Brief Introduction of Hetao Irrigation District

Brief Introduction of Hetao Irrigation District

National Center of Efficient Irrigation Engineering and Technology Research-Beijing

Xiaoyan Guan

Main Contents

Location of Hetao Irrigation District

Climatic conditions

Conditions of water resources

Canal system of irrigation district

Agriculture irrigation

Existing problems

Research works

Hetao irrigation district is one of the three largest gravity irrigati-on districts in China.

Hetao irrigation district is located in the middle of Yellow River Basin in the west of China. From east to west is about 270km, north-south width is 40-75km, irrigation district is flat terrain, southwest of the district is high and northeast is low, the elevatio-n is 1007-1050m.

Irrigated area of the total land area is about 1.12 million hm2, the existing irrigation area is about 0.57 million hm2,it is about 51.2% of the total land area.

1. Location of Hetao Irrigation District

Yellow RiverHetao Irrigation District

Hetao irrigation district is a typical arid region with continental monsoon climate, the weather is dry and hot in summer and severely cold with little snow in winter.

Annual precipitation is 136.8~213.5mm, annual evaporation is

1993-2373mm, annual average temperature is 6-8 ,increasing ℃from east to west. The average relative humidity is 40~50%.

Frozen period last for 5~6 months, the greatest depth of the

freezing is 1.0~1.3m. frozen period is from late November to

April of the second year, frost-free period is 135~150d, the

annual sunshine hours is 3100~3300h.

2. Climatic conditions

3. Conditions of water resources

The surface water of Hetao irrigation district is mainly the yellow

river water, the yellow river water with annual 30 billion m3

running by the area is good in quality for irrigation purpose,

in spite of its high sediment concentration. Mineral content,

mainly Ca(HCO3)2, is less than 1g/L.

In the past years, this region takes in about 5 billion m3 annually.

Water is delivered with one single main canal and many levels

of branches.

With the ever-increasing pressure of water shortage in the

north part of China and the concern of the yellow river ru-

nning dry at its low reach for increasingly extended period

and length, the allowed water intake as set by the

government is now cut down to 4 billion m3 annually.

The depth of ground water table is 1.0~1.5 m during irrig-

ation periods and 0.5 m after Autumn irrigation (from Oc-

tober to November).

4. Canal system of irrigation district

Irrigation water is taken from the Shanshenggong Head Work

constructed at Dengkou on the yellow river, supplied by 180km

long main irrigation canal, then diverted to the whole area

through 11 branch irrigation canals.

Drainage water is collected by 11 branch irrigation canals, then

drained by pumping through the main drainage canal to the

Wulingshu Lake.

23/4/20 史海滨 内蒙古河套灌区概况 9

内蒙古河套灌区

main irrigation canal:180km

main drainage canal:260km

一干渠

乌拉河干渠

杨家河干渠

黄济干渠

永济

干渠

丰济干渠

皂火

干渠

沙河干渠

义和干渠通济干渠长济干渠塔布干渠

三湖河干渠套 外

First grade irrigation branch

Sanshenggong Water Control Project

Irrigation canal

Wuliangshu Lake

5. Agriculture irrigation

Irrigation in Hetao has a long history, the sustainable

development of agriculture irrigation scheme depends on

irrigation methods and good management practices.

With existing water delivery system and irrigation canals, consid-

ering the high sediment concentration in water, surface irrigation

is the main irrigation method in Hetao irrigation district.

Micro-irrigation is another irrigation method for cash crops at

part of the areas in the district.

For the management side, water allocation in different parts of the

region is important besides good irrigation schedule.

Rehabilitation and water-savingreform of irrigation district

canal lining

Irrigation district entironment

6. Existing problems

Hetao irrigation district still have some problems to be solved such

as：• Shortage of water resources

• Soil salination

• Level of irrigation management must be improved

• Equipment of water transmission and distribution remains to be

improved

• Land production efficiency is relatively low

• Destruction of ecological balance in some area

Soil desertification

Water seepage

7. Research works

For the current problems, A number of researchers have done

lots of researches in Hetao irrigation district, such as:

• Water Resource Management

• Soil salinity control

• The repose of crop to water-salinity

• Reinforcing and rehabilitation of irrigation district

• Protection of ecological environment