April is the month that irrigation water turns on around the valley. Farmers are starting water on their fields, some of which are planted to sudan grass, oats, wheat or potatoes. Irrigation of these crops often can result in sediment laden tailwater reaching waterways (creeks, canals, ditches, etc.). Many farmers use polyacrylamides (PAM) to help significantly reduce sediment movement off their farms. KCCD offers cost share and each year 15-20 growers use the program that pays half the cost of PAM. Growers can received up to $1,000 in reimbursement each year. The PAM Cost Share Program has been in existance more than a decade and has prevented the loss of as much as 90,000 tons of soil in that time.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING PAM TO PREVENT SOIL EROSION, CONTACT THE KCCD FOR A COST SHARE APPLICATION.
PAM is sometimes applied as a white granular substance. This is a PAM applicator (called a fish feeder) that meters the PAM into the water in the head ditch before it is applied to the field.
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Fields that PAM is applied to have water running clear in the tailwater ditches. PAM is estimated to reduced the sediment movement by 50%, although in controlled research plots it can reduce it by as much as 85-95%.
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