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the partnerships' irrigation system covered 11,000 acres of
farmland.
By following sound soil and water conservation
(conservation) practices in their cotton farming operations, the
partnerships minimize the consumption of irrigation water.
Pursuant to authorization from the New South Wales authorities,
the partnerships pump water from the Macintyre and Barwon Rivers
and store it in five reservoirs, together with excess water
captured during flood season. From the reservoirs, the water is
delivered to the cotton fields through a comprehensive system of
irrigation pipes and channels. The partnerships' 44 cotton
fields have been precisely leveled, using laser surveying
technology, to permit proper water application and drainage.
Run off water from the fields is recovered and returned to the
reservoirs for future use. Using computer technology, the
partnerships continuously measure soil moisture during the
growing season, allowing precise determination of when and how
much irrigation is needed.
In building their irrigation system, the partnerships
complied with the standards and procedures for floodplain
construction set forth by the New South Wales Government
Department of Water Resources (the Department of Water
Resources). The Department of Water Resources encourages and
controls the implementation of sound conservation practices in
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Last modified: May 25, 2011