Irrigation Drainage Water Research Articles

Water Quality and Dissolved Organic Carbon Content in Agricultural Streams: Northern Nile Delta Region, Egypt

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) 2 (zero hunger), 6 (clean water and sanitation), and 15 (life on land) are related to the human-water-soil nexus. Soil organic carbon and nutrients can be removed and transported to waterways through runoff and drainage. The main goals of this study are to quantify the water quality for irrigation and assess the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) contents in streams in the northern Nile Delta, Egypt. A 4-year water quality monitoring program is accomplished by collecting 35 irrigation and drainage water samples per year from the study area. The measured water quality parameters are as follows: salinity, pH, Na, SAR, Cl, and NO3–N. In addition, the DOC content is accessed. The salinity hazard ranged from moderate, for most irrigation samples, to high and very high for drainage samples. All collected water samples have low to medium sodium hazards. Results indicate that average DOC contents in irrigation canals are 2.32 and 2.93 mg L−1 for the summer and winter, respectively. The respective means of DOC concentration in drainage canals for the summer and winter seasons are around 3.96 and 5.09 mg L−1. This study revealed significant differences in EC, pH, Na, Cl, and SAR, as water quality parameters, between irrigation and drainage canals. Additionally, the studied agroecosystem has seasonal variability in DOC concentration in irrigation and drainage canals between summer and winter. Overall, reusing drainage water for irrigation in the study area requires the selection of suitable crops and site-specific management.

Assessment of Blue Water Migration and Efficiency in Water-Saving Irrigation Paddy Rice Fields Using the Water Flow Tracking Method

Although irrigation systems largely sustain global agricultural production, their efficiency is often alarmingly low. While irrigation water (blue water) is critical for the water-saving irrigation of rice with a high water demand, the process and efficiency of irrigation water utilization need clarification. In this study, we examined the three commonly used irrigation and drainage patterns (frequent shallow irrigation (FSI), wet and shallow irrigation (WSI), and rain-catching and controlled irrigation (RCI)) in rice fields. We developed a tracking method for irrigation water flow decomposition, which includes irrigation water evapotranspiration (IET), irrigation water drainage (IDR), irrigation water leakage (IPC), and irrigation water field residual (IRE). Using this method, we established an irrigation water efficiency evaluation index system and a comprehensive evaluation method. Our tracking method is relevant to describing the irrigation water performance under varying irrigation and drainage patterns. The results revealed that the average irrigation water input for the three irrigation and drainage patterns between 2015 and 2018 was roughly 312.5 mm, wherein IET accounted for 148 mm. However, more than 50% of the irrigation water outflow, comprising IDR, IPC, and IRE, exceeded the total amount of irrigation water input. The mean values of the gross irrigation efficiency (GIE), net irrigation efficiency (NIE), and effective consumption ratio (ECR) for all treatments in the three-year period were 0.63, 0.47, and 0.75, respectively. Additionally, the irrigation water use efficiency was significantly higher in dry years compared to wet years. The fuzzy composite rating values of the three irrigation and drainage models from 2015 to 2018 were RCI, WSI, and FSI, in descending order, under varying precipitation conditions. The RCI patterns maintained a high composite rating value (greater than 3.0) under different precipitation conditions. Previous efficiency calculations disregarded the blue–green water migration process and did not differentiate the blue–green water flow direction in agricultural fields, creating significant biases in the outcomes. This study’s method offers a new approach to evaluate the use of blue water resources in farmland.

Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Agricultural Drainage Water from a Maize Crop Area: A Case Study in the Tejo Basin (Portugal)

The use of agricultural drainage water (ADW) in irrigation is a great challenge, improving water use efficiency, nutrient circularity, and avoiding surface and ground-water contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical and ecotoxicological characteristics of an ADW to analyze the safety of its reuse. An irrigated area with maize crops was selected (Tejo Basin, Portugal), where a subsurface structure for the recovery of ADW was installed, collecting the drainage in a pond and recycling it for crop irrigation. Water was collected monthly during the irrigation campaign of 2021 (April to August). Three herbicides and two metabolites were quantified, reaching a maximum concentration of 0.74 µg L−1 for S-metolachlor and 0.48 µg L−1 for terbuthylazine. The lethal bioassays did not detect toxicity, except for the sample collected in August toward Vibrio fisheri (EC50 = 25.2%). The samples were not toxic to Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, with a growth inhibition rate of less than 10%. The low lethal and sublethal effects may be ascribed to the high nutrient concentration (e.g., 1.76 mg P L−1 and 98.9 mg NO3− L−1, in July) that could have masked toxic effects. Ecotoxicological responses support the option of ADW reuse in irrigation, offering a safe and sustainable solution for water and nutrient management.

