ST JOSEPH COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEGREE EXAMINATION – NOV – 2009

SEM: VI 51CE606 IRRIGATION ENGINEERING

Time: 3Hours Max. Marks: 100

MODEL SOLUTIONS

PART A (10 x 2 = 20marks)

1. Irrigation is to artificially supply water to arid land for growing crops. Reasons for irrigation include
increasing yield of crops for uneven distribution of rainfall, grow plants in areas with no rainfall and
also be able to grow perennial crops (a student may mention reasons for irrigation this does not add
marks)

2. When the annual rainfall exceed 1000mm, it is regarded as there is enough rainfall and therefore
irrigation is not required

3. The importance of leaching process is to remove the excess salts which may be harmful to the plants
region below the root zone.

4. The equation for estimation of water quantity stored in the root zone is expressed as
(1mark)
where D = Water depth in the root zone
d = depth of root zone (m)
F = Field capacity (expressed as ratio)
w = unit weight of water and
g = unit weight of soil.
Mo= is the optimum moisture content (1mark)

5. Headwork in water irrigation conveyance performs the tasks of diverting the river water to the canal
as well as regulating the quantity of water entering the canal and sometimes controls the sediment not
to enter the canal.

6. The Kennedy’s Theory for a design of open channel

7. The productivity is defined as the ratio of output to input. The input in this case can be water
delivered in the irrigated land and the output can be the harvest.
8. The role of government is to put in place and enforce policies which will help farmers in to exploit
the available water effectively, equally and efficiently.

9. Four bases through which dams are classified

(a) Based on Function Served such as storage dams etc

(b) Based on Hydraulic Design
(c) Based on Materials of construction (mark any 4 @ 0.5 Marks)
(d) Based on Rigidity
(e) Based on the structural action

10. Canal syphon is a structure with a closed conduct designed to run full and usually under pressure to
carry the canal water under the drainage while canal drop this is a structure provided at a section
when a canal crosses a larger natural surface slope to avoid erosion.

PART B
(5x4 = 20 marks)

11. (a) Advantages of irrigation in arable land

i. increase in food production
ii. optimum benefits
iii. general prosperity (@ 1mark)
iv. afforestation.

(b) Advantages of sprinkler irrigation

(i) Land levelling is not required
(ii) Fertilisers can be uniformly applied (@1mark)
(iii) It is less labour oriented
(iv) Less loss of irrigation water

12. (a) It is important to consider quality of water to be used for irrigation because of the following
reasons
(i) Decide the method of irrigation to be used and (@ 2 marks)
(ii) Decide type of crop to be grown

(b) Net Irrigation Water Requirement this is the moisture that must be supplied by irrigation to
satisfy evapotranspiration plus that needed for leaching and not supplied by off-season
storage, and the effects of precipitation and groundwater storage while Gross Irrigation Water
Requirement is the net water requirement plus the amount of water that is lost in the root zone
and out of the irrigation field.

13. (a) The purpose of sand excluder is to avoid sediment from flowing to the irrigation canal
The sediment excluder is normally located upstream of the irrigation canal i.e at the
headworks.
(b) The siphon structure will always be located at the area whore the irrigation canal crosses the
drainage system with the purpose of conveying irrigation water under the drainage.
14. (a) Criteria normally used for judging the canal performance are
i. Productivity – the ratio of input to output i.e amount of water used to harvest.
ii. Equity – measure of how water is distributed equally among farmers
iii. Stability of productivity and equity (mark all i & ii @ 1.5marks iii 1mark)

(b) The absorption loss occurs in canal is due to difference of moisture content between the soil
layers under the canal. The absorption is therefore driven by the force due to difference in
moisture content. The soil layers around the canal will have higher moisture content that the
under laying layers the absorption tend to occur from the canal to under laying layers.

15. (a) A dam/reservoir with insufficient dead zone volume will result into sediment occupying part
water storage volume for operational purpose as result reduce the operational volume of the
dam.

(b) Types of dam based on the material for construction includes

(i) Earth dam this type of dam is constructed using the locally available soil nearby the
dam site

(ii) Masonry dam this type of dam is constructed using masonry in conjuction with a
suitable type of mortar.

