There are certain properties that have been Grandfathered in from years ago to use Flood Irrigation. The property typically is surrounded by berms that stops the water from running off. You have to understand that with the type of soil we have here water will run off before it will sink in so letting it soak in can take days. This is also the way we grow crops here unlike in other states that use sprinkler systems for crops.

The water for this process comes from the Central Arizona Project and the water is for irrigation only it is not for comsumption of humans.

I am sure others can give you more insight.

Alex,

Turning on the tap and flooding the yard to a depth of several inches with potable water would be very expensive and, yes, very wasteful. I don't think anyone here is THAT dumb.

The flood-irrigated areas, as Kathi and AZTreeluvr mentioned, are watered not from the tap, but from irrigation canals. And it's okay. Irrigation happens throughout the west, where rainfall is insufficient and/or undependable for growing crops.

Once a month I do a cannonball into my pool. That instantly flood irrigates the back yard.

SRP irrigator here and glad of it! I'm in an old area of the city, very green, lots of mature trees. I'm always saddened when a house is sold and the new owners don't sign up for irrigation - and don't water the trees, which soon die. As folks have pointed out, this is not potable water and saves the city and homeowners lots of $$$. Flood irrigation has its pluses - price, dependability, ability to deep water everything at the same time - and minuses - inconvenient schedules, salt buildup, weed delivery - but overall I think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

People who go to seminars and make such outrageous statements should be flogged with some dry Bermuda grass. I hope he also used some *real* examples of water waste in the Southwest; there are plenty of those to go around. If you want to know more, read "Cadillac Desert" by Mark Reisner. Or, if you can find a copy, "How to Create a Water Crisis" by Frank Welsh. Enough to curl your hair and give you something to be shocked about.

It's a very efficient way to apply water, and many plants thrive under those conditions.

" no soil could hold that much water in the root zone of grass." Bermuda grass has roots that go down a couple of feet, so that is not a problem.

tomatofreak, I am an SRP person also. I have cut my delivery down to about 1/4 of my property by building patios and berms. The water goes to my citrus, and fig tree. I do support the irrigation process, but I get upset when I see my neigbors having 4" of water on their lawn. Besides the grass, the only tree is a Chinese Elm. Then the sprinklers come out to continue the green lawn. The original concept of the canals, and later SRP, was to water the agricultural areas of the city. I think that idea has been lost.

Jon Jon Jon!! Your yard will suffer from the pool water! Shucks!

My parents live in Scottsdale and have irrigation since 1952. They are responsible to keep the 'ditch' clean and weedfree and to ensure each house that signs up for irrigation gets their alloted time. The berms keep it from overflowing. Normally the water comes in in the middle of the night, so everyone pays a nice man on the street to handle the irrigating duties. They all help maintain the ditch and pay for any repairs that may be needed. With this water use, they have very little need to utilize much potable water to water their yards, just some on the more thirsty flowers and potted plants. So, I think this method is a very water efficient. In Scottsdale, if your water overflows into the street, you can be ticketed.

my 2 cents.
Susie

Thank you all for your input, you've been very helpful!

Alex

Many of the schools use this type of irrigation also. The open the valve on friday morning, close it at the end of friday...and on monday or tuesday it is ready to walk on again. Our problem (we live across a street from the athletic field of an elementary school), is that I belive they use a fish emulsion based fertilizer. because it always stinks of rotten fish. As a side benefit though, we do get to see a lot of ducks during migration and one crane, because they use it as a safe place to stop off.

Although this is a very old thread, I would like to add something here. Years ago, I lived in the Phoenix area when it wasn't nearly as hot. The urbanization of the Valley has led to much of the increase in heat and higher temperatures,

To offset the heat absorption of all that asphalt, it has been shown that more trees could help moderate the temperature. However, shade trees need to be deep watered. That's where flood irrigation works.

Since I left the area in 1980, many homes and businesses have gotten away from flood irrigation. Very few new homes have been built that use it since around 1965. That's a shame. Flood irrigation really works and it could be a big part of the picture towards a greener, and cooler Valley with more moderate temperatures.

Regards,

Fred M. Cain,

Topeka, IN