Canal Banks Research Articles

Experimental Study on the Effect of Flow Velocity and Slope on Stream Bank Stability (Part I)

The erosion of riverbanks is a significant and capricious national concern. The Al Muwahada channel in Iraq experiences instability in its banks, resulting in failure, retreat, and morphological alterations. These issues are mostly caused by factors such as the velocity of the flow, the angle of the slope, and type of soil. This study investigated the behavior of canal bank soil in response to erosion and variations in slope angle. Therefore, a physical model of a case study was established in the laboratory. Additionally, a slope angle of 26˚ is being utilized, which has not been previously studied in the laboratory. This angle will be tested with five different velocity values: 0.101 m/s, 0.116 m/s, 0.12 m/s, 0.13 m/s, and 0.135 m/s. The bank's deformation was measured for a period of 12 hours, which was divided into 4 equal intervals for each velocity. The study determined that a riverbank with a slope of 26˚ is more resistant to erosion when the velocity of the water is below 0.12 m/s. Velocities equal to or greater than 0.12 m/s have a substantial impact on the erosion of the riverbed. According to this study, a velocity of 0.12 m/s or higher leads to increased erosion of the riverbank. This is equivalent to a velocity of 0.804 m/s in the prototype channel. The section of the riverbank that has suffered the greatest damage due to erosion is the upper two-thirds. The used methodology supports global efforts to increase information about the behavior of river banks with unexplored rivers that have different flow velocities and bank slope angles. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-08-013 Full Text: PDF

Impact of automobile exhaust on biochemical and genomorphic characteristics of Mimusops elengi L. growing along roadsides of Lahore city, Pakistan

Automobile exhaust releases different types of pollutants that are at great risk to the air quality of the environment and incidental distress to the nature of roadside plants. Mimusops elengi L. is an evergreen medicinal tree cultivated along the roadside of Lahore City. This research aimed to investigate physiological, morphological and genomorphic characteristics of M. elengi under the influence of air pollution from vehicles. Healthy and mature leaves were collected from trees on Canal Bank and Mall roads of Lahore as the experimental sites and control sites were 20 km away from the experimental site. Different physiochemical, morphological, air pollution tolerance index (APTI) and molecular analysis for the detection of DNA damage were performed through comet assay. The results demonstrated the mean accumulated Cd, Pb, Cu and Ni heavy metal contents on the leaves were higher than the control plants (1.27, 3.22, 1.32 and 1.46 μg mg−1). APTI of trees was 9.04. Trees in these roads significantly (p < 0.01) had a lower leaf area, petiole length and leaf dry matter content in comparison to control site. Increased comet tail showed that DNA damage was higher for roadside trees than trees in the control area. For tolerance of air pollution, it necessary to check the APTI value for the M. elengi at the polluted road side of Lahore city. For long-term screening, the source and type of pollutants and consistent monitoring of various responses given by the trees should be known.

Environmental risk assessment related to using resource recovery-based bio-composite materials in the aquatic environment with new laboratory leaching test data.

The concept of circular economy, aiming at increasing the sustainability of products and services in the water and other sectors, is gaining momentum worldwide. Driven by this concept, novel bio-composite materials produced by recovering resources from different parts of the water cycle are now manufactured in The Netherlands. The new materials are used for different products such as canal bank protection elements, as an alternative to similar elements made of hardwood. As much as these new materials are appealing from the sustainability point of view, they may leach toxic substances into the aquatic environment given some of their ingredients, e.g., cellulose recovered from wastewater treatment. Therefore, a methodology for the assessment of related environmental risks is needed and it does not exist currently. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by presenting a framework for this. The framework is based on European environmental risk assessment guidelines, and it includes four key steps: (i) hazard identification, (ii) dose-response modelling, (iii) exposure assessment and (iv) risk characterisation (i.e. assessment). As part of the first step, laboratory leaching tests were carried out to evaluate the potential release of specific chemical substances such as heavy metals and resin compounds into the aquatic environment. Laboratory test results were then used as input data to evaluate the risk of potential leaching from canal bank protection elements into surface water. A deterministic model was used first to identify the chemicals exceeding the guideline threshold. Subsequently, a stochastic model was applied to evaluate the environmental risks across a range of leachate concentrations and water velocities in the canal, thereby simulating a broader spectrum of possible situations. The risk analyses were conducted for four alternative bio-composite materials made of different ingredients, two different flow conditions (stagnant water and advective flow) in two types of canals (wide ditch and primary watercourse) and for two different water levels based on season conditions (summer and winter conditions). The results obtained from leaching tests identified Cu, Mn, Zn, styrene and furfuryl alcohol as potentially troublesome chemicals. In the case of stagnant water, the absence of a flow rate increases the residence time of the chemicals in the surface water, resulting in a higher PEC/PNEC (i.e. risk) value. However, under stagnant case conditions, environmental risks for all chemicals considered turned out to be below the safety threshold. In the advective case, the existence of a flow rate, even at low velocities simulating the conditions of 'almost no flow,' contributes to increased dilution, resulting in lower PEC/PNEC ratio values. The results presented here, even though representing real-case scenarios, are only indicative as these are based on laboratory leaching tests and a number of assumptions made. Additional field tests involving collecting and analysing water and sediment samples from the canal where the canal bank protection elements are located, over a prolonged period, are required to come up with more conclusive findings.

