Field installation of a model for transient simulation of canal flow

A computerized hydraulic model developed at Utah State University was installed at a large-scale irrigation project in Northeast Thailand with the objective of improving water management in the supply and distribution system. The model was calibrated for measured field conditions by determining discharge coefficients for flow control structures, measuring seepage loss rates, and calculating hydraulic roughness coefficients. The logistical and technical problems associated with the model installation, and the respective solutions, are presented in this paper.