Report of Task Committee on Water Quality Problems Resulting from Increasing Irrigation Efficiency
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 111, Issue 3
Abstract
The Task Committee on Water Quality Problems Resulting from Increasing Irrigation Efficiency coordinated preparation of a series of papers that addressed the perceived effects on water quality from increasing irrigation efficiencies. This paper summarizes and integrates results presented in the requested papers, which deal primarily with salinity and nitrogen relationships, and also analyzes other ramifications of increasing irrigation efficiency. Increasing on‐farm efficiency usually connotes providing water to meet crop needs with minimal deep percolation and surface runoff. Topics examined include leaching requirements, chemical reactions on the root zone, potential hazards and benefits of reduced leaching, nitrate leaching, basin‐wide implications of increasing efficiencies, and effects on groundwater quality. Effects on erosion and the movement of pesticides are also considered. Physical changes to improve irrigation efficiency cannot be considered independently of the associated economic, social, legal, and institutional restraints. It is concluded that from a water quality viewpoint there is no reason to avoid increasing irrigation efficiency, but any such project should be analyzed thoroughly in advance to determine whether local circumstances warrant the improvements.
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References
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Suarez, D. L., and van Genuchten, M. Th., “Leaching and Water‐Type Effects on Ground‐Water Quality,” Journal of the Irrigation and Drainage Division, ASCE, Vol. 107, No. IR1, Proc. Paper 16119, Mar., 1981.
17.
Tanji, K. K., Biggar, J. W., Miller, R. J., Pruitt, W. O., and Horner, G. L., “Irrigation Tailwater Management,” Report EPA 600/52‐81‐034a, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Lab., Ada, Okla., 1981.
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19.
Willardson, L. S., “Basin‐Wide Impacts of Irrigation Efficiency,” Journal of Irrigation and Drainage, ASCE, Vol. 111, No. 1, Sept., 1985, pp. 241–246.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 111 • Issue 3 • September 1985
Pages: 191 - 198
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 ASCE.
History
Published online: Sep 1, 1985
Published in print: Sep 1985
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