Usefulness of Empirical Equations in Assessing Canal Losses through Seepage in Concrete-Lined Canal

Abstract

The correct estimation of conveyance water losses from an irrigation system is vital for the proper management for the system. Seepage is the most dominant process by which water is lost in the canal. Thus, for the effective operational planning and management of an irrigation system, a dependable forecasting of the seepage is very important. Seepage rates are obtainable either by direct measurement or by estimation. This study investigated the usefulness of the equations of Moritz and Davis-Wilson in estimating the seepage losses of concrete-lined canals. Seepage losses of the concrete-lined trapezoid canals of the Menemen irrigation system at the end of the Gediz basin were measured by the inflow-outflow method and the results were compared with the estimates of seepage losses given by the use of these two equations. Average seepage losses were measured as