Kurdish Studies

ISSN: 2051-4883 | e-ISSN: 2051-4891
Email: editor@kurdishstudies.net

Evaluation of an Irrigation Project; A Case Study the Main Canal Part of Al Khachiya Irrigation Project

Othman T. Tuman
Water Resources Engineering Department, College of Engineering /University of Baghdad, Baghdad /Iraq,
Riyadh Z. Azzubaidi
Water Resources Engineering Department, College of Engineering /University of Baghdad, Baghdad /Iraq
Keywords: Irrigation efficiency, application efficiency, Water losses, storage efficiency, moisture content, and distribution efficiency, population, evaluation of an irrigation, water distribution, main canal..

Abstract

Iraq is one of the most affected countries, the increase in population growth and the detrimental effects of global warming, along with the neighboring countries' exploitation of transboundary rivers, have resulted in severe water resource shortages and detrimental effects on the environment, society, and economy. However, low irrigation efficiency, a decline in rainfall, and wasteful water use necessitate reevaluating irrigation systems and enhancing their effectiveness. Al Khachiya Irrigation Project is one of the most important projects located north of Wasit Governorate in Iraq, it runs along the left side of the Tigris River for about 55 km and serves about 55.8 km².  Three fields A1, A2, and A3 were selected to evaluate Al Khachiya Irrigation Project. These fields are cultivated with different crops and applied irrigation methods (furrow and border). The Main Canal is a part of the Al Khachiya Irrigation Project with a length of 27.3 km, it is designed to pass an estimated discharge of 25.7 m³/s. The evaluation of the Main Canal depended on some of the selected performance indicators like the efficiencies of storage and distribution of water, water application efficiency, water conveyance efficiency, and lastly the overall efficiency of the canal. A1 field is selected to evaluate the Main canal. Measurements made in the field during the growing season to ascertain the moisture content before and after irrigation, as well as the field's capacity and permanent wilting point, were all done with a venturi flume to control field input. The results showed that the average water application efficiency for the A1 field is 44.8 %. That means that farmers use water more than the actual demand. The average value of water storage efficiency is 69.67%. Furthermore, the efficiency of water distribution is about 88.87%. Field measurements showed that the actual water conveyance efficiency of the main canal is 97.51%. The overall efficiency for the main canal is 38.82 %. Evaluation results for the Main canal of the Al Khachiya Irrigation Project revealed that the amount of water used is more than required, resulting in a large number of water losses by deep percolation and surface runoff observed in this search due to inefficient use, increase in operating times, and lack of experience and skills of farmers in water management.

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