Page 40 - AASBO EDGE BTS 2023

WATER

BY DON HARRIS Doug Donahue
Tips on How Schools Can Improve Irrigation Systems

A presentation on how schools use and can conserve Lake Mead water level is 1,045 feet above sea
water was appropriately held within view of the level. “If it gets to 885 feet, that’s what is known
Colorado River, according to Doug Donahue of as a dead pool,” Donahue said. “What that means
Ewing Irrigation. – there is no Colorado River right out here. At the
rate it’s dropping, in 10 or 15 years, if nothing
In a breakout session earlier this year, Donahue changes, there will be no Colorado River below
said the river is very special to him. “It’s cool,” he Hoover Dam – and no Central Arizona Project
said, but added an ominous outlook for the future canal. We cannot control how much water goes
of water in Arizona. into Lake Mead, but we can do our little part to
control how much comes out of it.”
“Considering Arizona’s share of Colorado River
water, it has never been a better time to talk Donahue mentioned sustainable irrigation, which
about how to have our irrigation systems be more means no supplemental source of water. Arizona
efficient,” Donahue said. “I’ve seen the water level would only use water that is naturally available.
for myself at Hoover Dam. I drove across the dam. “Is this even possible in the Southwest?" he asked.
I actually got emotional. It’s very somber there. Then he added, “It’s not possible, but fortunately
It’s one of the marvels of engineering, and it was in Arizona we have the best stewards of one of our
amazing to see what the water level was.” most valuable natural resources.”

“At the rate it’s dropping, in 10 or Donahue cited four key irrigation efficiency
15 years, if nothing changes, there opportunities. He strongly recommended that schools
have their ground staff conduct detailed irrigation
will be no Colorado River below system inspections monthly so they can see if a rabbit
Hoover Dam – and no Central chewed a hose or spot leaky valve, a cracked pipe

Arizona Project canal.” or a broken sprinkler. In addition, he urged AASBO
members to make sure the water pressure is right, that
-Doug Donahue sprinkler heads are using the most efficient nozzles,

and consider so-called smart controllers.
He mentioned what is called the bathtub ring
showing how much the water level has dropped in “A sprinkler system has to have the right amount of
Lake Mead behind the dam, and provided graphic water and pressure,” Donahue said. “If not enough
pictures of that and other drought-impacted areas pressure or too much, the system won’t work properly.”
in Arizona and Colorado. “Unless you see it in
person, you don’t get the perspective,” he said. Donahue showed pictures of many different tools to
“In pictures, the decrease might look like 15 or 20 make your system more efficient, and some examples
feet. It’s actually over 200 feet. It’s at the lowest of faulty equipment that can waste as much as 40% of
level since it was built.” your water.

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40 THE EDGE BACK TO SCHOOL 2023