Hydrologic Analysis of Rainfed Rice Areas Using a Simple Semi-distributed Water Balance Model

We analyzed the hydrologic characteristics of the Nong Saeng Basin (19.72 km²) in northeast Thailand. Because the land use in this basin is very complex, applying a fully distributed model would be extremely difficult. Therefore, we developed a semi-distributed hydrologic model for this basin. The hydrologic model comprised upland, paddy, and pond models. The new bucket model was applied for upland fields, and a modified tank model was used for the paddy and pond models. In addition, water movement between different land uses was considered. The results showed that the hydrologic model developed for the study basin performed extremely well if water movement between different land uses was considered. We simulated the water storage characteristics for two sub-catchments within the basin: sub-catchment 1 included few earthen weirs, whereas sub-catchment 2 included several earthen weirs. Owing to the earthen weirs, the maximum differences in ponding paddy water were 19,997 m³ in 2002 and 16,897 m³ in 2003, corresponding to 48% and 41% of the total volume of ponds in sub-catchment 1 (41,287 m³), respectively. If earthen weirs were to be constructed over the entire basin, the annual runoff from the basin would decrease by 2.0–3.2%. Although the decrease of the annual runoff is little, the maximum differences between the daily runoffs under real and simulated conditions in terms of percentage differences are −44.3% in September 2002 and −36.5% in September 2003, and it is found that the downstream impacts are quite large at the end of rainy season.     

Hydrological Impacts of Flood Storage and Management on Irrigation Water Abstraction in Upper Ewaso Ng’iro River Basin, Kenya

The upper Ewaso Ng’iro basin, which starts from the central highlands of Kenya and stretches northwards transcending different climatic zones, has experienced decreasing river flows for the last two decades. The Naro Moru sub-basin is used to demonstrate the looming water crisis in this water scarce river basin. The objective of the study was to show the extent of dry seasons’ irrigation water abstractions on river flows, and to assess the hydrological impact of flood storage on temporal water distribution and irrigation water management. Decreasing river flows are attributed to over-abstraction mainly for irrigating horticultural crops. The number of abstractors has increased four times over a period of 10 years. The amount of water abstracted has also increased by 64% over the last 5 years. Moreover, the proportion of unauthorized abstractions has been increasing over the years, currently at about 80% and 95% during high and low flows respectively. This has resulted in alarming conflicts among various water users. The situation is aggravated by low irrigation efficiency (25–40%) and inadequate flood storage facilities. The paper analyzes over 40 years’ observed river flow data and 5-year interval water abstraction monitoring records for 15 years. It assesses whether flood storage and management, can reduce dry seasons’ irrigation water abstractions without significantly reducing river flows to affect the sustenance of natural ecosystems downstream. The results demonstrate that flood storage and management can reduce water abstraction and increase river flows during the dry seasons, without significantly reducing high flows to affect the downstream water users. However, socio-economic, hydrological and environmental implications should be considered if a sustainable river basin water resources management strategy is to be developed and implemented. The case study of Naro Moru sub-basin is representative of the situation in the other sub-basins, and hence can be taken as a pilot basin for developing an integrated water resources management strategy that will foster socio-economic development with minimal negative hydrological impacts in the water scarce upper Ewaso Ng’iro river basin.     

The Economic Impact of Water Evaporation Losses from Water Reservoirs in the Segura Basin,SE Spain

In this paper we assess the economic impact of evaporation losses from great dams (GDs) and on-farm agricultural water reservoirs (AWRs) in the semi-arid Segura River basin, SE Spain. Evaporation losses from water reservoirs reduce the high water use efficiency reached in agriculture by means of other techniques such as well-built water pipes or drip irrigation and have a substantial economic impact. Evaporation losses have been calculated using Class-A pan evaporation data and pan coefficients, whereas their economic impact has been assessed using an economic mathematical programming model that simulates land and water allocation in the different irrigated areas of the basin. Our results show that annual evaporation from GDs and AWRs represents 8.7% of the water currently available for irrigation in the Segura basin. The economic impact of such losses has been estimated in a reduction of 6.3% of the value of agricultural production and 5.4% of the farm net margin. As less water is effectively available for farmers the basin’s irrigated area is reduced in a 7.5%. This impact is greater, in both absolute and relative terms, in the areas accommodating the most intensive and profitable irrigated agriculture. The applied methodology and results could be useful to regional water agencies and collective irrigation schemes for future planning and management, including the assessment of alternatives for reducing evaporation from reservoirs.     

