Sensitivity of surface irrigation to infiltration parameters: implications for management

Abstract

Infiltration characteristics are a major source of uncertainty in the design and management of surface irrigation systems. Understanding the sensitivity of the design to errors or variation in the design inputs is needed to develop management recommendations that account for this uncertainty. This paper further analyzes the sensitivity of the level basin design procedure proposed by Clemmens (1998). Results show that the recommended management approach, cutting off inflow when the water advances a fixed distance relative to the field length, works best when actual advance time is more than predicted. If actual advance time is the same or less than predicted, then cutoff based on time may be a better approach, independent from variations due to differences in infiltration, roughness, inflow, or all of these factors combined.