Tile Drainage Performance Coachella Valley, California

The performance of tile drainage systems in a low desert area of high evapotranspiration is evaluated. Factors for use in empirical design equations are developed on the basis of quantity of tile installed and area drained. The tile drainage systems are being used as an efficient method of maintaining a good quality groundwater supply by removing the excess saline waters from the crop root zone. This is possible, generally, because the ground water reservoir of the area has become filled through the use of imported water, and, in some cases, artesian pressures have developed. Irrigation efficiencies have been found to be rather poor, but probably beneficial for maintaining good water quality in the ground-water basin.