Hydrological Response to Agricultural Land Use Heterogeneity Using Variable Infiltration Capacity Model

Hydrological responses corresponding to the agricultural land use alterations are critical for planning crop management strategies, water resources management, and environmental evaluations. However, accurate estimation and evaluation of these hydrological responses are restricted by the limited availability of detailed crop classification in land use and land cover. An innovative approach using state-of-the-art Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model is utilized by setting up the crop-specific vegetation parameterization and analyse the effect of uniform and heterogeneous agricultural land use over the hydrological responses of the basin, in the Kangsabati River Basin (KRB). Thirteen year simulations (1998–2010) based on two different scenarios i.e., single-crop in agricultural land use (SC-ALU) and multi-crop in agricultural land use (MC-ALU) patterns are incorporated in the model and calibrated (1998–2006) and validated (2007–2010) for the streamflow at Reservoir and Mohanpur in the KRB. The results demonstrated that the VIC model improved the estimates of hydrological components, especially surface runoff and evapotranspiration (ET) at daily and monthly timescales corresponding to MC-ALU than SC-ALU (NSC?>?0.7). Grid-scale ET estimates are improved after incorporating heterogeneous agricultural land use (NSC?>?0.55 and R²?>?0.55) throughout the period of 1998–2010. This study improves our understanding on how the change in agricultural land use in the model settings alters the basin hydrological characteristics, and to provide model-based approaches for best management practices in irrigation scheduling, crop water requirement, and management strategies in the absence of flux towers, eddy covariance, and lysimeters in the basin.

     

Irrigation Modelling in the Context of Basin Water Resources

Management practices for irrigation schemes can often be improved by modelling the behaviour of a scheme and by evaluating its efficiency statistics. However, looking at an irrigation scheme without regard for other water uses within the river basin may not be effective. Efficiencies computed in this way are local and, since water may be used many times within the same basin, may not be realistic. Changes in water uses (e.g. irrigation, industrial, power production, urban water supply, navigation, environmental, recreational) will often have effects on other uses; and changes in irrigation schemes (management,structural, crop pattern) may affect other users within the basin. In addition, all water users will be affected by external changes such as changes in land cover or in climate. As demand for water increases, these links become more important until, at some stage, there is insufficient water for all users and hard choices must be made. Hydrological modelling is a tool that can be used to relate irrigation schemes to the other water uses within a river basin and can help in assessing real productivities and in evaluating alternative patterns of water usage. This paper discusses the techniques available to simulate irrigation schemes within overall basin water resources using, as an example, an intensively utilized basin in western Turkey.     

Development of a Management Model for a Surface Waterlogged and Drainage Congested Area

Inadequate drainage outlet causing surface waterlogging every year mainly during monsoon period (June through October) over a depressed land of 1062 km² in Mokama group of tals, India, led to a loss of one crop rotation. A management model aiming at minimization of the waterlogged area under constraints of control monsoon runoffs from tributaries discharge water to the depressed land has been developed. Magnitudes of regulated flows are guided by irrigation water requirement of crops grown in commands of different tributaries joined to the depressed land. A nonlinear optimization model has been envisaged and solved setting a total of 160 constraints satisfying conditions of water requirement for crops grown in two seasons and their time-dependent storage requirement. The optimization model has been solved using the Quantitative Systems for Business (QSB) software, which considers a line search methodology for unconstrained problems, and a sequential unconstrained minimization technique (SUMT) with penalty function methodology for constrained problems. The management model provides a solution for strategic water resources development and management in a basin having problems of scarcity, surplus and non-uniform distribution of surface water.     

