Development of Irrigation Water Allocation Model Considering Gate Operator Density, in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

Water management with appropriate gate operation is needed for irrigation areas where water shortages are serious. In this study, the irrigation water distributions of two irrigation projects in Northeast Thailand were analyzed and the efficiencies of water use were simulated from one day to 2 weeks. The efficiency of water distribution was calculated by using a hydraulic model under the operating schedule generated from human factors. Hydraulic structures such as a constant head orifice and spillway were included in the hydraulic model by using one-dimensional movement equations and continuity equations. The parameters of human factors were estimated from the measured data such as the gate operator density and water depth management. From the results, in the medium discharge, gate operation delays within two hours caused the error of water distribution within 5 %. However, if the gate operators operated the gates to the ideal opening height regularly every day, the error was within 5 % even in the actual density. In the high discharge, an overflow was caused regardless of gate operators density, the error of water distribution to the downstream was over 10 %