Download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Assistant Agricultural Engineering Filing annual water use reports with the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture is a requirement for maintaining a water right. While irrigation has long been known to be the major groundwater use, only recently have the water use reports been seriously analyzed to help state and local officials manage groundwater resources. One interesting fact from this analysis is that non-metered irrigators reported about 30 percent more water use than metered users. Good irrigated crop management depends on accurately knowing production requirements.
Water is a major production requirement.
Obviously, having a metered irrigation diversion point will make filing the annual water use report easier. However, if the meter readings are used only for this purpose, the value of the meter as a management tool is mostly wasted. The information provided by the water meter can provide a sound basis for the farmer's irrigation management plan. The most commonly used meter is the propeller meter. All record the total and most also show a rate.