It may sound like a childish question, but an eHow article poses the question “WHAT ARE RAIN GAUGES USED FOR?” in its title.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the rain gauge has been around for centuries, and few changes have been made to it during that time. The aforementioned article written by Russell Huebsch states the following:

“The rain gauge was invented to help farmers make decisions about crop planting. Hundreds of years later, this is still true for much of the farming world, according to Farm Radio International.”

Huebsch goes on to mention some potential problems with the rain gauge. Keep these and the many other issues mentioned here in mind when relying on a gauge for critical data.

“Although the rain gauge method for measuring rainfall offers much greater accuracy than simply catching water in a cup, a gauge is still prone to some errors, according to the book Fundamentals of Hydrology, rain gauges need to be checked immediately after rainfall; otherwise, evaporation could mean a lower reading. A perfect rain gauge is flush with the ground, but this could cause splash-back from the ground nearby and give a higher-than-normal reading. However, raising the gauge above ground presents another problem: turbulence. Greater wind speeds create more turbulence around the gauge and can cause a measurement error of up to 20 percent.”

Inaccurate readings will hinder your ability to make informed management decisions on your property. Forget the hassle of the rain gauge, and rely on an accurate rain measurement method!

To read the entire article click the following link: What Are Rain Gauges Used For? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5551973_rain-gauges-used.html#ixzz19XfFF8R4

In the article “Tracking the Raindrop” by Marilyn Thelan and Natalie Rector of Michigan State University’s Animal Agriculture and Environment Team, the issue of manure runoff is addressed. To read the full article, click here.

“When considering how to address precipitation on the farmstead, ask yourself a simple question: if rain or runoff hits this area, where will it go? Will it pick up contaminants as it travel? If so, where will that go? Will it pond and pose a threat to groundwater? Will it run off and reach surface waters or a neighbor’s property?

“You’ll need to ask those questions over and over again to ensure that you take all areas of the farmstead into consideration, including outside lots, feeding areas, compost sites, manure stacking areas, manure loading areas, feed storage, travel lanes and any other area that has livestock (and, therefore, manure). And remember that direct or indirect discharge of contaminated waters to waters of the state is illegal for any size farm.”

Many growers employ management practices that help prevent issues with runoff, but measuring rain is also an important component for determining when extra precautions should be taken. MyRainReport.com is the key for measuring rain across a farm without having to visit various areas to physically gather rain data. A simple e-mail containing rain variance across your property may be the key to compliance with water regulations on the farm.

Follow this link to read the full story: http://www.animalagteam.msu.edu/BackflowPreventionandBoomSprayerCalibrationW/July2009Scoop/Trackingtheraindrop/tabid/362/Default.aspx

The University of Ohio posted an informative article on their “Healthy Landscapes” website entitled, “Rain Gauges, Your most Important Garden Tool” that speaks to the importance of measuring rainfall in your garden in order “to properly manage lawn and garden watering.” To read the entire article, click here.

The article says that “over-watering creates many concerns such as:

• Increases risk of pollution from yard and garden care chemicals
• Wastes valuable water and impacts water supplies
• Encourages shallow root zones and increases plant’s susceptibility to disease
• Wastes time and money – it costs money to irrigate

Most lawns and gardens need about one inch of water each week. By measuring and recording rainfall, you will have an accurate account of what nature has already supplied. You should water only to make up the difference. As a result, you should not set your watering on an automatic schedule.”

The article explains the process of correctly using a rain gauge, and the steps are a bit involved:

Click here to read more!

The paper “An Automated Rainfall System” reports the following about the necessity of revamping the manual rain-gauge-monitoring operation for the sake of agriculture:

“Weather information such as rainfall is critical for successful agricultural activities. Unfortunately present methods of monitoring such information utilize manual observation and recording of data which is highly error-prone. Automation of these monitoring methods can not only increase the reliability, but also improve the timely availability of data, and hence contribute significantly to the betterment of agriculture in day-to- day activities as well as long-term planning.”

Click here to read more.