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Irrigation

NM Integrated Water Management Handbook Cover ImageNew Mexico Integrated Water Management Handbook (AGRO - 76)

Irrigation water management is an integral part of a complete farm management program of soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources.  The New Mexico Integrated Irrigation Water Management Field Handbook is intended to be user friendly for use by planners with producers.  It provides guidance on “how-to” evaluate and understand site-specific field conditions. This will enable an increased understanding needed to evaluate and implement alternative best management practices for irrigation water management. We hope that the Handbook will assist water users in reducing water quantities and energy, costs for crop production, and the opportunity for ground water and surface water contamination, towards a more economical, sustainable, and producer-acceptable farming enterprise.


The following documents require Adobe Acrobat (PDF), Microsoft Excel (XLS), Microsoft Word (DOC) and Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT).

New Mexico Integrated Water Management Handbook (ARGO - 76)

The Handbook sections below are provided in their original format so that planners and students can make additional print copies and customize the handbook to their individual situation as needed. Adobe PDF file formats as well as html formats are also available for most document.

    Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Web Page (html)
Handbook Setup
  Front Cover (DOC - 451KB) PDF (129KB) html
  Side Panel (DOC - 27KB) PDF (18KB) html
  Title Page (DOC - 334KB) PDF (129KB) html
  Table of Contents (DOC - 128KB) PDF (63KB) html
       
Section 1: Introduction
  (Intro - 1)  Purpose of NM Integrated Water Management Handbook (DOC - 38KB) PDF (38KB) html
  (Intro - 2)  Using Irrigation Water Efficiently (DOC - 26KB) PDF (18KB) html
  (Intro - 3)  NRCS Strategic Plan & Student IWM Class Presentation Format - (DOC - 40KB) PDF (40KB) html
       
Section 2: Soil Quality (SQ)
  (SQ - 1)  Soil Biology Primer (PPT - 7.7MB) PDF (5MB) html
  (SQ - 2)  Simplified Soil Food Web (DOC - 60KB) PDF (94KB) html
  (SQ - 3)  Living Soil (DOC - 2.8MB) PDF (273KB) html
  (SQ - 4)  Soil Dynamics (DOC - 2.2MB) PDF (185KB) html
  (SQ - 5)  Nitrogen Cycle (DOC - 68KB) PDF (224KB) html
  (SQ - 6)  Types of Soil Structure (DOC - 237KB) PDF (80KB) html
  (SQ - 7)  Soil Quality Considerations: is it Aggrading, Sustaining or Degrading (DOC - 82KB) PDF (81KB) html
  (SQ – 8a)  Benefits of Conservation Tillage (DOC - 32KB) PDF (29KB) html
  (SQ – 8b)  Conservation Tillage and Residue Management (PPT - 1.1MB) PDF (930KB) html
  (SQ - 9)  Water Erosion Management Considerations – Graphic (DOC - 81KB) PDF (186KB) html
  (SQ - 10)  Water Erosion Management Considerations (Assessment Guide) (DOC - 97KB) PDF (133KB) html
  (SQ - 11)  Wind Erosion Management Considerations – Graphic (DOC - 72KB) PDF (261KB) html
  (SQ - 12)  Wind Erosion Management Considerations (Assessment Guide) (DOC - 82KB) PDF (61KB) html
  (SQ – 13)  Soil Health - (Coming Soon)    
       
Section 3: Water Quality (WQ)
  (WQ - 1) Irrigation Water Quality Sampling (DOC - 58KB) PDF (58KB) html
  (WQ - 2) Soluble Salts (DOC - 42KB) PDF (149KB) html
  (WQ - 3) Soil Salinity Reactions (DOC - 72KB) PDF (266KB) html
  (WQ - 4) Irrigation Water Salinity & Sodium Absorption Ratio Assessment Guide (DOC - 57KB) PDF (94KB) html
  (WQ - 5) Water Quality Infiltration Assessment Guide (DOC - 45KB) PDF (41KB) html
  (WQ - 6) Crop Salt Tolerance Table for NM (DOC - 168KB) PDF (41KB) html
  (WQ - 7) Salinity Assessment Guide for Selected Crops (DOC - 98KB) PDF (108KB) html
  (WQ - 8) Irrigation Water Quality Guidelines (DOC - 40KB) PDF (37KB) html
  (WQ - 9) Gypsum & Elemental Sulfur Soil Amendment Guide (DOC - 94KB) PDF (69KB) html
       