A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM IN SOIL AND WATER OF THE WUKARI MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES NATURAL DRAINAGE

Preliminary investigation of Municipal Solid Waste Natural (MSW) drainage for dry season irrigation farming of Amaranths at Angwan Mission Quarters – a densely populated locality known for cultivation of Amaranths due to availability of water and its accessibility to markets was conducted. Amaranths, soil and water samples from three drainage or sampling points was collected (December 2019 - March 2020) to ascertain suitability of drainage soils and water for irrigation of Amaranths. Visual observation and analysis of selected morphological traits (plant colour, plant height (cm), plant girth, leaf area (cm2) and number of leaves) for market value was conducted. Physic-chemical analyses of pH, total organic carbon (C), total organic matter (OM), exchangeable bases (K, Na, Ca, Mg), cation exchange capacity (ECEC), moisture content, total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P),potassium(K) concentrations of the MSW drainage soils and water were determined according to Standard laboratory procedures. Results reveal chlorosis of Amaranths at sampling point 1(Up-Stream) and sampling point 2(Mid-Stream) indicating specific mineral deficiency (such as Iron, magnesium, nitrogen) usually associated with MSW dumpsites. Significant difference (p<0.05) in whole plant height, leaf area, number of leaves and % nitrogen (Up-Stream - 0.11 ± 0.00a; Mid-Stream - 0.14 ± 0.01a : Low-Stream - 0.16 ± 0.15) reflects abundance water and inadequate nitrogen levels respectively. This study remarked that the drainage points are suitable for dry season vegetable farming and the transition from rural to peri-urban settlement has potentials for continuous utilization of drainage soil and water for large-scale vegetable farming and income generation by the

“Exploring the Potential for Collector-Drainage Water Reuse in Fodder Crop Farming: A Case Study in Uzbekistan’s Mizachul Steppe”

The recycling of collector-drainage water (CDW) with high mineral content increases the salt levels in inland water bodies, which can limit the usability of the water downstream. To improve the agricultural irrigation system and livestock production in Central Asia, comprehensive quantitative and qualitative research is needed to analyze the inter-annual and multiyear CDW generation patterns. A Ph.D. research study has been designed to investigate the amount, quality, and ionic composition of CDW and its reuse potential for maize crops in the Mirzachul steppe of Uzbekistan. Reusing drainage water is an effective approach to supplementing water resources and reducing drainage disposal problems by reducing the volume of water involved. Reusing drainage water for irrigation can also mitigate water pollution issues. Different reuse methods include conventional agriculture, salt-tolerant crop cultivation, wildlife habitats and wetlands, and initial reclamation of salt-affected lands. In recent years, salinity levels in all major CDWs have shown a continuous increase. The present study is based on scientific research that involved proper fieldwork monitoring and observation while irrigating maize crops with a mixture of salt water and fresh water.

Establishment of additional norms for irrigation water

Due to the scarcity of water resources, there is a need for an additional source of irrigation. Drainage waters can serve as such sources. To use these waters, it is necessary to develop a number of measures. The aim of the study is to reduce the negative consequences by increasing the norms of preventive irrigation. It is vital to fulfilling the tasks set: calculation of additional water supply rates and irrigation regime when designing the use of drainage water for irrigation. As a result of field studies and according to the methodology of classifications developed by the Central Asian Research Institute of Irrigation (SANIIRI) analysis of the suitability for irrigation of pumped water from vertical drainage wells in the areas of the Fergana region. Studies conducted by scientists in Central Asia have shown that one of the methods to prevent soil salinization in the intra-contour use of collector-drainage water is the requirements with the following conditions: the ratio of total water supply to total evaporation and the ratio of drainage flow to the water supply. Taking into account the established coefficient, the irrigation rate must be increased depending on the mineralization of water and the mechanical composition of the soil.

