Growers express interest in groundwater monitoring

Whether bracing for new guidelines under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in California or simply trying to get a better handle on use of water on California's farms, there is considerable interest in what vendors of new technology can bring to the table.

It explains why more than a dozen vendors gathered at Fresno State University for a workshop on measuring groundwater pumping for SGMA compliance.

Sorting out just what will be needed in terms of monitoring to meet compliance is in its infancy, said Matthew Efird, who was among growers who attended the workshop.

"This isn't even in diapers yet," said Efird, who is part of Efird Ag Enterprises, a diversified family farming operation in Caruthers, Riverdale and Raisin City.

Clearly, there are other shoes to drop as the act unfolds, now that groundwater sustainability agencies are in place and they are developing groundwater sustainability plans, Efird said.

Among what is to be defined is exactly how accurate measurements of water use must be.

Like many progressive farmers, the Efird family already does considerable monitoring. It draws on information from Dellavalle Laboratory Inc. in Fresno, for example, on soil moisture, and it looks at tree growth as documented by Phytech, an Israel-based company.

In some ways, Efird said, the workshop raised more questions than it answered: "What will have to be measured? What's the right fit?"

He said he was particularly impressed with a couple of the presenters, saying the simplest and least costly answer for grower monitoring could be using smart meters and pump tests "to come up with a relatively accurate measure of extraction." That approach was discussed by Oliver Jerphagnon, chief executive officer of PowWow Energy in San Mateo.

Jerphagnon explained that among the virtues of that measure is the fact that it would include data already made available by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Efird also said use of satellite imagery may be helpful, particularly on a regional basis.

Issues to be sorted out, he said, include whether individual GSAs may choose to purchase equipment and software and assess growers a per site cost.

Greg Allen, vice president and partner in REDtrac, based in Bakersfield, talked of using cloud platforms to record, store and maximize the benefit of pumping data, dropping the catch phrase: "Rain comes from the clouds, shouldn't your data?"

He said terabytes of data can be amassed, and doing so is becoming less costly with time. Storage of data can amount to as little as 3 cents per gigabyte.

Allen listed questions customers should ask vendors.

They include financial viability, stability and experience, along with customer preferences. Allen recommended looking at sensors and system specifications—for example whether they use open source sensors or closed—installation costs and timing, as well as training and user interface.

Efird said he particularly liked Allen's admonition that customers should look at such matters at "interoperability"—the ability of systems to interface with software and hardware so that they are not locked into buying from any one provider.

"Do not get trapped in a single manufacturer's format or system," Allen said. "Keep optionality for changing prices and functionality. Always maintain your flexibility and options."

He advised buying "off-the-shelf" meters and sensors. He recommended renting software as a service and matching vendor expertise with the needs at hand.

"Don't go it alone," he said. "Find an expert or trusted vendor whose interests and experience are aligned with yours."

Allen said it is also important to look at data security and other contract terms.

In all, more than a dozen vendors sponsored the Fresno workshop, which was held at the Center for Irrigation Technology at Fresno State University and presented by American Groundwater Trust.

They included Pumpsight, Greenleaf, McCrometer, Seametrics, Dellavalle Laboratory Inc., Hortau Simplified Irrigation, Royal Industrial Solutions, Hydro Resources, Redtrac, WiseConn, Rain Bird, Jain, Preferred Pump, Kii, San Luis Pump Co., PowWow and Madera Pumps Inc.

Kate Englin, business development manager with Seametrics, talked of advances in irrigation flow meter technology, pointing out that water agencies across the United States are requiring flow meters on new and existing irrigation wells to measure and manage groundwater use.

"Groundwater is essential to agriculture," she said, "and we continue to see advances in technology to assist irrigators with conserving resources while maximizing crop quality and yields."

She said an accurate flow meter is essential to good irrigation scheduling practices.

Englin said there is a trend toward use of flow meters with no moving parts and a need for high accuracy and, on occasion, tight space installations. She said electromagnetic meters are gaining popularity because they have no moving parts to wear out, install in tight spaces and are more accurate than mechanical style meters. They offer high accuracy and have a long battery life, she said.

Shaun Minton, sales manager for Greyline in West Sacramento, talked of how Transit Time flow meters can be attached to the outside of pipes and use a transmitting and receiving transducer to capture information.

Advantages of using them is that they are not in contact with liquid, pipes don't need to be cut and transducers can be used for a wide range of pipe diameters.

Other topics discussed included estimating groundwater pumping using satellite images, online pump automation and monitoring for efficient water management, and automated metering through telemetry.

J. Paul Hendrix, general manager of the Tulare Irrigation District, which delivers surface water, said there is a wide range of reactions of growers when it comes to metering. He said some have an "over my dead body" approach and others are saying, "Just tell me what we have to do."

He said GSA boards often include irrigation district board members.

"Farmers are looking for the next business model," he said. "They need to react with their properties, water supplies and crop selections. We're starting from scratch."

(Dennis Pollock is a reporter in Fresno. He may be contacted at agcompollock@yahoo.com.)