Subject: IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

MUET
Presentation #: 05 (1 hour)
CANAL IRRIGATION SYSTEM:
 Irrigation Canals and their distribution system
 Classification of Irrigation Canals
 Alluvial and Non-alluvial Canals
 Alignment of Canals
 Curves in canals
 Canal losses, Types, Factors affecting, Computation
 Determination of Required Channel Capacity

Instructor: Prof. Dr. Ashfaque A. Memon

References:
 Irrigation and Water Power Engineering by B. C. Punmia and Pande B. B. Lal
 Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulic Structures by S. K. Garg

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

LESSON LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

After this lecture the students will be able to:

 describe the Irrigation Canals, their distribution system,
Classification, Alluvial and Non-alluvial Canals
 design Alignment of Canals including Curves
 describe Canal losses, Types, Factors affecting, Computation
 Determine the Required Channel Capacity
Irrigation Canals and their distribution system
 A canal/channel (generally trapezoidal in x-section) is an artificial
structure, constructed on the ground to convey water to the agriculture
fields either from the river or from a reservoir.
 A direct irrigation scheme (using a weir/barrage), as well as a storage
irrigation scheme (using a storage dam/reservoir), necessitates
construction of network of canals known as canal irrigation system.
 Based on discharge, various
types of canal contained by
the entire system, consists
of:
(i) Main canal;
(ii) Branch canals;
(iii) Distributaries;
(iv) Minors; and
(v) Watercourses.
Canal Classification
Canals can be classified w.r.to:
Nature of source of supply (Permanent/ Perinnial; and Inundation)
Financial output (Productive; and Protective)
Function (Irrigation; Feeder; Navigation; and Power generation)
Discharge (Main; Branch; Distributary; Minor; and Water coarse)
Soil (Alluvial; and Non-alluvial)
Alignment (Contour; Watershed; and Side slope)
Canal classification based on Discharge
(i) Alluvial Canal
 The soil which is formed due to continuous silt deposition by the
agency of water, over a course of time, is called alluvial soil.
 A canal excavated through such a soil is known as alluvial canals.
 For such canals some special precautions and design methods are
to be adopted.
 Most canals in Pakistan are alluvial canals.
 The area of alluvial soil is even topography and having a flat
surface slope.
 Alluvial soil is very fertile as it can absorb a fair percentage of
rainfall and retain it in the substratum, making it highly
productive.
(ii) Non-alluvial Canal
 Mountainous regions may go on disintegrating over a
period of time, resulting in the formation of a rocky
plain area called non-alluvial area.
 It has an uneven topography, and hard foundations are
generally available.
 Canals, passing through such areas are called Non-
alluvial Canals.
 Storage irrigation is preferred to direct irrigation in this
type of soil.
 Non-alluvial soils may be permeable or impermeable,
but generally, they are non-permeable.
Canal classification based on Allignment
Based on alignment, irrigation canals can be
classified as:
(i) Watershed canal;
(ii) Contour canal; and
(iii) Side-slope canal.
(i) Watershed Canal
 The dividing line between the catchment area of two drains (streams)
is called the watershed as shown in figure.
 Thus, between two major streams, there is the main watershed which
divides the drainage areas of the two canal.
 Similarly, between any tributary and the main stream, there are
subsidiary watersheds, dividing the drainage b/w the two streams on
either side.
 For canal system in plain areas, it is often necessary as well as
advantageous to align all channels on the watersheds of the
areas, they are designed to irrigate.
 From such a canal irrigation, water is taken out by gravity on
either side of the canal, directly or through small irrigation
channels.
 Moreover, cross-drainage works are avoided, as the natural
drainage will never cross a watershed, because all the drainage
flows away from the watershed.
(ii) Contour Canal
In the hills, the river flows in the valley, while the watershed or the ridge
line may be hundred of metres above it, hence un-economical to provide.
The channel, in such cases, is generally aligned parallel to the area, except
that the longitudinal slopes required to generate sufficient flow velocities,
are given to it.
The maximum designed slope that can be provided in the canal without
generating excessive velocities, is generally less than the available
country slope.

