GOAL

2009 ACTIVITY

DESIRED OUTCOME

Complete investigation of Prosopis alba (a hardwood mesquite tree species from Argentina) cloning for use as a drainage management plant material that is salt tolerant and pumps out the shallow drainage water through evapo-transpiration.

Laboratory cloning of thorn-less variety for transplanting to drainage problem areas.

Move ready plants from laboratory to private lands for field trials of efficacy of cloned thorn-less variety. Observe field growth to determine when diameter will likely reach harvestable size. Harvest goal is 5 to 10 years for a high quality hardwood for furniture and other high end uses. Report to DWR on success rate for clones and growth rate for harvest. Evaluate drainage removal capacity under pre- and post harvest conditions.

Develop updated summary on operators practicing IFDM. Include the range of IFDM from the simple drainage water re-cycling only projects to projects that include all phases of IFDM including re-cycling, treatment and final “dry salt” solar evaporators.

Review IFDM activities at; Panoche W.D. ,Lost Hills W.D., Tulare Lake Drainage District, Westlake Farms, Andrews Ag, Britz, Red Rock Ranch and any others.

Develop summary report for use by Westlands W.D. and others on the success of IFDM without causing any unintended consequences to water resources, terrestrial or aquatic habitats.

New salt treatment technology assessments

Work with Red Rock on Forever Water™ distiller to determine costs of treating drainage water.

Develop additional drainage water treatment method that develops additional high quality water supply.

Install groundwater well for supply to treatment system.

Work with Red Rock to install backup well for supplying drainage treatment systems when tile drainage systems dry up from lack of applied water in local and regional settings.

Completed 100 to 200 foot depth water supply well of drainage-equivalent quality that keeps drainage treatment processes and experiments operational.

Watershed Coordinator

See upper watershed plan element

Common to all annual plan elements