water Balance Fundamentals, Conference on Benchmarking Irrigation System Performance Using Water Measurement and Water Balances in San Luis Obispo, CA (1999)

Water balances are essential for making wise decisions regarding water conservation and water management. The...

 

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Subsurface Flows Water Balance Components for Irrigation Districts in the San Joaquin Valley (with Stuart W. Styles), Report No. P 99-002 (1999)

Cal Poly ITRC has conducted several water balances for regions or districts within the San...

 

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Closure to "Irrigation Performance Measures: Efficiency and Uniformity" (with Albert J. Clemmens, Kenneth H. Solomon, Terry A. Howell, and Theodor S. Strelkoff), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (1999)
 

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Irrigation Sagacity: A Measure of Prudent Water Use (with Kenneth H. Solomon), Irrigation Science (1999)

Within the western United States, water rights are granted for reasonable and beneficial water use,...

 

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Chemicals for Fertigation, Proceedings of the 19th International Irrigation Show: San Diego, CA (1998)
 

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Modern Water Control and Management Practices in Irrigation: Impact on Performance (with Stuart W. Styles), Report No. R 98-001 (1998)

This research addressed the basic questions of what levels of water delivery service are presently...

 

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Selection of Irrigation Methods for Agriculture: Drip/Micro Irrigation, Proceedings of the International Water Resources Engineering Conference: Memphis, TN (1998)

The ASCE On-Farm Committee has recently completed a draft of a manual (Bliesner et al,...

 

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Water Level Sensor and Datalogger Testing and Demonstration (with A. Burt, Mike Lehmkuhl, and Stuart W. Styles), Report No. 99-002 (1998)

Electronic water level sensing equipment is becoming increasingly important for the implementation of water conservation...

 

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Improved Proportional-Integral (PI) Logic for Canal Automation (with R S. Mills, Ram Dhan Khalsa, and V. C. Ruiz), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (1998)

Successful implementation of Proportional-Integral (PI) control logic for gate automation on irrigation canals has been...

 

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Influence of Canal Geometry and Dynamics on Controllability (with Theodor S. Strelkoff, Jean Luc Deltour, Albert J. Clemmens, and Jean Pierre Baume), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (1998)

This paper presents the results of the Task Committee on Canal Automation Algorithms with regard...

 

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Accuracy of Irrigation Efficiency Estimates (with A. J. Clemmens), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (1997)

Evaluation of actual irrigation system performance should rely on an accurate hydrologic water balance over...

 

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Irrigation Performance Measures: Efficiency and Uniformity (with Albert J. Clemmens, Theodor S. Strelkoff, Kenneth H. Solomon, Ronald D. Bliesner, Leland A. Hardy, Terry A. Howell, and Dean E. Eisenhauer), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (1997)

It is essential to standardize the definitions and approaches to quantifying various irrigation performance measures....

 

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Modern Water Control and Management Practices in Irrigation: Methodoloy and Criteria for Evaluating the Impact on Performance, Proceedings of the Expert Consultation on Modernization of Irrigation Schemes: Past Experiences and Future Options: Bangkok, Thailand (1996)
 

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Sizing of Header and Flushing Manifolds for Row Crop Drip (with Stuart W. Styles), Irrigation Journal (1996)
 

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Status and Needs Assessment: Survey of Irrigation Districts - USBR Mid-Pacific Region (with Kris O'Connor, Stuart W. Styles, Mike Lehmkuhl, Chad Tienken, and Robert Walker), Report No. R 96-004 (1996)

ITRC gathered data from 61 agricultural districts in the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau...

 

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Buried Drip Irrigation on Pistachios Study - Munger-Poonian Land and Farming Co. (with Stuart W. Styles), Report No. R 96-003 (1996)

A multi-year study and technical support were conducted on commercial fields of pistachios, apples, table...

 

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Fertigation Techniques for Different Irrigation Methods, Proceedings of the 1995 Irrigation Association Annual Technical Conference: Phoenix, AZ (1995)

- The irrigation method influences whether or not chemicals must be injected at a constant...

 

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Essential Water Delivery Policies for Modern On-Farm Irrigation Management, Irrigation Scheduling: From Theory to Practice - Proceedings of the ICID/FAO Workshop on Irrigation Scheduling: Rome, Italy (1995)

Successful on‐farm irrigation scheduling requires that water delivery projects adopt a service concept, and that...

 

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Identification and Quantification of Efficiency and Uniformity Components (with Albert J. Clemmens and Kenneth H. Solomon), Water Resources Engineering - Proceedings of the First International Conference on Water Resources Engineering: San Antonio, TX (1995)

Proper usage of irrigation performance indicators such as uniformity and efficiency require standardized definitions and...

 

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Fertigation - The Next Frontier, Irrigation Business and Technology (1995)

Just as irrigation dealers presently should specify pressure relief valves and air vents on all...

 

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Response of Ideally Controlled Canals to Downstream Withdrawals (with T. S. Strelkoff and J. L. Deltour), Proceedings of the ASCE Water Conference in San Antonio, Texas (Water Resources Engineering) (1995)
 

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Monolithic Concrete Irrigation Pipe (with John M. Wegener), Proceedings of the 1994 ASAE Summer Conference: Kansas City, MO (1994)

Monolithic concrete pipe (also known as "Cast-in-Place Concrete Pipe" (CIPCP) or Cast-In-Place Pipe (CIPP)) is...

 

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GIS Utilization for Analysis of District Drainage Water Recycling (with Robert E. Walker), Management of Irrigation Drainage Systems: Integrated Perspectives - Proceedings of the 1993 National Conference on Irrigation and Drainage Engineering: Park City, UT (1993)

An ARC-INFO GIS system was used to identify physical drainage facilities in a 32,000 ha...

 

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Cal Poly Model Canal (with John B. Parrish, III), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (1993)

The Cal Poly Model Canal, located at the Water Delivery Facility. Irrigation Training and Research...

 

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Irrigation-Canal - Simulation Model Usage (with Gregory Gartrell), Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (1993)

Unsteady canal-simulation model usage requires serious investments of time and personnel. The reasons for deciding...

 

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Irrigation District Canal Automation - CARDD, Proceedings of the Third National Irrigation Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona (1990)

The first rule regarding irrigation district canal automation is that there is no single "best"...

 

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Water Seepage From Unlined Ditches and Reservoirs (with Nigel W.T. Quinn, Richard B. Smith, Tracy S. Slavin, Stuart W. Styles, and Amir Mansoubi), California Agriculture (1989)

Seepage losses in the San Joaquin Valley's Westlands Water Districts were estimated at 27,000 acre-feet...

 

Conference Proceedings

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Water Balance-Related Performance Indicators for International Projects (with Stuart W. Styles), Conference on Benchmarking Irrigation System Performance Using Water Measurement and Water Balances (1999)

A unique study to examine the impacts of irrigation project modernization was funded by the...

 

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Evaluation of Subsurface Drip Irrigation on Peppers (with Stuart W. Styles), 20th Annual Irrigation Show Technical Proceedings, Orlando, Florida (1999)

This paper is a summary of two farms that utilized the California Energy Commission's low-interest...

 

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Evaluation of Micro Irrigation Systems (with Robert E. Walker and Stuart W. Styles), Proceedings of the Third International Drip/Trickle Irrigation Congress (1985)