Can Measuring Your Diversion Make You Money??

Yes, if you know how much you divert by the month or week, you can take it to the bank. Literally, if you have good numbers, it can make the difference between getting the operating or improvement loan you want, or working harder to get a lesser amount. Your water right is a resource, just like the land, equipment, seed, feed Man working in ditch CostaDisc2-129 - Edited , livestock, or anything else. The better proof you have on just how much of that resource, in this case your diversion, that you have, the more solid it looks to a banker.

Another well-known fact, you have to measure your diverted water to manage it. Chris Reilly, the
Department of Water Resources Indian Creek Watermaster in Plumas County, educates people on this fact all the time. In one case, a diverter was correctly diverting the right amount, but was losing more than half of it in the short ditch before it reached the field. Why photo_4957 didn’t the farmer know? He had not measured it. Once Chris measured it, the owner knew what he was losing. He piped part of his ditch and was able to irrigate more acreage. That’s money in the pocket once the pipe is paid off!

Every buyer of property has a bunch of questions, and how much water is actually available is top of the list for a farm or ranch. If you can show records of how much you log_book_example divert, it gives certainty to a doubtful buyer or potential lessee. They’ll know how much they can expect to have for irrigation in a wet, normal, or dry year. I had so many calls over the years I worked at the Department of Water Resources, from realtors, attorneys, buyers, and sellers, asking “What is my water right? How do I prove it?” Sometimes it was sell or no-sell depending on the answer. On one ranch near Fall River, a riparian right on a square-mile ranch was in question. A Nevada buyer called Irrigation_small me several times trying to understand California water rights and prove whether or not there was a solid water right on this ranch. If the seller had documented his water right and how much he diverted annually, there would have been no doubt at all!

It supports your water right. Water rights make land worth more, a LOT more than dry land. The better a water right is documented, as well as diversions made under that right, the more solid you right is.

Most farmers want their kids to inherit the place and keep it in agricultural production. It is a way of life available to fewer families each year, which means it is scarce, and that makes living on a working farm that much greater a gift to leave behind you. Your will, or trust, or LLC, or corporation documents, need to be all squared away so your wishes are met after you have passed on. A proven water right is one of the important things you’ll need in that documentation to ensure your family can keep irrigating the farm down the generations.

That’s all for now, and a good night to all.

Measuring Your Diversion – Call, Visit, Evaluation, Report, Device Installation, Certification

You are ready to install a measuring device on your diversion. How does that process work? If you do it yourself, then previous posts in this blog explain how About_1.4_cfs_over_weir_edited_2_small to do that. What if you need outside assistance to get the work done? The steps to take are: 1) phone call or email me, 2) site visit with you or responsible person, with surveys as needed, photos, and any other needed information, 3) my evaluation back at the office, considering diversion size, slope, soils, water right, purposes of the diversion, and other important factors, 4) my report of findings, recommendations, and cost estimates of three or more alternatives goes to you – more than one way to get the job done, 5) you choose the option that works best for you, and then installation, which can take from two to ten hours per diversion, or longer if access is difficult, and 6) I certify the measuring device accuracy and suitability for submittal to the Water Board.

First is to call or email me, or another engineer or technician with flow measurement and water rights experience. When you call me, there are some basic questions I will ask to make sure I understand your needs:

Where is your diversion, on what creek or river? If it’s close I might be able to get there tomorrow; if it’s 200 miles away down a steep canyon, I might have to plan for next week. Some streams I know fairly well, including some of the water rights, and that helps me give you a faster and better idea of what you’ll need to do.
What is the basis of your water right? It may be a permit or license, decree, riparian, or a few other less common kinds of rights.
How much is your water right? It will typically be a flow amount, for example, 1.0 cubic foot per second, or 450 gallons per minute, or 40 miners inches. It might be just a volume, like 20 acre-feet per year.
Do you have a right to surplus flows? These may be defined in a decree, or by a permit or license. They might exist but not be defined, if your water right is riparian.
Is there any existing device at your diversion – headgate, concrete headwalls, or other structure? What condition is it in? Perhaps it can be improved to make an accurate measurement device, saving time and money.
Why do you want a device – just for compliance with the Water Board requirements, or also management, to reduce
Nuway Flume, Intermountain Ennvironmental

disputes with neighbors, and any other reasons?
Budget – do you have a set amount in mind, and how flexible is it to get a more durable, accurate, or simple-to-use device installed?
Scheduling – when can we meet, how fast are you looking to get this device installed and certified?

