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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, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft PowerPoint.

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.

Handbook Setup  

Web Page

  Front Cover (DOC; 451 KB) (PDF; 129 KB) html
  Side Panel (DOC; 27 KB) (PDF; 18 KB) html
  Title Page (DOC; 334 KB) (PDF; 129 KB) html
  Table of Contents (DOC; 128 KB) (PDF; 63 KB) html
       
Section 1: Introduction
  (Intro - 1)  Purpose of NM Integrated Water Management Handbook (DOC; 38 KB) (PDF; 38 KB) html
  (Intro - 2)  Using Irrigation Water Efficiently (DOC; 26 KB) (PDF; 18 KB) html
  (Intro - 3)  NRCS Strategic Plan & Student IWM Class Presentation Format - (DOC; 40 KB) (PDF; 40 KB) html
       
Section 2: Soil Quality (SQ)
  (SQ - 1)  Soil Biology Primer (PPT; 7.7 MB) (PDF; 5 MB) html
  (SQ - 2)  Simplified Soil Food Web (DOC; 60 KB) (PDF; 94 KB) html
  (SQ - 3)  Living Soil (DOC; 2.8 MB) (PDF; 273 KB) html
  (SQ - 4)  Soil Dynamics (DOC; 2.2 MB) (PDF; 185 KB) html
  (SQ - 5)  Nitrogen Cycle (DOC; 68 KB) (PDF; 224 KB) html
  (SQ - 6)  Types of Soil Structure (DOC; 237 KB) (PDF; 80 KB) html
  (SQ - 7)  Soil Quality Considerations: is it Aggrading, Sustaining or Degrading (DOC; 82 KB) (PDF; 81 KB) html
  (SQ – 8a)  Benefits of Conservation Tillage (DOC; 32 KB) (PDF; 29 KB) html
  (SQ – 8b)  Conservation Tillage and Residue Management (PPT; 1.1 MB) (PDF; 930 KB) html
  (SQ - 9)  Water Erosion Management Considerations – Graphic (DOC; 81 KB) (PDF; 186 KB) html
  (SQ - 10)  Water Erosion Management Considerations (Assessment Guide) (DOC; 97 KB) (PDF; 133 KB) html
  (SQ - 11)  Wind Erosion Management Considerations – Graphic (DOC; 72 KB) (PDF; 261 KB) html
  (SQ - 12)  Wind Erosion Management Considerations (Assessment Guide) (DOC; 82 KB) (PDF; 61 KB) html
  (SQ – 13)  Soil Health - Quality Assessment (DOC; 102 KB) (PDF; 61 KB) html
       
Section 3: Water Quality (WQ)
  (WQ - 1) Irrigation Water Quality Sampling (DOC; 58 KB) (PDF; 58 KB)  
  (WQ - 2) Soluble Salts (DOC; 42 KB) (PDF; 149 KB)  
  (WQ - 3) Soil Salinity Reactions (DOC; 72 KB) (PDF; 266 KB)  
  (WQ - 4) Irrigation Water Salinity & Sodium Absorption Ratio Assessment Guide (DOC; 57 KB) (PDF; 94 KB)  
  (WQ - 5) Water Quality Infiltration Assessment Guide (DOC; 45 KB) (PDF; 41 KB)  
  (WQ - 6) Crop Salt Tolerance Table for NM (DOC; 168 KB) (PDF; 41 KB)  
  (WQ - 7) Salinity Assessment Guide for Selected Crops (DOC; 98 KB) (PDF; 108 KB)  
  (WQ - 8) Irrigation Water Quality Guidelines (DOC;  40 KB) (PDF; 37 KB)  
  (WQ - 9) Gypsum & Elemental Sulfur Soil Amendment Guide (DOC; 94 KB) (PDF; 69 KB)  
       
Section 4: Air Quality (AQ)
  (AQ – 1) Air Quality Considerations for IWM (DOC:172 KB) (PDF; 175 KB)  
       
Section 5: Irrigation Water Management (IWM) Considerations
  (IWM - 1) Planning for IWM (DOC; 21 KB) (PDF; 29 KB)  
  (IWM - 2) IWM Resource Inventory (DOC; 43 KB) (PDF; 32 KB)  
  (IWM - 3) Soils Data Interpretation for IWM Planning (DOC; 87 KB) (PDF; 83 KB)  
  (IWM - 4) Soils: Surface Area (DOC; 179 KB)    
  (IWM - 5) General Relationship Between Soil Water Characteristics and Texture (DOC; 210 KB) (PDF; 31 KB)  
  (IWM - 6) Irrigation Water Requirement Guide (DOC; 62 KB) (PDF; 64 KB)  
  (IWM - 7) Average Water Extraction Pattern of Plants Growing in a Soil Without Restrictive Layers (DOC; 190 KB) (PDF; 54 KB)  
  (IWM - 8) Gross Crop Irrigation Water Requirement - Planning (DOC; 50 KB) (PDF; 42 KB)  
  (IWM - 9) Soil Moisture Monitoring Example (DOC; 42 KB) (PDF; 172 KB)  
  (IWM - 10a) Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel & Appearance - 1 (DOC; 916 KB) (PDF; 144 KB)  
  (IWM - 10b) Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel & Appearance - 2 (DOC; 965 KB) (PDF; 140 KB)  
  (IWM - 11) Water Penetration & Movement in Sandy & Clay Loam Soils - Furrows (DOC; 164 KB) (PDF; 41 KB)  
  (IWM - 12) Furrow IWM (DOC; 57 KB) (PDF; 272 KB)  
  (IWM - 13) Tensiometers & Electrical Resistance Blocks (DOC; 372 KB) (PDF; 99 KB)  
  (IWM - 14) Soil Moisture Monitoring & Irrigation Record Keeping Form (DOC; 39 KB) (PDF; 31 KB)  
  (IWM - 15) Relationship between Soil-Water Retention and Crop Growth (DOC; 178 KB) (PDF; 19 KB)  
  (IWM -16) Crop Evapotranspiration (ETc) & Growing Degree Days (GDD) Guide (DOC; 51 KB) (PDF; 47 KB)  
  (IWM -17) Graded Border Irrigation Application Efficiency Analysis (DOC; 42 KB) (PDF; 41 KB)  
  (IWM - 18) QT = DA Calculations for Assessing IWM Requirements (DOC; 60 KB) (PDF; 60 KB)  
(IWM - 19) Surface Irrigation Water Management (DOC; 56 KB) (PDF; 200 KB)  
  (IWM - 20) Field Irrigation Evaluation Example Guide -Form (DOC; 121 KB) (PDF; 130 KB)  
  (IWM - 21) Soils Intake Guide (DOC; 38 KB) (PDF; 41 KB)  
  (IWM - 22) Soils Intake Families Chart (PDF; 85 KB) (PDF; 41 KB)  
       
