Irrigation Water Distribution Research Articles

An Optimized Water Distribution Model of Irrigation District Based on the Genetic Backtracking Search Algorithm

Improving irrigation efficiency in order to balance water supply and demand has become an urgent need for social development in the northwest of China. In this paper, we propose an irrigation water distribution model based on the genetic backtracking search algorithm (GBSA). This algorithm is composed of two main modules, the vector evaluation genetic algorithm (VEGA) and the backtracking search algorithm (BSA). We applied the GBSA model in the Xijun irrigation district of Heihe River Basin. The VEGA module was first used to optimize water distribution in the irrigation district, and ensure a uniform flow rate and a minimum hydraulic loss in the main canal. Moreover, the advantage of BSA module in rapid water distribution was utilized to further improve the overall water distribution velocity of the GBSA model. To evaluate the performance of the GBSA, both the grey relational analysis and the TOPSIS method were used to comprehensively evaluate its various indicators. The results show that the GBSA can meet the water distribution requirements of the whole canal irrigation system, maintaining uniform flow rate, minimizing unused water and water distribution time to optimize irrigation water distribution. At the same time, the GBSA has better performance compared to other existing methods for irrigation water distribution.

Development of a Water Allocation Model for Equitable Water Distribution at Doho Rice Irrigation Scheme, Uganda

The shortage of irrigation water at the tail reaches of Doho Rice Irrigation Scheme especially in the dry season has resulted in decreased rice production. At Doho Rice Irrigation Scheme, water distribution follows a predetermined rotation system where allocated supplies are unknown and the farmer decides how much water they divert to their plot. This has resulted in water inequalities between the tail end and head end blocks of the scheme. The main objective of the study was to develop a water allocation model for equitable distribution of irrigation water taking into account crop growth stages. This study developed an equitable water allocation model by ensuring that the crop water requirements per block are matched with the available supply in the main canal. A water delivery scheduling model was developed to help deliver the decadal irrigation water requirements by grouping different blocks together. The water allocation model gives required irrigation supplies and recommended supplies depending on the crop growth stage and acreage per block. The results from the water delivery scheduling model suggest a 2 days of irrigation per week for the land preparation, development and late seasons and 3 days of irrigation per decade during the high consumptive stages of initial and midseason stages of rice development.

Effectiveness of Irrigation Water Distribution System in Enhancing Rice Cropping Index at Subak Padanggalak, Kedewatan Irrigation Area, Bali

Effectiveness of Irrigation Water Distribution System in Enhancing Rice Cropping Index at Subak Padanggalak, Kedewatan Irrigation Area, Bali

Impacts of center pivot irrigation system uniformity on growth of potato crop and residual soil nitrogen

Maintaining the homogeneity of soil nitrogen (N) and plant vigor across agricultural fields is a major concern for farmers and agricultural scheme planners, particularly fields that are irrigated through pressurized systems, such as center pivots. Therefore, this study was carried out on a 30 hm2 potato field located 650 km south of Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to investigate the impacts of the center pivot irrigation distribution uniformity on the crop development and the spatial distribution of residual soil N. Irrigation performance test was designed to investigate water application rate and distribution uniformities. The overall water application uniformity coefficients (Cu), determined through Christiansen (Cud) and Heerman (CuH) methods, were determined at 81.29% and 80.64%, respectively. However, the overall water distribution uniformity (Du) was determined at 70%. A considerable variability in the distribution uniformity of irrigation water was observed across the experimental field (a Du value of 67% over the medium spans compared to a Du value of 88% over the inner spans). Results of this study showed a linear correlation between the irrigation water distribution uniformity and the soil N (R2=0.88). On the other hand, the vegetation cover distribution, indicated by the Cumulative Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (CNDVI), was not found to be much responsive to the irrigation distribution uniformity (R2=0.11). A time series of successive NDVI maps extracted throughout the potato crop growth stages showed a consistent trend in the distribution of NDVI across the field, with R2 values that ranged between 0.25-0.73. Keywords: irrigation performance, uniformity, center pivot, potato, soil nitrogen, NDVI DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20191201.3684 Citation: Al-Gaadi K A, Hassaballa A A, Tola E, Kayad A G, Madugundu R, Assiri F, et al. Impacts of center pivot irrigation system uniformity on growth of potato crop and residual soil nitrogen. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2019; 12(1): 126–131.