Bio-Saline Agriculture Modeling, Using Saline Water for Irrigation Purposes

Climate change effects increase the scarcity of irrigation water and deterioration of its quality, which affects the crop water requirements. Researchers were studying the water recycling technique and finding about other possible renewable water resources for irrigation, they conclude that saline water can be used to meet part of the irrigation water needs for many crops under special field management, because there are many crops have a high tolerance to the salinity without decreasing in the yield. The current study aims to evaluate the economic yield of saline drainage water in irrigation. A computer program (Fıuat Ujaj) using Visual Basic language was constructed to use the largest possible amount of drainage water for irrigation after removing the toxic effects and then calculates the relative yield of the selected crops. The Main Outflow Drain (MOD) in Iraq was selected as a saline water resource which has 4.63 dS m-1 Electrical Conductivity (EC). This saline water contained high concentrations of chlorine and sodium ions. MFUP results showed that toxic effect of these ions can be removed by diluting with 35% of the nearby river water. MFUP results showed that the crops with high and medium tolerance to salinity give an acceptable yield ratio when they were irrigated with diluted water (35%) to remove toxicity effects only, while the dilution increases for crops of medium sensitivity, but the acceptable yield of sensitive crops is not achieved except with fresh river water. If the crop production is lower than the economically acceptable limit, another 5% of the river water will be added to mitigate, and the dilution process continues until the percentage of the river water become 80% of the irrigation water. If the required product is not achieved, then the program instructs to irrigate this crop with the river water only.

LC-MS Based Metabolomics Analysis of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Cultivars Irrigated with Quicklime Treated Acid Mine Drainage Water.

In water-scarce areas, the reuse of (un)treated acid mine drainage (AMD) water for crop irrigation has become a requirement, but it also carries a wide range of contaminants that can elicit the synthesis of diverse metabolites necessary for the survival of the plants. There is still a paucity of studies on the impact of quicklime treated-AMD water on the metabolite synthesis of potatoes. This study examined the effect of the irrigation of two potato cultivars (Marykies and Royal cultivars) with quicklime-treated AMD water on their metabolite profiles. A greenhouse study was conducted with five experimental treatments with different solution ratios, replicated three times in a completely randomized design. A total of 40 and 36 metabolites from Marykies and Royal cultivars which include amino acids, organic acids, and aromatic amines were identified, respectively. The results revealed elevation in the abundance of metabolites under the irrigation with treated AMD water for both cultivars with subtle variations. This will provide information on the primary metabolite shifst in potato that enhance their survival and growth under AMD conditions. However, more specific data on toxicity due to AMD irrigation would be required for a refined risk assessment.

АНАЛИЗ ЗАРУБЕЖНОГО ОПЫТА УТИЛИЗАЦИИ СБРОСНЫХ И ДРЕНАЖНЫХ ВОД В ОРОСИТЕЛЬНЫХ МЕЛИОРАЦИЯХ

Purpose: to review the practice of using drainage and waste water for irrigating agricul-tural crops as a priority for their utilization. Discussions. One of the priority strategies for sustainable management of available water resources is the reuse of drainage and waste water for irrigation reclamation, taking into account the hydrogeological and reclamation conditions of the area. The reducing of the degradation rate of water supply sources subject to the impact of drainage and waste water, is possible only with the creation of a system for regulating water distribution in irrigation systems of various levels, which would allow taking into account the resource of drainage and waste water for irrigation. Most often, drainage and waste water is used for irrigating salt-tolerant crops. The use of drai-nage and waste water with salinity from 1.5 to 10.0 g/dm³ for irrigating grain and fodder crops did not cause a reduction in yield. Conclusions. As the analysis of drainage and waste water utilization shows, their wide-spread use in irrigation reclamation is explained by the increased mineralization and technogenic impurities (pesticides, herbicides, trace elements, oil products, etc.). The measures taken to dilute such waters with fresh water from canals only partially solved the problem of their accumulation and reduction of discharges into water bodies. Also, there was still an increase in the irrigation water consumption for irrigating crops. In this regard, it is relevant to conduct exploratory research in the field of technologies preparation and purification of drainage and waste water for irrigation purposes.

Opportunities for Treatment and Reuse of Agricultural Drainage in the United States

Irrigation accounts for 42% of the total freshwater withdrawals in the United States. Climate change, the pressure of a growing population, degrading water quality, and increased competition from other sectors could constrain continuous supply to meet future agricultural water demand. This study presents an evaluation framework to assess the potential reuse of agricultural drainage water for crop irrigation. Using a regional approach, we review the current state of agricultural drainage treatment and reuse and the institutional, economic, and other barriers that can influence the reuse decision. In the 31 eastern states, agricultural drainage contains valuable nutrients that can be reused for irrigation with minimal treatment, while the 17 western states struggle with large volumes of saline drainage that can contain constituents of concern (e.g., selenium), preventing reuse without treatment. Using a new decision-support tool called WaterTAP3, a potential treatment train for saline agricultural drainage was analyzed to identify treatment challenges, research needs, and the potential implementation at a larger scale. As demonstrated by our case study, desalination of agricultural drainage is costly and energy intensive and will require sizable investments to fully develop and optimize technologies as well as manage the generated waste and brine.