Numerical study of roll wave development for non-uniform initial conditions using steep slope shallow water equations

Periodic shock waves of roll waves may cause the flow to jump over the canal bank, increase soil erosion, and enhance the destructive power of debris flow. This paper focuses on the spatiotemporal changes in waveform, velocity, discharge, shear stress, and Froude number during the development process of roll waves, taking the non-uniform flow as the initial condition. This work studied numerically the influence mechanism of different variables on the development process of roll waves based on steep slope shallow water equations. The roll wave is unstable when the disturbance amplitude is too large. By reducing the inlet velocity, increasing the disturbance wavelength, and reducing the roughness coefficient, it can make the roll wave stable. Reducing the inlet velocity not only reduces the frequency of the shock wave but also keeps the wave crest from rising. Under different boundary conditions of disturbance amplitude, the crest growth rate (crest water depth difference/crest distance difference) of the roll wave development segment at a certain time is almost consistent. For different initial water depths, there is overlap in the roll wave development segment at a certain time. Under the initial condition of non-uniform flow, the congestion at the inlet means that the initial water depth is less than the normal water depth, and the decline of the water depth at the inlet means that the initial water depth is greater than the uniform water depth.

Numerical Simulation of the Structural Performance of Ecological Toughness of Canal Bank Slopes and Its Influence Law Study

Numerical Simulation of the Structural Performance of Ecological Toughness of Canal Bank Slopes and Its Influence Law Study

Numerical modelling of Energy Quay Walls to assess their thermal be-haviour

The use of the subsurface as a heating and cooling source through shallow geothermal installations has increased in the last decades [10]. So-called Energy Geostructures (EGs) represent a more innovative technology, serving the dual purpose of providing structural support to the ground/building and exchanging heat with the ground [2]. EGs can serve the purposes of several energy applications: they can be coupled with ground source heat pumps to provide space heating and cooling as well as domestic hot water.&#x0D; Energy sheet pile walls (ESPs) are a novel type of EG consisting of sheet pile walls equipped with steel pipe heat exchangers. When they are used to support the banks of canals or in port docks, they allow extraction of thermal energy from both soil and water [12]. The latter are called Energy quay walls (EQW) and are currently experimented at selected sites along canals in the Netherlands [7]. The energy efficiency of EQWs is expected to be influenced by the undisturbed ground temperature profile, ground thermal conductivity and thermal capacity, and operational and construction parameters [8] [9]. However, due to the lack of standard methods for the design of EQWs, further studies are needed to fully understand both their thermal and thermo-mechanical behaviour [1]. Based on the data collected from an EQW test field installed in Delft (NL) (Figure 1(a)), a Finite Element (FE) numerical model was developed for the accurate 3D analysis of the heat exchange phenomena taking place in the EQW.&#x0D; The EQW test site is characterized by two different heat exchanger types: the first one reaches 3 m depth and is aimed at exchanging heat mostly with the canal water. The second one has a depth of 15 m and exchanges heat with both water and soil. A monitoring system was installed composed by a total of 56 thermistors, 20 thermowells and 5 flowmeters to measure respectively the soil and canal water temperature, the heat exchanger fluid temperature and the flow velocity of both heat exchanger fluid and canal water. Different thermal activation combinations of deep and shallow loops were tested to assess the EQW thermal behaviour and the induced temperature changes into the soil [5].&#x0D; To analyse in detail the EQW thermal performance, the FE numerical model was built with the COMSOL Multiphysics software. The considered heat exchange processes are convection within the heat-carrier fluid and between the canal and the soil, and conduction in the soil and other solid domains. Radiation phenomena were considered negligible in the model. The FE model was set up using the built-in “heat transfer in pipes” module allowing quicker computations by representing heat exchanger pipes in a simplified 1D fashion. The domain dimension was chosen in order to keep the lateral and bottom surfaces far enough from the EQW, to avoid boundary effects. For the boundary conditions, a fixed temperature of 12°C [3] was assigned to the bottom domain boundary while the detected air temperature time history was assigned to the top of the domain. Thermal insulation was assigned to the lateral boundary surfaces. The water canal was directly simulated as part of the domain. The heat convective flow of water was taken into account by using inflow and outflow boundary conditions and by assigning to the canal the detected water velocity. A thermal initialization calculation was performed to start the calculation with accurate initial conditions in terms of temperature distribution within the domain [6]. The thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity and density of the different soil layers were determined through empirical correlations based on cone penetration tests results carried out near the EQW [11], corroborated by literature datasets based on the geological characterization of the soil [4]. Heat exchange between the EQW and the surrounding soil was simulated by activating the heat transfer flow within the pipes, assigning the measured inlet temperature and fluid velocity.&#x0D; An example comparison between the measured gained thermal power and the simulated results for the first 200 days of thermal activation of the EQW is shown in Figure 1(b). Except for the first 20 days of thermal activation, characterised by unreliable measurements because both the heat pump and the monitoring system were being tested to check the integrity of the system, it can be observed that the numerical simulation effectively reproduces the gained thermal power, as well as the induced temperature changes into the soil (not shown for the sake of brevity).&#x0D; After model validation against the data collected from the test field research activities continue. Further numerical parametric analyses are performed to identify the best combination of design and site parameters to maximize the energy efficiency. Additionally thermo-mechanical analyses are used to assess the magnitude of thermally induced displacements and stresses.