Step 2, visit the site. Things I need to see are access, possible sites for a device, equipment available for installation, soil type, ditch slope, ditch condition (cows walking the banks, or

isolated from livestock), and other important physical factors. I will take notes, photos, quick level surveys, and collect any other necessary information.

Step 3, I perform the evaluation back at the office. I include consideration of several devices, and assessment of which one offers the best performance with durability. The soil type will dictate whether native fill can be used for backfill, or whether 3/4″ minus road base is necessary for a good seal of the bottom and sides of the structure. Access by livestock may require a heavier device, like a prefabricated concrete Briggs weir.

Step 4, I produce a report of findings, recommendation(s), and cost estimates. This is typically a two to four page report for each diversion. All of

the information for the existing diversion and water right is summarized. I discuss physical conditions and the importance of each, plus constraints because of each site Several alternatives are given, with advantages and disadvantages of each. I detail a cost estimate for each alternative, and then I include the top recommendation.

Step 5, I will begin installation on the alternative you choose as soon as both our schedules will allow. Installation of Briggs weirs or pouring a concrete flume in place will require a backhoe; the newer sheet-metal flumes can be placed by hand, or may need a crew or backhoe for larger, premanufactured flumes. Important: the installation is not finished until we run flow through the device, make sure everything is working right, and show you how it works. If we can’t run

flow at the installation time, we’ll schedule when I can come back and make sure everything works or is adjusted so it does work as designed.

Step 6, engineering certification of the measurement device for the Water Board. This will include at least the minimum-required certification, and may include an engineering report for any non-standard conditions. Photos, diagrams, a brief operations manual, and other relevant information will be included.

That’s it! With those steps done, your diversion will comply with State law, allow you to manage your water effectively, and reduce neighbor disputes. That’s all for now, a good Sunday to all!

How Do You Record Diversions? Water Level Loggers, Value Vs. Costs

Recording is the other half of measuring diversions from streams, under California’s new water diversion measurement and reporting regulations. Diverters are required by law to measure flows at frequencies based on the volume of water diverted in a year. The flow has to be measured and recorded. Of course diverters don’t care about the data – it costs money and it doesn’t add income. What you and I want in all of our purchases is the best value for the money.

This is a long post since it is hard to summarize something this technical so here is the bottom line: my recommendation is the last of four in this post – for most diverters. Click here for the simple, short post on my top recommendation.

For very small diversions, flows have to be recorded weekly. That is easy to do as long as someone goes to the diversion at least once a week.

WaterLevelLogger_wl300_1 — Photo credit: globalw.com

Shawn_Sticking_Weir For medium-sized diversions, flows must be recorded daily. This is possible, but
it doesn’t allow for the owner or employees to have time off, travel, and so on. At this level of recording, an automatic recorder of some type is necessary. Large diversions must be recorded hourly, and automatic recording is the only practical way to be sure flows are recorded. That is the subject of today’s post: automatic recording of flows, or what is really done most of the time, recording water levels and using equations to calculate the flow.

About_1.4_cfs_over_weir_edited_small We will leave aside the discussion of propeller, acoustic Doppler, magnetic, and other in-line meters. If you have a diversion that goes through a long length of straight pipe, one of these devices can be bolted in or strapped on. This post is about open diversions into a ditch, where an instantaneous measurement device (weir, orifice, flume) already exists. These open devices do not measure flow directly, they measure the water level. An equation is used to convert that level to a flow.

There are hundreds of devices (ready to go) and components (connected parts) to measure water levels. There are also hundreds of loggers that collect data. Here, we will look at 4 water level sensors connected to data loggers, called water level loggers.

The first is a setup that rancher and retired aircraft engineer Frank Crowe has been working on. Frank’s desire is to save him and his neighbors money, so he has been working with the Vegetronix Aqua-Plumb Water Level Sensor connected with the Logger-8-USB. Together these are $340, which is
the least cost of anything that I have seen. Add shipping, tax,
and $60 in other parts and batteries, and for $450 you’ll have the parts you n
eed for moderately durable, reliable, and accurate water level logger. Not only that, but the Logger-8-USB has 8 channels altogether, so a diverter could measure up to 8 water levels at once by adding 7 more sensors at $95 apiece, not including tax and shipping.

