Skip to main content

Strategies for reducing subsurface drainage in irrigated agriculture through improved irrigation

Irrigation and Drainage Systems volume 16, pages 261–277 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The traditional approach ofinstalling subsurface drainage systems tosolve shallow ground water problems is notfeasible along the west side of the SanJoaquin Valley of California because of thelack of drain water disposal methods thatare economical, technically feasible, andenvironmentally friendly. Thus, optionssuch as drainage reduction through improvedirrigation and drain water reuse are beingexamined as methods for coping with thesubsurface drainage problem. This paperdiscusses options for reducing subsurfacedrainage through improved irrigationpractices. Options are discussed forimproving irrigation system design such asupgrading existing irrigation methods andconverting to systems with higher potentialirrigation efficiencies. Methods forimproving water management are alsopresented. Case studies on upgradingexisting systems or converting to otherirrigation methods are presented along with study results of the effect of variouspolicies on reducing subsurface drainage.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Ayars, J.E. 1995. Relationship Between Contaminant Loads and Drain Flows for Drainage Systems in Western San Joaquin Valley, California. Final report to the California Department of Water Resources, Contract B-57376. 57 pp.

  • Ayars, J.E. 1996. Managing irrigation and drainage systems in arid areas in the presence of shallow groundwater: case studies. Irrigation and Drainage Systems 10: 227–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayars, J.E. & Hutmacher, R.B. 1994. Crop coefficients for irrigating cotton in the presence of groundwater. Irrigation Science 15: 45–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayars, J.E., Schoneman, R., Mead, R., Soppe, R., Dale, F. & Mesa, B. 1996. Shallow Groundwater Management Project. Final report to the California Department ofWater Resources, Contract B-58166. 196 pp.

  • Ayars, J.E. & Schrale, G. 1990. Irrigation Efficiency and Regional Subsurface Drain Flow on the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley. Final report to the California Department of Water Resources, Contract B56488. 119 pp.

  • Bishop, A.A., Walker, W.R., Allen, N.L. & Poole, G.J. 1981. Furrow advance rates under surge flow systems. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Division, American Society of Civil Engineers 107: 257–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyle Engineering Corporation. 1994. Demonstration of Emerging Irrigation Technologies.Final Report to the California Department of Water Resources.

  • Dellavalle Laboratory, Inc. 1995. Demonstration of Improved Furrow Irrigation. Final report to the California Department of Water Resources.

  • Dinar, A., Knapp, K.C. & Letey, J. 1989. Irrigation water pricing policies to reduce and finance subsurface drainage disposal. Agricultural Water Management 16: 155–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erie, L.J. & A.R. Dedrick. 1979. Level-Basin Irrigation: A Method for Conserving Water and Labor. Farmers' Bulletin 2261. United States Department of Agriculture.

  • Fulton, A.E. 1995. Subsurface Drip Irrigation: Eastern San Joaquin Valley. Annual Report to the U.C. Salinity/Drainage Program and Prossier Trust.

  • Fulton, A.E., Oster, J. D., Hanson, B.R., Phene, C.J. & Goldhamer, D.A. 1991. Reducing drainwater: furrow vs. subsurface drip irrigation. California Agriculture 45(2): 4–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldhamer, D.A. & Peterson, C.M. 1984. A Comparison of Linear-Move Sprinkler and Furrow Irrigatioin on Cotton: a Case Study. Final Technical Report, California Department of Water Resources, Sacramento, CA.

  • Grimes, D.W., Sharma, R.L. & Henderson, D.W. 1984. Developing the resource potential of a shallow water table. California Water Resources Contribution No. 188, University of California.