Numerical Investigation for Rehabilitation and Lining of a Problematic Canal

Canal lining and rehabilitation aim to distribute water, reduce losses, and ensure that water reaches the ends of the canals. Recognizing the need to improve the management of the irrigation system and maintain the width of strategic adjacent roads to canals, the Western Meleg Canal in Menoufia Governorate, Egypt, was selected as a case study. A reach of 1500–3400 km faces problems that impede the implementation of the lining sector as a result of the proximity of the buildings that could not be removed on the canal banks. Two alternatives, including the contraction of the bed width or coverage of the reach from 1500 km to 3400 km on the Western Meleg Canal, were explored. A coupled one-two dimensional numerical model to replicate the water surface profile and flow velocity was implemented. The total cost of each alternative was approximately estimated. The results show that the contraction of the bed width along the considered reach has a limited effect on the levels and velocities of water along the canal, as water levels increased by 2 to 6 cm from the design levels before the contraction of the width of the bed, and the maximum velocity of the water was 0.72 m/s. In the case of covering the selected reach, the difference in water pressure through the coverage (1500:4000 km) was 74 cm, and the coverage works under free flow. The estimated cost of covering is more than four times the cost of plain concrete lining. The findings of this study may help decision-makers and could be implemented in other such canals.

NESTING BIOLOGY OF THE INDIAN SPARROW (PASSER INDICUS) IN THE FLATLANDS OF TASHKENT REGION

Observations on the nesting biology of the Indian sparrow were conducted in Boka district of Tashkent region. 392 nesting pairs of birds were found in a colony formed on the wall of a ravine on the bank of a waste water canal. All processesin 12 nests were monitored in orderto study the nesting biology of the Indian sparrow. Egg-laying of birds in the colony began on May 10 and continued until May 18. A total of 72 eggs were laid in reference nests

WATER LEVEL PROFILE IN PARIT BERKAT DRAINAGE CHANNEL OF PUNGGUR BESAR

Floods are common natural catastrophes in Indonesia, particularly during the rainy season. The Parit Berkat water catchment region is one of the locations that frequently experience flooding. The channel's capacity must be increased to accommodate the current water discharge, resulting in this condition. Several reasons are responsible for the diminished capacity of the canal. For instance, inhabitants' activities along canal banks might contribute to the siltation of channels. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of tides and rainfall on the flow of the Parit Berkat Canal. This research provided the use of both primary and secondary data. The leading information consists of measurements of the cross-section and length of the channel and the elevation of the tidal water level over 15 days. Secondary data consists of the maximum daily rainfall data received from Balai Wilayah Sungai Kalimantan I (BWSK I) and the location map for the research. The flow profile is simulated using HEC-RAS. The findings demonstrate that when maximum rainfall and low tides coincide, 13 stations are safe in the 2-year return period of rain, eight stations are safe in the 5-year return period, and six stations are safe in the 10-year return period.

