ASSESSMENT OF IRRIGATION WATER AND WATER DELIVERY PERFORMANCE AT BRANCH CANAL LEVEL IN THE NILE DELTA

Egypt currently facing a critical water scarcity situation. The agriculture sector remains the main and the largest consumer of available fresh water consuming about more than 80% of Egypt's water resources. In addition, the increasing food demand with less water consumption is of a great importance and a great challenge in the same time due to the rapid increase in population. Therefore, water allocation among different water use sectors is in a highly competitive situation with the agricultural sector. This study examines water delivery performance and its effects on farmers of the command area of Alfia branch canal with an area served of 3883 ha (9240 feddans) located on eastern Nile Delta. Water supply system was evaluated at the canal level, using the adequacy, efficiency, dependability and equity indicators. These indicators calculated for 24-months irrigation seasons of 2016 and 2017, using measured water deliveries and calculated crop water requirements, water quality analysis, along the canal. The findings of the study showed that there is a direct relationship between water level at the head of the branch canal and the corresponding drain due to the presence of well-functioning subsurface drainage. Water availability in the canal command area is sufficient throughout the year fulfilling adequacy because farmers located at the tail end of the canal are conjunctively using the shallow groundwater to overcome the shortage of delivered water. Farmers located in the head of the canal are occasionally use the groundwater comparing to farmers suited in the tail end due to better water accessibility in the head of the canal. However, they grow rice which is high water consumer crop while the irrigation duty supply for the canal is released based on other crops excluding rice. For this reason, farmers substitute the deficit water amount from the groundwater.