Section 4: Air Quality (AQ)
  (AQ – 1) Air Quality Considerations for IWM (DOC - 172KB) PDF (175KB) html
       
Section 5: Irrigation Water Management (IWM) Considerations
  (IWM - 1) Planning for IWM (DOC - 21KB) PDF (29KB) html
  (IWM - 2) IWM Resource Inventory (DOC - 43KB) PDF (32KB) html
  (IWM - 3) Soils Data Interpretation for IWM Planning (DOC - 87KB) PDF (83KB) html
  (IWM - 4) Soils: Surface Area (DOC - 179KB)   html
  (IWM - 5) General Relationship Between Soil Water Characteristics and Texture (DOC - 210KB) PDF (31KB) html
  (IWM - 6) Irrigation Water Requirement Guide (DOC - 62KB) PDF (64KB) html
  (IWM - 7) Average Water Extraction Pattern of Plants Growing in a Soil Without Restrictive Layers (DOC - 190KB) PDF (54KB) html
  (IWM - 8) Gross Crop Irrigation Water Requirement - Planning (DOC - 50KB) PDF (42KB) html
  (IWM - 9) Soil Moisture Monitoring Example (DOC - 42KB) PDF (172KB) html
  (IWM - 10a) Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel & Appearance - 1 (DOC - 916KB) PDF (144KB) html
  (IWM - 10b) Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel & Appearance - 2 (DOC - 965KB) PDF (140KB) html
  (IWM - 11) Water Penetration & Movement in Sandy & Clay Loam Soils - Furrows (DOC - 164KB) PDF (41KB) html
  (IWM - 12) Furrow IWM (DOC - 57KB) PDF (272KB) html
  (IWM - 13) Tensiometers & Electrical Resistance Blocks (DOC - 372KB) PDF (99KB) html
  (IWM - 14) Soil Moisture Monitoring & Irrigation Record Keeping Form (DOC - 39KB) PDF (31KB) html
  (IWM - 15) Relationship between Soil-Water Retention and Crop Growth (DOC - 178KB) PDF (19KB) html
  (IWM -16) Crop Evapotranspiration (ETc) & Growing Degree Days (GDD) Guide (DOC - 51KB) PDF (47KB) html
  (IWM -17) Graded Border Irrigation Application Efficiency Analysis (DOC - 42KB) PDF (41KB) html
  (IWM - 18) QT = DA Calculations for Assessing IWM Requirements (DOC - 60KB) PDF (60KB) html
  (IWM - 19) Surface Irrigation Water Management (DOC - 56KB) PDF (200KB) html
  (IWM - 20) Field Irrigation Evaluation Example Guide -Form (DOC - 121KB) PDF (130KB) html
  (IWM - 21) Soils Intake Guide (DOC - 38KB) PDF (41KB) html
       
Section 6: Irrigation Systems (IS)
  (IS - 1) Irrigation System Planning & Design Considerations (DOC - 25KB) PDF (18KB) html
  (IS - 2) Choosing an Irrigation System (DOC - 1.2MB) PDF (1060KB) html
  (IS - 3) Subsurface Drip Irrigation (DOC - 1.1MB) PDF (951KB) html
  (IS - 4) Acequia Community Ditches (DOC - 277KB) PDF (103KB) html
  (IS - 5) Center Pivots (PPT - 1.3MB) PDF (905KB) html
  (IS - 6) Irrigation Water Conveyance - Pipeline (PPT - 2.3MB) PDF (1.9MB) html
  (IS - 7) Concrete Lined Ditch (DOC - 39MB) PDF (3.1MB) html
  (IS - 8) High Flow Turnouts (DOC - 1.1MB) PDF (95KB) html
  (IS – 9) Canal and Ditch Turnout Capacity (XLS - 22KB) PDF (21KB) html
  (IS - 10) Water Measuring Methods (DOC - 1.2MB) PDF (656KB) html
  (IS - 11) Energy Use & IWM (DOC - 25KB) PDF (16KB) html
  (IS - 12) Economics & IWM (DOC - 99KB) PDF (71KB) html
       