Here is Frank’s latest setup with his comments: “Finally was able to put together a prototype package for the Vegetronix sensor. The box is a little bigger than needed, but seems to work. I’m trying to get the data to download into something I can analyze, but it seems to work very stable.

The pipe is 3/4″ mounted to the box, with the sensor wire going down to about an inch from the bottom and then returns up over 12″, therefore doubling the sensitivity. The end is held by some wire at the moment, but would probably work better with a stainless steel spring. The top of the pipe is not sealed, but should be to keep the humidity out of the box. Of course if the data logger were in a separate box, the seal would not be necessary.

To exercise the thing, it is stuck into a 3″ pipe with a water drip going in and a drain at the bottom. The overflow hole is 13″ above the bottom.”

So, what is the trade-off? If you are handy, somewhat experienced with electronic components, and willing to spend some hours, you can set this up yourself. Frank can help a few of his neighbors, but he has his family and ranch requiring his time, too. Otherwise, it is going to cost a couple hundred dollars or so for someone to set this up for you. It needs to be checked, maintained, and adjusted more often than the integrated water level loggers, too, so the maintenance and downloading cost can be $50 to $100 per year if everything is working well.

Next, the Onset Hobo U20L-04 Water Level Logger is $300 before shipping and tax. The DWR Groundwater folks I worked with for years, use these in groundwater wells. They are easy to set up – program one and place it in a stilling well. Take it out once or twice a year to download the data. The battery life is 5 years, maybe more.

Why aren’t these automatically the cheapest option? They may be the cheapest if a diverter has 3 diversions or more, or several neighbors are using the same Hobo U20L-04. However, they are not vented, meaning that as atmospheric pressure changes due to low pressure areas and storms, the device’s pressure reading will not be as accurate. Therefore Onset recommends having a second U20L-04 set up outside the water to measure the pressure change over time. The second device can be some miles away, so one outside calibration device could be used for several in the water within a 100-square-mile area.

What I heard from colleagues is that these did not last for 10 years, and often not for five years. Durability and reliability of a device are important for uninterrupted data, and therefore compliance with the Water Board’s regulations. The more often a device has to be replaced, the more it costs over time.

In summary, the cost of Onset Hobo U20L-04 devices is $600 plus tax and shipping. This cost may be reduced somewhat if the cost of a calibration device can be shared between several diverters, or several diversions.

The third device discussed here is the Global Water WL-16. This is an integrated, vented device, designed to program and set in a pipe. Watermasters have used these for years at various diversions. They cost about $1,000, before tax and shipping.

The WL-16 has a stainless steel casing and is fairly tough. They should last a good 5 years. The problem is at the sensor end – it is relatively easy to clog up in warm-water conditions, with algae and/or silt. In cool flowing water, it might operate for the whole irrigation season. In warmer or still water, it will have to be checked and sprayed clean every 1 to 3 months. Watermasters have put the sensor ends in distilled water in baby-bottle bags, and rubber-banded the tops of the bags closed to keep the sensors clean for the entire irrigation season.

One other concern which I have not discussed with the manufacturer – the manual for the WL-16 globalwater_wl16_in_field was updated in 2009 and refers to Windows XP, not the current Windows 10. I am sure that a newer manual is sent out with the device when it is purchased. Overall, with some care to check the sensor end and clean it as necessary, this is a great drop-it-in-and-turn-it-on option.

The fourth and final water level logger discussed here is the PMC Versaline VL2111 – WLS-31 Water Level Datalogger. This looks much like the WL-16, but instead of a silicon bladder at the end of sensor, it has a non-fouling ceramic sensor. At $1,370 before tax and shipping, it has the highest purchase cost of the 4 listed in this post, but it is my recommendation for durability, reliability, and low maintenance.

The Versaline is made for wastewater; in other words, for sewer lines. The datalogger end is vented and it is not supposed to be submerged, same as the Vegetronix components and the WL-16. However, it is made to put inside manholes where it is very warm and humid. The PMC guys have maintained the sensor end in rough environments with the equipment lasting 8 to 12 years. If the sensor gets completely covered with algae (or something worse), it still works. It can be cleaned off with a toothbrush if it seems so clogged it might prevent water from getting to the ceramic end. The data logger and sensor are fairly new but are improvements on the older, long-lived versions.

