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