The details of option 4 are presented below.
Cut-fill maps have been created at a 1/10th foot drop per 100 feet with a cut-fill ratio of 1.3. The cut fill values are outlined in the following table. Piping estimations are approximate, but additional piping may be needed, though the total amount probably will not make much of a difference from the estimations presented here.
The cut fill map for option 4 is given below.
The details of option 3 are presented below.
Cut-fill maps have been created at a 1/10th foot drop per 100 feet with a cut-fill ratio of 1.3. The cut fill values are outlined in the following table. Piping estimations are approximate, but additional piping may be needed, though the total amount probably will not make much of a difference from the estimations presented here.
The cut fill map for option 3 is given below.
The details of option 2 are presented below.
In this option water flow is modified to go from South to North on the North end of the field and from North to South on the South end. Using surface design software in concert with GIS allows for the evaluation of various scenarios in a similar way.
The cut fill map for option 2 is given below.
The details of option 1 are presented below.
Cut-fill maps have been created at a 1/10th foot drop per 100 feet with a cut-fill ratio of 1.3.
The cut fill map for option 1 is given below.
A set of four different scenarios for irrigating the alfalfa field at the Acoma Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) was presented to RMCI and IHS. Scenarios development is a useful planning and decision-making tool. The posts that follow this one will demonstrate some of the differences in the cuts and fills and total earthwork as required by each option.
Each option has three associated maps :
i. a waterflow-bench map,
ii. a cut-fill map, and
iii.a dimensioned materials drawing
and tables to summarize key information.
Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages like options that use less pipe and fewer valves but require more earthwork.
The below table outlines the Materials Requirements for each Irrigation Options.
We, Agricultural Innovations, feel proud to provide our support to RMCI, Inc in the implementation of the Acoma Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF). The report developed by Agricultural Innovations is related to the design of the irrigation system and the alfalfa production parcels adjacent to the treatment facility site.
We started with the cut-fill analysis of the terrain topography using the 3-D survey points given to us by Mike Base of RMCI. The survey points were processed specifically to eliminate all points outside the specified work area and all points with a z-value of zero.
A statistical interpolation method was used to create a 3-D surface of the designated work area. This was done using GRASS GIS, and was used to generate the site contour lines and to perform a water-flow analysis of the work area using the survey points.
The software Plane Surface Design was used to to perform a cut-fill analysis on the site. We have summarized the results of the cut fill analysis in terms of average excavation, fill volume, cut volume, and max cut/max fill as below.
Table 2: Summary of cut-fill analysis
Our estimate is that, after the field is leveled, the average elevation will be at 6007.42 with the highest elevation being in the Northern edge at 6007.84, and the lowest elevation being at the Southern edge at 6007.04.
The next step in this process is the Design of the Irrigation system.
The pipelines and 12 alfalfa sunshine valves, with 8 along the Northern edge and 4 at the Southern edge of the wastewater treatment facility were placed at a distance of 45’ between each valve to enable the operator greater versatility in the irrigation management and also to ensure that no dead spots will exist where water is unable to penetrate.
This initial cut-fill analysis should be considered preliminary. More detailed analysis will follow.
The Land Requirement Analysis for the Acoma Waste Water Treatment Facility was done as follows.
The below table represents our most current analysis of the amount of land required to effectively meet the needs of the current treatment facility. As can be seen in the summary table, the House Count Estimate, which is the current anticipated flow for the facility, will require 16 acres of land at an application rate of 2.75 acre/feet year.
Table 3: Water and Land Requirements.
The reduced irrigation schedule can be justified for the below reasons.
1. Alfalfa is a crop that is highly susceptible to over-watering, as water logged roots make an easy target for soil-borne bacteria and other diseases that can easily weaken or kill a stand of alfalfa when conditions are favorable.
2. The highly precise laser leveling of the field will greatly increase the field’s irrigation efficiency, as the water will move across the surface and penetrate deeply into the soil profile.
3. Taking into account the rainfall events, which although they are infrequent in the desert Southwest, can sometimes be torrential and well above averages in our highly variable climate.
The above estimate is an average but further analysis of the field’s water efficiency has to be done. Agricultural Innovations can undertake this in the coming weeks, as we have yet to take into account soil types for the field’s water efficiency and the crops water requirements.
This blog and all its content is sponsored by RMCI Inc. General Contractors. 