Assessment of Irrigation Water Performance in the Nile Delta Using Remotely Sensed Data

A comprehensive framework for irrigation water performance assessment (IWPA) based on satellite data was proposed. This framework consists of external IWPA (EIWPA) and internal IWPA (IIWPA). The EIWPA indicates the water supply as well as agricultural and economic performances. On the other hand, the IIWPA expresses the temporal and spatial performances of irrigation water use adequacy (PA), equity (PE), and dependability (PD) indicators. This framework was applied to the irrigation scheme of the Al-Qased canal in the Nile Delta, Egypt, during the winter between 2015 and 2016. The crop water requirements (ETc) were calculated using the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) model and Landsat 8 images. Three classes, from “good” to “poor,” to classify the EIWPA and IIWPA values were proposed. The EIWPA was classified as “poor” in irrigation efficiency (51.2%) due to the oversupply of irrigation water in relation to the ETc while the economic indicators showed that the net profit was 7.84% of the gross value of crop production. The PE, PD, and PA were classified as “fair,” which indicated a non-uniform irrigation water distribution between the head and tail branch canals. Moreover, the irrigation water was inadequate during the growing months and could not meet the ETc. The framework presented an efficient tool for the IWPA in terms of spatial, temporal, agricultural, and economic performances.

Perancangan Prototipe Sistem Kontrol Pintu Air Irigasi Berbasis Android dan Jaringan Nirkabel

Prototype of irrigation-based sluice control devices for Android and wireless networks has a long-term goal, namely how in the future there is an application or tool that is able to assist irrigation water distribution officers in controlling the floodgates remotely, so it is expected that with the help of these tools or technology officers can work faster and more efficient. In this study the manufacturing stage is divided into two, namely the manufacture of hardware and software making where the research starts from the collection of materials and tools, then the manufacturing stage is the design of tools in the form of sluice controllers and software design consists of two parts, namely in the control section which is a program android and on the receiver and executor section which is a microcontroller program. The next step is the assembly or making of a tool, the sluice controller. After the android and the floodgates controllers are finished, the testing phase will be carried out, which is to test whether the tools work as expected if there is an error to be evaluated so that later the tools will be made as expected, namely Android-based irrigation gates and wireless networks DOI : 10.29408/jit.v1i2.905

The Managementof Community-Based Irrigation System (A Case Study of Water Users’ (Farmers) Association in Suak, Manis Raya Village, Sepauk District, Sintang Regency)

Water user farmer association (P3A) is an organization closely related to regulation of irrigation water in a tertiary or village plot service area formed by farmers or farmer groups in a democratic village. The role of P3A is to manage irrigation water and water distributors fairly and evenly in tertiary / stronger printing. The research aims to analyze the management of community-based irrigation system by P3A in Suak Village of Manis Raya Village of Sepauk Subdistrict of Sintang Regency and to Analyze the inhibiting factors in the management of irrigation system. The research was done by descriptive method and qualitative analysis. Data obtained from interviews, literature, and field observations, then analyzed and interpreted by giving conclusions. The results of the research indicate that (1) the institutional aspect, irrigation network in Suak sub village has no institution of water user farmer association (P3A), (2) HR aspect, farmer of Dusun Suak has adequate human resources seen from age, education, social economy and work ability. (3) Aspects of facilities and infrastructure, facilities and infrastructure of farmers in the village of Suak are still limited, farmers have not been able to utilize existing facilities and infrastructure. (4) Aspects of irrigation systems, farmers are still freely flowing water without regulation, irrigation maintenance is done when there is government funding, the main dam leaked for the last two years has not been fixed. Farmers' awareness of irrigation networks is not yet available. The inhibiting factor of irrigation system management is that there is no P3A institution yet, the participation of farmers is limited, the fund is limited. From the results of the research, irrigation management in the village of sweet is still not implemented maximally either from government or from society, seen from condition of irrigation network which often happened accumulation of garbage and weeds. In addition, community participation is still very poor. Irrigation management in the hamlet of Suak has not been well managed by the farmers either in the maintenance of irrigation networks, as well as the distribution of farmers' peat water because there is no P3A organization that regulates irrigation management and water distribution. Irrigation management can be sustainable should the cooperation between stakeholders. K eywords : Farmers’ Participation, Irrigation System Management, P3A

