The GWK Limited Irrigation Scheduling Service

Abstract

The Orange-Vaal Water Users Association’s Louis Bosman canal is 24 km long and diverts Orange River water across the divide into the Douglas weir basin in the Vaal River. It typifies the massive scale and advanced technology of the irrigation area served by GWK Limited (previously Griqualand West Cooperative) with head office in Douglas that now with recent expansions includes some 62 000 highly productive irrigated hectares, twothirds under centre pivots. Two of the three Water Affairs and Forestry pilot studies on implementing Water Demand Management that are now approaching successful completion are situated in GWK territory. The studies have been undertaken in conjunction with the Orange-Riet and Orange-Vaal Water User Associations. Possibly a factor that influenced their selection was the well-accepted irrigation-scheduling programme provided by GWK. There is a perception that all irrigators should “schedule”, that is, apply the right amount of irrigation water at the right time based on scientific procedures and that relatively few do!

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