Modelling seawater intrusion in the Burdekin Delta Irrigation Area,North Queensland,Australia

The Burdekin Delta is a major irrigation area situated in the dry tropics of North Queensland. It is unique in that (i) it overlies shallow groundwater systems that serve as a major water supply for the irrigation of sugarcane, and (ii) it is adjacent to the world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. Water management practices include large recharge pits and surface spreading of water to assist with replenishment of the groundwater. This has been useful in maintaining groundwater levels to help control seawater intrusion. This technique, however, can be costly and ineffective in unconfined aquifer systems, which are subjected to large amounts of groundwater pumping for irrigation. There are more than 1800 production bores currently used for irrigation in the Burdekin Delta and the large volumes of water extracted have at times lowered the regional water tables and made it difficult to control seawater intrusion.     

基于线性规划和MODFLOW耦合技术的人民胜利渠灌区水资源优化配置研究

【目的】确定人民胜利渠灌区合理的农业水资源优化配置方案,为灌区水资源管理和机井布置提供科学依据。【方法】针对人民胜利渠灌区水资源分配不合理及灌区生态环境恶化问题,按照灌区地形地貌、工程类型和灌溉水源特点将灌区分为Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ共3个计算单元,基于线性规划方法和MODFLOW地下水数值模型对灌区各计算单元进行不同水文年水资源优化配置,并模拟优化配置后地下水位动态变化。【结果】确定了不同水文年灌区的水资源优化配置方案:灌区计算单元Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ区不同水文年的井渠比例有所不同,平水年井渠比分别为1/3.14、1/3.25、1/2.92,丰水年分别为1/3.47、1/3.66、1/3.24,枯水年分别为1/2.75、1/2.77、1/2.60;平水年计算单元Ⅰ区模拟地下水埋深相比初始埋深下降0.01 m,水资源总量基本处于平衡状态;计算单元Ⅱ、Ⅲ区模拟地下水埋深相对于初始埋深分别上升了0.12、0.15 m;丰水年灌区计算单元Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ区模拟地下水埋深相比初始埋深分别上升了0.1、0.23、0.3 m;枯水年灌区计算单元Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ区模拟地下水埋深相比初始埋深分别下降了0.17、0.08、0.04 m。【结论】线性规划方法和MODFLOW地下水数值模型相结合能较好地模拟灌区地下水流场和预测地下水动态变化趋势,进而确定合理的水资源优化配置方案。     

Assessment of alternative water management options for irrigated agriculture

A simulation study on alternative water management strategies was carried out for Sirsa Irrigation Circle in Haryana, covering an area of about 4800 km². Results showed that crop evapotranspiration and soil salinity development under reduction in canal water supply and increase in groundwater use, are largely influenced by the amount and distribution of rainfall. Reduction in canal water supply by 25% during the rainy season is unlikely to have any adverse effect on the salinity development in the study area. Reduction in crop evapotranspiration due to decreased canal water supply can partly be compensated by the increase in groundwater use. Leaching of salts due to monsoon rains in the study area shows that groundwater of even relatively poor quality can be used for irrigation without excessive long-term build up of soil salinity under deep groundwater depth conditions. However, increased groundwater extraction without associated actions will not be very effective to solve the problem of rising groundwater levels.     

Importance of water consumption by perennial vegetation in irrigated areas of the humid tropics: evidence from Sri Lanka

In tropical, monsoon climates of South-East Asia, irrigation facilities supplement rain in the wet season and enable crops to be cultivated during the dry season. In the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka, 70% of the average annual rainfall of 1000 mm falls in a 3 month period. During the dry season, reference evapotranspiration has less rainfall — about 700 mm, indicating that much additional supply is meant to support crops, mainly paddy. In this climatic context, irrigation has dramatically changed the local environment, creating ecosystems quite similar to that of the wet zone to flourish. In these systems, recharge of shallow groundwater by percolation from irrigated fields, canals, and tanks, has provided a continuous supply of water for natural vegetation and homestead gardens. Much of the water used by this non-crop vegetation is beneficial. Growth of fruit and coconut trees can be quite profitable, while other trees enhance the environment.In 1998, IWMI performed a comprehensive water balance in the command area of the Kirindi Oya irrigation scheme, Sri Lanka, based on surface flow measurements, rainfall data, and estimation of crop water requirements. This water balance showed that evaporation consumed 78% of the total amount of water available for use. The amount of evaporation is split into process depletion (crops for 28%), direct evaporation from tanks (7%), inter-seasonal fallow (10%) and from non-crop vegetation for 55%.The main conclusion from this study is that perennial vegetation as the main component of non-crop vegetation, is a significant consideration in tropical humid environments in planning, management and performance assessment. Designers, managers, and researchers need to specifically incorporate the evaluation of evaporation by non-crop vegetation and perennial vegetation in their approach of water requirements. Further investigation is needed to estimate water consumption by land cover type to assess their respective beneficial use.     

