ANY FARMERS OR IRRIGATORS ????

[yotebuster]

21 minutes ago, PRDATR said:

900GPM. Is that a 6" pipe and how many hours does it run? I'm guessing it just runs once a week?

10” pipe.  They’ll actually push 1200gpm if you turn em all the way up.  4 pivots share two wells on one section so when it’s hot and dry and corn is growing, they run nonstop.  The other two have their own wells each so they get a rest. 

[WHT_MTNMAN]

8 hours ago, Edge said:

Where is the land and what elevation? What are you wanting to plant and ultimately feed? In a wet year you can get two cuttings of alfalfa and by planting the dry land strain but the first cutting is too rich for equines.  Beauty of it is, no irrigating, no leveling the land for flood and no well and pumping costs. Crested wheat makes a great permanent pasture as well as alfalfa for cattle and equines and is an annual. Cut and put up, equines can graze on the secondary growth 

 

It’s up here between Snowflake/Show Low/Heber.   6300’   I want to irrigate and raise a few animals.  And to be able to feed a few year round.  I’ve lived in Az my whole life and have seen the extremes of wet and dry AZ has to offer.  I’m not doing it for a career just trying to break even and pay for upkeep on the property. 

[WHT_MTNMAN]

1 hour ago, yotebuster said:

We’ve got some center pivots up here in ND.  They are nice but not sure how much water you have.  We have about 900 GPM at our pumps and that will easily run a 7 span (130 acre) pivot.  I can put on 0.75” a turn in 24 hours.  Prob looking at $30-40k for a 3-4 span pivot which would irrigate around that much land.  If you’ve got the water I’d invest in it.  Irrigation is something that has only gotten harder and harder to get permitted for and the permits that are locked in are so valuable and only getting higher. 

I don’t have that much water.  I have a deep well with a 12” casing which can handle 600gpm but I don’t have power or pumps that can handle it.  Right now since I don’t have 3 phase power I’m having a 25hp and drive out in that should give me about 180gpm and 100psi, That is why I’m looking at a water reel.  I have a design that will use a reel and water all that I need from 5 locations.  It will take some moving but a lot less work moving pipe all the time.  I just don’t know reliable or don’t have much experience with them.  Thankfully we are in an area that has plenty of ground water, it is just deep. 

I’ve looked at quite a few options but this seems like a good compromise between time/money and irrigating efficiency   But I have no idea hence the reason I’m asking  

i will have to look into the prairie dog bombing  that looks pretty crazy  

[WHT_MTNMAN]

This is a quick design by the water reel company. As long as my well produces what we hope and think   This should cover that property  

[AZ Free Man]

180gpm isn't much. I would look into what the water demands are for the crops you plan on growing and make sure that the irrigation system you're looking at can meet those demands. 

[WHT_MTNMAN]

1 hour ago, AZ Free Man said:

180gpm isn't much. I would look into what the water demands are for the crops you plan on growing and make sure that the irrigation system you're looking at can meet those demands. 

Yeah I know it isn’t a lot, hence the reason I’m asking for any real world experience with the reels.  The #s show it may be done but the reality is I have no idea.  

[creed]

In west central AZ we used to figure 10-12gpm/per acre to raise a crop. At the cooler  climate with more rainfall you may be able to double that but at 180gpm you are possibly not going to utilize all of your acreage. We had a small well on our home place that was 180gpm. It irrigated 20 acres of alfalfa on sprinklers.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

8 hours ago, creed said:

In west central AZ we used to figure 10-12gpm/per acre to raise a crop. At the cooler  climate with more rainfall you may be able to double that but at 180gpm you are possibly not going to utilize all of your acreage. We had a small well on our home place that was 180gpm. It irrigated 20 acres of alfalfa on sprinklers.

Thanks. I’ll be working on getting a bigger well and bigger pumps (just takes money) but I was hoping I could at least start growing something. 

[idgaf]

Why do I have the sudden urge to watch caddyshack?

[bigorange]

27 minutes ago, idgaf said:

Why do I have the sudden urge to watch caddyshack?

I was thinking exact same. 

[NE AZ Guy]

I live in Taylor, so if you want to come and look at this blaster you are more than welcome. I don't have any oxygen tank so can't demonstrate it but can show you the concept.

[Edge]

12 hours ago, WHT_MTNMAN said:

It’s up here between Snowflake/Show Low/Heber.   6300’   I want to irrigate and raise a few animals.  And to be able to feed a few year round.  I’ve lived in Az my whole life and have seen the extremes of wet and dry AZ has to offer.  I’m not doing it for a career just trying to break even and pay for upkeep on the property. 

First figure out what animals you're going to  be raising so you can meet their nutritional needs. Cattle can digest hay that horses would never want, including forage fraught weeds and mold. 

The root systems on a lot of annuals like alfalfa and crested wheat need a year after planting to become established.

Talk to locals concerning dryland vs irrigation. It's not so much the summer rains as it is the blanket of snow that determines soil moisture content. All the expense of irrigation for one more cutting?

You're a smart guy, you'll figure it out. Appreciate ya.

 

[creed]

combo of dryland and irrigation.  

[WHT_MTNMAN]

3 hours ago, NE AZ Guy said:

I live in Taylor, so if you want to come and look at this blaster you are more than welcome. I don't have any oxygen tank so can't demonstrate it but can show you the concept.

I appreciate it. Thanks, 

Houston

[az41mag]

The traveling gun sprinklers you mentioned earlier aren't very common out here, but I do have some first hand experience with a Kifco model. They're not exactly problem free and you have to babysit them sometimes, but it might be best for your situation... I envision the prairie dogs destroying a sub-surface drip field. I don't mind sharing what I know about them if it would help you any. Just let me know.