North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service

No. 165, OCTOBER 1997
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/snouts

Mark Your Calendars for the Following Irrigation Workshops
A Reminder
North Dakota Irrigation Loan Program
Chlorinate Your Well(s) Before Winter!
Park Your Center Pivot in the Right Direction
Index of 1997 Water Spouts Articles

This is the final issue of Water Spouts for 1997. If you have an Internet access account and a net browser such as Netscape or Microsoft Explorer, issues of Water Spouts for the past two years can be seen at: www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/snouts/ . Water Spouts will resume in April of 1998.

Mark Your Calendars for the Following Irrigation Workshops

A Reminder

The last page of the September issue of Water Spouts contained a form for updating and correcting our mail list. If you have not already returned it, please send it back as soon as possible. Thanks.

Tom Scherer, (701) 231-7239
Extension Agricultural Engineer
tscherer@ndsuext.nodak.edu



North Dakota Irrigation Loan Program

In recent years, production of various specialty crops has gained popularity as an economically viable alternative for many farms in North Dakota.

The transition to specialty crop production is often expensive and requires more intense farm management. Often, the management changes include addition of an irrigation system to the farm unit. While irrigation provides an opportunity to increase farm profits, it can also increase the potential for on and off farm impacts to surface and/or ground water resources. In most situations, these potential impacts can be minimized through careful management of fertilizer and pesticide applications, water application scheduling, and crop residue management.

Recognizing the importance of irrigation to the agricultural industry as well as the need to protect the state's water resources, the Bank of North Dakota, in conjunction with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDH), has initiated the North Dakota Revolving-Loan Irrigation Program (DRIP). The DRIP is a pilot program that provides a financial incentive to irrigators installing water conserving systems and employing management practices that protect on or off site water resources. Through the program, individuals can receive low interest loans for the purchase of new irrigation equipment or renovation of existing systems. These funds are administered cooperatively by the North Dakota Department of Health, the Bank of North Dakota, and the North Dakota Municipal Bond Bank. Applications for a DRIP loan can be made through a local lender or the Bank of North Dakota.

To be considered for a DRIP loan, the applicant needs to include information on the irrigation system, as well as proposed management practices. Information on the system must include the system's location, major soil types, irrigation water source, all required permits, and source water quality. In addition, the applicant must provide a detailed resource management plan for the irrigated acres. These plans must describe specific measures that will be taken to address soil conservation, water scheduling/ conservation, and fertilizer and pesticide usage. Each resource management plan must be approved by NDDH personnel before the DRIP loan applications can be processed by the Bank of North Dakota or the local lender.

For more information on the DRIP program give us a call.

Greg Sandness, (701) 328-5232
Randy Kowalski, (701)328-5244
North Dakota Department of Health

Chlorinate Your Well(s) Before Winter!

The irrigation well is the heart of any irrigation system when the water source is groundwater. Most groundwater in North Dakota contains small amounts of iron which provide energy for the growth and development of iron bacteria. These bacteria form a slimy, gelatinous mass on the well screen, casing, and pump and in the aquifer surrounding the well. If your irrigation equipment has a rust color due to the water or the water has a rotten egg smell, then growth of iron bacteria in the well is a good possibility.

As iron bacteria spreads in the well, it reduces the amount of open area of the screen and the open area of the spaces in the aquifer formation, reducing the well yield. Reduced well yield will affect the operation of the irrigation system and could reduce yields, especially with high value crops like potatoes. The only way to effectively control iron bacteria is by chlorinating the well on an annual basis.

Well chlorination should be performed in the spring and the fall. The object of well chlorination is to raise the chlorine level in the well to 500 parts per million (ppm) and hold it there for a period of time to allow the chlorine to attack and kill the bacteria. It is especially important to also get the chlorine out into the aquifer material surrounding the well screen (Figure 1).

The two most common forms of chlorine used in well chlorination are common household bleach, which usually contains 5% chlorine, and a dry form of calcium hypochlorite, sometimes called HTH. HTH contains about 70% available chlorine and can be purchased from swimming pool companies, well drillers and some irrigation dealers.

Irrigators with oil lubricated, deep well turbine pumps should be especially careful if they use HTH to chlorinate their wells. It is common for these wells to have a layer of oil on top of the water. Mixing chlorine and oil can have explosive repercussions; if a granulated or pelleted form of chlorine is used for chlorination, mix it with a suitable amount of water before pouring into the well.

It is important to chlorinate the well before you pump out your pipelines for the winter. Use the following procedure to chlorinate your well(s)

1. Determine the depth of water standing in the well. This is the total well depth minus the depth to static water.
2. From Table 1, determine the amount of chlorine needed. For example say you have a 12 inch diameter well 100 feet deep and the static water level is at 20 feet. The column of water is 80 feet deep. The amount of chlorine bleach needed is 8 x 0.6 gal/10 ft or 4.8 or 5 gallons. The amount of HTH needed would be 8 x .35 pounds/10 ft or 2.8 pounds.
3. Introduce the chlorine into the well using one of the following methods. Use protective gloves and goggles. Chlorine solutions this strong can cause skin burns. a)Using HTH pellets, drop through the casing access hole to the bottom of the well (with oil lubricated turbines do this very slowly. b)Using HTH granules or powder, dissolve slowly by adding to 10 gallons of water or more. Pour into the well, then add at least 100 gallons of water to distribute throughout the well. c)Using liquid bleach, pour into 10 gallons of water and pour into the well. Add at least 100 gallons of water to distribute throughout the well.
4. Allow to stand for at least four hours.
5. Surge the water in the well by starting and stopping the pump. Don't allow the water to discharge from the well. This action is also called "rawhiding" a well. Do this at least four times. For deep well turbine pumps with electric motors, allow five minutes between starts.
6. Force the chlorine into the aquifer by pouring in at least 100 gallons of water.
7. Let the chlorine stand in the well for 24 hours. Chlorine needs time to kill iron bacteria.
8. Surge the well at least twice more, then pump the water to waste. This water can be pumped through the irrigation system. In fact it will help clean out pipelines and spray nozzles. Stand upwind because the chlorine smell could be strong. Pump until the odor of chlorine is gone.

