Water Irrigation Efficiency Program Application

How to Calculate Irrigation Efficiency
From the desk of Dr. Diaa Elshikha: UArizona Extension Irrigation Specialist diaaelshikha@arizona.edu
Are you using too much water to irrigate a crop? Not enough? Here's a simple way to calculate water efficiency using a USDA publication and your irrigation district or pump records. To calculate irrigation efficiency (IE), it's as simple as dividing the crop irrigation requirement (obtained from the publication below) by the total water usage recorded by the farmers. New information is coming soon from Dr. Sanchez, but the information presented in this older publication is still reasonable and sufficient for this purpose.

USDA Publication Link
Example: If farmer's water-use for alfalfa is 10 acre-ft per year (10 ft x12 in./ft =120") and the irrigation requirement is 74.3", then the IE is 100*(74.3"/120") = 61.9%.

Next Steps for Approved Applicants

Step 1: Sign and Return Forms
After receiving email confirmation of your approved application, you will receive
the following forms via email to complete.

• Irrigation Efficiency Agreement
• FAR form
• Vendor Information Form
• W-9

Include all requested information relevant to your business's information. The University does not need information from your selected irrigation vendor included in these forms. Return the completed forms to Stephanie Brennan (sbrennan@arizona.edu)

Step 2: Purchase Order (PO) Information and First Invoice
After you have returned all your completed forms, the University will process your forms and issue a PO to you. You will receive a PO for each approved application if you have multiple approved applications. Include the PO number with each invoice you submit.

The first invoice submitted should be for 50% of your PO amount.

Step 3: Site Visit
To receive the second half of your approved funding, a site visit with one of our agricultural technicians will need to be scheduled and completed. Once the project completion is near 50%, schedule a site visit by contacting Stephanie
Brennan (sbrennan@arizona.edu). If you have any questions about what 50% project completion looks like, please refer to the FAQs at https://extension.arizona.edu/water-irrigation-efficiency-program-faqs
The FAQs will also include information about what the agricultural technician will examine. The benchmarks may differ for sprinkler projects and drip projects.

The agricultural technician assigned to you will perform your initial site visit and all visits moving forward. You must be present during the site visit to answer any questions your technician may have. When scheduling the visit, please make sure to provide your technician with the exact address of the property so they may find it easily. If possible, please also provide your technician with a map showing the location of the property as well as the installation of your new irrigation system. After the agricultural technician confirms the 50% completion of your project, the technician will sign off on a form and ask you for a signature as well. After completing the visit, the agricultural technician sends you a copy of the signed document.

During your first site visit, your agricultural technician will discuss water tracking requirements with you. If your proposal does not include any type of flow meter, please let your technician know.

Step 4: Second Invoice
After the agricultural technician confirms the 50% completion of your project and you receive a copy of the signed document, please submit your second invoice for the remainder of your approved funding. The submission process is the same as the submission process for the first invoice.

Step 5: Finished Installation Site Visit
After your final payment is issued and your installation is complete, please schedule a site visit with your assigned agricultural technician. During this visit, your agricultural technician will work with you to develop a data collection plan to ensure all required water usage data is collected and reported on over the next three years