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vines were burned about 30 days later, leaving a pile of wire and
metal parts that were taken for recycling.
Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation systems are used to deliver water and other
nutrients to grapevines. A drip irrigation system is usually
designed for a particular block of vines. Petitioners use drip
irrigation systems in connection with trellised vines.
Petitioners’ systems are composed of PVC pipes, plastic tubing,
emitters, risers, and other assorted hardware. The larger supply
pipes are 4 to 6 inches in diameter, and there is a series of
successively smaller pipes or tubes that ultimately end in drip
emitters that deliver water and nutrients to each vine. A
substantial portion of the pipes and tubes is buried
approximately 2 feet underground and come out of the ground at
certain intervals where they are attached to drip lines affixed
to wires of the trellis system. The main lines that come to each
field or block can be marked and saved if the vines are removed
and the ground ripped. The remainder of the piping that delivers
water and nutrients to the vines is rendered unusable if the
ground is “ripped”. Components of drip irrigation systems are
subject to damage and wear, and portions of a system are repaired
and/or replaced annually.
There was no incidence of the removal of a drip irrigation
system separate from the removal of the vines. When the vines
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Last modified: November 10, 2007