An Assessment of the Integrated Water Resources Management in Egypt

Egypt's water requirements increase due to the growing population, improved living standards, and agricultural land expansion to ensure food security. The proper planning and integrated water resources management in Egypt is a complex process that requires considering many different aspects: Available water resources, the water requirements from the various sectors, and water quality. As for water resources, the current deficit reaches up to 20 billion cubic meters per year, mainly covered by reusing agricultural drainage water in irrigation through mixing stations, with a significant negative impact on health and environmental standards. As for urban water and sanitation, the rapid population increase puts immense pressure on the existing network and the government to expedite its infrastructure assets to cope with such an increasing pace. The development of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) was particularly recommended in the ministers' final statement at the International Conference on Water and the Environment in 1992 (so-called the Dublin principles). This concept aims to promote changes in practices that are considered fundamental to improved water resource management. This paper will provide an overall and comprehensive assessment of IWRM concept implantation in Egypt and pay particular attention to the concept implementation results against its objectives, key lessons, and recommendations to improve current and future sector financing options for modern water.

Assessment and Management of Drainage Water Quality for Reuse in Irrigation Projects

ABSTRACT Nowadays, with the increase of the demand for freshwater used to irrigate the agricultural lands, in the exchange for the severe shortage in the sources of the freshwater supply, the finding of alternatives becomes persistent need to compensate this shortage. One of the important alternatives is the reuse of the drainage water for irrigation. In the present study, the quality of the agricultural drainage water of the Al-Husseiniya irrigation project of Karbala governorate in Iraq is assessed and managed in order to reuse this water for irrigation. The Brazilian Water Quality Index (IWQI) model is used to evaluate the quality of the drainage water and the river water within the study area. As well, the quality of drainage water of six selected stations is improved by blending this water with the river water by using nine blending ratios. It is found that 75% of the values of the IWQI classification category of the drainage water are within the category of severe restriction, SR, and 25% of these values are within the category of high restriction, HR. Also, the results showed that the river water quality is within the IWQI category of low restriction, LR.

Engineering biosorptional construction for drainage water treatment

Drainage waters pollute water bodies and the environment, however, they can be considered as alternative water resources for agriculture. Now, there is an acute shortage of water resources in the Republic of Kalmykia, and therefore the existing areas are partially used. The solution to the problem may be the technology of reuse of drainage and waste water from the Sarpinskaya watering and irrigation system. For the subsequent use of this water for irrigation, water treatment and purification is required. One of the options for improving the ecological situation is the creation of a biosorption structure (BSS), the principle of which is to mobilize the natural capabilities of self-purification of ecosystems of water bodies, which allows in the future to reuse drainage and waste water for irrigation.

The Effects of Climate Change on the Reuse of Agricultural Drainage Water in Irrigation

Climate change is projected to have a major impact on agricultural water resources availability. Comprehending the effects of climate change on water supplies for agriculture is an essential aid for the effective management of available water resources. A forecasting model, a surface water quality model coupled with an optimization algorithm have been used in forecasting agricultural water quality and to maximize the reuse of wastewater in the Osan watershed, South Korea. In forecasting water quality and streamflow parameters for a 30 year period, AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) was used. Both ARIMA model fit and model performance were within accepted levels. Water quality and quantity were simulated using the QUAL2Kw model. Jaya algorithm was executed to optimize the process for determining optimal quantities for agricultural drainage water (ADW) reused at withdrawal points. Simulations of water quality show that organic matter levels are key attributes in the management of the Osan drain. QUAL2Kw model calibration and validation show that the model can be applicable with values of Nash—Sutcliffe model efficiency (NSE) > 0.5 respectively. Water quality results show that Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) were within acceptable ranges. ADW is suitable for indirect irrigation in the Osan watershed as water quality standards meets Korea’s standards and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Guidelines. Irrigation water demand will increase by 47.1 % for summer and by 16.5% for winter by 2050 due to an increase in temperature. The total agricultural ADW reuse amounts will increase by 47.4% for summer and 17.5% for winter by 2050 due to the creation of farmlands, as there will be an increase in food demand. Optimization results show that drainage water availability will increase by 31.6% and 21.3% respectively for summer and winter by 2050 due to climate change effects. Overall, the results show that the reuse of ADW demand and the available amounts is most likely affected by climate change.

