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Both surface runoff and drainage below the root zone from surface irrigation contribute to nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of surface and ground waters. Options for reducing nonpoint source pollution through improved surface irrigation are discussed herein. Irrigation system characteristics that affect nonpoint source pollution are uniformity of infiltrated water and irrigation efficiency. Drainage can be reduced by increasing the uniformity of infiltrated water by reducing field length and converting to surge irrigation. Surface runoff can be reduced using a variety of approaches such as cutoff irrigation, recirculation systems, and runoff storage systems.