# corrugations, gated pipe, and siphon tubes



## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Better late than never. I finally got some pics of corrugations and gated pipe.














A few weeks ago I was trying to explain how we irrigate, here, and I decided that a picture is worth a thousand words.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Of course they are sideways, wish I knew how to fix that.
Anyway, the gated pipe is pretty simple, there is a plug in the end of the pipe. You open gates into the rows that you want to water. The siphon tubes go into a ditch, one tube per row, or corrugation. You have to put a check or dam in to hold the water being siphoned.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Lostin55 said:


> Better late than never. I finally got some pics of corrugations and gated pipe.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The picture of the cement ditch could be one of my cement ditches. I use large siphon tubes. 3 inches.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

That is a good picture of irrigating with tubes. We use 1.25, 1.5, and 2" depending on the length of the rows.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

So...out of curiosity how do you get em to start siphoning?


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Hard to explain in words. But I will try. There are a couple ways to start tubes. But the general way is to put the tube down in the ditch full of water. Until the tube is mostly full of water or 3/4 the way under water. You put your hand over the end that will be in the field so you create a vacuum. Then pull the tube over the bank of the ditch until your hand is lower then the water level in the ditch. Let go of the end of the tube and the water should siphon out. But of course the other end of the tube still has to be in the ditch water. You can also pump the tube, but that's really hard to describe. You can do this with a bendable straw and a tall glass of water also.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Clear as mud. So does that just empty the ditch to flood?


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

deadmoose said:


> Clear as mud. So does that just empty the ditch to flood?


Yes, except you don't want the ditch to empty or the tubes will stop. So the ditch has to have incoming water the same amount as the tubes are pulling out into the field.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Here is a quick video showing a guy starting a small syphon tube like the ones Lostin55 showed a picture of. My bigger tubes are a bit different to start. This video shows the pumping method. I don't like this way.






And for another look at flood irrigation for all you guys that never have experienced the joy of it. Here is another video made by the state of Wyoming.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

So you pump to fill ditch and siphon out? What are limiting factors so you don't just pump onto field?

I only see flood irrigation here during a heavy rainfall. Plenty this spring. Time for some more though. It can start pouring right after I am done baling tomorrow.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

deadmoose said:


> So you pump to fill ditch and siphon out? What are limiting factors so you don't just pump onto field?
> 
> I only see flood irrigation here during a heavy rainfall. Plenty this spring. Time for some more though. It can start pouring right after I am done baling tomorrow.


Pump or gravity from water supply canals to fill the ditch. You can use little cuts, or a bigger cut or check as we call it every so often in a ditch for hay ground, but then a bunch of water comes out in one place. Then when that water gets to the bottom of the field you have to move the plastic dam, as sort of shown in one of the videos down the ditch to the next section of tubes, cuts, or what have you. But if you are going to flood irrigate like Lostin55 does with corrugated fields or with row crops you have to use tubes, or gated pipe. Cuts out of the ditch just doesn't work for that.


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