WorldWide Drilling Resource

WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Basic Irrigation Terminology Part 4 Adapted from Information by Rain Bird Corporation and Washington State University I Infiltration Rate - The rate which water enters the soil. Usually measured in units of depth per unit time (such as inches/ centimeters per hour). The infiltration rate is primarily determined by the soil type. Intake Rate - The rate which water enters the soil after infiltration has decreased to a low and nearly constant value. Irrigation Efficiency - This refers to the percentage of irrigation water, stored in the soil, which is available for use com- pared to the total amount of water provided. Irrigation Requirement - The amount of water needed by the landscape to satisfy the evaporation, transpiration, and other uses of water in the soil. It is usually ex- pressed in depth of water, such as inches/ centimeters per week. To calculate, divide the net irrigation requirement by the irri- gation efficiency. Irrigation System - A system which in- cludes the water source, water distribu- tion network (piping), control components (valves and controllers), emission devices (sprinklers and emitters), and other gen- eral irrigation equipment (quick coupler and backflow preventer). L Lateral - Pipe installed downstream from the control valve where the sprinklers are located. Leaching - Moving soluble materials through the soil profile with the water. Line Source - A continuous source of water emitted along a line. This is usually associated with drip irrigation where emit- ters are spaced at regular intervals in poly tubing. Line Spacing - The distance a pipe is moved. Low Head Drainage - Residual flow from low elevation sprinkler heads in a system after the control valve has been closed. M MAD - The acronym for management allowed depletion, maximum allowable depletion, management allowable deficit, or management allowable deficiency. It is the maximum amount of plant water allowed to be removed from the soil prior to irrigation based on plant and manage- ment considerations. Is usually repre- sented as a percentage of the available water capacity. Mainline - Sometimes shortened to main, is a pipe under constant pressure which supplies water from the point of connec- tion to the control valves. Master Valve - A valve used to protect the landscape from flooding in case of a ruptured main or malfunctioning down- stream valve. Themaster valve is installed on the mainline after the backflow pre- venter and the control valves. More Basic Irrigation Terminology next month! " ; # 511-,(2 0) 20'5&43 %9 4+(3( ,/( $/5)$&452(23 ; 08 029'0/ # ! : : $8 $,- 3$-(3 *,6(/3,/4(2/$4,0/$- &0. "(% ,4( 777 *,6(/3,/4(2/$4,0/$- &0. 55 AUGUST 2015