Water use in Irrigated AgricultureAna Ramirez

2007 Rice production (000 t)

• World 650,193

Why it matters?

• USA 8,956

• Texas 9,565 cwt

FAO Statistics Division 2008USA rice

LocationLakeside irrigation District• County: Colorado, Wharton•1st crop: 247 fields / 23,012 acres

•2nd crop:118 fields /11,485 acres

Fields in production 2006-2008Estimating Water Demands for Irrigation Districts on the Lower Colorado RiverDavid R. Kracman

Growing Season

• 2006– 93 days – 20 April-22 July– 78.58 °F

• 2007– 82 days– 19 May-10 August– 79.57 °F

• 2008

Time between a field’s first water delivery and its last water delivery.

Split dateBeg_date

Weather data• Daily average during the average growing season

Sources

Graph of thiessen polygones and stations w/labelsData – National Climate Data Center– Lower Colorado River Authority– Texas A&M AgriLIFE R Center

Calculate Evapotranspiration– FAO r

Penman-Monteith– Combination Method

Temperature

Precipitation

Evaporation

Conclusions

• Water consumption• Increase water demand & decrease supply• Water consumption in 2nd crop is higher

• Other factors to consider• Conservation measures• Management practices

• Things to do• Incorporate rice coefficient• Calculate and graph storage

Questions