Research Needs in Irrigation and Drainage—1989

The spatial applicability of current irrigation and drainage research, technological advancements, and institutional problems provide new research opportunities. The following is a research needs list developed by the administrative and technical committees of the Irrigation and Drainage Division of the ASCE. The categories include water conveyance and control, plant water requirements, water quality, groundwater, surface water, and weather modification. Priority of these potential research areas is left to the reader; however, two critical topics must be emphasized. The quality of water (surface and ground) is of major concern from all segments of the population. Multidisciplinary programs must be developed to. improve the measurement and modeling of chemical movement from the vadose zone to aquifer systems, evaluation of risk of human exposure to contaminated water, etc. Declining water supplies and competition from other uses will probably reduce the level of irrigated agriculture in the western United States. Improved, more economically viable management practices and alternatives must be developed that consider the social, political, and environmental organizations which are increasingly more involved in water resources management.