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AZ Flood Irrigation Frequently Asked Questions

When I moved here from Nebraska in 1987, I had no clue what AZ flood irrigation was. Even when someone explained it to me, I didn't understand. The funny thing is, AZ Flood irrigation is very simple. This is the desert and water is precious. It is expensive to water a large area of ground in order to grow grass for your horses and if you don't water, you won't have grass, you will have dirt and dust. Your horses could have a sick stomach and you will be mad at me for not telling you that you could have bought a home with AZ flood irrigation!

The city of Phoenix has various providers of AZ flood irrigation. SRP provides water to parts of the Valley and Roosevelt Water Conservation District provides flood irrigation to much of the East Valley. There are also various providers that are private water and irrigation companies. Some of the private companies are in alignment as far as price goes and some are very high so it is imperative that you check to make sure you know how much it will cost you to water each month. In the summer months you will most likely flood your property twice monthly. You sign up for water in advance and then your provider will give you a time when your water will come.

Your property will have a port if you have flood irrigation. Some ports are under ground and sort of "bubble up" and some are in ditches behind or sometimes in front of your property. Water only flows in these ditches during the time of irrigation and the rest of the time they are empty. They are not very deep and you can jump across them so you always want to watch your children and pets around water of course. The irrigation canals are not typically considered dangerously deep. The water does not stay in them long either.

Where do I sign up for AZ flood irrigation?
Depending on what provider you have for your irrigation, you could sign up online or you could sign up  at a board in your neighborhood. There is usually a free standing board with paper in it and you go and sign your name on it and how much irrigation your want to receive. If you don't know, ask your neighbors how much they get. Most properties with a home get anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half for a one acre parcel. This varies of course based on how much of your land is occupied by your home and other buildings, pools, parking, etc.