Dirt ditches less common due to a few challenges
Does this ditch look familiar to you? It is becoming less and less common in Yuma County agriculture to see ditches without concrete lining (dirt).
Over the past 70 years, as our agriculture has evolved, dirt ditches have been lined for many reasons. Some of the factors that need to be considered if you are using a dirt ditch now include food safety.
Dirt ditches have many negatives: The ditches take up much more land than the concrete ditches we now install. To clean these ditches, a tractor and implement has to be able to drive through the ditch. Every time this occurs, the bottom of the ditch gets deeper.
For irrigation efficiencies, the water line in the ditch needs to be at least 18 inches above the field surface. After years of cleaning a dirt ditch, the water surface in the ditch may be even with the field surface, severely reducing irrigation efficiency.
Depending on the soil type, there is also a problem in dirt ditches with loss of water through the bottom and sides of the ditch. If in an area with existing water table problems, the water going from the ditch into the water table makes that problem worse.
When looking at water quality issues, almost all dirt ditches have weeds or other vegetation along the banks. While weed killers could be used, there is always a danger that the chemicals would be carried into the farm fields being irrigated, a real no-no.
To control the weeds manually takes many worker hours and a constant effort. The weeds serve as a reservoir of insects and potential crop disease. They also offer shelter to rodents and birds, both of which cause food safety concerns. The dirt ditches are also very vulnerable to burrowing animals that may cause a leak or eventually a dirt ditch failure.
With the 10-foot-per-year average water evaporation rate in Yuma County, the soils in the banks of dirt ditches accumulate salts, left behind as they are alternately wet with irrigation water and dry between irrigations. These salts can increase the salinity of the irrigation water being delivered to the fields.
If there are ports, turnouts or check gates in the dirt ditch, the maintenance needed to keep them from leaking into areas not being actively irrigated is a challenge.
While there is no guarantee that there are no problems with concrete ditches, most of those listed will go away with a properly engineered and installed concrete lining. There is a program available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service to assist landowners and operators with the expenses of ditch lining.
The Environmental Quality Improvement Program is an annual program that will assist in ditch lining cost as well as other soil and water conservation practices. The individual or legal entity payment limit is $450,000.
As with all government programs, there is an application process involved in applying for the EQIP program. The basic information can be found on the NRCS-AZ website. EQIP is under Financial Programs.
Once you decide to investigate more thoroughly, contact the local Yuma Field Office, NRCS, located at 2197 S. 4th Ave., Suite 104. The phone number is 928-782-0860.
OK, folks, I know you get bummed out by the hoops that are required in programs such as EQIP, but while you are grumbling about the time it will take, why not actually be applying for the program? There are several million dollars in contracts awarded each year for conservation projects and you may as well be that person!