Section 6: Irrigation Systems (IS)
  (IS - 1) Irrigation System Planning & Design Considerations (DOC; 25 KB) (PDF; 18 KB)  
  (IS - 2) Choosing an Irrigation System (DOC; 1.2 MB) (PDF; 1060 KB)  
  (IS - 3) Subsurface Drip Irrigation (DOC; 1.1 MB) (PDF; 951 KB)  
  (IS - 4) Acequia Community Ditches (DOC; 277 KB) (PDF; 103 KB)  
  (IS - 5) Center Pivots (PPT; 1.3 MB) (PDF; 905 KB)  
  (IS - 6) Irrigation Water Conveyance - Pipeline (PPT; 2.3 MB) (PDF; 1.9 MB)  
  (IS - 7) Concrete Lined Ditch (DOC; 39 MB) (PDF; 3.1 MB)  
  (IS - 8) High Flow Turnouts (DOC; 1.1 MB) (PDF; 95 KB)  
  (IS – 9) Canal and Ditch Turnout Capacity (XLS; 22 KB) (PDF; 21 KB)  
  (IS - 10) Water Measuring Methods (DOC; 1.2 MB) (PDF; 656 KB)  
  (IS - 11) Energy Use & IWM (DOC; 25 KB) (PDF; 16 KB)  
  (IS - 12) Economics & IWM (DOC; 99 KB) (PDF; 71 KB)  
       
Section 7: Nutrient Management (NM)
  (NM - 1) Nutrient Management & IWM Planning (DOC; 82 KB) (PDF; 90 KB)  
  (NM - 2) How to Collect Soil Samples & Why Soil Tests are Important (DOC; 96 KB) (PDF; 78 KB)  
  (NM - 3) Soil Fertility Interpretation Guide/Form (DOC; 69 KB) (PDF; 56 KB)  
  (NM - 4) Developing a Basic Nitrogen Budget (DOC; 39 KB) (PDF; 97 KB)  
  (NM – 5) Nutrient Management Job Sheet (590) (XLS; 524 KB)    
  (NM - 6) Nitrogen Fertilizers (DOC; 51 KB) (PDF; 177 KB)  
  (NM - 7) IWM to Increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency (DOC; 61 KB) (PDF; 71 KB)  
  (NM - 8) Phosphorus Cycle (DOC; 86 KB) (PDF; 302 KB)  
  (NM - 9) Phosphorus Index - Graphic (DOC; 445 KB) (PDF; 473 KB)  
  (NM - 10) Phosphorus Management (Using the P Index Rating) (DOC; 60 KB) (PDF; 55 KB)  
  (NM - 11) Manure Management (DOC; 69 KB) (PDF; 406 KB)  
  (NM - 12) Effluent Irrigation Guide (DOC; 50 KB) (PDF; 94 KB)  
       
Section 8: Pest Management (PM)
  (PM - 1) Pest Management & IWM Planning (DOC; 172 KB) (PDF; 120 KB)  
  (PM - 2) Pest Management & IWM Planning (Presentation) (PPT; 2.8 MB) (PDF; 1.7 MB)  
       
Section 9: Case Study (CS) Development
  (CS - 1) Watershed Approach (DOC; 12.2 MB) (PDF; 819 KB)  
  (CS - 2) Farm Record Form (case study) (DOC; 82 KB) (PDF; 75 KB)  
       
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)    
       
Section 11: References (R)
  (R - 1) Table of Important Equations, Relationships & Concepts used in IWM (DOC; 36 KB) (PDF; 74 KB)  
  (R - 2) Why Salinity Management is Important (DOC; 29 KB) (PDF; 31 KB)  
  (R - 3) How to access NM Crop Consumptive Use Requirements (DOC; 152 KB) (PDF; 58 KB)  
  (R - 4) Additional Engineering & Irrigation Resources (DOC; 32 KB) (PDF; 18 KB)  
  (R - 5) Using IWM to Achieve Energy Conservation (DOC; 38 KB) (PDF; 33 KB)  
  (R – 6) Potassium Cycle (DOC; 81 KB) (PDF; 320 KB)  
  (R – 7) Runoff Class Based on Field Slope and Permeability Class (DOC; 111 KB) (PDF; 23 KB)  
  (R – 8) Measurement of Soluble Salts (DOC; 32 KB) (PDF; 26 KB)  
  (R – 9) Glossary (DOC; 38 KB) (PDF; 38 KB)  
  (R-10) Comparing Irrigation Systems (XLS; 30 KB) (PDF; 34 KB)  
       
Section 12: Field Demonstrations (FD)
  (FD - 1) Field Day Activities (Coming Soon)    
       
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: 07/02/2008