The VL2111 – WLS-31 is three times the cost of the least-expensive option. However, it might be the least expensive in the long run…it sure is the most worry-free of all the options listed here!

How Do I …. ? (Determine My Water Rights, Measure Flows, Report Flows , Etc.)

See the new “How Do I … ?” link on the left. There are so many posts on this blog, it is getting harder to find stuff. Click on the link, or right-click then “Open link in new tab”, and the big questions are linked to the appropriate blog posts.

Another way to search is, as always, Google. For example, googling “allwaterrights measure weir” brings up the following results:

ggl_awr_meas_weir

Flash! Water Board Measurement Fair NEWS

The Water Board Measurement Fair
was today, from 10 – 4 at the EPA building in Sacramento!

The Board had lots of new information. The morning sessions revealed:

Watermaster Service Areas are exempt from most of this, if the Watermaster reports monthly diversions, once a year, to the Water Board or a Superior Court.
The Water Board staff “have a range of options in working to resolve
Cal EPA Building. Photo credit: library.ca.gov

disagreements” about whether diversions comply with new regulations, according to Kathy Mrowka and attorney Nathan…did not catch his last name. That means a diverter can reason with Board staff.
The draft Alternative Compliance form is out! Not online yet, so here is a black-and-white PDF for your use now: SWRCB_DRAFT_Alternative_Compliance_bw.pdf. I think I heard correctly that Alternative Compliance Plans are good for 5 years, and then they must be revisited.
All diversions over 10 AF, up to 10,000 AF, report annually to the Water Board, with exceptions below. Monthly flow volumes are reported; data collected weekly, daily, or hourly, are to be kept by the diverter but not reported unless the Board requests it.
Kathy Mrowka (3rd from right) wins the 2015 award for management of the complex drought evaluations. Photo credit: waterboards.ca.gov
Telemetry will be required starting in 2020, for 1) diversions over 10,000 AF, 2) diversions of 30 cfs between June 1 and September 30, or 3) diversions of over 20 % of flows Board-identified streams with species of concern. Telemetered diversions must be reported weekly online – since this doesn’t start for 3-1/4 years, the Board will announce later how it is to be reported.
There were lots of vendors with hundreds of possible solutions to measure flows. Costs are coming down and manufacturers are getting more innovative. They still cost money though – the rule is, the more spent on devices, the better they will work for years, with less hassle. Less up-front cost means more maintenance, more upkeep. No surprise there, that’s how it is for trucks, houses, tractors, and computers.

In the afternoon, Delta Watermaster Michael Patrick George gave a great presentation on the progress of Delta regulations. Some of the main points are:

There are 2,800 diversions, and measurement and reporting compliance is proceeding nicely.
Delta diverters are recognizing that measuring device compliance, although it can be costly, is the easiest thing to do.
Alternative compliance rules are in place and working! Mr. George’s slide show is not online yet, but soon will be.
Mr. George points out that there is one set of rules and laws for the State, although application may be a little different for a flat Delta with tidal flows. What I believe will happen is that Alternative Compliance for the State will be the same as already exists for the Delta. This means: 1) the Water Board will not approve or deny, but may comment on Alternative Compliance plans. 2) As long as someone is working to comply the Water Board will work with the diverter. The first response from the Board will NOT be a Cease and Desist Order if a diverter is communicating. 3) Plans will be posted online, and so anyone may comment or point out their real or alleged deficiencies. The effect is that if a diverter says it is too expensive to comply normally and has an ineffective plan, the diverter’s neighbors and state and federal resource agencies will likely complain to the Board that the plan is deficient.
Lauren Barva, lauren.barva@waterboards.ca.gov, is the main Water Board staff contact for Delta diverters. If she does not know the answer, she will make sure a Delta diverter gets an answer from the right person.
Paul Wells, paul.wells@waterboards.ca.gov, is the main Water Board staff contact for NON-Delta diverters. If he does not know the answer, he will make sure a NON-Delta diverter gets an answer from the right person.

Sticking_Weir_zoom_sharpened Kathy Mrowka and Nathan came back and did a great job of explaining how stockponds and other ponds can comply, including the use of staff gages and stage-storage curves. There will be more information online shortly.

