Ponds are commonly found on farms and ranches, but the vast majority of these are built for fire protection, fish farming, stock watering, or landscape beautification. Their usefulness as watershed management and irrigation tools have yet to be fully appreciated in many cases. This is likely because many farmers in the United States have been able to depend on organized irrigation districts and, subsequently, their reservoirs, to deliver and store irrigation water.
As water supplies continue to become more uncertain in drier states like California, it’s worth putting forth the concentrated effort to institute irrigation ponds on your own property.
Reduce Reliance on Purchased Water
Irrigation ponds work to augment your groundwater supply throughout the year. These types of ponds, can significantly offset ranchers’ and growers’ reliance on purchased water. In fact, calculations have shown that a two-acre pond with an average depth of seven feet can provide approximately ten acre-feet of irrigation water. This calculation even accounts for loss to evaporation and seepage. Likewise, a two-acre pond can irrigate thirty acres of vegetable crops that need four inches of irrigation water.
Seepage from ponds can also recharge groundwater and offset pumping from surrounding groundwater basins, which will save you a significant amount of money. In this way, an irrigation pond can slow the flow of water through a basin, which allows more of the water to be retained for later use.
Seasonal Water Balance
Irrigation and farm ponds can also be used to maintain water balance between seasons. Removing irrigation water from a stream in early winter can help provide enough water for drier summer months. Thus, ensuring that you are never without enough water to keep your farm thriving.
On a similar note, an irrigation pond can assist with flood control, as your pond can slow or capture a sudden influx of water through a watershed. In particularly stormy months, a well-distributed network of irrigation and farm ponds can play an essential part in attenuating peak flows and significantly reducing the risk of flooding.
There are dozens of ways that installing an irrigation pond can help your farm thrive. However, it’s important to remember that the most important way to maintain water quality and volume is by selecting a top tier reinforced polyethylene liners like AquaArmor made from potable grade materials.
Contact us to learn more about using BTL Liners to customize your irrigation pond.