Section 7: Nutrient Management (NM)
  (NM - 1) Nutrient Management & IWM Planning (DOC - 82KB) PDF (90KB) html
  (NM - 2) How to Collect Soil Samples & Why Soil Tests are Important (DOC - 96KB) PDF (78KB) html
  (NM - 3) Soil Fertility Interpretation Guide/Form (DOC - 69KB) PDF (56KB) html
  (NM - 4) Developing a Basic Nitrogen Budget (DOC - 39KB) PDF (97KB) html
  (NM – 5) Nutrient Management Job Sheet (590) (XLS - 524KB) PDF (N/A) html
  (NM - 6) Nitrogen Fertilizers (DOC - 51KB) PDF (177KB) html
  (NM - 7) IWM to Increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency (DOC - 61KB) PDF (71KB) html
  (NM - 8) Phosphorus Cycle (DOC - 86KB) PDF (302KB) html
  (NM - 9) Phosphorus Index - Graphic (DOC - 445KB) PDF (473KB) html
  (NM - 10) Phosphorus Management (Using the P Index Rating) (DOC - 60KB) PDF (55KB) html
  (NM - 11) Manure Management (DOC - 69KB) PDF (406KB) html
  (NM - 12) Effluent Irrigation Guide (DOC - 50KB) PDF (94KB) html
       
Section 8: Pest Management (PM)
  (PM - 1) Pest Management & IWM Planning (DOC - 172KB) PDF (120KB) html
  (PM - 2) Pest Management & IWM Planning (Presentation) (PPT - 2.8MB) PDF (1.7MB) html
       
Section 9: Case Study (CS) Development
  (CS - 1) Watershed Approach (DOC - 12.2MB) PDF (819KB) html
  (CS - 2) Farm Record Form (case study) (DOC - 82KB) PDF (75KB) html
       
Section 10: Class Presentations (CP)
  Integrating IWM into All aspects of Planning Comprehensive Cropping Systems - (30 minute presentations; 4-students per group presentation) - (Coming Soon) PDF (N/A) html
       
Section 11: References (R)
  (R - 1) Table of Important Equations, Relationships & Concepts used in IWM (DOC - 36KB) PDF (74KB) html
  (R - 2) Why Salinity Management is Important (DOC - 29KB) PDF (31KB) html
  (R - 3) How to access NM Crop Consumptive Use Requirements (DOC - 152KB) PDF (58KB) html
  (R - 4) Additional Engineering & Irrigation Resources (DOC - 32KB) PDF (18KB) html
  (R - 5) Using IWM to Achieve Energy Conservation (DOC - 38KB) PDF (33KB) html
  (R – 6) Potassium Cycle (DOC - 81KB) PDF (320KB) html
  (R – 7) Runoff Class Based on Field Slope and Permeability Class (DOC - 111KB) PDF (23KB) html
  (R – 8) Measurement of Soluble Salts (DOC - 32KB) PDF (26KB) html
  (R – 9) Glossary (DOC - 38KB) PDF (38KB) html
  (R-10) Comparing Irrigation Systems (XLS - 30KB) PDF (34KB) html
       
Section 12: Field Demonstrations (FD)
  (FD - 1) Field Day Activities (Coming Soon) PDF (N/A) html
       
Section 13: Other (O) (Coming Soon)
       

Other NRCS WM NRCS Technical Information:
          New Mexico NRCS Agronomy Technical Notes
          New Mexico Irrigation Guide
          New Mexico NRCS Conservation Practices

IWM Fact Sheets:
          New Mexico State University Water Publication Listing
          New Mexico State University Drip Irrigation Page
          Colorado State University Crops Online Fact Sheets

Last Modified: 05/09/2008