Effect of Canal Bank Engineering Disturbance on Plant Communities: Analysis of Taxonomic and Functional Beta Diversity

We aimed to determine how patterns of functional and taxonomic dissimilarities and their components differ between disturbed and undisturbed plant communities. Taxonomic (species) and functional (trait) diversity are key aspects of biodiversity, and their respective dissimilarities are important in diversity scaling and for informing conservation. We utilized a pseudo-experimental setting, the Basingstoke Canal, UK, where sections of canal bank have been repaired over a four-year period and are interspersed with sections left undisturbed. We collected plant community data, computed functional beta diversity and taxonomic beta diversity and partitioned them into species loss and replacement components. We compared disturbed and undisturbed plots with respect to these dissimilarity measures, the time since disturbance, invasive species, plant life-forms and environmental dissimilarity. We found high levels of taxonomic (85–90%) and functional (70–76%) dissimilarities between disturbed and undisturbed sites, primarily driven by turnover. The total dissimilarity was lower for functional dissimilarity than taxonomic dissimilarity. Disturbed sites had greater between-site taxonomic and functional dissimilarities and lower plant abundances than undisturbed sites, driven by both turnover and nestedness components. The disturbed site functional diversity diverged strongly from null expectations. We found no significant effects of time since disturbance, environmental variables or invasive species, possibly indicating the dominance of stochastic, local-scale processes. However, disturbed sites had lower levels of phanerophyte richness and higher levels of therophyte richness. Our results indicate that small-scale disturbances may increase taxonomic and functional between-community dissimilarities in anthropogenic habitats without increasing invasive species, lending support to local-scale conservation that enhances habitat heterogeneity to promote taxonomic diversity and its corresponding biotic functions.

Do highly anthropized hydrological conditions in marshes influence fish communities according to their life‐history strategies?

AbstractAlterations of natural hydrology in aquatic ecosystems are known to strongly impact the community composition of different taxa. Surprisingly, literature on the potential influence of hydrology on fish community composition is still very scarce in agricultural marshes, where canals represent one of the few remaining aquatic habitats. This study is aimed to address this research gap by monitoring fish communities in independent hydrological units differing in hydrology management over a 6 years period. We predicted variable fish responses to the hydrological context according to different life‐history strategies (opportunistic, equilibrium, or periodic species). Periodic and opportunistic species were the most frequently observed. Despite differences in hydrology between canals (but little variation over years), we found that hydrology explained only a very low proportion of variation in the composition of fish communities. In particular, the flooding duration of meadows in early spring did not influence the composition of fish communities, not even the abundance of periodic species expected to rely on such temporary habitats. Instead, fish communities were more influenced by local habitat variables (aquatic vegetation cover, turbidity, tree roots, and refuges under the canal banks). The hydrological management of most hydrological units for agricultural purposes (i.e., severe flood abatement in spring and shallow water depth in canals in summer) was found to be incompatible with conservation goals to promote more diverse fish communities between hydrological units. Therefore, we call for further investigations in similar habitats covering a larger range of hydrological conditions.

The role of numerical model in assessing the waterway restoration for watershed management, the case of BAHR YOUSSEF, Egypt

In this study, the role of the numerical models in the river restoration project is discussed. The government of Egypt has a national strategic plan seeking to increase the cultivated area throughout the whole country. This will result in greater water demand for the irrigation sector, which brings attention to the water streams and their existing capacity to carry the new water discharge. Within this national plan, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation intends to increase the discharge capacity of Bahr Youssef waterway from 15 million to 18 million m3/day to cope with the new development projects and the increased population density. Therefore, this work aims to provide the methodology to raise the capacity of Bahr Youssef Waterway to carry the required discharge with least cost. The SOBEK-1D numerical model was used in investigating different rehabilitation scenarios to enhance the waterway capacity to carry 18 million m3/day. The evaluation of the different alternatives considered the socioeconomic aspect as well as the technical and financial aspects. Many settlements exist on the canal bank with different activities depending on the water supplied from Bahr Yousef. The study concluded that it is possible to pass 18 million m3/day in Bahr Youssef. The model results illustrate that this could be happen by dredging only approximately 5,988,684 m3 of sedimentation in the four reaches instead of dredging the whole entire canal with a quantity of 21,150,000 m3. The model succeeded to reduce the required dredging volume by about ¾ of the total deposited material. The model results recommended to dredge only 103.1 km which is about 1/3 of the total length of the whole waterway path, which is approximately 293 km. This resulted in a reduction of the project estimated cost by approximately 72%, with the final dredging cost of approximately 239.5 million EGP for the selected areas.