Occurrence, distribution, and health risk assessment of quinolone antibiotics in water, sediment, and fish species of Qingshitan reservoir, South China

The residual antibiotics in the environment have lately caused widespread concerns. However, little information is available on the antibiotic bioaccumulation and its health risk in drinking water resources of South China. Therefore, the occurrence, distribution, and health risk of four quinolone antibiotics including ofloxacin (OFX), norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENR) in the Qingshitan reservoir using high-performance liquid chromatography were investigated. Results revealed that the concentrations in water, sediment, and edible fish ranged from 3.49–660.13 ng/L, 1.03–722.18 μg/kg, and 6.73–968.66 μg/kg, respectively. The ecological risk assessment via the risk quotient (RQ) method showed that the values in sediment were all greater than 1, posing a high risk to the environment. The health risk index of water samples was at the maximum acceptable level, with OFX at the top while the rest were at the medium risk level. The main edible fish kinds of the reservoir had high dietary safety and the highest contaminations were found in carnivorous feeding habits and demersal habitat fishes with OFX as the highest magnitude. Source identification and correlation analysis using SPSS showed significant relationships between NOR with pH and turbidity (in water), as well as total phosphor (TP) and total organic carbon (TOC) in sediment. NOR was the highest in sediment which mostly sourced from livestock wastewater, croplands irrigation drain water, and stormwater. Correlations between CIP and ENR with TP were significant, while OFX was positively associated with total nitrogen (TN) which mainly originated from urban sewage as well as directly dosed drugs in fish farms. In conclusion, our results are of great significance for ensuring the safety of drinking water and aquatic products in this region.

Zero Liquid Discharge of Ultrahigh-Salinity Brines with Temperature Swing Solvent Extraction.

Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) of hypersaline brines is technically and energetically challenging. This study demonstrates ZLD of ultrahigh-salinity brines using temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE), a membrane-less and nonevaporative desalination technology. TSSE utilizes a low-polarity solvent to extract water from brine and then releases the water as a product with the application of low-temperature heat. Complete extraction of water from a hypersaline feed, simulated by 5.0 M NaCl solution (≈292 g/L TDS), was achieved using diisopropylamine solvent. Practically all of the salt is precipitated as mineral solid waste and the product water contains <5% of NaCl relative to the hypersaline feed brine. Consistent ZLD performance of high salt removals and product water quality was maintained in three repeated semibatch TSSE cycles, highlighting recyclability of the solvent. The practical applicability of the technique for actual field samples was demonstrated by ZLD of an irrigation drainage water concentrate. This study establishes the potential of TSSE as a more sustainable alternative to current thermal evaporation methods for zero liquid discharge of ultrahigh-salinity brines.

Water resources allocation in Erhai irrigated district considering catchment water-cycle health

In order to realize the healthy circulation of Erhai Basin water system, this paper constructs the Mike basin simulation model of Erhai Basin water resource system through the concept of water resource comprehensive allocation. Which is based on the principle of Erhai Lake water ecological environment protection and follows the principle of ecological priority, sanitary water into the lake, double control of total amount and consumption, and water conservation and emission reduction. The results show that agriculture irrigated area of Erhai Basin should be gradually reduced to 472000 mu, and 48200 mu of wetland ecological pool should be increased, which is used as the collection area of basin landscape and irrigation return water. After adjusting the crop planting pattern according to the depth of water saving in Erhai irrigation area, the goal of controlling the agricultural water consumption to be no more than 201 million cubic metre and the total water consumption to be less than 366 million cubic metre should be achieved. The effect of reclaimed water irrigation on water saving and emission reduction is considerable. The application of reclaimed water irrigation can reduce the amount of clean water used in paddy growth period by 46.4%, and the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied by 30.2%. The replacement rate of garlic reclaimed water can reach 100%. After the comprehensive allocation of water resources, it can supply 501 million cubic metre of ecological water in the river channels and 359 million cubic metre of water out of the river channels. Through the comprehensive utilization project of farmland drainage water and the construction of ecological regulation and storage belt, all irrigation drainage water should be reused and zero discharge can be realized. TN and TP emissions in irrigated area will be reduced by 39.3% and 46.3% respectively. Compared with the current situation, Erhai Lake water inflow and cleanly water inflow increased by 65 million cubic metre and 134 million cubic metre respectively. The annual average water level of the lake will be 0.15m higher than the current situation.

