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Predicting reduction in water losses from open channels by phreatophyte control
Author(s) -
Bouwer Herman
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr011i001p00096
Subject(s) - water table , evapotranspiration , floodplain , groundwater , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental science , vegetation (pathology) , table (database) , evaporation , soil science , geology , geotechnical engineering , geography , ecology , medicine , computer science , cartography , pathology , meteorology , data mining , biology
A procedure is presented for calculating seepage from a stream due to uptake of groundwater by vegetation or evaporation from soil in the floodplain. The calculation requires that the relation between evapotranspiration rate and water table depth be known. If these relations are available for a given floodplain before and after removal of phreatophytes, the reduction in seepage losses from the stream due to phreatophyte removal can be computed. To simplify the calculation process, the curves relating evapotranspiration rate and water table depth, which are generally sigmoid, can be approximated by step functions of the same area. Potential water savings by phreatophyte control are calculated for step functions that are representative of deep‐rooted vegetation, shallow‐rooted vegetation, and bare soil. In addition to the depth from which groundwater can be evaporated before and after phreatophyte removal the water savings are affected by the vertical distance between the water level in the stream and the floodplain.