New furrow flume for high sediment loads

Clemmens, A.J. and Bjorneberg, D.L. (2005) New furrow flume for high sediment loads. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 21(2):227-236.

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Abstract

Measurement of water flow in furrows from either irrigation or rainfall is difficult when significant soil erosion
occurs. It can be accomplished with flumes that back up flow in the furrow, which for moderate to steeply sloping fields causes
only small changes in furrow water depth and thus has little influence on the water flow measurement. However, the ponding
of water upstream from a flume can have a significant impact on the movement of sediment down the furrow. In one research
study, measured sediment transport through the flume was reduced 40% over that measured in a furrow with only a
non– constricting metal form that matched the furrow shape. A new furrow flume has been designed that overcomes the
limitations of current v–shaped flumes or trapezoidal EEC flumes that cause significant backwater during furrow irrigation.
This new flume has a trapezoidal shape with only a side contraction. It was designed to keep flow velocities high over the
full range of flow conditions. This new flume is commercially available and has been working successfully in the field for three
seasons.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	1157
Subjects:	Irrigation > Furrow irrigation > Runoff losses > Sediment Research methodology Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Users 6 not found.
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:49
Last Modified:	03 Nov 2016 15:29
Item ID:	12
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/12