University of Idaho faculty Karen Humes and Russell Qualls, along with their students, analyzed 30 years of crop water use data in southern Idaho to understand variations in irrigation application needs. Their research examined how differences in wet versus dry years and cool versus warm years influence crop water use and irrigation needs. By considering forecasted climate conditions, farmers can make informed decisions about crop selection and irrigation allocation, optimizing water use and improving overall agricultural efficiency.
Similar Posts
Our Gem: Evaluating Risk in Coeur d’Alene Lake Recreational Areas
The Coeur d’Alene River Basin, Coeur d’Alene Lake, and the Spokane River are impacted by heavy metals from historic mining practices that began in the 1880s. This has resulted in the area being designated as an EPA National Priorities List (NPL) Site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The site was listed in 1983 and is known as the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site. Although mining practices have evolved, in tandem with operations…
OUR GEM: The Critical Materials Program Protects our Aquifer
By: Jenny Gray, Panhandle Health Aquifer Protection Program Coordinator North Idaho is home to some breathtakingly beautiful bodies of water. The area’s most important water resource, however, is one we cannot readily see, as it lies beneath our feet – the Spokane Valley – Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer (SVRPA). The SVRPA covers roughly 370 square miles in northern Idaho and eastern Washington and is composed of Ice Age flood-deposited gravels, cobbles, and boulders. It is an unconfined aquifer, meaning no continuous…
OUR GEM: IWRRI funds strategic Idaho water research
New investments support collaborative science across Idaho’s public universities to improve water data, quality and long-term resource management statewide The Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) has prioritized and is backing several research projects involving the state’s three public research universities to address Idaho’s pressing water challenges. Established in 1964, IWRRI is one of 54 U.S. water research and technology centers, conducting and directing research to support the water resource needs of the state and entire Northwestern U.S. In fall…
SEEP, Building Better Watersheds
As part of the Stormwater and Erosion Education Program (SEEP), professionals are learning how to manage the land’s natural movement of water in a way that benefits communities, infrastructure and local ecosystems.
OUR GEM: Aquifer Protection District Master Plan
By: Kootenai County Aquifer Protection District Advisory Board Growth happens. It’s been happening a lot in Kootenai County. In 1970, 35,332 people lived here. By 2022, the population increased to 183,578, and by 2045, some projections indicate that over 319,000 people may live here. A look at the Rathdrum Prairie over the last 20 years shows a steady infill with housing developments, apartment complexes, commercial and other enterprises. The customs, culture, and beauty of our region make it a destination…
CDA Basin — Fish Consumption Advisory
This story was written by Dana Swift on behalf of the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Read the original article. In January 2020, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Coeur d’Alene Tribe, in coordination with the participating organizations in the Idaho Fish Consumption Advisory Program (IFCAP), updated the Coeur d’Alene Basin Fish Consumption Advisory, Public Advisory Charts_CdA_Fish (idaho.gov), after testing showed high levels of mercury in some species of fish. Efforts to…