Kathy also discussed the Report Management System (RMS). She said:

All reporting is now online, and the form is standard. That means regardless of whether you are reporting on your new measurement device, or your monthly diversions, or your stockpond use, the form will be the same.
If you have corrections, they can be made any time after the submittal deadline.
If you are filling out a form, you can save your entries, leave, and come back and still edit your form up until the time the ‘SUBMIT” button is pressed.
The Board is updating their FAQ right now, and they will soon update their “How to Work with the Board” document.

Here is the draft form to request additional time (up to 24 months) to comply: SWRCB_DRAFT_Request_Addl_Time_bw.pdf

By the way, there is a parking lot right across

CalEPA.ca.gov_CalEPAbldg — Cal EPA Front Enttance. Photo Credit: Cal EPA

the street from the EPA building, at 10th and I streets. It was full so I parked out at the City of Sacramento Parking structure at 14th and H; I needed the 4-block-walk for exercise anyway.

That’s enough for now! I will be out of town for a couple of days, and I will write more then. A good night to all!

Accurate, Economical Flume for LARGE Diversions

Photo on the right: Intermountain Environmental Inc. Nuway Ramp Flume with stilling well, 20 cubic feet per second (cfs) capacity. Shipped disassembled including fasteners; stilling well not included (but inexpensive to add).

20 cfs irrigates 400 to 2,000 acres of crops, trees, pasture, or hay, depending on where you are. As a Professional Engineer with wide experience installing and operating flow measurement devices, I can solve your headaches, heartburn, and trouble meeting the Water Board’s Regulations, diverting 20 cfs, for as little as $6,000 with one of these flumes. These flumes can go in an almost flat ditch, needing a water drop of less than 4″, and still maintaining accuracy of plus or minus 5%, twice what is needed by the Water Board. Smaller flumes cost less; even larger diversions could use 2 of these side by side.

Frank Crowe, farmer/rancher and the neighbor of some readers of this blog, has been doing research for 7 months on all possible flow measurement and datalogging devices. He has found some lower-cost options, including the Nuway flumes, that in past years, I did not think would work well. After checking into them, I know many of these can save you headaches, anguish, trouble, and some money. Technology has improved and computing costs have come down to make smaller, less expensive data loggers very useful for diversions. For example, the eTape sensor and Track-It datalogger shown here, and similar equipment from other manufacturers, will work well for many diversions:

Frank checked into the smallest Nuway flume, for 3.5 cfs, and found that the cost is fairly low at $580. With a size of about 12″ wide, 15″ high, and 48″ long, it will be easy for one person to assemble and would be possible to install by hand, without a backhoe.

Larry Forero, County Director o f the Cooperative Extension in Shasta County, has been doing a great job of searching and asking the how diverters can comply with the law economically, particularly through alternative methods. The “Alternative Compliance” form will be available any day now on the Water Board’s website. Larry has also been checking on devices, costs, and applicability for particular locations and uses.

Most diversions will have to comply using standard, accepted methods of measurement and recording data. Following up on Frank’s research, I contacted Intermountain Environmental, Inc. in Utah and asked Josh Hanks about their 10 cfs and 20 cfs galvanized flumes. They cost $1,017 and $1,995 respectively. Shipping would be less than $300. Josh provided detailed information, including how these flumes have performed in the field. They are designed and built to be plus or minus 5% accurate, well within the Water Board’s regulation of +/- 10% accuracy as certified in the field. Many installations have worked with soil backfill only, instead of poured concrete. Installations will probably require a mass-concrete anchor, and may need steel plate inlet wingwall extensions, or outlet wingwalls added.

The bottom line, what does it cost for me to solve your problem, and to purchase, install, attach a datalogger, and certify the device to the satisfaction of the Water Board? For the largest flume, which can measure up to 20 cfs, in a typical location with vehicle access, I can have these working right, logging data, and certified for you, for $6,000 to $9,000. Telemetry and/or solar power, if needed or required by the Water Board, could add another $1,000 to $4,000.

Done! No more headaches, turmoil, or trouble for you, and I will have the pleasure of helping you keeping your business working well.

