Water Logging

A land is said to be waterlogged when the pores of soil within the

root zone of a plant gets saturated and the normal growth of the
plant is adversely affected due to insufficient air circulation.
The depth of the water table at which it starts affecting the plant
would depend on plant and soil characteristics.
This excess water and the water that seeps into the ground from
reservoirs, canals, and watercourses percolate deep into the
ground to join the water table and, thus, raise the water table of
the area.

Causes, effects and preventive measures of water logging

The main causes of water logging can be grouped into two
categories:
(i)natural, and (ii) artificial.
Over irrigation
Inadequate surface drainage
Obstruction of natural surface drainage
Destroyed of natural drainage
Obstruction of natural sub surface drainage
Impervious top layer
Seepage from canal
Construction of reservoir
Defective method of cultivation
Defective irrigation practices

Causes, effects and preventive measures of water logging

Water logging of land causes a number of ill effects.
Some of the main ill effects are given below
Reduction in growth of plant
Difficulty in cultivation
Increase in salinity
Growth of weeds
Increase in natural plants
Increase in plant diseases
Fall in soil temperature
Adverse effect on community health

Causes, effects and preventive measures of water logging

Remedial measures for prevention of water logging are given
Controlling the intensity of irrigation
Providing a drainage system
Lining of canal
Improving the natural drainage of the area
Providing intercepting drain
Adopting well irrigation or conjunctive use of water
Changing the cropping pattern
Prevention of seepage from reservoir
Adopting better methods for application of water

Drainage systems may be divided into two types,

surface and
subsurface,
each has several components with similar function.
Drainage system components are:a- Main drains
b- Branch drains
c- Collector drains
d- Field drains

Three
layouts for
a
subsurface
drainage
system:
(A) random
system;
(B) parallel
grid
system;
(C)
herringbon
e system

Assessment of excess surface and sub

surface drainage
1. surface drainage assessment
b. internal drainage (drainage from agriculture fields)
i.
design internal drainage in irrigation projects due
to rainfall or irrigation
b. external drainage (drainage from catchment)
i.
required to design the headworks
ii.
required to design cross regulator structures in
irrigation system or road network

internal drainage (Bunded field)

A. Terai Area
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

rainfall for certain return period

initial water level in the field (considered 40mm for design)
maximum water level is 300 mm which may persist for one day
depth in excess of 200mm may persist for upto 3 days
no rain follows the design rainfall for several days
Evaporation/transpiration neglected
irrigation inflows neglected

Writing a water balance

h = 40 + P3/3 * t Q * t
Where, P3 = Maximum Yearly Precipitation for three consecutive days
or
h = 40 + P Q*t
Where, P = Maximum Yearly Precipitation for one day
where, h = depth of water in the field in mm
p = design three day rainfall in mm
t = number of days that have elapsed since the rain has began
Q = drainage runoff in mm/day

EXAMPLE

B. Hills

a.
b.
c.

rainfall for certain return period

initial water level in the field (considered 40mm for design)
maximum water level is 100 mm which may persist for one
day

d.
no rain follows the design rainfall for several days
e.
Evaporation/transpiration neglected
f.
irrigation inflows neglected
The water balance may be expressed as
Q = P+40 100 = p-60
where Q = the runoff in mm
p = design in 24 hours rainfall in mm

External Drainage
Design return periods for external Drainage works
C/S channels
C/S drainage structures
Major drainage structures
Catch drain

10
25
50
10

Estimation of Design Floods

1. Slope Area Method

A1 2 / 3 0.5 A2
0.5
R1 S 01
R 2 2 / 3 S 02
...
N1
N2

2. Rational Method
Maximum flood discharge is given by the following rational formula
QP

f rA
3 .6

(2)
where,
Qp
= Maximum flood discharge in m3/s
f
= Dimensionless run-off coefficient
r
= Intensity of rainfall within the time of flood concentration in mm/h
A = Catchment area in km2

Time of Flood Concentration

The Time of flood concentration is derived from following

formula:

0.87 L3 0.385
T (
)
h
where,
L
= Stream length in km
h = Vertical Distance in m

Modified Dickens Method

Dickens method is an empirical, where the peak discharge
is given by
Qt C t A0.75

where, Ct for the return period T is given by

Ct = 2.342 log(0.6T) log(1185/p) + 4
with p = 100 ( As +6) / A
As is snow covered area out of total catchment area A in
km2.