Scale Effects of Water Saving on Irrigation Efficiency: Case Study of a Rice-Based Groundwater Irrigation System on the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

Haorui Chen, Zhanyi Gao, Wenzhi Zeng, Jing Liu, Xiao Tan, Songjun Han, Shaoli Wang, Yongqing Zhao and Chengkun Yu
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Haorui Chen: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Zhanyi Gao: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Wenzhi Zeng: State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Jing Liu: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Xiao Tan: State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Songjun Han: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Shaoli Wang: State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Yongqing Zhao: Jiansanjiang Water Administration Bureau, Heilongjiang Land Reclamation Bureau, Fujing 156399, China
Chengkun Yu: Qianjin Water Administration Bureau, Qianjin Farm, Heilongjiang Land Reclamation Bureau, Fujing 156331, China

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: This research analyzed the scale effect of water saving in Bielahonghe (BLH) Basin, a rice-cultivating district on the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. Water budgets with different surface irrigation water supply ratios and water-saving measures were simulated with a semi-distributed water balance model. PF nws , representing the ratio of rice evapotranspiration to net water supply (the total amount of irrigation and precipitation minus the amount of water reused), was employed to assess the water use efficiency. Seven spatial scales (noted from S1 to S7), ranging from a single field (317.87 ha) to the whole basin (about 100,800 ha) were determined. PF nws values were quantified across scales and several water-saving measures, including water-saving irrigation regimes, canal lining, and a reduction of the surface water supply ratio (SWSR). The results indicated that PF nws increased with scale and could be calculated by a fitted power function (PF nws = 0.736Area 0.033 , R 2 = 0.58). Furthermore, PF nws increased most prominently when the scale increased from S1 to S2. The water-saving irrigation regime (WSIR) had the most substantial water-saving effect (WSE) at S1. Specifically, PF nws improved by 21.2% at S1 when high-intensity WSIR was applied. Additionally, the WSE values of S3 and S5 were slightly higher than at other scales when the branch canal water delivery coefficient increased from 0.65 to 0.80 through canal lining. Furthermore, the PF nws at each scale varied with SWSR. Specifically, PF nws from S3 to S7 improved as SWSR decreased from 0.4 to 0.3 but remained approximately constant when SWSR decreased from 0.3 to 0.

Keywords: rice; water saving; irrigation efficiency; scale effect; percolation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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