Semi- or fully automatic drainage regulation as a mean to recharge groundwater

Abstract

Climatic change is decreasing water availability, all over the world. Regions which never faced water scarcity need to adapt their practises to face more frequent and severe droughts periods. Among others, agriculture is one of the sectors that will face the consequences of water scarcity. Indeed, while water availability decreases, the use of water for irrigation purposes becomes questionable. In many regions in Europe, cultivated areas have a sub-surface drainage system, which ensures that crops do not face water stress due to excessive soil water content. These drainage systems convey the water infiltrating during rainfall events to surface channels, reducing the natural water table recharge. Introducing drainage regulations units in existing drainage systems represent a mean to increase the soil water retention and, consequently, a mean to increase the natural water table recharge while decreasing the need of irrigation and while helping to reduce peak flow during intense rainfall events. Moreover, controlled drainage management can reduce the amount of Nitrogen and Plant Protection Products (PPP) discharged into surface waters. Given its environmental benefits, drainage water management is today an official conservation practice in the USA and the Conservation Practice Standard 554 (code 554) has been published by the United States Department of Agriculture to inform, advice and guide potential users of this practise. Drainage control units can be simple structures retrofitted in existing drainage networks outlets. They can consist of sliding weir systems or of a flashboard with adjustable height and they can be operated manually or automatically. In the present study an automatic drainage control unit has been developed and operated in a laboratory prototype. The objective of our experiment was understanding which technical and practical difficulties are faced in the use of a drainage control unit and thus which issues hinder its spread among farmers. Particular attention was given to possible issues associated with sedimentation.