Watershed Management, A Tool for Sustainable Safe Reuse Practice, Case Study: El-Salam Canal

In Egypt, drainage and irrigation network receives a complex mixture of industrial and domestic effluent. Therefore, water quality was subjected to rapid deterioration over the past decades. A need for using marginal quality water in agriculture for new expansion projects is becoming a great necessity. Good quality water is no longer available for new irrigation projects. One strategy to increase available water resources is to reuse agriculture drainage water for irrigation. Surface water of low quality along with limitation of current water resources was found to be the largest current environmental threat to the drainage reuse practice in Egypt. The detrimental effects of drainage water reuse can be minimized by adopting appropriate pollution sources management. Although domestic diffuse sources represent very small portion of the total discharge in drains, they contribute to a high percentage of organic load to the water system. Lack of investment and time required to execute proper wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), become a constrain impeding the improvement in surface water quality. The proper water quality management system along with good planning for constructing, upgrading and upscaling of WWTPs within a certain watershed can positively improve the water quality at the mixing point with fresh water for reuse. In this study, a practical management tool based on watershed as one of the primer water system unit has been introduced. The tool works under GIS environment to help water managers and planners concerned in irrigation system to incorporate the reuse of drainage water to set best prioritization scenario of WWTPs implementation, upgrading or upscaling within the sub-watershed of El-Serw and Bahr-Hadous drains that feed El-Salam canal. The study is based on analyzing the transport and decay of pollutants expressed as BOD load through network analysis of drains network within El-Salam canal watershed as a case study. Keywords: Water quality management, Watershed, Drainage water reuse, GIS, Point source pollution (PSP), BOD. DOI : 10.7176/CER/11-4-06 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

Applying different abstraction pattern to achieve better water management

This paper introduces a technique of water management by managing water abstraction along a branch canal. The selected study area is Awlad Sakr District, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt and the selected canal is Dafan canal. The paper introduces suitable tools to reduce the gap between demand and supply by managing water abstraction along the branch canals. Different approaches of storage water are applied during this research in order to overcome the shortage of water at the end of the main canal and its branches.The results of this study are summarized that SOBEK program is a good tool to estimate the hydraulic characteristics in open channel under different scenarios. Another result is that Awlad Sakr District, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt is an example of farmers depending on drainage water in agricultural irrigation. For management, it is found that case 16.7% storage is the best, for 25% storage the banks in some location needed to be raise, while 33.3% has shortage of water in some locations along the canal, which means that controlling water abstraction can manage the water shortage.

ASSESSMENT AND MAPPING THE SOIL DEGRADATION USING GIS AND DEGRADATION INDICES IN AL REYAD PROVINCE, KAFR EL- SHEIKH GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

This study aims to assess and mapping the land capability and soil degradation in Reyad province, Kafr El-Sheikh governorate. To achieve this purpose, satellite images were interpreted and handled using GIS technique. Thirty soil profiles in addition to fifty-six minipits were chosen representing of the studied area. The soil units of the studied area were created and mapping based on the spatial variability of soil salinity and soil sodicity. The results indicated that, the largest soil unit with about 56.5% of the total studied area is slightly saline, non-sodic soils. The second unit is the slightly saline, sodic soils that occupies about 5% of the studied area. In addition, moderately saline, non-sodic soils unit occupies 3.5% from studied area as small patches. Another moderately saline, sodic soils unit covers about 2.3%. The smallest unit is “highly saline, sodic soils” that covers about 1% of the total studied area. The variations between soil units are rendered mainly to the using of agricultural drainage water in irrigation. The capability evaluation indicated that, the studied area have two classes. The first class is the moderately for agriculture S2 that occupies 67% of the area and affected with texture as a main limiting factor. The second class is the marginally suitable S3 that found in 1% from the area and suffering from texture, salinity and sodicity as main limiting factors Studied Chemical Degradation Indices (CDI) vary from very low to high. The largest class includes the moderate degraded that covers about 42% of the studied area. The having low CDI covers about 14%. About 11 % of the total studied area have a high CDI. The remaining are fishpond (29.98 %) and urban areas (2.07 %). Studied Biological Degradation Indices (BDI) indicated that the largest area (40%) could be affiliated to the moderate Biological Degradation class that having low organic matter content because of the prevailing semiarid conditions.