# Project Brief # Problems Current methods for watering of fields and farms consist primarily of using glacial melt water routed through open channels. Access to this water is purchased in allotments of time rather than by volume. This often leads to overwatering and inappropriate management of water resources. The next two photographs show a field being irrigated. Parts of the field are receiving too much water while other parts receive little. This can lead to issues such as root rot and crops which are susceptible to wind damage. ![Image of a field being irrigated showing substantial flooding.][1] ![Second image of a field being irrigated showing substantial flooding.][2] Often, this overwatering causes excessive runoff. The photograph below shows a substantial volume of water draining out of a field and running into the nearby roadway. ![Irrigation water leaking from a field into a nearby roadway.][3] This overwatering is likely due to a number of factors. However, a significant contributor is the unpredictability of water access, which can lead some farmers make use of as much water as possible when they do have access, regardless of need. In general, many farmers do not have a strong sense of the daily water needs of their crops and even those that do, are unable to make the appropriate water allotments, again due to the unpredictability of water access. # Possible Solution Rainwater harvesting would allow farmers to store collected water to serve as a buffer which smooths out the peaks and valleys in water availability. If sufficient water could be collected and stored during the rainy season, this water could then be redistributed during the dry season in between times of water access. This would allow farmers to use less glacial melt water during each access period and thus make more sustainable use of water resources. [1]: https://files.osf.io/v1/resources/a7byh/providers/osfstorage/5da61c67a7bc73000df2dd4a?mode=render [2]: https://files.osf.io/v1/resources/a7byh/providers/osfstorage/5da61c9126eb50000b7f6943?mode=render [3]: https://files.osf.io/v1/resources/a7byh/providers/osfstorage/5da61d3ca7bc73000df2de42?mode=render