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Revisiting currently applied pipe drain depths for waterlogging and salinity control of irrigated land in the (semi) arid zone
Author(s) -
Smedema Lambert K.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
irrigation and drainage
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1531-0361
pISSN - 1531-0353
DOI - 10.1002/ird.325
Subject(s) - waterlogging (archaeology) , arid , salinity , environmental science , control (management) , water resource management , hydrology (agriculture) , drainage , geology , geotechnical engineering , oceanography , economics , management , ecology , paleontology , wetland , biology
This paper examines the validity of the widely prevailing view that the deep drain depths used for irrigated land in some countries are unnecessary for salinity control and potentially environmentally harmful. The paper reviews the applied design practices and drain depth considerations and evaluates the adverse impacts of deep drains and the evidence of the adequacy of shallower drains. It is concluded that there is indeed reason for questioning the appropriateness of some of the currently applied drain depths. A number of suggestions have been made for new considerations to be taken into account and for improved design procedures to be followed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.