Irrigation Water Management Home

Irrigation water management is an important issue in North Dakota because it has both economic and environmental impacts. In recent years increased demand for greater consistency and quality in potato and vegetable crops has led to greater irrigated acreages in North Dakota. In some parts of North Dakota economic, development has centered around establishment of new processing facilities and producing the crops to be processed. Concern regarding contamination of local aquifers has also grown due to intensive input of pesticides and fertilizers on irrigated crops in areas of high groundwater vulnerability. For many years NDSU in conjunction with the USDI, Bureau of Reclamation conducted irrigation research near Oakes, North Dakota. The primary purpose of this research was to determine management methods for irrigated crops that minimize impacts to soils and shallow aquifers.

Field scale nitrogen movement under irrigated potatoes  Dr. Dean Steele Ag. and Biosystems Engineering, Dr. Francis Casey Soils and Scott Parkin ND Water Commission, Pettibone

Programs of study that include course-work related to irrigation water management are Agricultural Engineering, and Agricultural Systems Management.  

Irrigator education  Dr. Thomas Scherer and Aung Hla Ag. & Biosystems Engineering, statewide
Pump testing program Dr. Thomas Scherer and Aung Hla Ag. & Biosystems Engineering, statewide

Dr. Bruce Seelig, Water Quality Program Coordinator, Ag. & Bisosystems Engineering, NDSU Fargo

Dr. David Franzen, Extension Soils Specialist, Soil Science, NDSU Fargo

Dr. Lyle Prunty, Professor, Soil Science, NDSU Fargo