Irrigation Engineering | Canal Irrigation System | Civil Engineering |

CANAL IRRIGATION SYSTEM

* Canal system consists of main canals, branch canals, distributaries and minors.

* The soil which is formed by transportation and deposition of silt through the agency of water, over a

course of time, is called alluvial soil.

* Irrigation canals may be aligned in any of the following three ways:

1. as watershed canal or ridge canal

2. as contour canal

3. as side-slope canal

* A canal aligned on the watershed saves the cost of construction of cross-drainage works.

* A contour canal irrigates only on one side because of the area on the other side is higher.

* Since a side-slope canal runs parallel to the natural drainage flow, usually it does not intercept

drainage channels and hence avoids construction of cross-drainage works.

* In storage schemes main canal need not always take off from the reservoir, it may take off from a

pickup weir or a barrage.

* Discharge in a minor canal is generally less than 2.5 cu mec.

* The main canals, branch canals, distributaries and minors are government canals while water

courses belong to the cultivators.