Influence of Scale on SWAT Model Calibration for Streamflow in a River Basin in the Humid Tropics

The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to the 2,530 km² Chaliyar river basin in Kerala, India to investigate the influence of scale on the model parameters. The study was carried out in this river basin at two scales. Parameters such as land use, soil type, topography and management practices are similar at these scales. The model was initially calibrated for streamflow and then validated. Critical parameters were the curve number (CN2), soil evaporation compensation factor (ESCO), available water holding capacity (SOL_AWC), average slope length (SLSUBBSN), and base flow alpha factor (ALPHA_BF). Using the optimized value of various parameters, stream flow was estimated from parts of the basin at two different scales—an area of 2,361.58 km² and an area of 1,013.15 km². The streamflow estimates at both these scales were statistically analysed by computing the coefficient of determination (R ²) and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (E_NS). Results indicate that the SWAT model could simulate streamflow at both scales reasonably well with very little difference between the observed and computed values. However, the results also indicate that there may be greater uncertainty in SWAT streamflow estimates as the size of the watershed increases.     

Application of Integrated Hydrologic and River Basin Management Modeling for the Optimal Development of a Multi-Purpose Reservoir Project

Multi-purpose reservoir development have been always a big challenge for the management of water resources. This paper describes an integrated approach for investigating catchment hydrology in the development of a hydropower and a canal irrigation system based on model analyses. The investigation aims to adequately determine an optimal domestic and irrigation water resources allocation scheme based on an assessment of the reservoir water balance and capacity for hydropower. The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) which characterizes basin hydrology and the water management and planning model MODSIM which provides a decision support system for water allocation optimization, were used in this study. The integrated approach was applied to Prek Te River basin in Cambodia. The water demand aspect was examined based on domestic water use, irrigation water, environmental flow, and water losses. An operational rule curve was developed for hydropower operation with respect to a power potential of 13 MW. Hydrologic modeling revealed 90 % dependable water of about 2.7 m³/s during the dry season and 214.3 m³/s during the wet season, indicative of a wet-season dependent reservoir for storage. Results from the 26-years simulation period also showed that diversions for domestic water and irrigation water supply were 92.3 % dependable for a 13 MW capacity hydropower development. The integrated approach was shown to be a valuable decision support tool for water resources management with the determination of an optimum policy for multi-purpose reservoir operation based on available basin water supply.     

The Influence of Natural and Human-Related Factors on the Water Circulation in the Carpathian Foothills (southern Poland)

Part of the northern Carpathian Mountains, the flysch-built Carpathian Foothills form a low-mountain area (300–500 m) with dense population and intensive farming. Here, in 1981–1995, a water circulation research project was conducted in the Wierzbanówka catchment basin (11.7 km²), a typical catchment basin of this land. The Carpathian Foothills are characterised with a relatively high fluctuation in the activity of the underground water effluents (outflow), ground water level and watercourse discharge. This is a result of the area's irregular precipitation patterns, low water penetrability of the ground, low underground and surface water retention and of the terrain gradients and the complex relief. The high rate of the water circulation is also a result of the dominance of the agricultural use of land (60–80% of the total area), low forest coverage (10–30%) and the inadequate water resource management. Possible actions aiming to reduce the dynamics of the water circulation in this area should include the following: turning of a portion of the existing farmland into forestland, boosting the area of pastures and meadows, restoration of the natural character of river channels and valley bottoms, reinstating certain small water management facilities (ponds, dykes, etc.).     