Democratic Local Institutions for Sustainable Management and Use of Minor Irrigation Systems: Experience of Pani Panchayats in Odisha, India

Generally, public investments in irrigation projects fail to deliver the desired outcomes largely due to inefficient management and use of the assets by the local level institutions. Against this backdrop, the present paper attempts to understand how the Pani Panchayats have performed in sustainable management and use of minor irrigation structures in the Indian state of Odisha. Using primary data and information collected from selected state-funded minor irrigation projects implemented in Cuttack district of the state, the paper finds that the Pani Panchayats, being backed by The Orissa Pani Panchayat Act (2002) and following a democratic decision making process, have been successful in managing the irrigation projects efficiently, especially in respect of pricing and distribution of irrigation water, maintenance of the systems, and their expansion, leading to socially inclusive and sustainable agricultural intensification in the area.

Study on the Crop Irrigation Water Requirement Based on Cropwat in Jinghuiqu Irrigation Area

According to the meteorological data of the Jinghuiqu Irrigation Area in the past 30 years, the evapotranspiration of winter wheat and corn and the effective precipitation in the growing period were calculated using FAO’s CROPWAT model to obtain irrigation water requirements such as winter wheat and corn irrigation. It provides reference for the irrigation of winter wheat and corn in irrigation areas and the distribution of irrigation water.

Assessment of Irrigation Performance in Large River Basins under Data Scarce Environment—A Case of Kabul River Basin, Afghanistan

The Kabul River basin (KRB) of Afghanistan, a lifeline of around 10 million people, has multiplicity of governance, management, and development-related challenges leading to inequity, inadequacy, and unreliability of irrigation water distribution. Prior to any uplifting intervention, there is a need to evaluate the performance of irrigation system on a long term basis to identify the existing bottlenecks. Although there are several indicators available for the performance evaluation of the irrigation schemes, we used the coefficient of variation (CV) of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) in space (basin, sub-basin, and provincial level), relative evapotranspiration (RET), and temporal CV of RET, to assess the equity, adequacy, and reliability of water distribution, respectively, from 2003 to 2013. The ETa was estimated through a surface energy balance system (SEBS) algorithm and the ETa estimates were validated using the advection aridity (AA) method with a R2 value of 0.81 and 0.77 at Nawabad and Sultanpur stations, respectively. The global land data assimilation system (GLDAS) and moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) products were used as main inputs to the SEBS. Results show that the mean seasonal sub-based RET values during summer (May–September) (0.37 ± 0.06) and winter (October–April) (0.40 ± 0.08) are below the target values (RET ≥ 0.75) during 2003–2013. The CV of the mean ETa, within sub-basins and provinces for the entire study period, has an equitable distribution of water from October–January (0.09 ± 0.04), whereas the highest inequity (0.24 ± 0.08) in water distribution is during early summer. The range of the CV of the mean ETa (0.04–0.06) on a monthly and seasonal basis shows the unreliability of water supplies in several provinces or sub-basins. The analysis of the temporal CV of mean RET highlights the unreliable water supplies across the entire basin. The maximum ETa during the study period was estimated for the Shamal sub-basin (552 ± 43 mm) while among the provinces, Kunar experienced the highest ETa (544 ± 39 mm). This study highlights the dire need for interventions to improve the irrigation performance in time and space. The proposed methodology can be used as a framework for monitoring and implementing water distribution plans in future.

An Assessment of the Vertical Movement of Water in a Flooded Paddy Rice Field Experiment Using Hydrus-1D

