On-Farm System Performance in the Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District Area

A detailed Diagnostic Analysis (DA)was performed on an irrigation district in CentralArizona as part of a Management Improvement Program(MIP). The DA was conducted by an interdisciplinaryteam who focused their findings on performance of theirrigated agricultural system, on- and off-farm,rather than on disciplines. This paper reports on thefindings related to on-farm management. Specificfindings are presented relative to farm water use,soil sustainability, the interactions between the farmirrigation system and the water delivery system, andthe adoption and transfer of new technology. Theresults point to the need for appropriate applicationof technology, ongoing farmer education, andcoordination of farm and district operations andgovernment agency programs. The interdisciplinarynature of the DA team was essential for properlyassessing performance. Although this study was donein the state of Arizona in the USA, the methodologyused and some of the general conclusions areapplicable to other locations, both within and outsidethe United States.     

The Management Improvement Program (MIP): A Process For Improving the Performance of Irrigated Agriculture

Enhanced long-term management ofnatural resources, farmer profitability, and overallsocial well-being are essential to sustainableirrigated agriculture. Because these objectives oftenseem to conflict, all agriculturalstakeholders – farmers, irrigation districts, supportand regulatory government agencies, and otherinterested parties – need to interact proactively toidentify and address common needs. To this end, theManagement Improvement Program (MIP) was tested in theMaricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District(MSIDD) area in central Arizona, USA, as a managedchange process to improve the performance of anirrigated agricultural system. The three-phased MIPprocess consists of (1) analysis of the currentperformance of the agricultural system, on- andoff-farm, to gain a common, shared understanding; (2) developmentby the stakeholders of plans foralternatives to address identified opportunities forimprovement; and (3) collaborative implementation ofthe plans. This paper describes the MIP process andits methodological origins, provides an account of theinitial application of the MIP process to an irrigatedagricultural system in the United States, andhighlights some important outcomes of the MIPapplication.     

Lessons from the Demonstration Management Improvement Program

The Management Improvement Program,a process based on Organizational Developmentprinciples and methods, was applied to an irrigatedagricultural system in Arizona, USA. The MIP seeks toimprove management and performance of the agriculturalsystem through structured diagnosis, planning, andimplementation activities with the participation ofsystem stakeholders. An equally important objectiveof the demonstration project was to identify strengthsand shortcomings of the MIP methodology and togenerate recommendations for managing its futureapplications. The data used to analyze thedemonstration project's management were obtainedthrough formal interviews and informal conversationswith individual participants, program review andfeedback sessions, and records of meetings andindividual communications.Lessons about the project's management are categorizedin six areas: the initial exploration phase, initialplanning, participant on-boarding, formation of theprocess management team, development of the localcontrol group, and evaluation of the project. A keyaspect of conducting a change process such as the MIPfor improving the performance of agricultural systems,is that issues affecting the system may be difficultto identify early in the process or may requirelonger-term solutions, extending beyond the life ofthe formal process. Because of this uncertainty, adetailed action plan, the role of participants, andmeasures for evaluating progress or impact are alsolikely to be uncertain early in the project. Nevertheless, it is critical that the application,including these elements, be defined as concisely aspossible, especially relative to scope and funding,while still allowing the flexibility to address apotentially wider range of issues. Given the natureof the MIP, those responsible for its management needto be technically proficient, experienced with teammanagement techniques, sensitive to the localpolitical environment of natural resource management,and when necessary, willing to challenge stakeholders'initial understandings of issues.     

The Economics of Agriculture in the Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District in Central Arizona

The economic performance of a Central Arizona Projectirrigation district is determined by the economiccondition of the growers the district serves and theunderlying financial structure of the district. Inthe case of the Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation andDrainage District, adverse economic conditions in theagricultural sector and a high debt obligationrelative to water sales called into question thefinancial sustainability of the district. Districtmanagement took positive steps, like the ManagementImprovement Program (MIP) and departmentrestructuring, to improve the economic performance ofthe water delivery system. These actions relied onthe shared understanding of the waterinterdependencies between agricultural and urban userswhich was obtained through the Diagnostic Analysis ofthe MIP.     

Water Delivery Performance in the Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District

A Diagnostic Analysis was conducted in the service area of theMaricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District in Arizona,USA. The study was an initial step in a managed change process,named Management Improvement Program (MIP), aimed at improvingthe performance of the area's irrigated agricultural system. Partof the Diagnostic Analysis study focused on the performance ofthe irrigation district's water delivery service. The studyidentified areas of high and low water delivery performance,factors contributing to the observed levels of performance, andimplications to on-farm water management. These findings promptedchanges in the delivery system's management. Results from a post-MIP intervention study indicate that the district's waterdelivery performance has improved as a result of those changes,and thus, that the Diagnostic Analysis and MIP methodologies areeffective tools for promoting positive change in a water deliveryorganization.     