河套灌区耕地-荒地-海子间水盐运移规律及平衡分析

内蒙古河套灌区引水量逐年减少,输入灌区的盐分无法有效排出,灌区内部盐分迁移规律发生了较大变化。针对此现状,通过2年现场观测试验,开展了耕地-荒地-海子间水力联系及水盐动态研究。采用土壤水动力学与溶质动力学方法,对耕地—荒地—海子系统分别构建水量和盐量平衡模型,进而揭示了耕地—荒地—海子系统间水分和盐分运移关系。结果显示:在作物生育期,土壤非饱和带及地下储水量?S分别平均减少了35.05、138.2和195.7 mm,耕地、荒地和海子均处于水分消耗状态。基于Surfer软件Grid Vector Map与耕地—荒地—海子系统水量和盐量平衡模型,发现在2017年和2018年作物生育期,耕地地下水向荒地的迁移率平均值分别为78.75%和79%;荒地地下水向海子的迁移率平均值分别为44.3%和46.3%。耕地腾发量ET平均值比荒地和海子边界的分别高32%和29.15%,海子亏水631.2～706.3 mm,如果没有水分补给,海子将会面临干涸危险;在灌溉条件下,耕地地下水盐分平均增加861.45 kg/(hm~2/a),耕地地下水迁移给荒地的平均盐量为3231.90 kg/(hm~2/a),荒地地下水迁移给海子的平均盐量为3139.7 kg/(hm~2/a)。研究结果为灌区水盐调控提供了基本依据。     

黄河流域灌溉发展成就与前景

人民治黄５０年来，黄河流域（包括下游引黄灌区）灌溉事业得了迅速发展，截止１９９４年年底，全流域灌溉面积已发展到７３１万ｈｍ＾３因灌溉年净增产粮食１２０亿ｋｇ。全河灌溉技术发展迅速，在井渠结合治理盐碱地、灌区泥沙处理、节水灌溉、高气程灌溉等方面取得了突出成绩。随着灌区的开发与建设，管理水平不断提高，计划用水、水费征收、计量供水等管理措施的应用，保证了灌效益的充分发挥和灌区自身经济实力的壮大。分析认为     

Modeling Water Resources Allocation in a Run-of-the-River Rice Irrigation Scheme

Seventy-five percent of the available water resources in Malaysia are used for rice irrigation. Proper water management must be given due emphasis to effectively manage the water resources. This study analyzed field level practices, which could save irrigation water and thus increase area to be irrigated. The analyses were conducted for both the pre-saturation and normal supply periods using field data collected at the Besut irrigation scheme, Malaysia. Based on field water requirements and available flows at the intake structures, canal simulation was performed using the CanalMan model (Utah State University) together with water balance. The results have shown that pre-saturation should not be done continuously unless flow rates are at least 9.00 and 3.00 m³ s⁻¹ for the Besut and Angga barrages, respectively. If the flow rate falls below these values, then pre-saturation should be done in two phases. However, when the flow rate is between 5.00 and 5.50 m³ s⁻¹ at Besut barrage, pre-saturation should be done in three phases. The simulated schedules were compared with present pre-saturation schedules and it was observed that irrigable area could be increased by 10% than that at present. During the period of normal irrigation supply to the fields, there must be flow rates of at least 5.00 m³ s⁻¹ and 1.50 m³ s⁻¹ at the Besut and Angga barrages, respectively; in order to maintain irrigation supply to the whole irrigation scheme. Otherwise, selective irrigation or irrigation on a rotational basis will have to be enforced.     

Assessing groundwater quality using GIS

Assessing the quality of groundwater is important to ensure sustainable safe use of these resources. However, describing the overall water quality condition is difficult due to the spatial variability of multiple contaminants and the wide range of indicators (chemical, physical and biological) that could be measured. This contribution proposes a GIS-based groundwater quality index (GQI) which synthesizes different available water quality data (e.g., Cl⁻, Na⁺, Ca²⁺) by indexing them numerically relative to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Also, introduces an objective procedure to select the optimum parameters to compute the GQI, incorporates the aspect of temporal variation to address the degree of water use sustainability and tests the sensitivity of the proposed model. The GQI indicated that the groundwater quality in the Nasuno basin, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, is generally high (GQI <90). It has also displayed the natural (depth to groundwater table, geomorphologic structures) and/or anthropogenic (land-use and population density) controls over the spatial variability of groundwater quality in the basin. Temporally, groundwater quality is more variable in the upper and lower parts of the basin (variation, V, 15–30%) compared to the middle part (V, <15%) probably attributed to the seasonality of precipitation and irrigation of rice. In the lower southeastern part of the Nasuno basin and the vicinity of the Naka and Houki rivers the sustainable use of groundwater is constrained by the relatively low and variable groundwater quality. The model sensitivity analysis indicated that parameters which reflect relatively lower water quality (high mean rank value) and those of significant spatial variability imply larger impacts on the GQI and must be carefully and accurately mapped. Optimum index factor technique allows the selection of the best combination of parameters dictating the variability of groundwater quality and enables an objective and fair representation of the overall groundwater quality.     

