The study of an irrigation/drainage system in a semi-arid region

RODRÍGUEZ, LB; CELLO, PA; VIONNET, CA; ROSSI, P

Groundwater and Human Development

A.A. Balkema Pub, a member of Taylor & Francis Group

Lugar: Londres (UK); Año: 2005; p. 185 - 197

The Choele Choel Island in the semiarid Patagonia, Argentina, is bordered by two branches of the Negro River. Its intensive fruit production is sustained by an irrigation/drainage system. Despite improvements in crops productivity since the inception of irrigation, some portions of the island are still affected by water table build-ups. Both river branches provide about 155 km of aquifer-stream contact to drain groundwater. Moreover, about 73 km of artificial drains contribute to evacuate excess water, which is discharged on both river branches at downstream locations. Nevertheless, high river levels caused by hydroelectric power generation from upstream dams during the peak of the irrigation season, create backwater effects at discharge points. Farmers sustain that electric power companies trigger the problem, while power companies claim that inefficient irrigation practices are the actual cause of it. This work describes the results of a numerical model used to investigate the behavior of the island unconfined aquifer. Primary objectives of the study were to describe the relevant characteristics of the whole system during a complete irrigation period and to test the effectiveness of corrective measures aimed at reducing water table build-ups in critical areas