The Twin Platte Natural Resources District has a portable ultrasonic flow meter thanks to a 319 grant from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. The flow meter can provide producers flow rates on their irrigation systems. The actual flow rate is measured in gallons per minute, which is very important for proper irrigation management.
The District believes that producers are attempting to use water as efficiently as possible to conserve the available water, and to minimize costs. Results have shown that many producers are applying different amounts of water for irrigation than they realize. With the knowledge provided by the District's portable flow meter, the producer will know the amount of water that is pumped and can optimize the use of water for irrigation.
If excess water is applied, fuel and water are wasted and the application of excess water can contribute to leaching of fertilizer and other agri-chemicals out of the root zone, where it is of no value to the crop and can pollute the ground water.
The District charges a service fee to offset part of the District's staff and travel cost when using the ultrasonic flow meter for determining the flow of irrigation water for a producer. The service fee is $50.00 for the first site measured, and $25.00 for each additional site measured for the producer per visit. Those who have used the District's service believe that the fee is offset by the savings.
| What some producers think about the flow meter: | ||
|---|---|---|
| * An eastern Lincoln County farmer was surprised to learn that he was applying nearly 40 inches of water to his crop in a given year. | * Another producer learned that in less than 300 feet of irrigation pipe, he was losing 20 percent of the water being pumped. He thought the leaks around the gaskets and gates were "minor". | * One producer thought he was going to have to pull his well because it did not have enough pressure to operate his pivot properly. With help from the flow meter, he found that he needed to replace some gaskets in the pivot and that his well was pumping enough water. |