The term irrigation pond refers to a constructed body of water located adjacent to agricultural land and designated for irrigation purposes. They may be seasonally dry or may hold water year-round.
Depending on the design, it may also be used for other compatible uses such as cold protection, fire control and flood mitigation. It’s important to understand that dedicated irrigation ponds, particularly those that collect runoff or operational water are not suitable for recreational activities or fishing. When multiple purposes are planned, it’s important to consider the amount of water needed for each, so storage capacity can be adjusted.
In the US, irrigation is commonly used in areas where adequate rainfall is irregular or dry times or drought is expected, which covers most of the country nowadays. Traditionally, irrigation water has come from natural sources like groundwater, springs, wells, rivers, and lakes. More recent sources include stormwater, treated wastewater and desalinated water.
Using an irrigation pond for irrigation can lower operational expenses significantly, if the pond has enough capacity and can collect sufficient water in a year’s time to meet your needs. Irrigation ponds can reduce, or eliminate, your reliance on dwindling surface and groundwater supplies, and can remove the significant expense of municipal water.
Interest in the use of Irrigation ponds has significantly risen in recent years due to increasing water scarcity, more frequent severe droughts, and worsening conflicts between various demands on water use; including human populations, industrial operations, and agriculture. The use of irrigation ponds and enhanced water collection and reuse practices have great potential to improve agricultural water security. Depending on their design, irrigation ponds can also supply a water source for frost protection, recharge groundwater, and provide a wide range of additional economic and environmental benefits.
When considering the installation of an irrigation pond on your property, it’s important to consider the intended uses for your stored water. Particularly in typically arid regions, farmers may plan to meet all their irrigation needs through rainfall and recycled runoff. This is especially useful if there’s a rainy season that occurs outside of the growing season. Other farmers may plan to irrigate only during late summer, when natural rainfall may be inadequate, but even relatively small amounts of supportive irrigation can significantly boost harvest volume and quality. Some farmers install irrigation ponds primarily for emergency use, and in the case of an extreme drought, may focus on supporting high value crops, while letting other crops go.
Irrigation ponds come in two basic designs: embankment and excavated. Embankment ponds involve building a dam or embankment on naturally sloping ground, like a gully or ravine. These land features are typically the result of erosion from running water, so they’re usually well placed to collect runoff water from rainfall. They may still contain an active stream, but since flowing waters may be protected by local or state laws, it’s best to establish an irrigation pond in a location that’s no longer directly connected to the watershed. Embankment ponds are typically used when the land is sloped or otherwise uneven.
Excavated ponds are constructed by simply digging a basin on relatively flat land. They require a lot more excavation than embankment ponds, but their design is simpler, and there’s little risk of a bank collapse leading to dangerous flooding. Typically, irrigation ponds of either type can range from less than 1 acre to over 50 acres, and their depth may range from a few inches to over 20 feet.