WASTE CHARACTERIZATION IN THE URBAN CANAL NETWORK OF PADOVA (ITALY) TO MITIGATE DOWNSTREAM MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION

Concern about plastic pollution in coastal wetlands, seas and oceans has risen dramatically in recent years. Most of the waste found in the environment has a land-based origin and it is transported toward coastal-marine ecosystems through rivers and canals. Thus, waste collection in watercourses flowing through urban areas has a great potential to mitigate plastic pollution in local and coastal water bodies. In this paper, authors describe the results of three waste collection campaigns performed during 2021 (early summer, late summer and autumn) in three representative points of the channel network of the historical center of the city of Padova, Italy, where restoration efforts of the urban stream ecosystems are ongoing. The collected waste was analyzed both in terms of size and material type. A total of 418 kg of waste was collected: the prevailing fraction was the coarse one (59% of the material intercepted by a 100 mm side mesh sieve), and plastic represented the most abundant waste category (47% by weight). The total amount of litter produced in one year from the channel network of the city of Padova was estimated, with litter amounts on the canal banks found to be much higher than or at least comparable to those in water, a result which highlights the importance of planning waste collection together with riparian vegetation management to reduce plastic pollution. These findings provide a baseline for assessing the possibility to valorize the waste collected from the waterways of the city with processes other than landfilling and incineration

Influence of the canal width and depth on the resistance of 750 DWT Perintis ship using CFD simulation

Investigation of hydrodynamic interaction between the vessel and the seabed when entering shallow water is considered one of the most critical considerations of inland waterway transport. There are many investigations into the behavior of ships in restricted waters, such as ships traveling in different forms of canal cross-sections. The present study aims to evaluate the hydrodynamic interaction of the 750 DWT Perintis Ship moving through the different canal types to determine the relative effects of limiting the width and depth cross section on the ship's resistance. Two different canals with different cross sections, including canal bank and rectangular canal, were evaluated to investigate the influence of canal width (Wb), depth ratio (hw/T), and blockage ratio function (As/Ac). The Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) method with Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver and turbulent model 𝑘−𝜀 were used to predict the total resistance of the ship. The proposed numerical simulation was initially validated with an experimental towing tank test in the error range of 0.11-7.74%. The results indicated similar phenomena were found both in rectangular and canal banks. The case with a shallower (lower hw/T) and a narrower (lower Bc/Bs) canal dimension has a higher resistance value. Backflow and subsidence of free surface became significant around the ship's hull in more restricted water, changing the ship's hydrodynamic characteristics and increasing resistance. It can be found that the higher the blockage ratio (mb), the higher the total resistance value in both canal types, which proved that ships with higher speeds were more sensitive to changes in waterway restrictions.

Rescue and dissemination of ancestral knowledge of the Montuvio people to produce traditional soap

The work deals with the recovery of ancestral knowledge in the Montuvio Manabita people as an extension proposal to the community, for which the main objective was to disseminate ancestral knowledge through the planting of the traditional soap tree to produce natural liquid soap that can be used to wash clothes by hand, in a washing machine and even as a shampoo. The project was located in the El Limón commune of the Picoazá rural parish of the Portoviejo canton, in the Manabí province of the zone4. We worked with an intentional sample of 20 families, the technique of focus groups; The method to be used contemplates two phases, the first of planting the soap on the edges of the farms, preferably on the banks of the irrigation canals or the river, and the second phase of training on the production of soap using soap seeds. The result was that the dissemination of ancestral knowledge in the communities constitutes a practical application that can contribute as a way of reactivating the local post-covid-19 economy, applying ancestral techniques for the elaboration of various products from the Manabí field.

Результаты мониторинга гнездовых популяций солнечного орла в Дагестане (Россия) в 2022–2023 гг.

Результаты мониторинга гнездовых популяций солнечного орла в Дагестане (Россия) в 2022–2023 гг.

