Course Title: Design of Irrigation Structures Course Code: IDE-732
CHAPTER TWO: Irrigation systems
by
Dr. Ayano H.G.
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering
Arba Minch Water Technology Institute, Ethiopia
Email: ayanohirbo@[Link] and [Link]@[Link]
Contents
Aim: To provide background information of understanding about
irrigation systems, components and managements systems
2.1. Introduction to Irrigation systems
[Link] in Irrigation systems
2.3. Management of water conveyance and distribution systems
2.1. Introduction to Irrigation systems
Aim to divert water, conveys, distribute and
applies it within the field at optimal manner
to reach crop water requirement to ensure
improvement of agricultural production.
They are manmade facilities and also include
drainage networks
Irrigation networks/system consists of all
infrastructures supports the aim of irrigation
systems.
Headwork facility can be a diversion weir,
dam, pumping station that divert water from
the sources to the conveyance system to
transports it to the required delivery point.
This delivery point can be a secondary or
tertiary off-take or turnout.
Cont.….
At delivery point the water
will be divided and distributed
to the various parts of the
network via a distribution
system.
The water then will be applied
to the fields (crops) using field
irrigation methods.
Cont.…
Irrigation Areas:
To ease of management and operation and design,
irrigation areas are divided into units of various sizes
Field units: The smallest areas within the
irrigation system being irrigated. It is an individual
farm plot which receives water by field inlet or
turnout.
Quaternary unit: It is an area to which water is
supplied to a group of water users of farmers via a
common inlet point.
Tertiary unit: It is an area unit which consists of a
couple of quaternary units or fields.
Secondary unit: It is an area consisting of two or
more tertiary units and receive water from a
secondary off-take point.
Irrigation area (Command area): is the total area
of the irrigation scheme. It consists of two or more
secondary units and the total area receives water
from the headwork.
2.2. Structures in Irrigation Systems
In Irrigation systems can be categorized in to
two based on energy types used for water
conveyance, distribution and application.
Gravity systems: water is conveyed in open
channels under gravity influence.
Gravity irrigation systems majorly consist
infrastructures such as; Open canals and
Control structures.
Pressurized systems: Water is conveyed and
applied via a closed conduit (pipe) under
pressure.
Combined systems: Water might be
conveyed in some convenient part by gravity
and when it is required to lift it to a higher
elevation canal, a pump can be used.
Cont.…
The flow control structures in gravity irrigation
systems includes:
Head works: Diversion weir, barrage, dam,
pumping station and intake
Conveyance structures: Drops, culverts,
aqueducts, chute, flume, inverted siphon
Regulating structures: Discharge regulator, water
level regulator, division work, check
Measuring structure: Broad, sharp, short-crested
weirs, V-notch weir, Parshall and RBC flumes,
Romijn
Protective structures: Over chute, spillway, waste
way, side drainage, stilling basin
Off-take structures: Tertiary off-take, secondary
of-take, turnout
Miscellaneous structures: Culvert, sand traps,
roads, drainage structures, trash racks
2.3. Management of irrigation systems
2.3.1. Management of water
conveyance, distribution and
application systems:
Three management levels in irrigation
networks.
1) Main level: Facilities for water
acquisition and conveyance being
managed by irrigation agencies.
2) Off-farm level: Facilities for water
distribution at off-takes being managed
by a group of farmers (water users).
3) Field level: Facilities for application of
water to the individual plots and is
managed by the individual farmer
(irrigator).
Cont..
Proper and adequate management of irrigation systems are need for effective and efficient
performance of irrigation systems.
Generally categorized in to two management (operation) levels in most irrigations systems:
1) Main system: Consists of the systems for water conveyance and delivery.
It is under the management of the irrigation authority or agency.
The development of the physical irrigation infrastructure and strategies of water
delivery.
They are responsible for maintenance and operation of the system above a tertiary off-
take.
2) Tertiary system: Consists the systems for the water distribution within the tertiary units to
the quaternary canals and individual farm plots.
It is under the management of a group of water users or water users’ association(WUA).
They manage water distribution and responsible also for the maintenance of the water
distribution infrastructure within a tertiary unit.
Cont.….
2.3.2. Managements of water delivery aspects :
The two most important parameters which needs optimization:
1) Amount of water delivery (q)
2) Duration of water delivery (t)
Objective function: Creating water delivery and distribution system
to deliver water adequately, efficiently and reliably to the users there
by improving production.
Q1) What is technical indication of adequacy, efficiency and reliably in
irrigation systems performances?
Cont.…
The delivery schedules highly depend on the field
irrigation methods and field irrigation
requirement.
Water delivery system is supposed to deliver a
certain volume of water sufficient
Volume (V) = flow rate (q) * duration of delivery (t)
The water supply (delivery) can be:
Constant flow rate, q
Constant duration, t
Variable flow rate and duration
N.B: In all the cases the system should deliver the
required water that can sustain the field crops
within the irrigation interval (T).
Cont.…
Major water supply flow types in irrigation systems:
Rotational flow:
Water is supplied by turn (rotation) to the required off-take point or users.
It can be in the main system (secondary off-takes and tertiary off-takes) or
It can be within the tertiary unit to individual farmers.
Continuous flow:
Flow occurs continuously to a certain off-take during the irrigation season.
The flow can be adjustable or constant continuous flow.
It is difficult to manage and maintain in small farms as the required flow is too small.
N.B: The water supply to the water users can be either demand-oriented
(actual demand of the tertiary units) or supply-oriented (water availability or
the capacity of the physical infrastructure).
Cont.…
Water delivery methods:
Three basic parameters in establishing the
water delivery methods and operational
objectives of main irrigation system .
1. Decision making procedure on water
allocation to the tertiary units
2. Method of water allocation to the
tertiary unit: how the water is going
to be allocated to the tertiary unit
3. Method of water distribution through
the main system: how the water is
distributed through the main system.
Cont.…
Flow control systems in main irrigation systems
The structures to maintain the irrigation system in the desired state
It control the flows in the canal system to meet the required level of irrigation
water requirement.
Regulate the state of the canal such as the water level regulators and
discharge regulators.
Flow rates are controlled indirectly by water level control.
The most common flow control systems can be classified into three:
1) Proportional control
2) Upstream control
3) Downstream control
Cont.…
1) Proportional control: 1)
Water will be divided and distributed
according to a fixed ratio.
Simple in construction and operation
Requires un-gated proportional flow
division structures
2) Upstream control: 2)
Target water levels are set at upstream
of the water level control structures.
Require active regulation of structures.
Manual operating, electro-mechanical
and hydro-mechanical regulation
structures
3) Downstream control: 3)
It keep a constant water level at the
downstream of the structure
Cont.….
N.B: Methods of water
delivery determine the
flow control methods,
structures and their
operation.
Cont.…
Q2) Review ancient to current available flow controlling structures in main irrigation
systems and try to suggest at end the best and preferred structure in case of each flow
controlling systems such as proportional, upstream and downstream control currently?.
Contents
Title: Critical review on global existing flow controlling systems in irrigation systems
Introduction: Background information about flow control systems (Technical meaning,
existing types, users worldwide)
Limitation:
Existing flow controlling structures merits and demerits
Conclusion and recommendation
Short summery which depicts the best preferred flow control structure on existing flow
controlling for each flow control systems such as proportional, upstream and downstream
control.
References
Thanks!