Irrigation and Drainage Systems Maintenance: Needs for Research and Action

Irrigation system maintenance hastraditionally played second chair to systemoperations. This relative neglect hassquandered economic benefits and depletedthe value of capital assets. Recentprograms transferring operation andmaintenance responsibility to water usergroups offer an opportunity to redress thisbalance and create a more systematic andsustainable program of system maintenancein transferred systems. This paperidentifies important research needs thatform the basis for an action researchintervention program. The need to linkmaintenance inputs to hydraulic performance isclearly important, as is the need toprioritize inputs in terms of both cost andexpected impact on performance. Thefunding of maintenance is closely linked toasset management so that water user groupscan develop long-term strategies forprioritizing and financing theiractivities. Factors that lead water usergroups to choose between a self-helpstrategy towards O&M and the hiring ofprofessional staff to undertake these tasksalso requires additional research andinvestigation. Finally, the relationshipbetween regular maintenance and frequentrehabilitation needs to be defined and thetwo linked through policy, agreements, andfunding arrangements.     

引黄灌区纯井灌水均衡及效益分析

灌溉模式多是井渠双配套,导致工程重叠,土地占压多,引沙量大,且浪费有限的水资源。为实行开源节流,地表水与地下水联合应用,在引黄灌区部分区域开展纯井灌溉是非常必要的。茌平县阁三里位于位山引黄灌区中游,周围引黄条件好,却一直利用地下水实行纯井灌溉。该井灌区(以下简称试区)拥有丰富的地下水动态及水文地质资料,开展阁三里纯井灌水均衡及效益研究,对于指导当前水资源合理调度及工程规划具有重要意义。该文通过系统地分析研究,证明在引黄灌区内部分区域开展纯井灌是必要的、合理的、成功的。     

柳园口灌区作物ET_0变化及节水灌溉模式研究

为了研究黄河下游灌区作物需水量变化规律,以柳园口灌区为例,采用国际上通用的Penman公式,分析研究主要参考作物的需水量变化情况,并结合引黄河水流量与含沙量的变化特点,探讨了灌区节水灌溉模式。研究表明:柳园口灌区ET_0呈近年来处于稳定态势,整体略有下降,主要农作物受生长季节和生育周期的限制,棉花生育期需水量大于小麦,小麦的需水量大于玉米。结合黄河来水来沙分布情况,引导灌区适时使用引黄灌溉和井灌的灌溉模式,充分发挥有限水资源的最大效益。     

排灌机械的选用及动力配套分析

排灌机械是农业机械化的重要组成部分，是保证作物高产稳产的重要措施之一。作物在生长发育过程中需要用灌溉来补充雨量的不足，使土壤保持适当的湿润状态，以满足作物生长的要求。正确选用水泵和合理配套动力机械是保证灌溉要求、降低成本、发挥机具最住经济效益的关键。     

基于DRAINMOD模型的不同灌排模式稻田水氮运移模拟

[目的]研究不同灌排模式稻田水氮动态变化,为南方稻作区节水减排提供科学依据.[方法]基于实测的田间灌排水量及氮素变化数据,采用Morris方法检测DRAINMOD模型水氮运移相关参数的灵敏度,并利用DRAINMOD模型对传统灌排模式和控制灌排模式下稻田水氮动态进行模拟.[结果]20～40 cm 土层侧向饱和导水率对稻田...     

土地流转背景下南方自流灌区终端用水特点分析

随着经济社会的发展以及城镇化进程的推进,我国农村土地结构、人口结构、种植结构以及农村资本发生了巨大的变化,引发了农村土地的大幅度流转,催生了多种形式的农业经营主体.南方地区受自然条件、传统观念等方面的影响,农户配合度与参与度不高,南方灌区用水组织的内生动力、凝聚力较弱,终端用水管理体制也比较薄弱.新型经营主体对用水组织...     

基于数值模拟的太湖流域地区节水条件下水田灌排水量研究

太湖流域内农业用水粗放,水利用效率低下,农业面源污染严重,推广水稻节水灌溉势在必行。为了研究水稻节水灌溉对太湖流域用水总量控制的影响效应以及对太湖流域水资源量和水环境的影响效应,需要弄清在不同保证率下节水灌溉和淹水灌溉单位面积的灌溉水量和排水量。改进了逐日水量平衡法中蒸散发项和渗漏项的计算方法,并对该方法中各个参数的确定做了说明。最后以杭嘉湖区为例,选用1956-2000年系列资料模拟灌溉排水过程,同时采用P?Ⅲ型曲线计算不同保证率下节水灌溉和淹水灌溉的灌溉水量,并比较了两者的效益。     

黄河三角洲灌溉水源的分析与对策

从黄河三角洲自然地理条件出发，结合该区黄河来水日趋减少，且近年又多有断流发生的实际情况，提出解决黄河三角洲灌溉水源紧缺的对策：修建平原水库，搞好渠道防渗，推广节水灌溉技术，做好计划用水，推行“蓄淡压盐”、种植旱作物等农业措施。     

