Reuse of Drainage Water for Irrigation: Results of Imperial Valley Study: II. Soil Salinity and Water Balance

Abstract

This paper presents data on water use and soil salinity status obtained in the field experiment—the remaining information needed to complete the “strategy verification” process. These data, together with those presented in part I, support the use of saline drainage waters for irrigation for the following reasons: (1) Soil salinity and boron were kept within acceptable limits for seedling establishment and subsequent growth of the individual crops grown in the rotations. (2) No significant loss of yield or crop quality occurred in any of the five crops grown with substitution of the saline Alamo River water for Colorado River water for up to 25 to 50 percent of the total irrigation requirements of the two representative rotations. (3) No problems of soil degradation were observed, even though accumulative leaching was minimal (less than 15 percent), with the clay soil.