Prepared by the Task Committee on Recent Advances in Canal Automation of the Irrigation Delivery and Drainage Systems Committee of the Irrigation and Drainage Council of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of ASCE Canal Automation for Irrigation Systems focuses on the technical aspects of modernizing irrigation systems through use of automated canal control systems. Canal automation has always offered an opportunity to save water and improve the efficiency of irrigation water supply projects or irrigation district operations. Recent technological and engineering advances now enable more accurate control of water deliveries throughout all parts of an irrigation project. Using information collected from irrigation systems around the world in conjunction with new advances in control theory research, this Manual of Practice examines how and when to implement canal automation within the context of canal modernization. Topics include: the modernization process, constraints, and concepts; survey of irrigation physical infrastructure; SCADA systems; control operation concepts; canal hydraulic properties; control methods; verification of controller performance; and implementation of control systems. MOP 131 is an essential reference for professionals in agricultural and irrigation engineering, as well as owners, managers, and operators of irrigation water delivery systems.

The book focuses broadly on the preliminaries of the canal irrigation systems in India with a focus on their operation, maintenance, and management of the canal systems. The chapters in this book are classified under four sections, viz., (i). preliminaries of the canal irrigation systems, (ii) operation of the canal irrigation systems, (iii) maintenance of the canal irrigation systems, and (iv) management of the canal irrigation systems. The preliminaries of the canal irrigation systems include an integrated view of irrigation and agriculture, irrigation management in India: problems, issues, a brief history, and some lessons, irrigation administration, organizational structure for management of irrigated agriculture, and farmers’ participation. The operation of the canal irrigation systems includes the operation of dams and barrages, canal operation, water distribution planning, measurement of flow and sediment in canals, and performance evaluation of the canal irrigation system, use of groundwater in the canal command area. The canal irrigation systems' maintenance includes dams, barrages, related equipment, canals and related structures, field drainage, diagnostic analysis of canal irrigation system, soil and water quality management, soil moisture, and measurement. The management of the canal irrigation systems includes rehabilitation and modernization and a case study on rehabilitation, conjunctive use management, operation, and maintenance budgeting, and financing. The book is expected to be useful for academicians, water practitioners, scientists, water managers, environmentalists, administrators, NGOs, researchers, and students who are actively involved in the operation, maintenance, and management of the canal irrigation system for addressing the challenges being faced in the irrigated agricultural while addressing issues of canal irrigation systems in South East Asia.

Of all the confrontations man has engineered with nature, irrigation systems have had the most widespread and far-reaching impact on the natural environment. Over a quarter of a billion hectares of the planet are irrigated and entire countries depend on irrigation for their survival and existence. Considering the importance of irrigation schemes, it is unfortunate that until recently the technology and principles of design applied to their construction has hardly changed in 4,000 years. Modern thinking on irrigation engineering has benefited from a cross-fertilization of ideas from many other fields including social sciences, control theory, political economics and agriculture. However, these influences have been largely ignored by irrigation engineers. Drawing on almost 40 years of experience of irrigation in the developing world, Laycock introduces new ideas on the design of irrigation systems and combines important issues from the disciplines of social conflict, management, and political thinking.