The difference is accommodated by providing

canal falls at suitable places.
A contour channel irrigates only on one side,
because the areas on the other side are higher.
As the drainage flow is always at right angles to
the ground contours, such a channel would
definitely have to cross drainage lines. Suitable
cross drainage works are then provided.
(iii) Side Slope Canal
 A side slope channel is aligned at right
angles to the contours, i.e. along the
slope, as shown in figure.
 Such a channel is parallel to the natural
drainage flow and hence, does not
intercept cross drainage, and hence no
cross drainage works are required.
Curves in Canals
 Attempts are made to align the channels straight as far as possible, but
some times, the curves become unavoidable.
 Whenever, a curve is proposed, it should be as gentle as possible
because it causes disturbance of flow and results in silting on the inside
(i.e. convex side) and scouring on the outside (i.e. concave side).
 Pitching is, therefore, sometimes proposed on the concave side, so as to
avoid scouring.
 If the discharge is more, the curve should be more gentle and should,
therefore, have more radius.
Discharging Capacity of Canals Minimum recommended curve Radius
(cumecs) (meters)
Over 100 1500
30 - 100 900
15 - 30 600
03 - 15 300
0.5 - 03 150
< 0.5 100
Channel Losses
• During the passage of water from the main canal to the outlet (at the
head of the watercourse), water may be lost either by evaporation from
the surface or by seepage through the peripheries of the channels.
• These losses are sometimes very high, of the order of 25 to 50% of the
water diverted.
• In determining the designed channel capacity, a provision for these
water losses must be made.
(1) Evaporation
Evaporation losses: generally very small compared to seepage losses
2-3% of the total losses
In summer season: more losses but < 7%
They depend upon all those factors, on which the evaporation
depends (temperature, wind velocity, humidity, etc.)
(2) Seepage
There may be two different conditions of seepage, i.e.

(i) Percolation; and (ii) Absorption.

(i) Percolation

In percolation, there exists a zone of continuous saturation from the canal

to the water-table and a direct flow is established. Almost all the water
lost from the canal, joins the ground water reservoir.
(ii) Absorption
In absorption, a small saturated soil zone exists round the canal
section, and is surrounded by zone of decreasing saturation.
A certain zone just above the water-table is saturated by capillarity.
Thus, there exists an unsaturated soil zone between the two saturated
zones, as shown in figure.
Rate of loss = f (h + hc)
hc = capillary head
Factors Affecting Seepage Losses
(i) Type of seepage, i.e. whether 'percolation' or 'absorption'

(ii) Soil permeability

(iii) Canal status: the seepage through a silted canal is less than that
from a new canal

(iv) Sediment load: the more the silt, lesser are the losses

(v) Flow velocity: the more the velocity the lesser will be the losses

(vi) Flow area and wetted perimeter

For designs, a combined figure for seepage losses as well as for

evaporation losses, expressed as cumecs per million sq. m of wetted
perimeter may be taken, as tabulated below:
 Channel losses
Type of soil through channel is Total losses
excavated (cumecs/million sq. m of wetted area)
Rocks 0.9
Black cotton soil 1.6
Alluvial red soil 2.5
Decayed rock, gravel, etc 3.0
Loose sandy soil 5.5
Computation of Channel losses
The channel losses can be determined by using certain empirical
formulas. such as
(a) Q  1 B  D 2 3
200
where
∆Q = Channel losses in cumecs per km length of channel
B = Bed width of the channel in meters
D = Depth of water in the channel in meters

(b) Q  1.9 Q
16

where
∆Q = Losses in cumecs per million sq. m. of wetted perimeter
Q = Discharge in cumecs
DETERMINATION OF REQUIRED CHANNEL CAPACITY
Crops to be grown in each crop season
Maximum area under cultivation in each crop season
wheat represent Rabi crops
paddy represent Kharif crops
sugar cane may represent perennial crops under cultivation
Kor demand of crop, not the average
Maximum extent of losses
Gross irrigation requirement (GIR) for each crop
Sum up GIR w.r.to each season and also for perennial crops
Water requirement
= Max of (GIR for wheat and sugar cane + GIR for paddy and sugar cane)
Volumetric demand: on 15 day or monthly basis
Required Channel capacity = (Volume / Time) + 20-25%
 THANKS

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING