Irrigation Evaluations and Improvements in New Mexico to Conserve Water and Energy

Sixteen on-farm, closed border, surface irrigation systems were evaluated over a three-year period in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. One hundred forty-one individual and 16 seasonal irrigation efficiencies were calculated along with 378 distribution uniformities and the same number of coefficients of uniformity. Wide variations in individual efficiencies (1.24 to 232.5 percent), seasonal efficiencies (22.61 to 124.77 percent), distribution uniformities (20.3 to 96.37 percent), and coefficients of uniformity (55 to 98 percent) indicate the potential for considerable savings in water and energy resources. These savings have been presented in tabular form for water, energy, and cost resources.