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: What’s Not So Obvious?
By Dave Muise, Vice President of the Board, Kootenai Environmental Alliance. I was standing by Coeur d’Alene Lake on a fall day taking in the beautiful view when a woman passing by asked me “Has the lake turned over yet?”. I gave her a vacant look, smiled and said “no”, having no idea what I was saying “no” to. “Turn over” was what you did to pancakes, and no spatula I’ve ever seen could turn over a lake! A little…
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.
Let’s Make It Clear: Clean Drinking Water Is A Community Responsibility
This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, July 19, 2020. Read the original article. Most people take clean drinking water for granted. We assume the water coming out of the faucet is safe. If you live in a community with a public water system, the water is tested regularly for contamination. However, if you use a private well or pump surface water for use in your home, it is your responsibility to…
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…
OUR GEM: Local Students Find Excitement with Hands-On Science
by Woody Wood, IWRRI Education and Outreach Coordinator It’s a cool fall morning, and I’m standing at the intersection of Burnt Cabin and Ohio Match Roads waiting for a bus load of Venture Academy students to arrive. While I wait here with my colleagues, travelers stop and ask why we have dozens of pairs of rubber boots lined up next to our vehicles. We tell them about the incoming students and the work they are about to do, and they…
OUR GEM Ashes in the Current: The Hidden Hydrologic Legacy of the 1910 Fire
By Mark Getscher, hydrogeologist for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe More than a century after “The Big Burn” of 1910 scorched over three million acres across northern Idaho and western Montana, its legacy continues to flow through the streams and rivers of the Coeur d’Alene Basin. While most remember the fire for its devastation and heroism, far fewer realize its silent and lingering impact on water quality. High-intensity wildfires combust vegetation and organic soil layers, converting them into ash. This ash is…