Rising water table: A threat to sustainable agriculture in an irrigated semi-arid region of Haryana, India

The sustainability of the rice-wheat cropping system in an irrigated semi-arid area of Haryana State (India) is under threat due to the continuous rise in the poor quality groundwater table, which is caused by the geo-hydrological condition and poor irrigation water management. About 500,000 ha in the State are waterlogged and unproductive and the size of the waterlogged area is increasing. We analyse the hydrology and estimate seasonal net groundwater recharge in the study area. Rainfall is quite variable, particularly in the monsoon season, and the mean monthly reference evapotranspiration shows a high inter-annual variation, with values between 2.45 and 8.47 mm/day in December and May. Groundwater recharge analysis during the study period (1989-2008) reveals that percolation from irrigated fields is the main recharge component with 57% contribution to the total recharge. An annual groundwater table rise of 0.137 m has been estimated for the study area. As the water table has been rising continuously, suitable water management strategies such as increasing groundwater abstraction by installing more tubewells, using the groundwater conjunctively with good quality canal water, changes in cropping patterns, adoption of salt tolerant crops, changes in water-pricing policy, and matching water supply more closely with demand, are suggested to bring the water table down to a safe limit and to prevent further rising of the water table.     

Analysis of groundwater behaviour in a farmer controlled subsurface tile drainage system in Mardan, Pakistan

Extensive subsurface drainage system was installed in districtMardan in the North West Frontier Provinceof Pakistan in 1987 to control increasingwater logging and salinity problems due tocanal irrigation. Several recentlycompleted fields studies have indicatedthat subsurface drainage system hasenormously lowered watertable in certainareas due to extensive drainage network. Therefore, a study of controlled subsurfacedrainage technique was initiated in MardanScarp area to observe the temporal andspatial variations in water table depths ofthis specific case under various modes ofcanal irrigation and monsoon rains. Twoartificially drained areas, consisting of40 ha and 160 ha respectively, werecontrolled and selected for extensivemonitoring. A total of 98 observationswells (7.6 cm dia. and 4.1 m depth) wereinstalled in between lateral drains toobserve water table fluctuation. Theresults of this study are very interesting.Each of the two areas monitored in thestudy behaved differently. It was observedthat in one of the areas design water tabledepth at 1.1 m was maintained with properfunctioning of the controlled techniqueapplied to the subsurface drainage system. The results from this area showed that 25to 55% of the time throughout the yearachieved this objective whereas in thesecond area desired water table could notbe maintained and water table depth in thisarea remained between 2.0 to 2.7 m causingunnecessary water stress to plants. Alsoit was observed that watertable in theformer area is mostly controlled by thefunctional behavior of the irrigationcanal. In addition, the proper functioningof controlled techniques in subsurfacedrainage system supplemented veryefficiently to retain the groundwater levelto the optimal limits in dry season and tothe design ones in the others for timelyneeds of the crops. Also rainfalls havesignificant impact on the spatial andtemporal behaviors of water table depths inboth the areas during the monsoon season.     

Groundwater uptake and sustainability of Acacia and Prosopis plantations in Southern Pakistan

Farm woodlots or plantations of salt tolerant trees may provide an economic use or reclamation treatment for salt-affected farmland within the irrigation regions of the Indus Valley, but the hydrological impact and sustainability of such plantations are unknown. Detailed measurements of plantation water use, watertable depth and soil conditions were recorded over 2 years in two small plantations with contrasting soil and groundwater salinity at Tando Jam in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The species monitored were Acacia nilotica, A. ampliceps and Prosopis pallida. Annual water use by 3- to 5-year old A. nilotica was 1248 mm on the severely saline site and 2225 mm on the mildly saline site. Water use by the other species was less than 25% of these rates, but this difference is largely explained by their lower density in terms of sapwood area per hectare. Water use by A. nilotica was considerably greater than annual rainfall, implying uptake of groundwater which was confirmed both by piezometric observations and chloride balance modelling to predict vertical water movement through the root zone. Plantation watertables fell from 1.7 m below surface in March to over 2.9 m in September, then rose again during irrigation of the surrounding farmland. Root zone salt concentrations remained high at the more saline site throughout the monitoring period, but at the less saline site there was evidence of increasing root zone salinity as salt accumulated in areas of the profile subject to root water uptake. Salt concentration in the upper profile decreased as the soil dried and water was absorbed from greater depth. Plantations using saline groundwater may be sustainable if occasional leaching and other salt-removing processes are sufficient to maintain root zone salinity at a level which does not excessively reduce tree growth.     