SB-88 Compliance Information, Nice to Meet Diverters at the NCWA / Farm Bureau / Cattleman Meeting Last Night

Good morning, California diverters. It was great to meet you folks last night in Hat Creek! Thank you to Henry and Pam Giacomini and Mark and Debbie Bidwell for inviting me up to the combined meeting of the Northeastern California Water Association, Farm Bureau, and Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s Associations.

This blog is to help solve diverters’ headaches by providing peace of mind and helping stay out of trouble. Here are some posts aiming to do just that:

Can You Save Some Bucks? Flow Device Economics by CDWR

How Do I Comply With Water Board Regulations? Part 1

How Do I Comply With Water Board Regulations? Part 2

How Do I Comply With Water Board Regulations? Part 3

Can I lose my water right?

Do Something Wrong, Instead Of Nothing!

Working with Regulators, Dealing with Bureaucrats

Demo Measuring Weir and Orifice; & Who To Call At The Board?

The links above will get you halfway to knowing what to do to comply. The other half is in other blog posts, on water flow measurement devices, how to measure flow, and other topics. Have a great day and rest of the week!

Save Water? Ask Savers…And Depend On Capitalism

Faucet_Pixabay_water-1239368_1280 — Pixabay, public domain

Do you think of Florida as short on water? I sure didn’t; I have been there a couple of times and got rained on every day or two. However, a University of Florida study on saving water concludes that if more conservation is needed, it’ll be easiest to get from those who already use less water. That study is summarized in this short article.

On the opposite coast, what does that mean for California? It means that voluntary conservation seems most likely to come from those who are reportedly conserving the most: farms and communities in the San Joaquin Valley, and agencies and homeowners in the Los Angeles Basin.

1024px-USACE_Black_Butte_Dam_and_Lake — Black Butte Lake, Wikipedia

Does that mean that water districts and diverters in Northern California do not conserve? There may be less conservation, especially if diverters have a reservoir. Winter and spring flows are stored for later use. Those flows would have gone to a a river and usually, out to the Pacific Ocean. We’ll leave out the discussion of environmental uses of instream or stored surface water, except to say that they are one possible kind of use. There are usually some senior water right holders who have first call to the water, or who get a higher percentage during a drought.

How about irrigators who have little or no water storage? Since they depend on natural flows, droughts mean there is less flow available. It’s not voluntary, but the diverters share the losses, either

FloodedField_Pixabay_nature-1252579_1280 — Pixabay, public domain

with lower priority water right holders shutting off first, or everyone taking a cut if everyone has the same priority.

The photo on the left shows flood-irrigation, which is the least efficient method and raises the hackles of downstream diverters, or just about anyone south of the Delta. Flooding allows less productive land in California’s mountainous areas, often with shorter growing seasons, to be used to for pasture to raise cattle and other livestock, or for hay which might be used anywhere in the Western U.S.

3inPipePasture_Pixabay_spraying-294628_1280 — Pixabay, public domain

Even though not required, flood irrigation is being replaced over time with more efficient methods. Ranchers and farmers want to make scarce water stretch farther and irrigate more acres than flooding would allow. Land is being leveled right now to make

SprinklerPasture_Pixabay_water-340468_1280 — Pixabay, public domain

flooding go further. Sprinklers are increasingly used, so that less is diverted in the first place. Plain capitalism makes upgrades economical for the long-term. This isn’t an instant result, like voluntary conservation brings, but more water is available for instream and downstream uses every year.

These irrigation improvements are part of the reason that the State Legislators, Governors, and the State Water Resources Control Board have been careful about what laws to impose in the

WheelLine_Pixabay_irrigation-403371_1280 — Pixabay, public domain

upper watersheds. Many of the rights in the upper Sacramento River Basin are defined in Superior Court Decrees, and so are senior rights. However, the State has and still can make laws that reach back and change the rights in these old decrees. Many of you diverters on these streams have continually explained to politicians and bureaucrats that suddenly modifying or qualifying water rights can wipe out billions of dollars of agricultural production overnight.

So, yes, the fastest voluntary conservation will be had in the southern two-thirds of the state. And a lot of senior water right holders up where rain and snow fall, in the northern third of the State, may be experiencing the same or even greater percentage of involuntary reductions in diversions at the same time. “One size fits all” conservation may still not be equitable.

