5 ms·
This kind of irrigation is terrible if you are trying to conserve water. As temperatures rise places that use aqueduct and flood irrigation will have to conten
by asciimov 5y ago
This kind of irrigation is terrible if you are trying to conserve water.
As temperatures rise places that use aqueduct and flood irrigation will have to contend with the loss of water to evaporation during transport.
Fortunately people out on the American plains have this figured out and better technologies exist. The problem is convincing farmers and law makers in areas that have traditionally had abundances of water to change their ways.
- skybrian 5y agoCould you say more about these "better technologies?"
- winkeltripel 5y agoPipes?
- bsder 5y agoRubber balls! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxPdPpi5W4o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxPdPpi5W4o
- hugh-avherald 5y agoThe video explicitly says this is not used to reduce evaporation.
- freeopinion 5y agoPerhaps towards the other extreme, some hydroponic systems capture any evaporated water and re-introduce it into the cycle. By some standards, this is "better technology." But there are different standards. Open waterways meet other standards of "better."
- aunty_helen 5y agoLuckily, when Rio Turia gets to Valencia, there's only about 5km before it flows out to the Med so extracting a bit more won't affect those down stream. The area being serviced isn't massive and the chanels are narrow and quite deep.
- franciscop 5y agoWhat do you mean? The Rio Turia is always dry, water literally never reaches the sea through it (well, except maybe for very heavy rain days, which are rare)
- aunty_helen 5y agoThis one I will conceede, I had only crossed it closer to the sea. Turns out that's all estuary.
- otikik 5y agoGood luck to all the people in the united states. Water is a big problem, yes. So is the loss of soil. I hope you are able to fix it in time and don't get another Dust Bowl.
- PaulDavisThe1st 5y agoNew Mexico loses about 7% of all the precipitation that falls within its borders to evaporation. That's about the same amount as used by the residential population. So on the one hand, it's a huge problem, but on the other, it's not.
- barathr 5y agoA good answer is to cover the channels with solar panels -- a win-win that cools the panels and reduces evaporation: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00693-8 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00693-8
- LargoLasskhyfv 5y agoOr bicycle lanes...
- ramblenode 5y ago> Fortunately people out on the American plains have this figured out and better technologies exist. Agriculture in that region is also depleting the major aquifer faster than it can be recharged through rain. Not the best example of sustainable irrigation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer#Accelerated_decline_in_aquifer_storage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer#Accelerated_d...