Modelling the effects of climate variability and water management on crop water productivity and water balance in the North China Plain

In the North China Plain (NCP), while irrigation using groundwater has maintained a high-level crop productivity of the wheat-maize double cropping systems, it has resulted in rapid depletion of groundwater table. For more efficient and sustainable utilization of the limited water resources, improved understanding of how crop productivity and water balance components respond to climate variations and irrigation is essential. This paper investigates such responses using a modelling approach. The farming systems model APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator) was first calibrated and validated using 3 years of experimental data. The validated model was then applied to simulate crop yield and field water balance of the wheat-maize rotation in the NCP. Simulated dryland crop yield ranged from 0 to 4.5 t ha⁻¹ for wheat and 0 to 5.0 t ha⁻¹ for maize. Increasing irrigation amount led to increased crop yield, but irrigation required to obtain maximum water productivity (WP) was much less than that required to obtain maximum crop yield. To meet crop water demand, a wide range of irrigation water supply would be needed due to the inter-annual climate variations. The range was simulated to be 140-420 mm for wheat, and 0-170 mm for maize. Such levels of irrigation applications could potentially lead to about 1.5 m year⁻¹ decline in groundwater table when other sources of groundwater recharge were not considered. To achieve maximum WP, one, two and three irrigations (i.e., 70, 150 and 200 mm season⁻¹) were recommended for wheat in wet, medium and dry seasons, respectively. For maize, one irrigation and two irrigations (i.e., 60 and 110 mm season⁻¹) were recommended in medium and dry seasons, while no irrigation was needed in wet season.     

A model for conjunctive use of groundwater and surface waters for control of irrigation salinity

Changes in the hydrologic balance in many irrigation areas, including those in the Murray Basin, Australia, have resulted in high watertables and salinity problems. However, where suitable aquifers exist, groundwater pumping and subsequent irrigation application after mixing with surface waters (referred to as conjunctive water use) can control salinity and watertable depth and improve productivity of degraded land. In order to assess where conjunctive water use will successfully control salinity, it is necessary to estimate the effects of pumped groundwater salinity on rootzone salinity. A simple steady rate model is derived for this purpose from mass conservation of salt and water. The model enables an estimate to be made of rootzone salinity for any particular salinity level of the groundwater being used in conjunction with surface water; this enables calculation of the required crop salt tolerance to prevent yield reductions. The most important input parameters for the model are groundwater salinity, the annual depth of class A pan evaporation, the annual depth of rainfall, the salinity of irrigation water, and a leaching parameter. For model parameters nominated in this paper, where groundwater salinity reaches 5 dS/m a crop threshold salt tolerance greater than 1.6 dS/m is required to avoid yield reductions. Where groundwater salinity approaches 10 dS/m, a crop threshold tolerance of 3 dS/m is required. Whilst the model derived indicates that rootzone salinity is sensitive to groundwater salinity, rootzone salinity is insensitive to leaching for leaching fractions commonly encountered (0.1 to 0.4). The insensitivity to leaching means that it could be expected that similar yields could be attained on heavy or light textured soils. This insensitivity also implies that there is no yield penalty from increasing the mass of pumped salt by pumping to achieve maximum watertable control in addition to leaching. The model developed is also used to estimate yield reductions expected under conjunctive use, for any particular levels of groundwater salinity and crop salt tolerance.     

