Widespread drought in California and other parts of the western United States has been widely covered, but earlier this year, drought conditions in southeast Florida were “extreme” and are still considered “abnormally dry” according to the National Drought Mitigation Center. This heavily populated area of Florida – which is home to more than eight million people and includes the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach – is also a major agricultural area.
Even though Florida is in its rainy season, lasting from May until October, the South Florida Water Management District reports that May and June rainfall totals were well below average across most of the region. District weather records show that this May and June period was the driest since 2004 and the ninth driest since recordkeeping began in 1932. Of course, a tropical disturbance or hurricane that contains significant rainfall, like the one experienced last month, can make up at least some of this deficit, but waiting for weather isn’t something to rely on to fix the problem.
How can agricultural producers conserve water? One way is to get a free irrigation evaluation from a Mobile Irrigation Lab to get advice on an irrigation system that can save money and water.
When water is not applied uniformly on land it can be wasted and crops and plants can suffer. Applying too much water can also leach valuable fertilizers and pesticides past the crop root zone, wasting money and possibly harming the water quality.
For more than 16 years, these traveling irrigation labs have been operating throughout Florida. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Office of Agricultural Water Policy, 17 mobile irrigation labs provide service in 66 counties. These labs are supported by three of the state’s water management districts, FDACS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and others. Although the labs originally targeted agricultural water use, some also assist residential water users.
Two of these irrigation labs serve South Florida. The South Dade Soil and Water Conservation District MIL evaluates irrigation systems in agricultural areas in Miami-Dade County. The Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District’s lab helps homeowners, municipalities, homeowner associations, businesses and agricultural producers in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.
When you contact the lab, a trained technician collects information on the irrigation system and specific land and/or field data such as soils, the crop/vegetation being grown, and the type of irrigation system. A report especially for your operation presents recommendations for improvements and irrigation schedules.
Many of the labs also offer a pump flow test to assist farmers in applying for their Consumptive Water Use permits. These flows are used to determine the amount of water farmers are pulling from the Biscayne Aquifer and determine the type of permit they will need.
In the case of agricultural evaluations, the local NRCS office can provide technical assistance, and possibly financial assistance, to farmers and ranchers for the design or redesign of the existing irrigation system. Farmers and ranchers might also be eligible for Farm Bill funding to assist with the purchase of a more efficient irrigation system through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).
Lab technicians are passionate about helping conserve Florida’s water. Leona Yates, Mobile Irrigation Lab technician in St. Lucie County says, “I love Florida and believe water is our most important resource. It is rewarding to know I’m assisting our agricultural community to continue their conservation efforts and that I’m helping secure our future, one drop at a time.”
For more information on mobile irrigation labs go to the FDACS Office of Agriculture Water Policy website. For information on how NRCS can help agricultural producers conserve water in Florida contact your local NRCS office or go to www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov.