A quantitative estimation of the major components of the field water balance provides management decisions on how the scheme ought to be operated to ensure better distribution of irrigation water and increased delivery performance. Therefore, in this study, the water balance component in transplanted and broadcasted rice fields with conventional irrigation (flooding irrigation) in the Tanjung Karang Rice Irrigation Scheme (TAKRIS), Sawah Sempadan were observed and then modeled using Hydrus-1D numerical model during two consecutive rice growing seasons. During the off-season, irrigation water accounted for 59.6% of the total water input (irrigation + rainfall), but about 76.2% of total water input during the main season. During the main season, rainfall water only contributed to 23.8% of total water input and 40.4% during the off-season. Drainage water accounted for 37.3% of the total water input during the off-season and 43.7% during the main season, respectively, which was the main path of water losses from conventional rice fields, which indicates that maintaining a high water level and huge rainfall events during both seasons increased drainage water. Simulated ET during the off-season and the main season accounted for 38.1% and 49.5% of the total water input, respectively. Observed and simulated water percolation revealed about 17.1% to 19.2% of total water input during both seasons, respectively. Additionally, the water productivities analyzed from total water input and irrigation water were 0.43 and 0.72 kg m−3 during the off-season and 0.60 and 0.78 kg m−3 during the main season, respectively. The water productivity index evaluated from observed and modeled evapotranspiration was 1.03 and 1.13 kg m−3 during the off-season and 0.98 and 0.94 kg m−3 during the main season, respectively. The overall results revealed that Hydrus-1D simulations were a reasonable and effective tool for simulating vertical water flow in both broadcasted and transplanted rice experimental fields.

Information support for decision making on dispatching control of water distribution in irrigation

The research has been carried out on developing the technique of supporting decision making for on-line control, operational management of water allocation for the interfarm irrigation projects basing on the analytical patterns of dispatcher control. This technique provides an increase of labour productivity as well as higher management quality due to the improved level of automation, as well as decision making optimization taking into account diagnostics of the issues, solutions classification, information being required to the decision makers.

Hydro-power energy recovery in pressurized irrigation networks: A case study of an Irrigation District in the South of Spain

As a result of climate change, higher irrigation water demands are predicted in the future in pressurized irrigation networks. This will result in larger energy requirements and greater CO2 emissions levels for irrigation networks powered by pumping systems. Therefore, measures to counteract this growth in energy and CO2 emissions in the agri-food sector, such as energy recovery using hydropower, are becoming imperative.The Bembézar Margen Izquierda (BMI) Irrigation District, in Southern Spain, has been analysed and simulated for several water demand scenarios using a model based on the hydraulic simulator EPANET. Results show that a substantial amount of energy used for the distribution of irrigation water can be recovered. Flows and heads available at four different locations in the network showed suitability for the installation of one traditional Francis turbine and three Pumps-as-turbines (PAT).The methodology used was divided into four phases. In the first phase, the network was simulated with all hydrants simultaneously open and the best locations to install HPP (Hydro Power Plant) were assessed. In the second phase, the maximum, minimum and mean flows and available head values per month at each HPP location were obtained using on-demand simulations applying the Clément methodology. In the third phase, the flow and net head available in the turbines were transformed into energy. In the last phase a feasibility study was carried out through three indices. Applying this methodology, the maximum recoverable energy was estimated as 270.5 MW h and the maximum carbon savings potential was estimated as 108 t eCO2. These technologies represent a positive competitive advantage for agricultural production reducing the carbon footprint and therefore improving the sustainability of the agricultural production.

Sensor-Based Assessment of Soil Salinity during the First Years of Transition from Flood to Sprinkler Irrigation.

A key issue for agriculture in irrigated arid lands is the control of soil salinity, and this is one of the goals for irrigated districts when changing from flood to sprinkling irrigation. We combined soil sampling, proximal electromagnetic induction, and satellite data to appraise how soil salinity and its distribution along a previously flood-irrigated field evolved after its transformation to sprinkling. We also show that the relationship between NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and ECe (electrical conductivity of the soil saturation extracts) mimics the production function between yield and soil salinity. Under sprinkling, the field had a double crop of barley and then sunflower in 2009 and 2011. In both years, about 50% of the soil of the entire studied field—45 ha—had ECe < 8 dS m−1, i.e., allowing barley cultivation, while the percent of surface having ECe ≥ 16 dS m−1 increased from 8.4% in 2009 to 13.7% in 2011. Our methodology may help monitor the soil salinity oscillations associated with irrigation management. After quantifying and mapping the soil salinity in 2009 and 2011, we show that barley was stunted in places of the field where salinity was higher. Additionally, the areas of salinity persisted after the subsequent alfalfa cropping in 2013. Application of differential doses of water to the saline patches is a viable method to optimize irrigation water distribution and lessen soil salinity in sprinkler-irrigated agriculture.

