Evaluating the Effects of Constructing a Tail Reservoir in a Canal with Automatic Distant Downstream Control

Abstract

Although canal control automation has been generally disregarded in the irrigation modernization projects in Spain, regulation reservoirs formed part of most projects. Recent projects combining storage reservoirs with automatic canal control lack clear design criteria, although they are influenced by the evident benefits from the construction of reservoirs at the tail of large canals with upstream control. A case study is presented herein that evaluates the effects of enlarging the downstream pool of one of the few irrigation canals that is operated automatically in Spain using distant downstream control. The study used an unsteady flow hydraulic model that proved to be a very useful tool for demonstrating to district managers the advantages and disadvantages of alternative control strategies, including the construction of a reservoir at the canal tail.