UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

TECHNOLOGY, SARGODHA

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

SUBMITTED TO: Engr. Fahad Ahmed

SUBMITTED BY: Asad Ali Qureshi
ROLL NUMBER: BCEF16E020
GROUP NO: 03

(CEP)
 Critical Engineering Problem
Topic:
Sedimentation In Canal Irrigation System

Sedimentation:

Sedimentation, in the geological sciences, process of deposition of a solid material from a

state of suspension or solution in a fluid (usually air or water). Broadly defined it also
includes deposits from glacial ice and those materials collected under the impetus of gravity
alone, as in talus deposits, or accumulations of rock debris at the base of cliffs. The term is
commonly used as a synonym for sedimentary petrology and sedimentology.

The world population is rapidly increasing and is expected to double to about 10 billion
by the year 2050. To support an increasing population in terms of food sufficiency, more and
more water will be required. Irrigation is the most critical component of the modern package
of inputs to effect high crop production. Irrigation has been the largest recipient of public
agricultural investment in the developing world. Hence, continued investment in irrigation
along with reforms in institutional arrangements for management of water are very much
necessary to ensure adequate supply of food. Simultaneously, water requirements for other
purposes, domestic, industrial and hydropower will steadily increase as well. Under this
competing situation irrigation will have to become increasingly more efficient in the future.
Improved management and operation activities must be implemented to prevent recurring
degradation of irrigation projects. Clogging of turnouts and reduction of the conveyance
capacity of canals by siltation are problems frequently met in irrigation systems. Annually,
high investments are required for rehabilitation of irrigation systems in order to keep them
suitable for their purposes. New development of irrigation projects or upgrading of existing
schemes will require a better understanding of the sediment transport process under the
prevailing flow conditions in irrigation canals. Applicability of the existing sediment
transport relationships on irrigation canals has to be better understood. In this way predictions
on sediment deposition in irrigation canals will be more reliable.
Causes Of Sedimentation:

❖ Sediment entering canal degrades the quality of water for drinking, wildlife and the
land surrounding canal.

❖ Sediment fills up canals and catch basins to carry water away from roads and homes,
which increases the potential for flooding.

❖ Water polluted with sediment becomes cloudy, preventing animals from seeing food.

❖ Murky water prevents natural vegetation from growing in water.

❖ Sediment in stream beds disrupts the natural food chain by destroying the habitat
where the smallest stream organisms live and causing massive declines in fish
populations.

❖ Sediment increases the cost of treating drinking water and can result in odor and taste
problems.

❖ Sediment can clog fish gills, reducing resistence to disease, lowering growth rates,
and affecting fish egg and larvae development.

❖ Nutrients transported by sediment can activate blue-green algae that release toxins
and can make swimmers sick.

❖ Sediment deposits in rivers can alter the flow of water and reduce water depth, which
makes navigation and recreational use more difficult.
Sediment Formation:

The specific extent to which the sediment from various forms of erosion reaches offsite areas,
such as canals, drainage ditches, streams, or reservoirs, depends on a number of physical as
well as management factors. From a physical point of view, the fall velocity of the sediment
particle is the prime variable that determines the interaction between the sediment and the
water in the conveyance (stream, canal, or ditch) or impoundment. The size of the bed
material in the conveyance, as measured by sieve size or fall diameter (Malone, Richardson,
and Simon 1975), is the primary factor determining fall velocity. It is generally believed that
the settling velocity of a particle decreases as the sediment concentration increases.

Sediment control:
Sediment control structures constructed at the heads of run-of-river irrigation schemes have
little effect on the very fine sands and silts that settle in the smaller distribution canals. One
means of minimising the effects of fine sediment deposition in small canals is to design
canals so that deposition occurs at selected locations, rather than throughout the canal
network. Standard sediment transport predictors cannot be used to predict the effects of
changing canal slopes and cross sections when sediment sizes are very small, and thus cannot
be used to determine dimensions and slopes of small canal “settling basins”.

The fine sediments that settle in the smaller canals of some run of river irrigation schemes
cannot be easily controlled at the intakes. However adjusting the transporting capacity of
parts of the canal system so that sediment settles in basins at the heads of small canals can
reduce the impact of fine sediment deposition on canal capacities. A method for predicting
the fine sediment transporting capacity of small canals and settling basins has been presented
which can be used to quantify the performance of these measures. The method, which has
been tested against a large data set, can be applied at other sites. However, a check on the
calibration factor used in the transport function is recommended. The method does not
account for reworking of sediment deposits and is thus restricted to small canals, with
discharges less than about 2 m3/s. Field data on sediment concentrations and the sediment
settling velocity range of the sediment suspensions entering canals is needed in order to carry
out the calculations.
Relationships have been developed between particle diameter and fall velocity for several
shape factors of naturally rounded quartz particles. The information on the settling velocity of
the particle size being considered, along with depth and width of flow in the conveyance or
basin, can be used together with the velocity of flow to determine the length of the
conveyance or settling basin needed to deposit a specific particle.

Sediment Removal:

In central Washington, two typical irrigation districts had deposition along 8,040 and 9,407
feet of canal or lateral, with sediment deposition of 7,695 and 9,910 tons respectively, at an
annual average removal cost of $9.26 per ton. An older evaluation by Carlile (1972) reported
cost of $50,000 per year to remove sediment from canals and drains in the Yakima-Tieton
irrigation district. He also stated that farmers along the Yakima River were reluctant to
convert from furrow to sprinkler or trickle irrigation because of the heavy sediment loads in
the canal from irrigation return flows.
Remedial Measures:

❖ The removal of sediment in impoundments may on occasion have a detrimental effect

on the fine sediments that seal coarse-textured canals. The clean water releases from
the structure have the potential to scour the bed and sides of conveyances to such an
extent that past benefits from sealing of canals with fines are removed.

❖ Dredging is a process used to remove accumulated sediment from the bottom, and in
some cases, the banks or sides of a river, lake, stream or other body of water. A
specialized piece of equipment called a dredge creates a vacuum that sucks up and
pumps out the unwanted sediment and debris.

❖ Sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of hosing them off. Washing these areas
results in sediment and other pollutants running off into streams, rivers and lakes.

❖ Use weed-free mulch when reseeding bare spots on your lawn, and use a straw
erosion control blanket if restarting or tilling a lawn.

❖ In certain instances, small particle sizes such as silts and clay may be beneficial by
sealing conveyances such as canals and thus reducing seepage in the coarser materials
of the conveyance. The fine sediment load that intrudes into the conveyance bottom
and sides may also provide some increase in bank stability. In addition, the
 application of irrigation water high in fine sediment load to coarser soils may increase
the soils' water-holding capacity and fertility.

❖ Notify local government officials when you see sediment entering streets or streams
near a construction site.

❖ Put compost or weed-free mulch on your garden to help keep soil from washing away.

❖ Avoid mowing within 10 to 25 feet from the edge of a stream or creek. This will
create a safe buffer zone that will help minimize erosion and naturally filter
stormwater runoff that may contain sediment.

❖ Either wash your car at a commercial car wash or on a surface that absorbs water,
such as grass or gravel.