Water Balance Study and Irrigation Strategies for Sustainable Management of a Tropical Ethiopian Lake: A Case Study of Lake Alemaya

Lake Alemaya in the Ethiopian Highlands has historically provided the surrounding area with water for domestic use, irrigation, and livestock and has served as a local fishery tank. Increasing irrigation and domestic water use, change in the local climate and changes in the surrounding land cover are believed to be the causes of Lake Alemaya’s demise. Expansion of major irrigated crops in particular chat (Catha Edulis), potato and vegetables and non-judicious use of irrigation water in the Lake Alemaya watershed led to presumption that irrigation is partly responsible for the withdrawal of large quantity of water from the lake. Thus, water balance study of Lake Alemaya was carried out under presumed scenarios in order to study the possible trends and fluctuations of the lake water level in response to proposed scenarios. Further, it is essential to study the irrigation performance for developing optimal irrigation schedules in the study area to make the best use of available water for long term sustainability of the water resources of Lake Alemaya. It was identified that expansion of the irrigated area in general and chat cultivation in particular in the study area have been the key to sustainable management of lake water, hence its expansion during the past 37 years (1965–2002) was studied through interpretation of satellite data. Subsequently, performance evaluation of the small-scale irrigation practices for major irrigated crops was carried out. Optimal irrigation schedules for different crop seasons were also developed for these irrigated crops using CROPWAT software. It was found that chat area increased from 190 ha in 1996 to nearly 330 ha in 2002. Further, it was observed that 43% surface area of the lake has reduced within a span of 37 years. Overall, maximum irrigation intensity of chat, potato and vegetables is observed during the first irrigation season of the crop calendar. Particularly, in case of chat, irrigation performance indicators such as Relative Water Supply (RWS), Relative Irrigation Supply (RIS), Depleted Fraction (DF) and Overall Consumed Ratio (OCR) values indicated poor performance of irrigation practices. From the analysis, it was found that the application of a fixed irrigation depth and fixed irrigation interval combinations of (25 mm—25 day), (20 mm—20 day), or (20 mm—25 day) are recommended for chat in the study area. Optimal irrigation schedules were decided on the basis of combination of irrigation interval and depth that results in low loss of irrigation water with reasonable yield reduction. Thus, determination of appropriate water management strategy can ensure proper utilization of the available water resources and improve the water application efficiency of the small-scale irrigation practices around Lake Alemaya, Ethiopia.     

A Stream Water Availability Model of Upper Indus Basin Based on a Topologic Model and Global Climatic Datasets