Estimates of deep percolation beneath cotton in the Macquarie Valley

Expansion of flood irrigation in the Lower Macquarie Valley of New South Wales, Australia, has been suggested as a major cause of increased groundwater recharge. The aim of this study was to estimate deep percolation under irrigation on two soils in the valley, in order to infer groundwater recharge. Three methods were used; water balance, Darcian flux calculations and chloride mass balance modelling. Chloride mass balance modelling and the water balance method gave comparable estimates of deep percolation for each soil. Chloride mass balance modelling was identified as the most reliable method for estimating deep percolation, but only gave an estimate for the entire growing season. These estimates were 214 and 104 mm for a cracking clay and red brown earth, respectively. While there is potentially greater error associated with estimates obtained using the water balance, this technique provided estimates of deep percolation for each individual irrigation. Results of the water balance indicated that deep percolation was greatest early in the growing season, following initial wetting of the soil, when the crop had a low leaf area index. Results calculated using Darcian flux equations were highly variable, and were therefore unreliable estimates of deep percolation. Groundwater recharge, inferred from estimates of deep percolation determined with the chloride mass balance model, was used to estimate the magnitude of potential annual groundwater rise. The potential groundwater rise during the 1992/1993 cotton growing season ranged from 465 mm beneath the cracking clay to 267 mm under the red brown earth. It is suggested that groundwater recharge and rise were highly dependent on the weather conditions prevailing during this period. Received: 24 January 1997     

Assessment of irrigation and environmental quality at the hydrological basin level: I. Irrigation quality

Irrigated agriculture notably increases crop productivity, but consumes high volumes of water and may induce off-site pollution of receiving water bodies. The objectives of this paper were to diagnose the quality of irrigation and to prescribe recommendations aimed at improving irrigation management and reducing the off-site pollution from a 15,500 ha irrigation district located in the Ebro River Basin (Spain). Three hydrological basins were selected within the district where the main inputs (irrigation, precipitation, and groundwater inflows) and outputs (actual crop's evapotranspiration, surface drainage outflows, and groundwater outflows) of water were measured or estimated during a hydrological year. The highest volume of water (I = 1400 mm/year) was applied in the basin with highly permeable, low water retention, flood irrigated soils where 81% of the total surface was planted with alfalfa and corn. This basin had the lowest consumptive water use efficiency (CWUE = 45%), the highest water deficit (WD = 5%) and the highest drainage fraction (DF = 57%). In contrast, the lowest I (950 mm/year), the highest CWUE (62%), and the lowest WD (2%) and DF (37%) were obtained in the basin with 60% of the surface covered with deep, high water retention, alluvial valley soils, where 39% of the cultivated surface is sprinkler irrigated and with only 48% of the surface planted with alfalfa and corn. We concluded that the three most important variables determining the quality of irrigation and the volume of irrigation return flows in the studied basins were (i) soil characteristics, (ii) irrigation management and irrigation system, and (iii) crop water requirements. Therefore, the critical recommendations for improving the quality of irrigation are to (i) increase the efficiency of flood-irrigation, (ii) change to pressurized systems in the shallow and highly permeable soils, and (iii) reuse of drainage water for irrigation within the district. These management strategies will conserve water of high quality in the main reservoir and will decrease the crop water deficits and the volume of irrigation return flows, therefore, minimizing the off-site pollution from this irrigation district.     

黄土高原不同水平年旱涝时空分布特征分析

全球气候变暖大背景下,黄土高原总体呈现暖干化趋势,未来干旱还可能会加剧。为了全面了解黄土高原旱涝时空变化特征,为黄土高原应对旱涝灾害提供决策依据,根据黄土高原及周边263个气象站的降水数据划分降水水平年,以标准化降水指数（SPI）为指标,分析了黄土高原地区不同水平年年际及年内旱涝特征。结果显示,黄土高原在丰、平、枯水年均有不同程度的干旱发生。丰水年黄土高原干旱面积占5.7%,雨涝面积占40.9%;平水年干旱面积占12.7%,雨涝面积占19.3%;枯水年干旱面积占44.4%,雨涝面积占17.9%。不同水平年的干旱区域存在差异。不同水平年内春旱较重,丰水年和平水年雨季开始后干旱逐渐缓解,枯水年雨季不能有效缓解春季以来的干旱,且秋涝明显,各水平年年内干旱的时空分布存在显著差异。不同水平年年际和年内旱涝差异大且变化频繁,为了确保黄土高原农业生产旱涝保收,应合理布设小型水利工程与田间灌溉设施。      

Management of declining groundwater in the Trans Indo-Gangetic Plain (India): Some options

