Off season topic but ....irrigation

[ALLFARMER]

It's been on my mind for a while no so I'll ask. Has
anyone on here done some flood irrigation? Last
summer we had virtually no rain hay crop turned
out 3/4 bale an acre. Since I have a creek running
along my hay half section why couldn't I rent the
AB gov water pumping trailer and flood the fields
with that. The trailer is basically just used for
filling dugouts in the fall. Could I not possibly have
flooded 20 or 30 acres for a few hours then took
apart 20 pipes and pump again for a few hours? I
thought of this idea to late in the season to do it.
Had to have helped some but would it be worth
while?

[ag-boy]

go to south ab for halve a day and learn all about
there is pipe,s sitting in fields for sale
every farmer is going to pivots
flooding is not possible any more ! wheels is a cheap way to move waterthis where we found out
have fun this summer

[brian99]

Just be aware of how much water you're talking about. Flood water is described in cfs(cubic feet per second) or feet. Pretty normal stream of flood water is three feet. It's alot of water. Do the conversion from pump gallonage to cfs first. When I did hay, I did half mile runs 60feet wide. So 3.5 acres at 3cfs minimum in eight to twelve hours

[ALLFARMER]

So basically you figure it would take a whole lotta
water. With one good soaking would the hay
response be worth all the hours of pumping /
effort?

[grassfarmer]

27,160 gallons to apply 1 inch of water over an acre.

[brian99]

Alfalfa is one of the highest water use crops. If you're irrigating because the whole profile is dry, that's a lotta water. As well,most flooding is done with dikes or ditches to contain the water, I think irrigating without them wouldn't be very efficient

[smcgrath76]

You have to be careful about water permits
too. Just be careful with that stuff as
you start to cross over into DFO
territory. Might be a non-issue, but
worth checking out.

[ALLFARMER]

Yuppers permit is in place

[SADIE]

Allfarmer---I will step in here a little now. I am an irrigator in the Macrorie Irrigation DIstrict by Gardiner Dam. Flood irrigation was something I heard of done during the infancy of irrigation and is not being done anymore. To my knowledge it was just to get moisture across a flat field in the early spring time once. It was never used to my knowledge for any grasses or hays or alfalfa growth.

I think you are pursuing something bazarre at this time in your area for any practical value for forage production.

I have one pivot under alfalfa/orchard grass hay. Often there is no need to start the pumps and apply water on this stand till into June. This year especially with all the snowpackcover that is present.

I don't know what else to offer you for advice.