Chlorinating your well on a consistent basis should keep the production of the well should stay close to when it was drilled.

Table 1. Quantities of chlorine material to use for each 10 feet 
of water in the irrigation well.
-----------------------------------------------------------
	    Gallons of
  Well	    Water in a		HTH		Bleach
Diameter   10 ft column	    70% Chlorine     5% Chlorine
-----------------------------------------------------------
(inches)		   (pounds/10 ft)   (gallons/10 ft)
 6	 	15	        0.1 		 0.1
 8	 	26		0.16		 0.2
10	 	41		0.25		 0.4
12	 	59		0.35		 0.6
14	 	80		0.5 		 0.8
16	       105		0.6 		 1.0
18	       133		0.8 		 1.2
20	       164		1.0 		 1.5
24	       235		1.4 		 2.2
-----------------------------------------------------------

Tom Scherer, (701) 231-7239
NDSU Extension Agricultural Engineer
tscherer@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Park Your Center Pivot in the Right Direction

The blizzard of April 5-8, 1997 damaged many center pivots that were parked pointing in the wrong direction. Center pivots that have no nearby protection such as windbreaks should be parked for the winter pointing to the northwest or southeast, not to the northeast or southwest (Figure 1).

Since our worst storms and highest winds come from the northwest, properly parking a pivot will present the smallest surface area to the wind. An exception to the parking direction is center pivots that border windbreaks. In this case, the pivot should be parked next to the windbreak.

The center pivot is a rather fragile machine. Several irrigation dealers told me that the combination of sleet and wind during the April blizzard caused many pivots pointed in the wrong direction to collapse. In fact, some noticed that pivots pointed in the wrong direction were severely damaged and others, just across the road, pointed in the right direction, had minimal damage.

While you are parking your pivot for the winter, do the following checks; they could save you some work in the spring.

1. Inspect the sprinklers. Either note the location or repair any that are broken or were observed to not work properly.
2. Check all gearboxes for moisture accumulation. Make sure each contains the proper amount and type of grease. Drain off any moisture present. If excessive moisture is evident, drain and replace the grease as water mixed with the grease will decrease its lubrication ability and not provide the needed protection.
3. Lubricate all fittings.
4. Check the water drain valve at each span of a center pivot system.
5. Remove and clean the system end cap. Here is where sand scale and other debris collects during the summer. Remove the sand trap, flush the system, and replace the trap. Drain all water-carrying lines. Drain the booster pump case.
6. Inflate tires to recommended pressure.
7. If livestock will be in the field with the pump and pivot, they should be fenced to keep the livestock away.

Tom Scherer, (701) 237-7239
Extension Agricultural Engineer
tscherer@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Index of 1997 Water Spouts Articles

Corn and Bean Row Spacing, Duane Berglund
1997 Herbicide Review, Richard Zollinger
Water Spreading Captures Runoff, Terry Carlson
When is Pre-Irrigation Needed?, Jim Weigel

Irrigation Research Reports Available, Tom Scherer
Irrigation Information on the Internet, Tom Scherer
Financing Irrigation Development, Jim Weigel
This Winter was Hard on Irrigation Systems, Tom Scherer
Tech Tip: Check Irrigation Water Quality Every Five Years, Tom Scherer

Irrigation Water Management Conference in Fargo, Tom Scherer
Missouri Slope Irrigation Tour, Paul Anderson
Irrigating Small Grains, Brad Miller
Using a Chlorophyll Meter for N Mgmt on Corn, Walt Albus
HVIC and Lake Agassiz RC&D Sponsor Strategy Meetings, Jay Mar
State Water Commission Web Page, Jeremy Williams
Tech Tip: Center Pivot Rotation Time and Application Amount, Tom Scherer

Corn Production Guide Available, Tom Scherer
Estimating Crop Water Use, Tom Scherer
Specialty Crop and Added Value Update, Rudy Radke
Irrigation Soil-Water Compatibility: A Case Study, Dave Hopkins
Economic Impact of Irrigation, Dwight Aakre
Irrigation Based Market Strategy in Value Added Markets, Dave Kraenzel
Tech Tip: Chemigation Checklist, Tom Scherer

Dry Bean Production Guide Available, Tom Scherer
CRP to Irrigated Crops, Duane Berglund
Plants for Salt-Affected Soils, Kevin Sedivec
Tech Tip: Do You Need Pressure Regulators?, Jim Weigel

North Dakota Irrigation Districts, Rudy Radke
Maintaining the Quality of Irrigated Soils, Larry Cihacek
Nitrates in Groundwater--Is There More to the Story?, Bruce Seelig
Tech Tips: Rodent Control, Seal Electrical Panels and Recording Water Levels

North Dakota Irrigation Loan Program, Greg Sandness
Chlorinate Your Well(s) Before Winter!, Tom Scherer
Park Your Center Pivot in the Right Direction, Tom Scherer

Water Spouts, No. 165, October 1997

NDSU Extension Service, North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Sharon D. Anderson, Director, Fargo, North Dakota. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. We offer our programs and facilities to all persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, Vietnam era veterans status, or sexual orientation; and are an equal opportunity employer.
This publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities upon request, 701/231-7881.

North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service