  • Grimes, D.W., Wiley, P.L. & Sheesley, W.R. 1992. Alfalfa yield and plant water relations with variable irrigation. Crop Science 32: 1381–1387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, B.R. 1989. Drainage reduction potential of furrow irrigation. California Agriculture 43(1): 6–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, B.R. 1995. Practical potential irrigation efficiencies. Proceedings of the Aug. 14–18, First International conference on Water Resources Engineering, San Antonio, TX 1995

  • Hanson, B.R. & Kite, S.W. 1984. Irrigation scheduling under saline high water tables.Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 27(5): 1430–1434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, B.R. & T.J. Trout. 2001. Irrigated agriculture and water quality impacts. In: W.F. Ritter and A. Shirmohammadi (Eds) Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution 342 pp.Lewis Publishers, Baca Raton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, B.R., Grattan, S.R. & Fulton, A.E. 1993. Agricultural Salinity and Drainage. University of California, Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources Publication No. 3375.

  • Hanson, B., Schwankl, L., Bendixen, W. & Schulback, K. 1994. Surge Irrigation. University of California Irrigation Program, 47 pp.

  • Hanson, B., Bower, W., Davidoff, B., Kasapligil, D., Carvajal, A. & Bendixen, W. 1995.Field performance of microirrigation systems. Microirrigation for a Changing World: Conserving Resources/Preserving the Environment, Proceedings of the Fifth International Microirrigation Congress, Orlando, FL., April 2–6, 1995.

  • Hanson, B.R., Schwankl, L.J., Schulbach, K.F. & Pettygrove, G.S. 1997. A comparison of furrow, surface drip, and subsurface drip irrigation on lettuce yield and applied water.Agricultural Water Management 33: 139–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson, B.R., Fulton, A.E. & Goldhamer, D.A. 1998. Cracks affect infiltration of furrow crop irrigation. California Agriculture 52(2): 38–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutmacher, R.B. & Ayars, J.E. 1991. Managing shallow groundwater in arid irrigated lands.ASAE Paper No. 912119. Presented at the 1991 International Summer Meeting of the 277 American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Albuquerque, New Mexico. June 23–26, 1991.

  • Iyuno, F.T., Podmore, T.H. & Duke, H.R. 1985. Infiltration under surge irrigation. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 28(2): 517–521.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemper, W.D., Heineman, W.H., Kincaid, D.C. & Worstell, R.V. 1981. Cablegation I: cable controlled plug in perforated supply pipe for automatic furrow irrigation. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 24(6): 1526–1532.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knapp, K.C. 1997. Irrigation management and investment under saline, limited drainage conditions 3. Policy analysis and extensions. Water Resources Research 28(12): 3099–3109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knapp, K.C., Dinar, A.S. & Nash, P. 1990. Economic policies for regulating agricultural drainage water. Water Resources Bulletin, American Water Resources Association 26(2): 289–298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Posnikoff, J.F. & Knapp, K.C. 1997. Farm-level management of deep percolation emissions in irrigated agricultural. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 33(2): 375–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purkey, D.R. & Wallender, W.W. 1989. Surge flow infiltration variability. Transactions of the American Society of Agriculture Engineers 32(3): 894–900.

    Google Scholar 

  • San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program. 1990. A Management Plan for Agricultural Subsurface Drainage and Related Problems on the Westside San Joaquin Valley. 183 pp.

  • Schwankl, L J., Hanson, B.R. & Panoras, A. 1992. Furrow torpedoes improve irrigation water advance. California Agriculture 46(6): 15–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallender, W.W., Grimes, D.W., Henderson, D.W. & Stromberg, L.K. 1979. Estimating the contribution of a perched water table to the seasonal evapotranspiration of cotton.Agronomy Journal 71: 1056–1060.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wichelns, D., Houston, L. & Cone, D. 1997. Economic analysis of sprinkler and siphon tube irrigation systems, with implications for public policies. Agricultural Water Management(32): 259–273.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Blaine R. Hanson

  2. Water Management Research Laboratory (USDA), 9611 S. Riverbend Ave., Parlier, CA, 93648, USA

    James E. Ayars

Authors
  1. Blaine R. Hanson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. James E. Ayars
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hanson, B.R., Ayars, J.E. Strategies for reducing subsurface drainage in irrigated agriculture through improved irrigation. Irrigation and Drainage Systems 16, 261–277 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024861112978

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024861112978

  • irrigation
  • salinity
  • subsurface drainage
  • water management