Preliminary study of soil permeability properties using principal component analysis

Soil permeability measurement is undoubtedly important in carrying out soil-water research such as rainfall-runoff modelling, irrigation water distribution systems, etc. It is also known that acquiring reliable soil permeability data is rather laborious, time-consuming, and costly. Therefore, it is desirable to develop the prediction model. Several studies of empirical equations for predicting permeability have been undertaken by many researchers. These studies derived the models from areas which soil characteristics are different from Indonesian soil, which suggest a possibility that these permeability models are site-specific. The purpose of this study is to identify which soil parameters correspond strongly to soil permeability and propose a preliminary model for permeability prediction. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to 16 parameters analysed from 37 sites consist of 91 samples obtained from Batanghari Watershed. Findings indicated five variables that have strong correlation with soil permeability, and we recommend a preliminary permeability model, which is potential for further development.

Efisiensi Pemberian Air Pada Jaringan Irigasi Way Bini Kecamatan Waeapo Kabupaten Buru Provinsi Maluku

Dams irrigation system is important facility to ensure the water availability during rice cultivation. The aim of this study was to verify the condition of Way Bini irrigation system in providing irrigation water and water distribution system to meet the needs of rice cultivation in Savana Jaya Village, Waeapo Subdistrict, Buru District. The research used survey method. The results showed that the irrigation water debit required for appropriate rice cultivtion was 677.16 L/sec (0.68 m3/sec) which was smaller than that of the Way Bini dam; 750 L / s (0.75 m3 / s), while the efficiency of the irrigation water requirement was 70% which was categorized as good to excellent.

Cropping pattern optimization considering uncertainty of water availability and water saving potential

In arid and semi-arid areas, the profitability of irrigated agriculture mainly depends on the availability of water resources and optimal cropping patterns of irrigation districts. In this study, an integrated agricultural cropping pattern optimization model was developed with considering the uncertainty of water availability and water saving potential in the future, aiming to maximize agricultural net benefit per unit of irrigation water. The available water which was based on the uncertainty of runoff was divided into five scenarios. The irrigation water-saving potential in the future was quantified by assuming an increase in the rate irrigation water-saving of 10% and 20%. The model was applied to the middle reaches of Heihe River basin, in Gansu Province, China. Results showed that if the irrigation water-saving rate was assumed to increase by 10%, then the net water-saving quantity would increase by 21.5-22.5 million m3 and the gross water-saving quantity would increase by 275.7-303.0 million m3. Similarly, if the irrigation water-saving rate increased by 20%, then the net water-saving quantity would increase by 43.0-45.1 million m3 and the gross water-saving quantity would increase by 331.7-383.2 million m3. If the agricultural cropping pattern was optimized, the optimal water and cultivated area allocation for maize would be greater than those for other crops. Under the premise that similar volume of irrigation water quantity was available in different scenarios, results showed differences in system benefit and net benefit per unit of irrigation water, for the distribution of available irrigation water was diverse in different irrigation districts. Keywords: cropping pattern optimization, irrigation water-saving potential, different scenarios, water availability, water use efficiency, particle swarm optimization (PSO) DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20181101.3658 Citation: Hao L N, Su X L, Singh V P. Cropping pattern optimization considering uncertainty of water availability and water saving potential. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2018; 11(1): 178–186.

Pedological Characterization of the Soils of Atbara and Gash Rivers Upper Atbara Project Area (Kassala State - Sudan)

