Landscape Irrigation Conservation Research Summary and...
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Landscape Irrigation Conservation Research Summary and Future Needs AWWA Sustainable Water Management Conference Mar. 15-18, 2015, Portland, OR Michael D. Dukes, PhD., P.E., C.I.D. Agricultural & Biological Engineering University of Florida/IFAS clce.ifas.ufl.edu
Transcript of Landscape Irrigation Conservation Research Summary and...
Landscape Irrigation Conservation Research Summary and Future Needs
AWWA Sustainable Water Management Conference Mar. 15-18, 2015, Portland, OR
Michael D. Dukes, PhD., P.E., C.I.D. Agricultural & Biological Engineering
University of Florida/IFAS
clce.ifas.ufl.edu
Single Family Homes Built 0
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250,00020
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1120
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Sing
le F
amily
Hou
sing
Per
mits
FloridaRank
Census pop growth FL 3rd
Florida Population Source: Marella, R.L. 2014. Water Withdrawals, Use and Trends in Florida, 2010. Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5088. U.S. Geological Survey, Washington,
D.C.
Development of Land in Florida
Maps from 1,000 Friends of Florida http://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/planning/2060.asp
Florida Freshwater Withdrawals, 2010
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Wat
er W
ithdr
awal
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D)
SurfaceGround
Irrigation Efficiency: Design/maint. + Management
Non-uniformity(100% uniformitynot practical)Adequate irrigation
Non-uniformity(100% uniformitynot practical)Adequate irrigation
Non-uniformity(100% uniformitynot practical)Adequate irrigation
Under irrigatedUnder irrigatedUnder irrigated
Over irrigationOver irrigation
Root Zone
Soil Below Root Zone
Root Zone
Soil Below Root Zone
Root Zone
Soil Below Root Zone
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Top shows the soil reservoir or root zone. Middle left is non-uniform and inefficient due to over watering some areas. Middle right is uniform and inefficient due to over-watering resulting in drainage below the root zone. Bottom left is uniform and efficient (the goal). Bottom right is non-uniform and while efficient in terms of water use results in plant quality decline or yield reduction.
“Promote Efficient Irrigation”
Misaligned Sprinklers
Broken Sprinklers
Irrigation Efficiency: Design/maint. + Management
Non-uniformity(100% uniformitynot practical)Adequate irrigation
Non-uniformity(100% uniformitynot practical)Adequate irrigation
Non-uniformity(100% uniformitynot practical)Adequate irrigation
Under irrigatedUnder irrigatedUnder irrigated
Over irrigationOver irrigation
Root Zone
Soil Below Root Zone
Root Zone
Soil Below Root Zone
Root Zone
Soil Below Root Zone
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Top shows the soil reservoir or root zone. Middle left is non-uniform and inefficient due to over watering some areas. Middle right is uniform and inefficient due to over-watering resulting in drainage below the root zone. Bottom left is uniform and efficient (the goal). Bottom right is non-uniform and while efficient in terms of water use results in plant quality decline or yield reduction.
Irrigation Requirements
Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Dep
th (i
nche
s)
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Net Irrig. Req.Efficiency Req.Precip ETc
Turfgrass Annual Gross Irrig. Req. N FL, 33 inches/yr S FL, 43 inches/yr
RAIN SENSORS
IA SWAT Rain Sensor Testing
Long Term Rain Sensor Testing
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8493
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Cum
ulat
ive
freq
uenc
y of
occ
urre
nces
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Freq
uenc
y of
occ
urre
nces
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Interval of hours for dry-out period
Expanding Disk - 3mm setpoint
SMART IRRIGATION CONTROLLERS
Soil Moisture Sensor Controller
Evapotranspiration (ET) Controllers
• Some can determine runtimes and days
• Programming is key! – Soil type – Plant type – Microclimate – Application rates – Slope
EPA WaterSense Protocol Evaluation
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Irrig
atio
n Sa
ving
s (%
) RainyDry
Research Based Irrigation Savings Potential
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data
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data
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data
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data
Smart Controllers – Bottom Line
• They significantly reduce over-irrigation • ET controllers must be targeted to sites
with savings potential • Proper installation enhances savings • Rain sensors do NOT save “in the wild” • Not all technologies are created equal? • Longevity of savings?
LANDSCAPE DESIGN/MODIFICATION
Florida Friendly Landscaping
Estimating SFH Irrigation
• Tampa Bay Water (TBW) • Potable monthly water
billing records for single-family residential for ~12 years
• Parcel records including greenspace
• Soil data (sandy, urban) • Daily rainfall and ET data
Characteristic Observations Variables
Customers ~650,000 -
Monthly water billing
~44,000,000 25
Parcels ~432,000 24
Soils ~40,000 40
Daily weather ~5,782,000 12 24
Individual SFH Irrigation Estimate • Irrigation required based on daily soil-water balance • 1,440 separate calculations for 4,380 days, summed
monthly
Annual ETo (2000) Annual Precipitation (2000) Soil types
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Identification of FFL Homes
Good FFL…
Good traditional…
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Irrig
atio
n de
pth
(inch
es)
Month
Good FFL Homes (n=61)
Good Comparison Homes(n=270)
“Good” Quality FFL vs. Neighbors Good FFL mean: 0.52 in/month Good comparison mean: 1.34 in/month FFL savings: 61%
Presenter
Presentation Notes
n= 3947 for FFL, 19968 for comparison Good FFLs and Good Comps: 61 FFLs, 270 Comps
Future Directions
• Education needed to disseminate smart controllers
• Unguaranteed savings mechanisms need verification
• Water rate structures need to keep up • For long term savings, landscape design
will dictate low/no irrigation
[email protected] http://abe.ufl.edu/mdukes/
Acknowledgements: Water Research Foundation, Orange County Utilities, St. Johns River Water Management District, Southwest Florida Water Management District Paper Co-authors: Mackenzie Boyer, Bernardo Cardenas, Melissa Haley, Stacia Davis, Leah Meeks,
