Mobile Water Lab for Vineyards

Program Goal: To facilitate enhanced water conservation efforts by vineyards in the Dry Creek, Alexander and Knights Valley regions of the Russian River watershed by improving irrigation efficiency and promoting water conservation awareness. Water conservation can be enhanced through evaluation and regular maintenance of irrigation systems and, where appropriate, by promoting alternatives methods for frost protection measures.

Program Objectives:

• Provide on-site evaluations of irrigation system efficiency for vineyard owners and managers.
• Demonstrate use of equipment for measuring vine water status and soil water content to support accurate irrigation systems schedules and improved water budgeting.
• Assist with potential cost share programs, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), to facilitate potential implementation of recommended changes to irrigation systems.
• Promote water conservation on vineyards through outreach and education.

Potential Program benefits include:

• Improved water conservation
• Increased energy efficiency and lower costs
• Decreased pressures on natural resources
• Improved stream flow
• Improved water quality

Program Description:
Sotoyome RCD will provide free on-site irrigation efficiency evaluations to vineyard owners to measure the technical performance of irrigation systems and inform the management of available water resources. On these visits, RCD staff will go through a list of questions and measurements with landowners to assess water use efficiency and recommend improvements. Best management practices for irrigation scheduling, irrigation improvements, cover crop management and frost protection alternatives may be recommended. Projections of potential water savings that could result from implementing recommendations will be provided.

Specific parameters that will be evaluated are:

• Distribution uniformity of irrigation systems; drip and microspray application rates, pressures, flows and water quality will be measured and evaluated. Pump efficiency will be checked.
• Demonstration in the use of tools to measure vine water status and soil moisture will be provided. Information on available weather data required for appropriate irrigation scheduling.

Irrigation evaluations use standard procedures developed by California Polytechnic Institute and California Department of Water Resources. Site visits are expected to take 4-6 hours. Landowner provides information on layout of irrigation system and irrigation scheduling.

Sotoyome RCD will also facilitate potential cost share programs to assist vineyard managers with accessing resources to offset the costs of purchasing infrastructure improvements for irrigation, frost protection (microsprinklers, fans, cold air drain, etc.), as well as, monitoring tools to assess soil and vine water status for more accurate irrigation timing. Participation in this program is voluntary and all evaluation results are confidential.

Program Funders
This program is currently funded by the NRCS's Conservation Innovation Grant Program. For more information about the Mobile Water Lab Program please contact: Kara Heckert at 707-569-1448 x 104 or email: kheckert@sotoyomercd.org.