Overview of Soil Erosion from Irrigation

Abstract

Of the 15,000,000 ha (37,000,000 acres) of irrigated land in the U.S., 21% is affected by soil erosion to some extent. Irrigation‐induced soil erosion has been studied, primarily in the Northwestern United States, since 1940. A number of studies have measured annual sediment yields from furrow‐irrigated fields exceeding 20 t/ha (9 tons/acre) with some fields exceeding 100 t/ha (45 tons/acre). Under the center‐pivot sprinkler method, sediment yields as high as 33 t/ha (15 tons/acre) have been measured. Annual sediment yields as high as 4.5 t/ha (2 tons/ acre) were measured from irrigation tracts. Erosion is seldom excessive on slopes less than 1% and is often excessive on slopes greater than 2%. Erosion reduces the agricultural productivity of the fields and causes off‐farm damages. In southern Idaho, crop yield potential has been reduced by 25% due to 80 years of irrigation‐induced erosion. Some irrigation districts spend more than $50,000 annually to remove sediment from drains. Sediment in irrigation return flows causes major water‐quality degredation problems in several rivers in the Western United States.