Cutting-edge Irrigation Technology Results in Significant Water Savings in the Flint River Basin

Conservationists, Agriculture Find Common Ground Through Computer-based Technology

Albany, Ga.—April 21, 2006— With the common goal of maintaining an abundant water supply in the lower Flint River basin, conservationists and the agricultural community are finding new ways to meet the needs of man and nature. In partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, and the National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory, a unit of the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UGA-NESPAL) located at the Tifton, Ga., campus, The Nature Conservancy has worked for two years with the agricultural community to install cutting-edge irrigation technology, resulting in an average water savings of 17 percent during the 2005 growing season.

"While both the economy and traditions of southwest Georgia are rooted in agriculture, it’s important to find middle ground between conservationists and the agricultural community to protect limited freshwater resources," said Graham Ginn, program director for The Nature Conservancy’s Flint River Basin Program. "Using new computer-based technology, we have documented significant water savings, while meeting the needs of farming and nature."

"The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, The Nature Conservancy and the University of Georgia have helped us get more conservation on the ground right here in Georgia with the Flint River Basin Program," said Deputy Under Secretary Merlyn Carlson, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture. "The Variable Rate Irrigation pilot project has been a great success. In the 2005 cropping season, over 128 million gallons of water were saved."

Developed by NESPAL, the Variable Rate Irrigation system (VRI) is a technological break-through that is enabling users to irrigate their crops as needed, yet save approximately 10 to 20 percent of the water used in standard irrigation practices. By adding the VRI system to an irrigation center pivot, which has been retrofitted with drop nozzles and regulators, farmers have greater control over which areas are irrigated and the quantity of water that is used. Farmers can easily either turn off nozzles or vary the pivot speed, resulting in a 10 to 100 percent water savings in non-cropped areas and in areas that have previously been over-watered.

"The natural resources of the Flint River Basin are being strained to support the needs of farmers and the environment," said Marty McLendon, chairman of the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District. "The Variable Rate Irrigation system is a proactive way to reduce the amount of water needed by the agriculture community without jeopardizing their livelihood. Anything we can do to ensure that the water resources of the Flint River basin will be around for our children, grandchildren and future generations is a worthwhile endeavor."

Using funding from the Farm Bill, NRCS is providing 75 percent of the cost of the purchasing and installing the variable rate irrigation system equipment. To date, 20 agricultural water users in the lower Flint River basin, representing a combined 3,200 acres, are using this new technology. An additional 5 VRI systems will be installed during 2006.

"Cooperative conservation is the heart of the NRCS conservation mission – working hand in hand with landowners and partners to help people help the land. This project is an outstanding example of voluntary conservation," said James E. Tillman, Sr., state conservationist, USDA--Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Other conservation practices of the Flint River Basin Program include working with agricultural users to develop irrigation management plans, implement best management practices, and installing efficient farming practices such a low pressure drop nozzles and end gun cut offs. Using broadband wireless telemetry, the Flint River Basin Program helps farmers monitor crops with soil moisture sensors, which provides farmers with precise information on the optimum time to irrigate. This process not only helps to avoid over-watering but allows users to closely monitor the irrigation needs of crops.

"The Flint River Basin Program represents a public-private partnership that is making it possible to conserve our freshwater resources," said Mary Davis, the southeast regional aquatic ecologist for The Nature Conservancy. "By introducing new technology to a time-honored tradition such as agriculture, we are finding new ways to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come."

About The Flint River Basin
Based in Morgan, Ga., The Nature Conservancy’s Flint River Basin Program targets agricultural users in the lower Flint River basin to implement water-saving methods. Encompassing 27 southwest Georgia counties, the lower Flint River basin has experienced historically low levels, due to droughts and intense pumping for irrigation needs. Recent hydrological studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have shown that agricultural pumping can decrease flows by 30 to 80 percent.

As part of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin, the lower Flint River is one of the most ecologically rich river systems in Georgia. Fed by the Floridian Aquifer, which is the main source of drinking water for coastal Georgia and north Florida, the lower Flint River contains high quality freshwater and supports a healthy population of striped bass. The river is also home to four federally protected mussel species: shiney-rayed pocketbook, oval pigtoe, gulf moccasin shell, and the purple bank climber.