A database program for enhancing irrigation district management in the Ebro Valley (Spain)

In the last decade irrigation districts in the Ebro Valley of Spain have started to use database applications to enhance their management operations. Such applications often put more emphasis on administrative issues than on water management issues. A new irrigation district management software called “Ador” is presented in this paper. This database application has been designed to overcome limitations identified in an analysis of the software used in the study area. Ador can be used in irrigation districts independently of the type of irrigation system (surface, sprinkler or trickle) and the type of irrigation distribution network (open channel or pressurised). It can even be used in irrigation districts combining different types of irrigation systems and different types of irrigation distribution networks. The software can be used with minimum district information. The goals are to manage detailed information about district water management and to promote better on-farm irrigation practices. Ador is currently used to enhance management of 62 irrigation districts accounting for some 173,000 hectares in the Ebro Valley.