Integrated water resources management at river basin scales and evaluation of effects of climate change on regional water resources require quantitative estimates of space-time variability of monthly discharges within a river network. This study demonstrates that such estimates, which can be called stream water availability, for regional river basins with meager or nonexistent gauge data, can be obtained by combining continuity models of hydrological processes, flow routing, and topology of the river basin. The hydrologic processes can be adequately modeled using high quality databases of hydrologic significance. A stream water availability model is presented for Upper Indus Basin (UIB) utilizing the most up-to-date datasets for topography, temperature, precipitation, net radiation, land cover, soil type, and digital atlas. Multiple datasets have been evaluated and the ones with best accuracy and temporal coverage have been selected for the final model. Upper Indus River and its major tributaries are highly significant in regional water resources management and geopolitics. However, UIB is a poorly studied and largely ungauged river basin with an area of 265,598 km² and extremely rugged topography. Several factors, the chief ones being the challenging terrain and the trans-boundary nature of the basin, have contributed to this knowledge gap. Hydro-climatologically it is a complex basin with a significant cryospheric component. The spatial and temporal variation of the principal climatic variables, namely precipitation, net radiation, and temperature has been thoroughly accounted for in the development of a stream water availability model based on a process model coupled with a topologic model and a linear reservoir model of river flow routing. Model calculations indicate that there are essentially two hydrologic regimes in UIB. The regime that is truly significant in contributing stream flows, originates from the UIB cryosphere containing outstanding glaciers and snowfields. The other regime, generated from wet precipitation and melt water from seasonal snow covers is insignificant due to high rates of infiltration and evaporation in the semi-desert environment prevailing at elevations below perennial snow and ice covers. In general, the modeled stream flow characteristics match with the sparse discharge measurements that are available. Flow in the Indus considerably increases at its confluence with Shyok River and further downstream where other tributaries form the north join the main stem. At or near the outlet of the basin stream flow can vary from less than 800 m³ s^− 1 in the winter and spring to nearly 8,000 m³ s^− 1 in the peak summer and can persist to over 1,500 m³ s^− 1 in the autumn. The importance of snow and glacial melt in Indus River discharge is apparent and any global or regional climate change affecting the equilibrium line elevation of the snow fields in the Karakoram will have a profound influence on the water availability in the Indus. Estimates are made for per capita water availability in Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan territories, controlled by India and Pakistan respectively. Geopolitical significance and climate change effects are discussed briefly.     

Incorporating Virtual Water into Water Management: A British Columbia Example

Virtual water is the water required to produce food or a commodity, and includes rainwater in addition to irrigation and the water required to grow feed in livestock systems. Measuring virtual water is a useful concept in assessing water management as it permits the comparison of crops and livestock from the perspective of embedded water. To evaluate trade-offs in water allocation in countries like Canada with large regional variability in climate, virtual water should be calculated on a watershed scale. Two watersheds in Canada were selected representing wet and dry regions, and virtual water requirements for crop and livestock products were evaluated. For both the Lower Fraser Valley and the Okanagan basins, the results indicate that the most water demanding agricultural activities are livestock and fodder production. In the Lower Fraser basin, berry crops require 32 Mm³ of virtual water per year and have a potential value of $95 million. In contrast, the major fruit crops in the Okanagan require 63 Mm³ of virtual water per year and have a potential value of $95 million. In contrast, the major fruit crops in the Okanagan require 63 Mm³ of virtual water per year and have a potential value of 68 million. Blueberries and grapes which have moderately high virtual water contents have been expanding in the Lower Fraser and Okanagan basins respectively. Water to grow feed dominates overall animal virtual water requirements. Livestock requires nearly 4.5 times more virtual water per year than crops in the Lower Fraser, poultry and dairy having the largest virtual water requirements. In the dry Okanagan basin the total virtual water requirements for crops and livestock are similar. To accommodate future growth, decisions on water management will need to be made, particularly in dry basins such as the Okanagan. Virtual water calculations provide information that can assist decision makers in the strategic choices of reallocation and conservation water use.     

Assessing Crop Water Demand by Remote Sensing and GIS for the Pontina Plain, Central Italy

An estimation of the crop water requirements for the Pontina Plain, Central Italy, was carried out through the use of remote sensing land classification and application of a simple water balance scheme in a GIS environment. The overall crop water demand for the 700 km² area was estimated at about 70 Mm³ year^− 1, i.e. 100 Mm³ year^− 1 irrigation requirements when considering an average irrigation application efficiency of 70%. The simplest and least demanding available methodology, in terms of data and resources, was chosen. The methodology, based on remote sensing and GIS, employed only 4 Landsat ETM+ images and a few meteorological and geographical vectorial layers. The procedure allowed the elaboration of monthly maps of crop evapotranspiration. The application of a spatially distributed simple water balance model, lead to the estimation of temporal and spatial variation of crop water requirements in the study area. This study contributes to fill a gap in the knowledge on agricultural use of water resources in the area, which is essential for the implementation of a sustainable and sound water policy as required in the region for the application of the EU Water Framework Directive.     

