CANAL MAINTENANCE & OPERATION

Presented by:
GAJENDRA SETHI
GANESH PALIWAL
GANESH SALVEE
 PLAN OF TALK
• Canal system & aqueducts
• Classification of operation methods
• Selection process
• Operational objective
• Major tasks in operation
• Potential adverse impacts
 INTRODUCTION
• Canals are man-made channels for water.
• There are two types of canal:
1.) Waterways: navigable transportation
2.) Aqueducts: water supply canal
Canals in india
Consumption Pattern of Water
 CANAL SYSTEM
• a.) Main Canal:
• b.) Branch Canal:
• c.) Major Distributary:
• d.) Minor Distributary:
• e.) Field Channel:
 Canal Bridges & Canal Aqueducts:
1).CANAL MASONRY AND BRICK BRIDGES

2).CANAL TIMBER AND CAST IRON BRIDGES

SHROPSHIRE UNION CANAL

OXFORD CANAL
The choice of the method will depend on other
physical factors:
• Type of soil
• The land use
• The number of canals,
• The sizes of the canals
• The accessibility of the canals
• The topography
• Water quality,
• Environment , and
• Nature and landscape conservation.
 The maintenance activities can include:
• Small maintenance operations: Removal of aquatic
weeds, both from the bottom and the slopes.
• Large maintenance operations : Maintenance and
repair of the canal profile, which includes removal of silt &
vegetation , repair of collapsed slopes and maintenance of
culverts and weirs. These activities are carried out once in 5
to 25 years, depending on the soil type and the nature of
the area.
 Major tasks in operation

• DREDGING
HEDGE LAYING
TOWPATH RESURFACING
 Aquatic plants can be divided into three
types:
• emergent species
• submerged species and
• Floating species
A good operation and maintenance program includes:

• Maintain cross-section and gradient

• Immediately remove obstructions or blockage
• Maintain growth of vegetative coverings
• Install and maintain fences
• Immediately repair any damage caused by
animal activity
• Immediately repair any vandalism, vehicular, or
livestock damage.
 MAIN CONSIDERATIONS:

• the effects on downstream flows or aquifers

• the effects on the volume and rate of runoff, infiltration,
evaporation, transpiration, deep percolation, and ground
water recharge.
• the effects of erosion of banks and beds and the
movement of sediment, and the soluble and sediment-
attached substances carried by runoff and the movement
of dissolved substances to groundwater.
• Consider the effects on wetlands or water-related
wildlife habitats.
• Consider the effects on the visual quality of the soil
water and plant resources.
• Consider designing storage capacity into the canal to
allow for management flexibility.
Conveyance Structures for Canal Flows

A canal conveying water from the head works has to

run for large distances and has to maintain the water
levels appropriately, as designed along its length. It
has to run through terrains which generally would
have a different slope small than the canal . The
surrounding areas would invariably have its own
drainage system ranging from small streams to large
rivers . The canal has to carry the water across these
water bodies as well as across artificial obstacles like
railway line or roads .
Structures for crossing canals across roads and
railway lines
For small roads, carrying relatively less traffic, the
pipe conduit is sufficient.

These roads or railway crossings are usually having a

straight profile along its length. The water level in the
canal for this type of crossing is lower than the level of
the obstruction it crosses, as may be noticed from
Figure 2 and the flow through the pipe may be free or
under mild pressure.
Pipe road crossings are relatively economical, easily
designed and built, and have proven a reliable means of
conveying water under a roadway.

Pipe installations are normally installed by cut and cover

method below minor roads but for important roads, where
traffic cannot be interrupted, it may be accomplished by
jacking the pipe through the roadway foundation.
The inverted syphons are structures for canal water
conveyance below roads, railway lines and other structures
(Figure ). The longitudinal profile is not exactly in a straight
line and the central portion is seen to sag beneath the object
to be crossed.

The inverted syphon, therefore, is provided where the water

level in the canal is about the same as the level of the
obstruction.

The inverted syphon is a closed conduit designed

to run full and under pressure . If made of
pressure pipes , they should be able to withstand
the load of cover and wheel from outside and the
hydrostatic head from inside .
 Classification of operation methods

• (i) conventional upstream control;

• (ii) automatic upstream control;
• (iii) downstream control with level top canals;
• (iv) downstream control on sloping canals
• The World Bank proposes for control
strategies (Plusquellec et al., 1994):
• (i) proportional control;
• (ii) adjustable flow-rate control;
• (iii) upstream control;
• (iv) downstream control;
• (v) remote monitoring;
• (vi) remote control.
• proportional control
• in which the incoming flow is split according to
predefined ratios.
• upstream control
• with a constant water level at the upstream
side of the regulator as the operational target
• The outflowing discharge from the delivery
system can be changed only after an
intentional change of the inflowing discharge
• downstream control
• control on level-top canals', with a constant
water level at the downstream side of the
regulator as the operational target.
• Such a delivery system is 'responsive' and
would provide immediately the requested
outgoing discharge because of its (positive)
dynamic canal storage.
• SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE OPERATION
METHOD
• the operational objective of the delivery
system has to be defined first;
• an initial selection of the operation method
follows directly from the operational objective
• Operational objective
• the decision-making procedure on the water
delivery to the tertiary off take, i.e., 'who‘
decides on water delivery to the tertiary unit;
• the method of water delivery to the tertiary
unit, i.e., 'how' that water is delivered to the
tertiary unit;
• the method of water distribution through the
main system, i.e., 'how' the water is distributed
through the main irrigation system.
 POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS
The proposed canal improvements, regardless of
when they are constructed, may potentially
impact :
• 1) rate of inflow to the STAs,
• 2) canal seepage losses,
• 3) canal evaporative losses,
• 4) irrigation supply to the farms

Losses vary with location and antecedent conditions.

•  Canal seepage losses are a function of the canal
depth, soil properties, proximity to
secondary canals and the difference in water levels.
• Canal evaporative losses may be estimated as the
product of measured pan evaporation and the
surface area of the exposed open water.
 CONCLUSION

• Reduce hydraulic losses within the primary

canal system and supporting the objectives of
the Lake.
• Reducing the risk of flood damage to
agricultural and urban lands.
• Improving water quality by removing existing
canal organic sediments and reduce the
transport of future canal sediments by lowering
velocities.
 REFRENCES:

• Burns and McDonnell. Everglades Protection Project:

Conceptual Design. February 15,1994. SFWMD. West
Palm Beach, Florida. SFWMD. Feb. 1994
• Water Measurement Manual (third edition) and the
Canal Systems Automation Manual, Volumes 1 and 2. 
• South Florida Water Management District. DBHYDRO
(selected records)
• South Florida Water Management District. Structure
Books.
• http://waterlab.colostate.edu/Management/conclusi
on.htm
• http://www.fao.org/docrep/W4367E/w4367e0y.htm#
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• http://www.palmbayflorida.org/publicworks/services
THANK U