The average productivity of rice–wheat sequence is quite impressive in the Trans Indo-Gangetic Plain (India) but these gains are over-shadowed due to declining groundwater, particularly in the areas, where groundwater quality is either good or marginal. The groundwater decline can be reversed through artificial groundwater recharge and by adopting suitable land and water management practices. Groundwater recharge is found technically feasible through vertical shafts conducting water from the ground surface directly to aquifers, after it has been passed through a sand-gravel filter. The recharge rate through this system is almost equal to a shallow cavity/filter well yield (about 11 l/s) and its cost is estimated at about INR 10/100 m³ (1 US$ = 45 INR). Further study in the Kaithal and Karnal districts of Haryana for stabilizing watertable within 6–7 m, which permits continuous use of shallow tubewell technology, indicated that the rice area could be supported at 60% of cultivable command area (CCA) and wheat between 65 and 80% of CCA with the existing management practices. The cultivation of wheat crop is sustainable in larger area, mainly due to its medium water requirement, salt resistance characteristics and consistent market demand resulting in assured returns. There is a possibility of supporting rice at a higher level, if part of the area (up to 10%) is left fallow and used for rainwater conservation and recharge. The fallow area may be subsequently put under early rabi (winter) crops like mustard, gram and other pulses. The effect of varying irrigation and fallowing would increase 23% equivalent wheat yield by changing land and water management practices. The analysis further indicated that the adoption of proposed irrigation management practices might stabilize watertable at desired level of 6–7 m in 10–15 years in high (3–4 m), 5 years in medium (5–10 m) and 40 years in deep (>10 m) watertable areas.     

农业节水措施对地下水涵养的作用及其敏感性分析

以北京市大兴区为研究区,利用经校验的水平衡模型,通过调整灌溉满足率和灌溉水利用系数,探讨了不同农业节水措施对增加地下水补给量和减少地下水开采量的作用及其敏感性。结果表明,不同水文年型下,降低灌溉满足率及提高灌溉水利用系数都能减少地下水开采量,且降低灌溉满足率对减少地下净开采量的作用更为显著,有利于区域地下水涵养。在参数取值范围内,地下水净开采量对灌溉满足率的敏感性较大,而地下水补给量对灌溉水利用系数的敏感性较高。与提高灌溉水利用系数相比,对资源性缺水区域,采用先进节水技术,适度降低区域灌溉满足率,对促进水资源持续有效利用及加大地下水涵养具有更显著的效果。     

Potential productivity and water requirements of maize-peanut rotations in Australian semi-arid tropical environments—A crop simulation study

The growing demand for maize (Zea mays L.) in intensive livestock and other industries has opened up fresh opportunities for further expansion of the maize industry in Australia, which could be targeted in relatively water rich semi-arid tropical (SAT) regions of the country. This crop simulation study assessed the potential productivity and water requirements of maize peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rotations for the SAT climatic zone of Australia using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model. APSIM was configured to simulate maize (Pioneer hybrid 3153) either in the dry (May-October) or wet season (November-April) and peanut (cv. Conder) in the following season for three soils found at Katherine (14.48°S, 132.25°E) from 1957 to 2008. The simulated mean total yield potential of the dry season maize and wet season peanut (DMWP) rotation (15-19.2 t/ha) was about 28% greater than the wet season maize-dry season peanut (WMDP) rotation because of the higher yield potential of maize in the dry season compared to in the wet season. These high yields in the DMWP rotation have been achieved commercially. The overall simulated irrigation water requirement for both rotations, which varied from 11.5 to 13.8 ML/ha on different soils, was similar. The DMWP rotation had 21% higher water use efficiency. Similar yield and water use efficiency advantages of the DMWP rotation were apparent for eight other agriculturally important locations in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland. The simulations for Katherine also suggested that the irrigation requirement of the two rotations could increase by 17.5% in El-Nino years compared to La-Nina years for only a small gain in yield, which has implications for climate change scenarios.     

Combining remotely sensed surface energy fluxes and GIS analysis of groundwater parameters for irrigation system assessment

Despite being necessary for effective water management, the assessment of an irrigation system requires a large amount of input data for the estimation of related parameters and indicators, which are seldom measured in a regular and reliable manner. In this work, spatially distributed surface energy balance fluxes and geographical information systems analysis of multiple groundwater parameters were used to estimate water availability, supply, and demand, in order to calculate water-accounting indicators. This methodology was used to evaluate the performance of an irrigation system in the Pinios river basin (Greece) at two selected years of high and low water availability. Time series of archived satellite images and groundwater measurements have been used for past years to support comparative analyses, due to the limited availability of actual water measurements. The resulting maps from the proposed methodology show that the performance of the irrigation system varied across space and time due to differences in its characteristics and changes in its operation, driven by fluctuation of water availability and the response of stakeholders to water depletion. Irrigation districts with unsustainable water management were identified and, together with those with slow and/or limited groundwater recharge, were brought to the attention of water managers. The observed differences in the system operation between the wet and dry years were attributed not only to the hydrological conditions of each year, but also to the changing behaviour of farmers and the improvement actions of the water managers.     

