Irrigation modernisation
Irrigation schemes that use canals for water distribution have been contributing to farming productivity for thousands of years. A considerable area of farmland is supplied by such schemes in New Zealand. As farming has become more intensive, the need for canal irrigation schemes to deliver water in a way that closely matches on-farm needs has increased.
New Zealand’s canal-based irrigation schemes are generally owned and managed by water users. This ownership and management structure is proving to be a fertile space for innovation and improvement as facilities and practices are modernised through initiatives led by the water users themselves. NIWA is working with irrigation scheme managers and consultants to provide water and climate monitoring, flow measurement and control equipment, and data management.
‘The management of inputs into farming, including water, is becoming ever-more precise,’ says NIWA’s Dennis Jamieson. ‘Water users are introducing sophisticated water monitoring, control, and communications technology where their analysis shows it is cost-effective and provides real benefits. Irrigation schemes such as Waimakariri, Mayfield-Hinds, Benmore and Morven-Glenavy are all improving irrigation water management to achieve both productivity and environmental gains.’