That’s enough on this for today. Let’s hope and pray that precipitation is higher than forecasts next winter!

Dust Bowl, and Grandpa Keeping His Job

My Dad told me a story about my Grandpa the other night. I had heard about him surveying from the top of his station wagon, accidentally hitting his father in the head with a sledge while driving a fence post (and running like the dickens before he woke up), and some other family stories, but not about when he started with the SCS.

Grandpa worked for the Soil Conservation Service in Nebraska as a young man a little before and during the Dust Bowl years, plus a few years in California after that. His dad, my great-grandfather, grew corn and wheat,

which grandpa had helped with before striking out on his own.

Horse_plowing_wiki bw — Courtesy of Wikipedia.org

As soil storms began to rage across the land, the SCS was looking for ways to convince farmers to work the land differently. Farming had started with shallow plowing when horse-drawn plows were all they had. With their new tractors, farmers were able to plow deeply and get better crop yields. They could completely turn the dirt, getting the grass on top buried, as they made cost-efficient, straight-line rows across their fields. As yields quickly increased, and prices dropped, the race was on to plow faster and deeper to compete with other farmers.

Straight_Line_plowing

So Grandpa’s boss told him that the SCS could not keep everybody working, since their budget was being cut. However, if he could convince farmers in his area to plow on the contour instead of straight lines, he could keep his job. This was in late winter, so he still had time to try to convince some folks before plowing began

Grandpa talked to his dad and asked, “Can I plow your field on the contours this year? If it works, I can get some of your neighbors to do it and my boss will makes sure I still have my job.” His dad agreed, and so he did. They planted (my Dad can’t remember if it was corn or wheat), and the afternoon they finished, it started raining. Hard.

Grandpa stayed out with a dim flashlight watching the furrow at the top of the steepest hill, near the house. If it overtopped, he knew it would wash down the

ContourstrawfarmNRCS-LG — Discing and planting on contours, Courtesy of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (UNL)

hill, take out the rest of the furrows, and he would be looking for work. Just as the water got close to the top of the furrow, the rain stopped. In the next few weeks their crop came up and the neighbors watched as the seeding Grandpa did on the contours grew 3 times as fast as what they had planted

Corn on contours — Courtesy of The Des Moines Register

in straight rows on their hills. You can guess, he was able to convince quite a few surrounding farmers to change their practices to plow on contours, and so he kept his job.

What’s this have to do with water rights? Not a lot directly…but efficient practices that make better use of water can pay off and be more profitable in the long run. Not to mention, it can keep government agencies and bank loan officers from demanding changes quickly, at a time when there may not be savings to get them done.

Highest And Best Use – Eye Of The Beholder, Part 1 of Many

What is the highest and best use of water? That’s a loaded question – ask 10 of your friends and get ready for some long conversations.
pump DSC06523 Highest and best use is the doctrine that water should be used for the most valuable purposes. Most people probably agree that the highest use is human health and safety – drinking water and fighting house or apartment fires being at the top of the list.

stream IMG_8137 What comes next? The answer depends on where you are, many court cases, what your business is, and right at the root of all human valuations, your world view. Is your view of the world that humans and businesses come first, or that animals and environmental uses are most important? This aspect of who we are, our world plum branch IMG_5832_ view, is the foundation of our beliefs and our filter for all information. World view discussions already have 10 million or more blogs so we won’t discuss that here.

Regarding water, what else determines the ranking of best and highest uses? If you live in North Carolina, then rainfall is relatively abundant. Sure, water needs to be moved to where it is needed, but handling floods might be more of a concern than enough rainfall. If you live in a part of the world where surface water is scarce, like California, then every water use competes with others in dry years.

This is a short p grain field _DSC2817 ost and it will be fleshed out in the coming months. For now, everybody have a great week.

	AllWaterRights - Rig… on Write It Down (Or Possibly Los…
	Anonymous on Write It Down (Or Possibly Los…
	Reasoning With Regul… on Use BING or DUCKDUCKGO To Sear…
	Do Something Wrong,… on Measure Any Flow With Watchman…
	Flow/Volume Data and… on Flow/Volume Data and Data-Head…

The Water Board Measurement Fair was today, from 10 – 4 at the EPA building in Sacramento!

The Water Board Measurement Fair
was today, from 10 – 4 at the EPA building in Sacramento!