Experimental Study of Geotextile Effect on Bearing Strength and Permeability of Sudanese Cohesive Soils

This paper focuses on the influences of geotextile on bearing strength and permeability properties of cohesive soils. Experimental investigation was conducted on three soils reinforced with geotextile sheets in one or more layers. The soil samples are compacted at optimum moisture content and maximum dry density in five layers with or without geotextile sheets. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and the permeability tests have been carried out on natural soils and soils with geotextile sheets. The experiments results have showed a significant decrease in the CBR and the permeability values of the three soils with the inclusion of geotextile sheets. The CBR values of geotextile reinforced soils have decreased by 70% for 4 layers of geotextile sheets. Also, the average reduction in the permeability of the three soils reinforced with 1-layer geotextile sheet is about 60% of the natural soils. Hence, it is concluded that provision of geotextile sheet with an activator such as lime or fly ash to increase the soil strength will be beneficial and economical option in earth dams and canal banks.

Two new species of the genus Floresorchestia (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Talitridae) from Amphawa Estuary, Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand

Two new species of Floresorchestia (Crustacea: Amphipoda) are described from Amphawa Estuary, Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand. Floresorchestia amphawaensissp. nov. is a riparian-hoppers living near agricultural and urban areas, being distinguished by the following character states: left mandible lacinia mobilis 4-dentate; gnathopod 2 palm reaching about 34%; telson as broad as long, with four robust setae per lobe. Floresorchestia pongratisp. nov. are described as riparian-hoppers living in the moist area near Mae Klong canal banks with a unique left mandible lacinia mobilis 5-dentate; gnathopod 2 palm reaching 30% and telson with seven robust setae per lobe. The status and the problem of diagnostic character states of the genus Floresorchestia are discussed.

Assessment of the Rehabilitation of Watercourses (Study Case)

The goal of this study is to assess the rehabilitation of Bahr Awlad Mohamed canal.The canal was rehabilitated by installing lining trapezoidal cross-sections. Before and after the rehabilitation process, a field investigation, hydraulic and hydrographic measurements, and a mathematical model (Sobek – 1D) were conducted. According to the findings, the canal's rehabilitation improved average water velocity from 0.18 m/s to 0.32 m/s, the average Manning roughness coefficient from 0.065 m-1/3s to 0.020 m-1/3s, the water surface slope from 17 and 50 cm/km to 2 and 6 cm/km, the average areas of cross-sections reduced from 3.37 m2 to 3.07 m2, the average water width was reduced from 5.84 m to 4.83 m, the water losses were decreased by approximately 27.31 % from the canal's inlet discharge. Additionally, the water level fulfilled the requirements for water distribution, the canal banks were restored and widened, the hydraulic efficiency of the study canal was improved, alleviating downstream farmers' concerns and conserving water that could be utilized for irrigation, and saving time and maintenance cost. Finally, canal rehabilitation necessitates periodic maintenance, appropriate maintenance equipment, and a strategy of canal preservation. In addition, other canals in Egypt must be improved to determine the irrigation network's water-saving potential.

Sedimentation in small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia: Its sources and management

Numerous irrigation schemes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) exhibit excessive sedimentation, resulting in underperformance and high maintenance costs. In the current study, a participatory monitoring program was used to investigate sediment causes and sources, measure the annual sediment load, and monitor desilting campaigns in two small scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia, Arata-Chufa (100 ha) and Ketar (430 ha), for three years (2016–2018). Sedimentation quantities were huge, where the annual river sediment influx ranged from 220 m3 for the Arata-Chufa scheme to 1,741 m3 for the Ketar scheme. On average 0.3 m3/m of sediment were removed from the main canal for Arata-Chufa costing 794 days of labor per year. In Ketar, sediment quantities were even greater: 1.1 m3/m was removed requiring 3,118 days of labor per year. The sediment influx from the river source amounts to up to 95% for Arata-Chufa and moderately reaches 46% for Ketar, with the remainder of the sediment entering with overland erosion flows. Farmers reported increased sedimentation over time and difficulty paying operation and maintenance fees instead preferring to contribute labor for the desilting campaigns. Sedimentation management is fragile and mainly involves frequent desilting campaigns and unharmonized efforts to reduce overland sediment inflows. Factors contributing to sediment deposition include mild longitudinal bed slopes, the location of the intake, canal layout, and lack of canal banks for protection against surface water inflow in addition to sub-optimal canal operations. Excessive sedimentation is a major challenge resulting in underperformance of numerous irrigation schemes in SSA, and the stakeholders’ lack of awareness of the sources of sedimentation is an underlying factor aggravating sedimentation problems. It is concluded that investigating the sources, extent, and types of sedimentation entering a small-scale irrigation scheme is the basis for reducing maintenance costs and for effective management of sedimentation problems.