(iii) Concrete dam this type of dam is constructed using concrete i.e a mixture of sand,
aggregate and cement or sometimes lime.

(iv) Rockfill dam is a dam constructed using rock as a filler material occupying the middle
core of the dam while other material such as clay is also applied to prevent seepage of
water.

(v) (5) Combined concrete-cum-earth dam this is a combination of concrete and earth
constructed dam (mark any 3)
 PART C
(5x 12marks = 60 marks)

16. (a) Given data

Discharge Q = 12m3/day
Total time for irrigation = from 1st July to 4th August = 35 days (3 marks)
The total area irrigated = 55000m2

(b) Key issues to be considered when planning for any irrigation scheme include
(i) It is important to understand the area to be irrigated in other words the demand of such
an irrigation scheme
(ii) Establish the source(s) of such irrigation scheme and how the water can reach the
irrigation area
(iii) The type of crop to be irrigated and the water quality available for the irrigated. This
will dictate the method of irrigation

(iv) The cost associated with such irrigation scheme and the available funds which dictates
the method to be used for irrigation

(v ) Personnel available for such irrigation which may also influence the type of irrigation
to be used (mark any 4 @ 3marks)

17 (a) Given data

Root zone d = 0.9m
Field capacity F = 38%
Permanent wilting point M = 18%
Soil bulk density = 1.36g/cm3
Required the net irrigation depth
 (b) Given data
Root zone 1000mm
Time for irrigation 120days
Consumptive use = 6.5mm/day
Available moisture = 150mm
Required
(i) Frequency of irrigation
(ii) And irrigation interval when irrigation is carried after 60% of moisture
is used

(i)

(ii)

18 (a) To discuss various problems posed by irrigation canal during their use and the
remedial measures
(i) Water logging along the canal; this can be prevented by lining with impervious
materials such as concrete
(ii) Water loss this can be prevented through lining or and selection of a proper
route in which the soil is less permeable
(iii) Sedimentation along the canal area; this can be eliminated through a careful
design of the canal in regard to well designed minimum velocity and proper
headworks to avoid sediment to the canal
(iv) Loss of water of the diverted river; this can be avoided by directing excess
water from an irrigated land back to the river. (marks any 3 @ 4marks)

(b) (i) Establish the amount of water needed by an irrigation scheme

(ii) Establish the minimum quantity of water that can be diverted from the river to
avoid environmental degradation
(iii) Establish proper location for the installation of headworks (i.e. weir,
sediment control devices etc)
(iv) Establish the type of canal to be used i.e lined or unlined
(v) Locate the route for the canal with minimum cost for the construction
(marks any 4 @ 3marks)
19. (a) Roles and responsibilities of farmers associations
(i) To enhanced organizational for negotiating water rights, timely supply, allocation of
water, improvement in main system management
(ii) To maintain the distributaries of water to irrigation land or farms
(iii) To ensure better access to information about water availability & other
irrigation
Policies to the farmers
(iv) To represent the farmers to the government in policies making etc
(v) To resolve any conflicts that may arise between users of the an
irrigation scheme
(vi) To allocate water to different farmers (mark any 4 @ 3 marks)

(b) Methods for improving canal irrigation management

(i) Cropping patterns
(ii) Conjunctive use
(III) Canal lining
(v) Regulatory & escapes
(vi) Canal outlets
(vii) Night irrigation
(viii) Irrigation scheduling
(ix) Use of waste water
(x) Avoid water logging (marks any 8 @ 1.5 marks)
(xi) Use a proper irrigation method
(xii) Introduce where possible water charges
(xiii) Control irrigation land development

20. (a) When the eccentricity ‘e’ is greater than one sixth of the base width there is a
danger development of tension at the heel of the dam base. This should be avoided
based on the fact that most of the construction materials for dam are less resistant to
tension stress. Therefore to avoid tension stress to occur in the base the eccentricity ‘e’
should be kept less than one sixth of the base.(12marks)

(b) With the aid of sketches to show all parts of zoned earth dam
Any of the above sketches is correct ( Mark any for total of 12 marks) note that slopes values such
as 1 on 2.5 should not be considered)