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4. Soil Management Considerations
Is irrigation water available?
•
For most waters in New Mexico and
Colorado, there is a complicated water
rights adjudication process, governed by
the state engineers’ offices. It is important
to know whether you are allowed to
irrigate your property, and if so, with
what water. Even if you have a well on
your property, you may not be allowed
to use it for irrigation. Or you may be
allowed to irrigate only a particular part
of your property. Many considerations
for the water and land must be taken
into account before you irrigate, and in
most cases there is a local governing
body for your particular area. For more
information, contact the New Mexico
Office of the State Engineer, Water Rights
Division, or the Colorado State Engineer’s
Office, Division of Water Resources.
When, how much, and how does water
availability relate to seasonal rainfall
patterns?
•
Answers to all of these questions may
depend on the water source, and it can
vary drastically from year to year.
•
Water may also be restricted in availability
during an irrigation season. You must
plan around the days of the week or
month that you have access to your
allotted water.
Irrigation management
What is the quality of the
irrigation water?
•
See the discussion of water testing on
page 92.
How do I get water and what are my
responsibilities for water infrastructure?
•
Local governing bodies of a particular
ditch or acequia system or an irrigation
district manage water delivery,
but often you are responsible for
maintaining some portion of the water
delivery infrastructure.
Now that I have the water rights and the
water on my property, what is the best
way to irrigate with it considering my
water delivery system and soil type?
•
When thinking about soil type
consider your soil’s:
-
Infiltration rate
-
Water holding capacity
-
Soil profile
What crops or forage can be grown with
the quantity of water you will have on the
soils you have?
In arid and semi-arid environments, when considering soil health, particular attention should
be paid to irrigation water.