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NCAT strives to make our information available to everyone who needs it. If you are a limited-access or low-income farmer and find that one of our publications is just not in your budget, please call 800-346-9140.

Water Quality, Conservation, Drought and Irrigation

The publications and other resources in this area address water use, soil moisture management, water quality, and water conservation. Topics range from created wetlands to choosing water-use-efficient crops to water quality in organic production to irrigation management. This section addresses the close relationship between agricultural production, soil moisture, crop and livestock water use, and water resources. As anyone who has tried to farm during a prolonged drought can testify, crop production depends on good management of soil moisture, whether from rain or supplemental irrigation. Livestock need clean water for healthy and productive growth. Yet, crop and livestock production can harm water quality unless good soil and water conservation practices are in use. Farmers and ranchers concerned with environmental degradation and climate change will find helpful recommendations in these ATTRA publications, and at the resource links listed in them, and in the Further Resources list, below.

Publications and Resources

NOTE: Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Acrobat Reader.

Conservation Easements - IP239

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Drought Resistant Soil - IP169

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Energy Saving Tips for Irrigators - IP278

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Maintaining Irrigation Pumps, Motors, and Engines - IP299

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Managed Grazing in Riparian Areas - IP223

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Measuring and Conserving Irrigation Water - IP280

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Micro-Hydro Power: A Beginners Guide to Design and Installation - IP383

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Micro-Hydro Power: Is It Right for My Farm? - IP384

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Protecting Riparian Areas: Farmland Management Strategies - IP186

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Protecting Water Quality on Organic Farms - IP214

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

Soil Moisture Monitoring: Low-Cost Tools and Methods - IP277

• Summary • Buy PDF • Buy Print Copy

The California Microirrigation Pocket Guide

• Summary • Buy Print Copy

Drought Presentations

Since droughts can occur at any time, farmers and ranchers should manage accordingly.

The first three PowerPoint presentations focus on how to manage your cropland, pastures, or rangeland in good years, in order to minimize the impacts of drought when it occurs. The other three presentations discuss management practices that may be used during or following a drought. The Resource Guide provides a comprehensive text and Web-based materials, listed according to topics covered in the PowerPoint presentations.

These presentations may be viewed on your computer as self-study or information guides or may be projected and used in training sessions.

We welcome your feedback on these materials. Please send us a message and let us know how you used this information, whether it was useful, and any changes or corrections you can recommend.

Power Point Presentations

Drought Introduction [PDF / 354KB]
An introduction to droughts, impacts on soils, crops, and animals with an overview of management practices to lessen the impacts of drought.
Soil Health and Drought [PDF / 812KB]
Soil management and tillage practices to conserve water and maintain conditions for productive crop and forage growth during droughts.
Pasture Health and Drought Protection [PDF / 599KB]
Rotational grazing practices and forage management to protect pasture resources prior to, during, and following a drought.
Irrigation [PDF / 673KB]
Sustainable irrigation practices and methods for protecting soil and water quality when using irrigation.
Pasture and Rangeland Management during Drought [PDF / 611KB]
Supplement feeding practices, toxic plants, toxic syndromes associated with drought, animal management and selective culling to reduce stress on land resources.
Water, Heat Stress, and Drought [PDF / 537KB]
Animal water needs, water quality concerns, relationships between water quality, feed quality, and water consumption. Factors affecting heat stress and practices for minimizing it.

Drought Resource Guide [HTML]

A comprehensive list of text and Web-base resources organized according to topics addressed in the Power Point presentations. This list also provides links to climate monitoring information, drought-tolerant plant lists, and drought disaster relief programs. State-specific drought information and drought programs are provided at the end of this document.

Links to Other Water Quality and Conservation Information

Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC)
NRAC is a principal public forum for the advancement and dissemination of science and technology needed by Northeastern aquacultural producers and support industries. Publications are located here: www.nrac.umd.edu/publications/factSheets.cfm.

Southern Regional Aquaculture Center

The World Aquaculture Society