基于灰色系统模型的阿拉尔垦区农业水资源供需平衡预测及分析

对新疆阿拉尔垦区农业水资源短缺情况进行分析,并运用灰色系统GM（1,1）方法,预测了其农业供需水状况及其余缺水程度。结果表明：当供水保证率P=50％时,2015年缺水为3．178亿m^3,占总水量的24．47％;而在供水保证率P=75％时,缺水则增加到3．614亿m^2,占总水量的28．79％,可见,缺水越来越严重。因此,在常规灌溉条件下,供水量不能满足农业用水的需求,且农业水资源的短缺将严重制约阿拉尔垦区经济的发展。水资源供需矛盾必须依靠垦区水资源的深度开发和节水等措施才能得以解决,以此来实现垦区农业水资源和经济的可持续发展。     

农田水利工程专业国家自然科学基金2001～2003年资助情况简要分析

农田水利工程专业国家自然科学基金近3年的资助情况表明:农田水利工程专业的基础研究队伍以35～45岁的青年学者为主,在水利学科中,其研究队伍较小、整体实力不强,与国家目标的需求尚存在一定的差距。从研究内容来看,节水灌溉技术机理及相关研究、提高水分利用效率(WUE)的机理研究与水肥耦合关系研究仍占据着主导地位;尺度效应与空间变异性研究、水资源利用的生态环境效应研究已日益引起广泛关注,正在成为新的研究热点;有关溶质运移(包括水盐运动、污水灌溉等)的基础理论研究仍然是重要的研究方向;农田排水研究已逐步冷清。农田水利的研究方法仍以物理实验和数值模拟为主,部分研究者已开始尝试将地质统计学、分形理论、人工神经网络模型、随机微分方程等数学方法及水文模型、遥感(RS)、地理信息系统(GIS)、数字高程模型(DEM)等其它学科的研究方法引入农田水利问题的研究之中,农田水利与化学、生物学和农学等学科的结合与交叉正在逐步加强。     

位山灌区水情自动测报系统研究

该系统采用先进的硬件设备和有线无线混合组网方式,并采用了TC401感应式数字水位传感器,避免了黄河水含沙量高和部分季节结冰的影响;系统软件设计模块化,其中水位流量关系模块采用了自适应遗传算法,提高了计算速度与精度。实际运行表明该系统能够实时采集、分析、处理和存储水情数据,运行状况良好,测量精度满足实际要求,为灌区决策提供了科学的依据,提高了灌区管理技术和水资源利用率。并且分析了系统未来的发展趋势。     

广利灌区总干渠水质及氮磷污染初步评价

【目的】针对灌区绿色发展面临严峻挑战和水环境不断恶化等问题,探究广利灌区总干渠水质及氮磷污染现状及其对灌区水环境的影响,进一步提出灌区水环境问题解决建议。【方法】于2019年6—12月,在灌区内总干渠中选取具有代表性的6个断面,进行了6次水质监测,测定水体中的总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)、COD_Cr和BOD₅等反映水质和氮磷污染的基本指标。采用适用于我国河流水质综合评价的综合水质标识指数法和富营养化评价的对数型幂函数普适指数公式对河流水质及富营养化情况进行评价。【结果】①广利灌区86%的水体水质能满足Ⅴ类农业水域功能区的用水要求,且综合水质标识指数随时间和空间变化显著,7月66.7%水体处于劣Ⅴ类水标准,在三号闸和补源进水口取样点出现了黑臭水体。②广利灌区水体富营养化严重,灌区内水体100%处于富营养状态,富营养化评价综合指数(EI)峰值出现在7月补源进水口处(80.5),且41.6%的水体处于重富营养化状态。③TN平均质量浓度为5.30 mg/L,为地表水Ⅴ类水标准的2.65倍,TP平均质量浓度为0.156 mg/L,氮、磷比为33.97∶1,适宜藻类生长。【结论】广利灌区总体水质可满足农业功能区用水要求,但富营养化水平较高,尤其是氮污染严重,灌区内的原生态土渠和水生植物使河流具有良好的自净能力,能发挥其生态功能作用。因此,建议加强灌区内入河水体的污染控制尤其是氮磷污染的监测;同时渠道衬砌要考虑生态环境、配比生态衬砌和原生态土渠、河道搭配水生植物,进而对河水中的氮磷等污染物进行吸附,以改善灌区水环境。     

惠民县微咸水灌溉区土壤水盐运移数值模拟及分析

为合理利用水资源、保证地下水盐环境,以惠民县桑落墅项目区为研究对象,运用HYDRUS软件,构建了土壤水盐运移数值模型,并在微咸水灌溉条件下对该地区土壤水盐运移进行了数值模拟和分析。结果表明,HYDRUS模型可以较好对土壤水盐运移规律进行模拟,按照淡水-微咸水-淡水顺序灌溉,每次灌后土壤湿润层积盐位置分别离土壤表层40、40、20 cm。5月土壤含盐量最低,4月土壤含盐量较3、5月偏高。3月土壤含水率最低,5月较3、4月要高。3、4、5月,研究区地下水埋深变化范围为0.7~3.5 m。研究区域土壤属于轻度盐渍化。