Field Trip to the Point Remove Irrigation and Wetland Reclamation Project

On September 1, 2004, the Soil, Water, Forest Conservation class visited the project and observed the pumps and canals that provide water from the Arkansas River to irrigate 20,000 acres of crop land and to flood over 8,400 acres of wetlands in the Ed Gordon Wildlife Management Area. Mickey Evans of the Natural Resource Conservation Service was our guide.

Three pumps take water from the Gala Creek inlet about a mile from the river and deliver it to a concrete flume that channels the water through out the area. The three 320 HP Cummins diesel engines are capable of pumping 25,000 gallons per second.

The outlet of the pumps filling the concrete channel:

A weir in the process of being completed:

The Weir on the Ed Gordon WMA:

Pictures of the construction:

The pumps are down in these pipes. They are 50 feet long. The engines shown above are sitting above the top level. The hole that was dug in the alluvial sands of the Arkansas River had to be drained to allow construction. After the pipes were installed, (complete with suctions and discharges) the hole was filled back in. The last picture shows construction of the concrete flumes.