Estimation of Sediment Yield for a Rain,Snow and Glacier Fed River in the Western Himalayan Region

Assessment of soil erosion, sediment transport and deposition of sediment in the reservoirs, irrigation and hydropower systems are considered essential for the land and water management. The magnitude of sediment transported by rivers has become a serious concern for the water resources planning. In the present study, an assessment of sediment yield has been made for the Satluj River, which flows through the western Himalayan region. Two approaches have been used for the assessment of sediment yield (i) relationship between suspended sediment load and discharge and (ii) empirical relationship. The first approach was used for Satluj Basin up to Suni (52 983 km²), Kasol (53 768 km²) and also for the intermediate basin between Kasol and Suni (785 km²). The sediment-discharge relationship was developed using daily data for a period of three years (1991–1993) for different basins and was applied for each basin for the years 1994 and 1996 for estimation of sediment yield. The second approach, which gives annual sediment yield, has been used for a small intermediate basin only because of data availability constraints. For estimation of the sediment yield using the empirical relationship, various geographical parameters such as land use, topographical etc. were generated using Geographic Information System (GIS) technique. The annual sediment yield for the intermediate basin was estimated for three years and compared with observed values. The trend of difference between computed and observed sediment yield suggested an effect of physical features of mountainous basins. The available empirical relationship was, therefore, revised by incorporating a basin parameter in the equation. This basin parameter represented an integrated effect of slope and spatial distribution of rainfall in the mountainous basin. Using the revised empirical relationship, the sediment yield was estimated for two independent years and a good correlation was found between computed and observed sediment yield.     

Rainwater Management for Smallholder Irrigation and it’s Impact on Crop Yields in Eastern India

A tank cum open dug well system suitable for plateau region of eastern India has been developed for providing reliable irrigation to croplands. The system comprises of a series of tanks with open dug wells in the recharge zone of the tank that reharvest back the seepage water. Thus, the rainwater remaining in the tank as well as partial seeped water is used for providing round the year full irrigation. This system was evaluated in field in Keonjhar district of Orissa of eastern India with six tanks and five wells in two drainage lines. The total command area of the system of six tanks and five wells in both drainage lines is 23 ha and the total irrigation potential is 44.5 ha. The total cost of the system is US $19,180 making the cost of irrigation resource creation as US $426 per ha which is much less than about $2,220 per ha for major and medium irrigation projects in the last decade of 20th century. The system increased the rice yields from 1.92 t ha^− 1 to a range of 2.25 to 3.8 t ha^− 1 depending upon the package of practices or the amount of inputs. The farmers went for crops in post-monsoon and summer season and the cropping intensity rose to 112% in the first year, 126% in the second year and 132% in the third year. The internal rate of return from the system was 13.4% at the present level of utilization, which is about 2.4% more than the prime-lending rate of Indian banks, and 3.4% more than the lending rate for agricultural purposes.     

Improving Operational Performance of Farmers Managed Distributary Canal using SIC Hydraulic Model

Operation of a secondary canal was recently transferred to the farmers’ organization (FO) under irrigation management transfer (IMT) programme. After modernization of Upper Swat Canal (USC) irrigation system, the water allowance was increased to operate the irrigation system more in demand responsive mode. The study of the existing operation of the canal revealed that most of the time the irrigation supplies exceed the demand and the farmers either over irrigate their fields or waste precious irrigation water. Operation and management aspect of the irrigation system play a pivotal role in overall water management practices. SIC hydrodynamic model was employed to evaluate the operational performance of the distributary. Different operational scenarios were investigated and quantified based on fixed frequency operation. Based on these results it is suggested to operate the distributary at 80–90% of the design discharge during May to July, and 75–90% of the design discharge from August to April to reduce water losses due to high water allowance.