Ek. Weatherhead et Jw. Knox, PEAK DEMANDS FROM SPRAY IRRIGATION, Journal of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, 11(4), 1997, pp. 305-309
Although irrigation accounts for less than 2% of water use in the UK,
direct abstraction for spray irrigation can be a significant user in c
ertain catchments in dry summers. Peak demand is expected to grow nati
onally by 1-2% per annum on average, but this growth varies locally. W
ater resource planners need to know the peak demands and how they are
likely to grow within each catchment or aquifer, and the likely local
annual variation and timing of demand. This paper discusses how recent
developments in irrigation modelling combined with the application of
a 'geographic information system' can produce such forecasts, taking
into account spatial variation in soils, climate, cropping and irrigat
ion practice.