Abstract
This chapter provides conceptual arguments and empirical evidence to show that the blending approach typically used for water quality protection can result in economic losses to the agricultural community as a whole. A better strategy is suggested for dealing with the “disposal” of saline agricultural drainage waters which provides greater practical benefit to be derived from the total water supply than blending does. In this strategy the drainage water is intercepted, isolated from the good-quality water, and reused for the irrigation of suitably salt-tolerant crops in the same project. Ultimately, a greatly reduced volume of secondary drainage water is disposed of or treated in some manner other than blending.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bernstein, L., 1975. Effects of Salinity and Sodicity on Plant Growth, Annual Review of Phytopathology, 13, pp. 295–312.
Davenport, D. C. and Hagan, R. M., 1982. Agricultural Water Conservation in California with Emphasis on the San Joaquin Valley. Technical Report 10010, Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, Davis.
Dinar, A.; Knapp, K. C.; and Letey, J., 1989. Irrigation Water Pricing to Reduce and Finance Subsurface Drainage Disposal, Agricultural Water Management, 16, pp. 155–171.
Ingvalson, R. D.; Rhoades, J. D.; and Page, A. L., 1976. Correlation of Alfalfa Yield with Various Indices of Salinity, Soil Science, 122, pp. 145–153.
Knapp, K. C.; Dinar, A.; and Letey, J., 1986. Onfarm Management of Agricultural Drainage Problems: An Economic Analysis, Hilgardia, 54(4), pp. 1–31.
Maas, E. V., 1986. Salt Tolerance of Plants, Applied Agricultural Research, 1(1), pp. 12–26.
Rhoades, J. D., 1977. Potential for Using Saline Agricultural Drainage Waters for Irrigation. Water Management for Irrigation and Drainage, ASCE Proceedings, Reno, NV., pp. 85–116.
Rhoades, J. D., 1982. Reclamation and Management of Salt-Affected Soils After Drainage. Rationalization of Water and Soil Resources and Management, Proceedings of the First Annual Western Provincial Conference. Lethbridge, Alberta Canada, pp. 123–197.
Rhoades, J. D., 1984a. New Strategy for Using Saline Waters for Irrigation. Water-Today and Tomorrow, Proceedings of the ASCE Irrigation and Drainage Special Conference, July 24–26, Flagstaff, AZ., pp. 231–236.
Rhoades, J. D., 1984b. Salt Problems from Increased Irrigation Efficiency, ASCE Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 111(3), pp. 218–229.
Rhoades, J. D., 1984c. Using Saline Waters for Irrigation. Proceedings of International Workshop on Salt-Affected Soils of Latin America, Maracay, Venezuela, October 23–30, 1983, pp. 22–52; Scientific Review on Arid Zone Research, 2, pp. 233–264.
Rhoades, J. D., 1984d. Reusing Saline Drainage Waters for Irrigation: A Strategy to Reduce Salt Loading of Rivers. In: French, R. H. (Ed.), Salinity in Watercourses and Reservoirs, Chapter 43, pp. 455–464.
Rhoades, J. D., 1985. Principles of Salinity Control on Food Production in North America. Proceedings of International Conference on Food and Water, May 26–30,1985, Texas A&M University.
Rhoades, J. D., 1986. Use of Saline Water for Irrigation: Water Quality. Special Issue Bulletin, National Water Resource Institute, Burlington, Ontario Canada.
Rhoades, J. D., 1989. Intercepting, Isolating, and Reusing Drainage Waters for Irrigation to Conserve Water and Protect Water Quality, Agricultural Water Management, 16, pp. 37–52.
Rhoades, J. D. and Merrill, S. D., 1976. Assessing the Suitability of Water for Irrigation: Theoretical and Empirical Approaches. Soils Bulletin 31, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, pp. 69–109.
Rhoades, J. D.; Oster, J. D.; Ingvalson, R. D.; Tucker J. M.; and Clark M., 1974. Minimizing the Salt Burdens of Irrigation Drainage Waters, Journal of Environmental Quality, 3, pp. 311–316.
Rhoades, J. D. and Suarez, D.L., 1977. Reducing Water Quality Degradation through Minimized Leaching Management, Agricultural Water Management, 1–2, pp. 127–142.
Rhoades, J. D.; Bingham F. T.; Letey, J.; Dedrick, A. R.; Bean, M.; Hoffman, G. J.; Alves, W. J.; Swain, R. V.; Pacheco, P. G.; and LeMert, R. D.; 1988a. Reuse of Drainage Water for Irrigation: Results of Imperial Valley Study. Hypothesis, Experimental Procedures and Cropping Results, Hilgardia, 56 (5), pp. 1–16.
Rhoades, J. D.; Bingham, F. T.; Letey, J.; Pinter, P. J. Jr.; LeMert, R. D.; Alves, W. J.; Hoffman, G. J.; Replogle, J. A.; Swain, R. V.; and Pacheco, P. G., 1988b. Reuse of Drainage Water for Irrigation: Results of Imperial Valley Study II. Soil Salinity and Water Balance, Hilgardia, 56(5), pp. 17–44.
Rhoades, J. D.; Bingham, F. T.; Letey, J.; Hoffman, G. J.; Dedrick, A R.; Pinter P. J.; and Replogle J. A., 1989. Use of Saline Drainage Water for Irrigation: Imperial Valley Study, Agricultural Water Management, 16, pp. 25–36.
Stroh, C. M., 1990. Land Retirement as a Strategy for Long Term Management of Agricultural Drainage and Related Problems. This Volume.
Suarez, D. L. and Rhoades J. D., 1977. Effect of Leaching Fraction on River Salinity, ASCE Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 103(IR2), pp. 245–257.
van Schilfgaarde, J.; Bernstein, L.; Rhoades, J. D.; and Rawlins, S. L., 1974. Irrigation Management for Salt, ASCE Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 100(IR3), pp. 321–338. Closure: 102(IR4), pp. 467–469.
van Schilfgaarde, J. and Rhoades, J. D., 1984. Coping with Salinity. Water Scarcity. In: Engelbert, E. A. (Ed.), Impacts in Western Agriculture, University of California Press, pp. 157–179.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rhoades, J.D., Dinar, A. (1991). Reuse of Agricultural Drainage Water to Maximize the Beneficial Use of Multiple Water Supplies for Irrigation. In: Dinar, A., Zilberman, D. (eds) The Economics and Management of Water and Drainage in Agriculture. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4028-1_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4028-1_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6801-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4028-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive