In April 2007, IID began implementing a new Tailwater Education Program throughout its water service area. Under the program, 10 percent of all agricultural fields in the IID service area, about 500 fields, are selected at random annually for delivery and tailwater monitoring. If a field is selected for monitoring, the responsible party will be notifiedand staff will place metering devices at both the delivery and the tailwater box, monitoring up to three complete irrigation events.

Should the percentage of tailwater exceed 15 percent of delivered water on two out of three TEP monitoring events, the responsible party will be directed to attend a TEP seminar on water management issues conducted by the district.

Information collected during the TEP is intended to help improve water orders and deliveries by both the water user and IID. For a number of years IID has conducted a voluntary tailwater monitoring program and has long encouraged the use of best water management practices.

This program was approved by IID's Board of Directors in 2004 in response to a request by the Bureau of Reclamation to all users of Colorado River water to best manage resources. IID's irrigation monitoring and management unit is responsible for implementing the TEP and can be contacted at (760) 339-9081.

TEP Informational Brochure IID-TEP-Informational-Brochure.pdf

TEP Letter to Water Users TEP-Letter-to-Water-Users.pdf