大安灌区地下水动态特征及灌区实施后的生态环境响应

针对大安灌区存在的水资源短缺、土地退化以及新一轮土地整理可能带来的生态环境问题,在广泛收集该区多年地下水动态资料的基础上,进行了地下水动态特征分析,运用GM（1,1）模型预测了水位埋深。为分析灌区实施后对生态环境的影响,分别计算了灌区建成后引起的地下水位变化回渗量、地下水位上升值,得出了大安灌区水位最高上升1.11m,小于该区地下水位年变幅3.5m,采用计算的水位埋深进行了次生盐碱化发生的可能性分析。     

Standard precipitation index to track drought and assess impact of rainfall on watertables in irrigation areas

The Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) is employed to track drought and assess the impact of rainfall on shallow groundwater levels in three selected irrigation areas of the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia. The continuous SPI method can provide better means of quantifying rainfall variability and correlating it with changes of shallow watertable levels since it is based on continuous statistical functions comparing rainfall variability over the entire rainfall record. Drought analysis in the Australian irrigation areas using SPI indicates that the recent 2000–2006 drought is not the worst drought that has occurred in the recorded history, however if the current low rainfall pattern continues, it would be one of the most prolonged drought. The shallow groundwater fluctuations in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area show a very strong correlation with winter rainfall variation. The shallow piezometric levels in the Coleambally Irrigation Area show a weaker degree of correlation with the SPI due to local and regional groundwater dynamics and changes in rice water use. The groundwater levels in the Murray Irrigation Area show least correlation with the SPI, which may be attributed to improved irrigation management practices and complex nature of the groundwater recharge and discharge processes in this area. The overall results however show that the SPI correlates well with fluctuations in shallow ground water table in irrigation areas, and can also capture major drought patterns in Australia. The correlation of SPI with groundwater levels can be adopted for environmental reporting and used as a method of relating climatic impacts on watertables. Differences in piezometric response between years with similar winter and yearly SPI values can be attributed to improvement in irrigators’ management practices.     

Irrigation water distribution and long-term effects on crop and environment

The response of three water delivery schedules, representing various levels of flexibility, on crop production, water saving, soil salinization, drainage volumes and watertable behavior was examined. A physical-based transient soil water and solute transfer model, Soil–Water–Atmosphere–Plant (SWAP), was used as a tool. The evaluations were made for un-restricted and restricted water supply situations considering three different watertable conditions prevailing in the fourth drainage project (FDP) of the Punjab, Pakistan. From the simulation results it is apparent that on average the effect of irrigation schedule flexibility on crop yields is not very significant. However, compared to a fixed schedule provided un-restricted canal water supplies are available, the productivity of irrigation water supply (Y_act/I_rr), is up to 30% higher for the on-demand schedule. The on-demand schedule capable of complying with the temporal variations in climate is also more effective in water saving, reducing drainage volumes and controlling rising watertables if farmers follow guidelines and do not over-irrigate. In the present water deficient environment of the Indus basin, the benefits of the on-demand schedule and a fixed schedule are comparable. In the absence of sufficient canal water supplies, infrastructure and a well-designed and effective monitoring and communication system, moving towards the on-demand system will be un-productive. For the long-term sustainability of the irrigation system, improvements in the performance of the present water allocations and on-farm water management practices seems to be more necessary.     

井渠结合灌区地下水开采方案设计研究——以泾慧渠灌区试验区为例

首先根据泾惠渠灌区试验区近60a的气象、土壤资料,利用CROPWAT模型计算区域冬小麦、玉米、棉花的灌溉需水量。根据研究区需水、供水之间的关系以及渠井适宜比理论提出3种地下水开采方案。在试验区水文地质条件的基础上,运用Visual Modflow软件建立了地下水流数值模型,并从地下水合理埋深、丰枯季地下水量构成等角度,对不同开采方案下的地下水动态变化进行了分析和验证。结果表明:通过对未来年地下水位的预测可知,3种开采方案下的地下水埋深都在合理的埋深范围内;对比分析发现第2种方案的地下水开采所引起的降深适中,开采量有可靠的补给保证,并在丰枯两季形成动态调整,为最优方案。该研究为今后试验区地下水的合理开采提供了科学依据。