2006-07 Deliverables
Task 7 Research
Principal Investigator(s): Girisha K. Ganjegunte
We mutually agree for Dr. Girisha K. Ganjegunte to deliver the following during the period of 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, using funds from the Rio Grande Basin Initiative:
- Conduct soil and site suitability assessments of land located adjacent to the El Paso Electric Newman Power Plant for the proposed purpose of irrigated agricultural production using power plant cooling blowdown water.
- Evaluate the effects of prior blowdown water land application during the past 35 years on soil physico-chemical properties. The evaluation will include analysis of infiltration rates, hydraulic conductivity at different depths, build up of salinity and sodicity.
- Conduct a greenhouse column based study to assess the feasibility of using power plant blowdown water to irrigate selected agricultural crops and landscape plants (e.g. alfalfa and tall fescue).
- Evaluate soil and plant salinity effects of irrigation with reuse of power plant blowdown water. Explore irrigation management and other methods to minimize soil salinization and degradation within the effective root zone.
- Prepare a technical report on deliverables 1 and 2 and preliminary results of research on items 3 and 4.
- Participate and present research findings at the Rio Grande Basin Initiative and other conferences.
- Further develop and work in partnership with El Paso Water Utilities, irrigation districts and agricultural producers.