CONSERVATION CORNER: White River Flood Irrigation and Return Flows

One of the oldest irrigation methods is surface or flood irrigation where water flows down small furrows or over fields to water the crops. While water is running over a field it percolates through the soils. Plants use a portion of the water while much of it permeates deeper and recharges the alluvial aquifer (natural underground water storage), increasing groundwater levels. The White River community is cultivated around these processes with considerable dependance. Water in…