Irrigation System Capacity

This provides an estimate of the water flow requirements to replace water lost to evapotranspiration (crop water use). This can be used to size pumps, water meters, or design irrigation systems. Go here to estimate the design capacity from historical crop water use requirements, your crop, your irrigation system, and your soil. Learn more about the units used on this page.

What Is My Irrigation System's Design Capacity

Which of the following do you know?:

The system's total flow rate (like gpm) and the whole field size

How much water I apply (like inches) in a set and the soonest (hours or days) I can irrigate the same set again after rotating through the other sets.

The volume of water applied (from a flowmeter), the time it took to apply (hours or days), and the total acreage it was applied to

The irrigation system's design capacity (like gpm/acre or inches/day)

System Capacity:

Minimum System Design Capacity

Peak Crop Watering Rate:

Available Operation Time Per Day:

Irrigation Application Efficiency:

Minimum Design Capacity Required:

Total System Design Flow Rate

Calculate the minimum system design capacity above, then use your irrigated area to find the total flow rate requirements for your system.

Irrigated Area:

Total System Capacity Requirements:

WSU Prosser - IAREC, 24106 N Bunn Rd, Prosser WA 99350-8694, 509-786-2226. Contact Us

Irrigation in the Pacific Northwest

Irrigation System Capacity

What Is My Irrigation System's Design Capacity

Which of the following do you know?:

Minimum System Design Capacity

Total System Design Flow Rate