The soil study area is composed of wide and nearly flat alluvium plain deposits laid by Atbara and Gash Rivers. The study area makes about 751,290 ha and lies within arid and semi-desert climate zones and experiences rainfall in the order of 100 mm in its northern edge, increasing to some 400mm at its southern boundary close to Kassala and east of New Halfa town. The soil study was based mainly on a semi-detailed level soil surveys and the key specifications are a field density of 1 observation each 150 ha. Previously published soil study information was reviewed and incorporated in the findings [5[; [17]; [14]. The Aridisols and Entisols in eastern region of Sudan have high potential for crop production, but some constraints emerge affecting crop performance and decreasing yields. Those limitations are aspects of climatic conditions, parent materials and topography manifested generally in, 1) soil moisture deficiency and locally in; 2) accumulation of secondary salts 3) clayey topsoil textures. Aridisols are the soils of arid regions that exhibit at least some subsurface horizon development. They are characterized by being dry most of the year and limited leaching. Aridisols contain subsurface horizons in which clays, calcium carbonate, silica, salts, and/or gypsum have accumulated. Aridisols in their natural state are used mainly for range, wildlife, and recreation. Because of the dry climate in which they are found, they are not used for agricultural production unless irrigation water is available. Entisols formed by rapid deposition on floodplains are universally favored for growing food crops in large part because of the influx of fertility in the deposited material, their level topography, and often the proximity to transportation and water afforded by adjacent rivers. In aridic (torric) soil moisture regimes their alluvial deposits close to rivers are more easily irrigated than associated soils on adjacent higher terraces or the far away finer clayey deposits. Many, if not most of these areas are subject to flooding and often have extremely abrupt textural differences (i.e. stratifications) engendered by sedimentation processes. In floodplains the river channels migrate as the watershed characteristics change leaving sandy and silty sediments (levees) near the riverbank and finer textured materials further from the riverbank. In aridic moisture conditions Entisols on depressional areas or at higher terraces close to Aridisols are subject to salt accumulation similar to Aridisols. To minimize the concurrence of hazards in Aridisols and Entisols, management procedures should adhere to land and crop management systems. As well, the fertility status is likely to decline due to intensive farming of some nutrient-depleting crops, but this nutrient deficiency is correctable through implementing a fertilizer programme. In the study area, some parameters are management-factors determining e.g. topsoil textures and flat slope favoring uniform distribution of irrigation water through well designed irrigation and drainage network. Those technical inputs if properly used and practiced are expected to sustain crop production. Key words: Aridisols, Entisols, Atbara and Gash Rivers, Alluvium deposits

Analysis of Subak Landuse Change Due to Tourism Accomodation Development in North Kuta Sub-district, Badung Regency, Indonesia

Subak is a traditional irrigation management system in Bali which governs the distribution of irrigation water into rice fields. The problems that occur in Subak in North Kuta Subdistrict is the high landuse change of rice field due to the rapid development of tourism and in the Region Spatial Plan is mostly designated as land for non agriculture. The aim of the research is to find out the Subak landuse change into tourism accommodation during the last five years, as well as knowing the area of Subak which located in the area of agricultural lands food crops related to landuse planning regulation of Badung Regency.The research methods included analysis of satellite imagery, literature studies, field survey, analysis of Subak landuse change, analysis of the subak in the area of the agricultural land food crop.Subak landuse change into non rice fields in the North of Kuta as uch as 538.88 ha during the last five years. The change of rice fields into tourist accommodation as much as 92 accommodation. Subak which is within the area of farmland of food crops 548.35 ha and outside the area of farmland 459.04ha.

Modeling of Mixed Crop Field Water Demand and a Smart Irrigation System

Taiwan average annual rainfall is approximately 2500 mm. In particular, 80% of the rainfall occurs in summer, and most of the heavy rainfall is caused by typhoons. The situation is worsening as climate change results in uneven rainfall, both in spatial and temporal terms. Moreover, climate change has resulted the variations in the seasonal rainfall pattern of Taiwan, thereby aggravating the problem of drought and flooding. The irrigation water distribution system is mostly manually operated, which produces difficulty with regard to the accurate calculation of conveyance losses of channels and fields. Therefore, making agricultural water usage more efficient in the fields and increasing operational accuracy by using modern irrigation systems can ensure appropriate irrigation and sufficient yield during droughts. If agricultural water, which accounts for 70% of the nation’s total water usage, can be allocated more precisely and efficiently, it can improve the efficacy of water resource allocation. In this study, a system dynamic model was used to establish an irrigation water management model for a companion and intercropping field in Central Taiwan. Rainfall and irrigation water were considered for the water supply, and the model simulated two scenarios by reducing 30% and 50% of the planned irrigation water in year 2015. Results indicated that the field storage in the end block of the study area was lower than the wilting point under the 50% reduced irrigation water scenario. The original irrigation plan can be reduced to be more efficient in water usage, and a 50% reduction of irrigation can be applied as a solution of water shortage when drought occurs. However, every block should be irrigated in rotation, by adjusting all water gates more frequently to ensure that the downstream blocks can receive the allocated water to get through the drought event.